The NewStandard

Congress is set to reauthorize a Federal Drug Administration act that critics say gives drug companies too much influence over the agency, leading to hasty approvals of new drugs. Under the...

Twenty years after a landmark report documented environmental racism in the United States, new evidence shows that toxic waste is still being disproportionately dumped on communities of color....

As the US Forest Service pursues a logging plan for the Tongass National Forest, conservationists are pushing for different economic priorities in Alaska.

Lawmakers introduced a bill last week that would give back millions of workers the right to join unions. The bill, called the Re-Empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and...

The latest round of legislative proposals to address waste from the agricultural industry would continue to give government breaks to factory farms, despite critics' arguments that the large-scale...

Labor and public-interest groups are arguing that permitting Mexican truckers to drive US roads under NAFTA raises safety concerns. But the facts suggest otherwise, and some activists see a deeper problem.

More than a half-million tons of hazardous waste annually could escape federal environmental regulations under a new proposal from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA wants to...

The federal office that has occasionally accused the US Environmental Protection Agency of manipulating science for political reasons is now dismissing staff in anticipation of budget cuts not yet...

The federal government yesterday announced the removal of Yellowstone's grizzly bears from its threatened and endangered species list, much to the chagrin of conservationists. Calling their...

A watchdog group is challenging the US government's stance on food from cloned animals, accusing regulators of downplaying evidence of health risks in order to serve industry interests. A...

As the federal government continues to push forward the controversial Real ID Act, a growing number of states and public-interest groups are taking measures to block the initiative. The...

While promoting energy security, senators introduced a corporate-backed bill last week that would allow for off-shore oil drilling. Sponsors of the Security and Fuel Efficiency (SAFE)...

Civil libertarians say that security measures and the presence of police officers in New York City schools have created "hostile and dysfunctional environments" for students and teachers. ...

A new analysis has found that some 44 million American jobs – about one out of every three positions in the United States – pays $11.11 per hour or less. The report, published by...

With two controversial trade deals awaiting ratification, Congress is taking stock of the White House's free-trade agenda, and activists are seizing the moment to call for policies that respond to...

Three public-interest groups have identified yet another disparity in the US healthcare system: a lack of services, research and education for bisexual people. According to a report...

Six months after the US Department of Agriculture announced that the US long-grain rice supply had been contaminated with illegal rice, the genetically modified grains are still showing up in...

Largely because few laws limit their mistreatment by employers, US housekeeping staff are underpaid and underappreciated. A new survey details their conditions and their predicament.

Immigrant-rights groups are backing a bill introduced this week that could extend health coverage through already-underfunded programs to non-citizens who are under 21 or pregnant and are in the...

A growing movement to curb junk mail for ecological and privacy reasons is meeting stiff opposition from marketing associations, businesses and a postal workers' union. Lawmakers from ten...