Native Canadians Fear Mining Boom in “Ring of Fire”

With accusations that Canadian resource companies and government officials are disregarding the need for indigenous consent in development projects, First Nations leaders have lashed out by approving a resolution calling for a moratorium on mining development in the so-called Ring of Fire until proper consultation begins.

New York Farmers Aid the City’s Hungry

At a time when big grocery stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are attracting scores of hungry customers, many local family-run farms are fighting to keep afloat.

Romney Offers Few Details in Major Foreign Policy Speech

Reprising the neo-conservative rhetoric of the primary election campaign, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney Tuesday harshly criticised Barack Obama's foreign policy but offered few clues as to specific changes he would make if he defeats the president in November.

Crops Failing as U.S. Simmers in Record Heat Wave

The United States is suffering one of its most severe droughts in decades, leading to both widespread crop failures and increased public concern about the impacts of climate change.

U.S.: Right-Wing Hawks, Arms Industry Rally Against Pentagon Cuts

While Iran, Russia, and China are all pretty scary, the ominous word "sequestration" is what is keeping right-wing hawks and their friends in the defence industry up at night.

U.S.: Police Treat Condoms as Contraband, Rights Group Says

How many condoms is it legal to carry around in your pocket? That’s the question sex workers in the United States are asking after being routinely targeted by police for having prophylactics – not in itself a crime.

Families of U.S. Victims of Drone Attacks Sue Top Officials

Family members of three U.S. citizens killed last year in drone strikes in Yemen filed a lawsuit here Wednesday accusing U.S. intelligence and military officials of violating the victims' rights under the U.S. constitution and international law.

U.S.: Republicans Sink Law of the Sea Ratification for Now

Defying the wishes of both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Navy, Republican senators have effectively halted – for now - an effort by the administration of President Barack Obama to gain ratification of the 30-year-old Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST).

Ithaca Ecovillage Forges a Path to Sustainable Living

Ecovillage at Ithaca (EVI), located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, is an intentional community of 160 people striving for greater sustainability, a better quality of life, and perhaps even a new model for urban planners the world over.

Canada Targets Traffickers, With a Close Eye on Sex Work

The arrests last week of the three remaining perpetrators of the alleged Opapa human trafficking ring, which forced 19 people recruited from Hungary to endure long work days, poor living conditions and no pay in the Canadian construction industry, has cast a light on Ottawa’s new measures to combat the crime.

U.S.: Being Young and Homeless Could Get Even Worse

Amber, 24, who’s been living on the streets half her life, was sitting on a sunny sidewalk in downtown Berkeley last week, cuddling her three-month-old puppy and talking to a friend. But if voters approve a measure the city council placed on the November ballot, sitting on the sidewalk – after a warning – could cost her 75 dollars.

Obama Piles New Sanctions Against Iran

In the latest ratcheting up of pressure on Iran, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday imposed new financial sanctions against Iranian and other companies whose operations allegedly support the country's nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes.

International Conference Sheds Light on U.S. AIDS Crisis

Thirty-one years after the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, the country’s infection rates have not gone down in a decade, warned advocates speaking here on Tuesday ahead of a major international conference.

RFK Award Spotlights Struggle for Farmworkers’ Rights

New York State legislators up in Albany are likely to be seeing a lot of Librada Paz in the near future.

U.S. Push to Limit Copyright Law May Be Undercut by TPP Secrecy

In a surprise move this week, the United States says it is pushing for limitations to international copyright norms currently under negotiation surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the massive free trade agreement that could go into effect by the end of the year.

Canada Severely Curtails Refugee Health Care

As major cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) came into effect across Canada last week, medical professionals say both refugees and the Canadian healthcare system as a whole will pay a heavy price.

U.S. Sees Greatest Reduction in CO2 Emissions

According to a recent report by the International Energy Agency, the U.S. has seen the greatest reduction in carbon dioxide pollution within the past six years in comparison to any other country, even as global carbon dioxide pollution has reached record highs.

U.S. Agency Gave Nuclear Industry a Sweet Deal, Documents Reveal

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) recently won a two-year legal battle to secure documents from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Freedom of Information Act related to nuclear power loan guarantees offered to utility companies under the Barack Obama administration.

U.S. Hawks Aflutter as Clinton Clears China on Iran Oil Sales

The administration of President Barack Obama is waiving tough financial sanctions that would have taken effect Thursday against both China and Singapore because it said the two countries had made "significant reductions" in their crude oil purchases from Iran.

U.S. Aid Policies in Pakistan Resulting in Anti-U.S. Sentiment

Despite President Barack Obama's stated policy of using foreign aid to improve public perception of the United States in Pakistan, two major new reports suggest that U.S. policies are exacerbating an already soured relationship.

Explanations Demanded on U.S. Inaction on Conflict Minerals

A U.S. government agency is being questioned on why it is dragging its feet on 2010 legislation that would increase transparency in extractive industries around the world, one aim of which would be to cut down on the global trade in "conflict minerals".