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News & Analysis

government and upshot - All News and Analysis

• The problem of the imperial presidency

  - 2007-09-22

  The Philadelphia Constitution may be dead, (1) but the basic problems which troubled the Framers--e.g., preserving the rule of law, preventing oppressive government--are still relevant, albeit in the new and different context. For instance, by way of introduction to what follows, the marked changes in relative powers of the branches...

  Tags: Bush, essay, Government, president, SOFTWARE, U.S. Congress, upshot

• Don't whistle while you work: at the Bush administration's whistleblower office, tips on murder, espionage, and terrorism are processed "in the order in which they are received." But any sign of the homosexual agenda—that is priority number

  - 2007-05-01

  IT LOOKED AS IF LEROY SMITH was going to get some recognition after all. A safety manager at a federal prison in California, he had challenged his bosses, risked his job, and endured threats of retaliation to expose hazardous conditions in a prison computer recycling program where inmates were smashing...

  Tags: agency, FBI, Government, MARKETING, retaliation, security, terrorism, U.S. Congress, UpShot, White House

• Lame-duck Congress waddles to close

  - 2006-12-05

  One of the basic functions of Congress is passing spending bills to fund the operations of government. Congress regularly fails to complete this work in a timely way, but the 109th Congress is set to leave on an especially negligent note. Unless something dramatic changes, it will limp to a...

  Tags: Government, Leadership, SOFTWARE, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, upshot

• Lame-duck Congress waddles to an irresponsible close

  - 2006-12-05

  ONE of the basic functions of Congress is passing spending bills to fund the operations of government. Congress regularly fails to complete this work in a timely way, but the 109th Congress is set to leave on an especially negligent note. Unless something dramatic changes, it will limp to a...

  Tags: Government, SOFTWARE, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, upshot

• Known and unknown dangers

  - 2006-03-22

  LOOKING BEYOND the "usual suspects for global mischief-making, there are potential crises that could both truly surprise us in 2006 and prove enormously disruptive to our interests and well-being. Three profoundly different states offer an aperture into what could become nasty and dangerous surprises. Only one--Iraq--is an obvious candidate. Nigeria...

  Tags: Government, Iraq, Nigeria, SOFTWARE, U.S., U.S. Congress, upshot

• A turning of the tide for preemption: new developments in preemption law bode well for plaintiffs in products cases.

  - 2005-11-01

  It's hard to imagine a drier-sounding subject than federal preemption. Yet it s even harder to imagine a doctrine that poses a bigger threat to access to justice in this country. When successful, the federal preemption defense can completely wipe out your clients' rights to obtain...

  Tags: Government, manufacturer, Manufacturing, presumption, regulation, Regulations, statute, The Dow Chemical Co., U.S. Congress, United States Coast Guard, upshot

• Pentagon redirects priorities in chemical-biological defense.(Domestic Threats)

  - 2005-03-01

  The Pentagon will broaden the scope of its chemical and biological defense programs, in an effort to prepare for future domestic emergencies, officials say. Major concerns are the Defense Department's inability to respond to a mass-casualty biological attack and to keep adequate supplies...

  Tags: Biotechnology, Government, HEALTHCARE, Pentagon, U.S., U.S. Department of Defense, upshot, vaccine

• What if he wins?

  - 2004-09-01

  The Triumph of Anything Goes By David Greenberg We all know that George W. Bush's reelection would probably bring about more illiberal policies regarding social justice, education, the arts, economic fairness, environmental protection, consumer rights, racial equality, foreign policy, civil liberties, and workers' rights. Less obvious, but perhaps...

  Tags: administration, America, Bush, Democrat, Democratic Party, FINANCE, Government, Iraq, Kerry, Preemption, president, Republican, Taxes, U.S. Congress, upshot, Vengeance

• E911 update.(capital currents)

  - 2004-09-01

  From time to time, I've written about the foot-dragging of the cellular phone industry in implementing E911 location technology. While the FCC beat up on the major wireless carriers, who have started to make progress over the last year, thousands of smaller wireless carriers are still...

  Tags: carrier, E911, FCC, Government, network, upshot, Wi-Fi, WIRELESS

• Technical skills shortage hurts Pentagon's bottom line.(Defense Watch)

  - 2004-09-01

  The trials and tribulations experienced in various Pentagon big-ticket programs in recent years have prompted a thorough self-examination at the Defense Department. At issue is who really is to blame for failures, delays, cost overruns and an overall dearth of innovation. Defense officials...

  Tags: Government, innovation, Leadership, Pentagon, Strategy, U.S. Department of Defense, upshot