US government news stories on Newser

New End-of-Life Planning: Social Media Wills

Matt Cantor — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:01:10 CDT

Social networking has already changed our lives; now, officials want us to consider its implications after our death. On its blog, the US government is calling on Americans to create "social media wills," which detail our wishes for the future of the huge range of online accounts we all have...

Feds Plan 'Garage Sale' to Raise $22B

Rob Quinn — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:26:49 CDT

The federal government is going through its stuff looking for things it doesn't use much anymore and can sell off to raise some cash. A "garage sale" included in President Obama's deficit reduction plan could see the government selling off unused land, roads, vehicles, and even airwaves, the New York...

Record 81% Unhappy With Way US Is Governed

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:29:31 CDT

We are not a very content bunch. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans alike are unhappy with the US government, leading to a record high of 81% who are dissatisfied with the way America is bring governed, the latest Gallup poll shows. A whopping 92% of Republicans are dissatisfied, as are...

Feds Can't Fix Economy: Poll

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:58:00 CDT

Another day, another poll about how much we hate Congress . This latest poll shows, in particular, that just one in four of us believes the federal government can fix the economy. That's down 21 points from October, notes the Washington Post . And a whopping 71% of respondents believe S&P was...

Family Fights US Mint Over Rare Coins

Luke Kelly-Clyne — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:22:35 CDT

A Philadelphia family is going head-to-head with the US government in a legal battle over ownership of 10 rare "double-eagle" coins worth $20 each when minted, and now valued in the millions. The coins were first produced by the US Mint in 1933 but never distributed. All but two were...

US Faces Suit for Infecting Guatemalans With Syphilis

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:03:00 CST

A class action suit representing some of the 700 men deliberately infected with syphilis by the US government will be filed tomorrow unless the feds come up with an acceptable settlement, plaintiffs' lawyers warned. The US intentionally affected victims from 1946-48 to study the effects of the disease. The Obama...

Gawker Hack Puts 1.3M Users' Data at Risk

Matt Cantor — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:11:10 CST

Gawker's databases have been hacked, and the site is telling users to change their passwords on Gawker and any other site where they used the same password. The management says it's “deeply embarrassed” by the security failure, noting that it shouldn’t have to depend “on the goodwill of the hackers...

US Grade for Bio-Terror Readiness: F

Nick McMaster — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:26:00 CST

The US is woefully unprepared for a biological attack—getting an “F” from a bipartisan commission on weapons of mass destruction. “While the government has made progress on preventing such attacks, it is simply not paying consistent and urgent attention to the means of responding quickly and effectively so that...

Race for Better Light Bulb Heats Up

Kevin Spak — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:08:38 CDT

Dutch electronics giant Philips has created an LED light bulb that, if it lives up to its billing, could claim the US government’s coveted “L Prize.” More important, the new bulb could inherit the 60-watt bulb’s throne. The Energy Department is offering $10 million—and a pile of juicy government...