Nonprofit Organizations and Counterterrorism Measures

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Senate Plans Debate On FISA Next Week

Dec 14, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Senators plan to begin debating permanent revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) next week, but this does not guarantee that anything will be accomplished. The Senate Judiciary Committee did not approve Senator Arlen Specter's (R-PA) bill that would have substituted the government as the defendant in lawsuits against the telecommunications companies. Specter will likely offer the measure as an amendment during floor debate.

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Another Step in Passing FISA Reform: Specter Introduces New Bill

Dec 6, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

When the week began, it seemed the Senate would take up FISA reform, but this has been delayed. As expected Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has introduced a bill (S.2402) that would allow the U.S. government to take the place of the telephone companies in lawsuits related to the warrantless surveillance program. The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to mark up Specter's bill this morning (Dec.6). BNA Money and Politics ($$) highlights some of the concerns with this proposal;

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Tamil Rehabilitation Organization and its U.S. Branch Shut Down

On Nov. 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, Inc. (TRO) as a supporter of the group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka, charging that TRO was a fundraising front. TRO's offices in 18 countries, including one in Cumberland, MD, were also designated. The designations, authorized by Executive Order 13224, prohibit Americans from engaging in financial transactions with designated groups and freeze any assets the groups may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

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Secrecy Hinders Progress of Terrorism Cases

The secrecy of the government's counterterrorism efforts is impeding the progress of bringing suspected terrorists to trial. In reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post, secret government programs and secret court procedures have slowed cases involving suspected and convicted terrorists.

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Bush Says Congress Must Include Telecom Immunity

Dec 4, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

In attempting to pass legislation that would update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), President Bush is calling on Congress to pass a bill with language providing retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the government with warrantless surveillance.

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Study Commission or Thought Police?

A bill that would create a commission and research center on "violent radicalization" and "extremist belief systems" that can lead to homegrown terrorism has been quietly making its way through Congress, passing the House on Oct. 23. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups are raising concerns that its vague definitions, broad mandate and minimal oversight could lead to ethnic profiling and censorship based on personal beliefs. The bill now moves to the Senate, although the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has not yet scheduled a hearing.

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Counterterrorims Measures and American Charities

Dec 4, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

In the current issue of the International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law (IJNL), "The Shifting Landscape for American Not-for-Profit Organizations," Kay Guinane, Director of Nonprofit Speech Rights for OMB Watch writes an informative synopsis of counterterrorism measures that have affected American charities.

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The "Commission" Will Determine Radicalism

Nov 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Last week an editorial appeared in the Balitmore Sun titled "Here come the thought police," which outlines the many reasons some privacy and civil liberties groups oppose Representative Jane Harman's (D-CA) Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act (HR1995). At first glance, the bill overwhelmingly approved by the House in October appears safe, but many fear that it could lead to the criminalization of beliefs, racial or religious profiling, and unconstitutional restrictions on speech.

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CRS Report Details Broad Language in Executive Order on Iraq

Nov 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

In July we brought attention to Executive Order 13, 438 which authorizes the government to seize the assets of "any person" who threatens the stability of Iraq and any person who provides assistance to such a person. The lack of clear standards to define what criteria will be used to determine when an entity poses a significant risk or what constitutes a threat to the peace or security of the Iraqi government leaves charities operating in Iraq vulnerable. Now a newly released Congressional Research Service (CRS) report highlights the broad nature of the Executive Order.

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Scrutiny of Anti-Terrorism Watchlists Increases

Stirring up controversy and resentment, the United Nation's terrorist watchlist has led to the release of a critical report from Europe's leading human rights watchdog organization. U.S. watchlists have also caused controversy, including the massive no-fly list and the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list used to shut down charities. A recent hearing in the House Homeland Security Committee examined the extent to which U.S. watchlists infringe on the rights of innocent persons by maintaining inaccurate records and not addressing current security vulnerabilities.

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