Phillip Swarts
Articles by Phillip Swarts
Retired Marine rips Islamic State in scathing letter: ‘There will be no mercy’
A retired U.S. Marine penned a letter to the Islamic State terrorist group warning them about the consequences of threatening the United States. Published August 22, 2014
Eric Holder: Ferguson residents ‘gave me hope’ during visit
Attorney General Eric Holder said he will stay updated on developments in Ferguson, Missouri, after traveling to the town Wednesday to see the ongoing protests and riots firsthand. Published August 22, 2014
Bank of America looks ahead after levied $16 billion fine
Bank of America's top executive said Thursday he hoped a record-setting $16.65 billion penalty officially announced by the Justice Department over the sales of bad mortgages and securities ahead of the 2008 financial global panic will remove a major cloud from the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank's future. Published August 21, 2014
Eric Holder: The truth will come out about Ferguson
Saying that few things have affected him as greatly as his visit to Ferguson, Missouri, Attorney General Eric Holder expressed his sympathy for everyone involved in the deadly shooting which has disrupted life in the town. Published August 21, 2014
Eric Holder speaks to Ferguson community as ‘a black man’
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told members of the Ferguson community Wednesday that he understands the racial tensions underlying the riots and protests. Published August 20, 2014
Eric Holder hopes to have a ‘calming influence’ in racially charged Ferguson
Calling trust in law enforcement "all-important, but ... fragile," U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Wednesday that the people of Ferguson, Missouri, need to "have confidence" in the Justice Department during its investigation of the shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer, an incident that set off riots and protests and drew the nation's top law enforcement officer to the still-tense St. Louis suburb. Published August 20, 2014
Law enforcement officers cleared more than 400 times each year for justified homicides
More than 400 fatal police killings a year are sanctioned by local, state and federal authorities as justified homicides, but the FBI doesn't specifically track how many times officers are prosecuted for improperly causing a person's death. Published August 19, 2014
What does legal pot mean for crime?
The citizens of Colorado and Washington may have gotten a lot higher since marijuana was legalized. The question is, has the crime rate followed suit? Published August 13, 2014
Voting rights still a top Justice Department priority, official says
Following the Supreme Court striking down the Voting Rights Act of 1965 last year, equal access to the ballot box is still one of the Justice Department's "highest priorities," a top official said Wednesday. Published August 13, 2014
Tax-exempt groups still owe hundreds of millions in taxes: report
Tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations that get breaks on their income taxes are still cheating the Internal Revenue Service out of payroll taxes totaling nearly $875 million, a watchdog report said Wednesday. Published August 13, 2014
Georgia VA hospital closes contracts, stranding vets without needed care
Rather than go through a time-consuming evaluation process, a Veterans Affairs center in Georgia decided to simply close all of its consulting contracts en masse, leaving vets without access to many specialized doctors and health workers, a watchdog report found Tuesday. Published August 12, 2014
Wine merchant sentenced for selling counterfeit booze
A wine merchant in New York was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday for leaving buyers with sour grapes. Published August 8, 2014
Atlanta police who protected drug deals sentenced to federal prison
A federal court in Atlanta has sentenced nine former police officers to three to seven years in prison for protecting a series of drug deals in Georgia. Published August 7, 2014
D.C. in middle of the road on pedestrian safety
The Washington area is in the middle of the road when it comes to pedestrian-vehicle deaths across the country, a new study found. Published August 6, 2014
Rikers prison guards used excessive force on minors, Justice finds
Corrections officers used excessive force to control adolescent inmates at a major New York City prison, including inflicting wounds that required medical treatment, a Justice Department investigation concluded Monday. Published August 4, 2014
Golden Hammer: Railroad board pays $1B in bogus disability benefit
They may work all the live-long day, but railroad workers shouldn't be receiving at least $1 billion in benefits they don't qualify for, a top government watchdog says. Published July 31, 2014
U.S. chemical sites vulnerable to terrorists despite millions spent on security: Congress
Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bolster security, there are still large gaps in the nation's chemical infrastructure that could be exploited by terrorists, says a report by a top Senate Republican. Published July 30, 2014
Insurgent-allied businesses in Afghanistan eligible for U.S. taxpayer aid
The U.S. could be funding the very terrorists in Afghanistan it is fighting because of an Army oversight process that's so bad it's not weeding out businesses connected to insurgents, a top watchdog warned Wednesday. Published July 30, 2014
Cheating death twice: Maarten de Jonge changed plans for doomed Malaysia Airlines flights
Professional cyclist Maarten de Jonge avoided death on both Malaysia Airline flights that have crashed or disappeared in recent months. Published July 19, 2014
U.S. bests Iran to advance to the Gold Medal match at the FIVB World League Finals
On Saturday the United States delivered a devastating blow to Iran — on the volleyball court. Published July 19, 2014
