Muslim Centre Prevails in Battle over Site Near ‘Ground Zero’

In a case viewed by many as a test of religious tolerance in the post-9/11 era, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously Tuesday morning against designating the future location of a Muslim-led community centre as a historic landmark.

Scientists Deeply Concerned About BP Disaster’s Long-Term Impact

Contrary to recent media reports of a quick recovery in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists and biologists are "deeply concerned" about impacts that will likely span "several decades".

U.S.: Controversy Highlights Plight of Black, and White, Farmers

The controversial firing of an African-American federal government employee over comments misconstrued to be racist has refocused attention on the plight of black farmers in the U.S. South.

Families of Dead U.S. Vets Accuse Insurer of Massive Scam

Prudential cheated the families of dead U.S. soldiers and Marines out of more than 100 million dollars in interest on their life-insurance policies, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in a Massachusetts federal court.

US: Court Blocks Arizona’s Anti-Immigrant Law

In a legal victory for the administration of President Barack Obama, a federal court Wednesday temporarily blocked the implementation of key provisions of a controversial Arizona immigration law that was to take effect Thursday.

Hopes Fade for Languishing U.S. Climate Bill

The Barack Obama administration has found success in passing healthcare reform and legislation touted as an "overhaul" of the U.S. financial system, but last week it became clear that the Democrats wouldn't advance a climate change bill until after the August recess and, more likely, until next year.

Mentally Ill Adrift in U.S. Immigration System

Mentally disabled legal permanent residents of the United States and asylum seekers face indefinite detention, erroneous deportation, and unfair hearings in U.S. courts, according to a new joint report from two leading human rights organisations.

US: Women Fight More Than Fire in the FDNY

Leaning back in a squeaking plastic chair, one leg crossed over the other, the lieutenant is at once relaxed and commanding. She smiles often, absent- mindedly running her hands through short brown hair before speaking. Her words are thoughtful, her manner candid.

BP Oil Poisons the Gulf of Mexico’s Food Chain

Shellfish in the Gulf of Mexico grow with drops of petroleum inside them, coyotes eat oil-soaked birds, and sharks suffocate when the oil coats their gills.

Right-Wing Agenda Slips Through Canada’s Political Deadlock

Canada's parliament is so broken and dysfunctional that the country is in danger of becoming "the laughing stock" of the world.

New Weather Patterns Threaten U.S. Breadbasket

Climate change is expected to disrupt agriculture in the U.S. Midwest, with high carbon dioxide promoting crop growth but stronger storms, drought, floods and migrating yields dampening yields.

Midwives vs. Doctors in U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis

"I was baking a cake when my contractions were two minutes apart," Kristine says, her voice warm with memory, "not in a hospital, holding onto a bedside somewhere screaming."

Wealthy Reap Rewards While Those Who Work Lose

Times are tough for workers in the U.S. where a recession has a stranglehold on much of the economy, but life is perfectly rosy for those at the top.

No Free Press for BP Oil Disaster

Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard, working in concert with oil giant BP, instituted new restrictions across the U.S. Gulf Coast that prevent the media from coming within 20 metres of booms or response vessels on beaches or water. But the insidiousness of the restrictions runs even deeper.

Justice Dept Draws a Line in Arizona’s Sand

While civil rights and Hispanic advocates are applauding the Justice Department's decision to sue the state of Arizona over its new "may I see your papers please?" anti-immigrant law, solid majorities of Arizona citizens are telling a variety of polling organisations that they approve of the legislation.

Death by Remote: But Is It Legal?

As the Barack Obama administration continues to roll out justifications for its policy of targeting U.S. citizens and others thought to be attacking U.S. troops, legal and national security experts are pondering a central question: What if there's a mistake and the wrong person gets killed?

Slavery Casts a Long Shadow

Ayana rises before the sun. She bathes, dresses, and leaves the house before her daughters awake.

Anti-Immigrant State Laws Could Multiply, Obama Warns

U.S. President Barack Obama criticised "ill conceived" immigration laws in Arizona and called on Republicans to end their opposition to immigration reform and pass bipartisan immigration reform in speech delivered Thursday morning.

U.S.: Stuck in No-Fly Limbo

Ten U.S. citizens or lawful residents are suing the government for placing them on the "no-fly" list without notice or due process and then giving them no way to get their names off the list.

Gulf Spill Galvanises Activist Community

With the U.S .government and oil giant British Petroleum under fire for their handling of the more than two-month-old Gulf Coast oil spill disaster, environmental and community activists across the country are taking matters into their own hands.

US: Gun Control Groups Divided on High Court Ruling

Monday's Supreme Court decision on the extent to which the Second Amendment of the U.S. constitution guarantees the universal right to own a gun is being welcomed by organisations on both sides of the debate, even as some warn that the ruling could open a floodgate of legislation challenging gun laws in different states.