The federal government's bulk collection of Americans' telephone records after the Sept. 11 terror attacks exceeds what Congress has allowed, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union illustrated the complexity of balancing privacy interests with the nation's security.
Court rules NSA phone surveillance program is illegal
Global Carbon Dioxide Levels Topped 400 PPM Throughout March In Unprecedented Milestone
Average global levels of carbon dioxide stayed above 400 parts per million, or ppm, through all of March 2015 -- the first time that has happened for an entire month since record keeping first began, according to data released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Scientists with NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory have called the news a "significant milestone" in the growing scourge of man-made climate change.
How Republican presidential candidates are getting away with denying evolution
A neurosurgeon who believes the human brain is too complex for anyone but God, an ophthalmologist who refuses to talk about the age of the Earth, and a Harvard-trained lawyer beloved by creationists are running for president of the United States, raising the prospect of an election without science.
Retired doctor Ben Carson joined senators Rand Paul (the ophthalmologist) and Ted Cruz (the Harvard alum) on the campaign trail on Monday, vying for the Republican nomination against each other and other confirmed and likely candidates including Senator Marco Rubio, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.
Pentagon accused of withholding data on sex assaults at US bases
The number of sex-related crimes occurring in U.S. military communities is far greater than the Defense Department has publicly reported, a U.S. senator said Monday in a scathing critique that asserts the Pentagon has refused to provide her information about sexual assaults at several major bases.
The spouses of service members and civilian women who live or work near military facilities are especially vulnerable to being sexually assaulted, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said in a report. Yet they "remain in the shadows" because neither is counted in surveys conducted by the Defense Department to determine the prevalence of sexual assaults within the ranks, the report said.
Gunmen open fire outside Dallas 'Muhammad Art Exhibit'
Two gunmen opened fire Sunday evening outside a contest for cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad at Garland ISD's Curtis Culwell Center, police said.
The two men pulled up in a vehicle and shot a Garland ISD security officer. The men were fatally shot by Garland police, and their bodies remain on the street outside the events center.
The security officer, Bruce Joiner, was released from the hospital after his wounds were treated.
Wildlife decline may lead to 'empty landscape'
Populations of some of the world's largest wild animals are dwindling, raising the threat of an "empty landscape", say scientists.
About 60% of giant herbivores - plant-eaters - including rhinos, elephants and gorillas, are at risk of extinction, according to research.
Analysis of 74 herbivore species, published in Science Advances, blamed poaching and habitat loss.
A previous study of large carnivores showed similar declines.
Cosmic rays may damage brains of astronauts
It may not be space debris, errant asteroids, supply shortages, thruster malfunctions or even the malevolent aliens envisioned in so many Hollywood films that thwart astronauts on any mission to Mars. It may be the ubiquitous galactic cosmic rays.
Researchers said on Friday long-term exposure to these rays that permeate space may cause dementia-like cognitive impairments in astronauts during any future round-trip Mars journey, expected to take at least 2-1/2 years.
Press freedom is declining in the US
Today the world recognizes World Press Freedom Day. Instituted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO), its purpose is to “celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on [its] independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.”
The issues of quality reporting, media independence and the safety of journalists are as relevant today as ever – especially in the United States.
Seattle police say prepared for more protests
Seattle police said on Saturday they were preparing for more weekend protests after a May Day march that turned violent when crowds hurled bottles and wrenches at officers, who responded with pepper spray and flash grenades.
Sixteen people were arrested in the violence, which erupted late Friday after a day of peaceful demonstrations to call attention to workers' rights, immigration issues and police treatment of minorities in the United States.
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