Phillip Swarts
Articles by Phillip Swarts
Bill Maher blames Hamas for Gaza violence: ‘Do you really expect the Israelis not to retaliate?’
HBO "Real Time" host Bill Maher left no doubt on his show Friday about who he thinks is responsible for the violence in Gaza. Published July 19, 2014
Christians flee Mosul after ISIL threat: Convert to Islam or die
Christians in Iraq are heeding an ultimatum by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to convert to Islam, get out or be killed. Published July 19, 2014
Chicago shooting spree: 22 people shot in 12 hours
Adding to the city's already violent year, 22 people were shot in just a 12 hour period in Chicago at the start of the weekend. Published July 19, 2014
Ex-Gitmo detainee Moazzam Begg charged with terrorism
A former detainee in Guantanamo Bay is pleading not guilty to terrorist charges stemming from the civil war in Syria. Published July 19, 2014
Georgia VA centers are timely with bonuses, not medicine for veterans
The Atlanta network of Veterans Affairs medical centers doled out more than $2 million in employee bonuses over the past four years, but failed to properly maintain medicine carts, causing nurses at one center to administer drugs and treatments belatedly. Published July 17, 2014
Golden Hammer: $1.5 billion spent on Afghan structures that could easily burn down, watchdog says
A big chunk of taxpayer investment in Afghanistan could go up in smoke because American-paid contractors built structures in danger of catching fire, a new investigation has found. Published July 17, 2014
Ga. VA center lacks proper equipment, despite giving out thousands in bonuses
A Decatur, Georgia, Veteran's Affairs (VA) health center gave out $3,374 in bonuses in fiscal 2013, despite an internal investigator's report of malfunctioning equipment at the facility. Published July 16, 2014
Pentagon pays $100M for planes Afghans won’t use: watchdog
The Pentagon is spending more than $100 million to give cargo planes to the Afghan Air Force that may actually never be used, a top U.S. watchdog warned Wednesday. Published July 16, 2014
National Archives also wants answers for agencies’ lost documents
An inter-government e-mail obtained by Congress shows that agencies mired in controversies don't just have to answer to lawmakers, but to the National Archives as well. Published July 16, 2014
GOP say Operation Choke Point targets gun sellers, tobacco shops
Congressional Republicans warned Tuesday that the Justice Department's Operation Choke Point is using "an axe rather than a scalpel" to target fraudulent businesses, leaving legitimate enterprises such as gun sellers as collateral damage. Published July 15, 2014
Citigroup to pay $7B to settle subprime mortgage case
Citigroup agreed Monday to pay $7 billion in a landmark settlement with the U.S. for selling bad loans — one of the key causes of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Published July 14, 2014
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin presses need for space exploration
Forty-five years after man first landed on the moon, one of the men who was there is worried that the U.S. has become lost in space. Published July 13, 2014
Federal agents interacted with student during five-day jailing
Drug Enforcement Administration agents are solely to blame for the wrongful incarceration of Daniel Chong, including four employees who spoke with Mr. Chong during the five days he was imprisoned without food or water, an investigative report released Thursday said. Published July 10, 2014
Golden Hammer: A Year in Review: $73B of fiscal waste identified for the taxpayer
This week marks the first anniversary of the Golden Hammer appearing in The Washington Times. We thought we’d take a step back and see what that’s meant for you, the taxpayer. After all the Golden Hammer has been awarded to more than two dozen federal agencies, offices, departments and organizations. Published July 10, 2014
Ten-year sentence for New Orleans’ Nagin on graft charges
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin — who led the city during Hurricane Katrina — will serve 10 years in prison for corruption charges, a federal court announced today. Published July 9, 2014
Aldrin in cyberspace: Moon explorer marks milestone
Just a few weeks before the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, astronaut Buzz Aldrin is asking social media users to remember the historic event with the #Apollo45 campaign. Published July 9, 2014
Legal gun sellers threatened in loan fraud prevention program
A Justice Department program designed to cut down on loan fraud could instead wind up threatening legitimate businesses, a key Republican congressman warned Tuesday. Published July 8, 2014
GOP pushes for leadership change at the U.S. Chemical Safety Board
Several prominent House Republicans are calling for a change in leadership at the U.S. Chemical Safety Board after multiple accusations of a culture of intimidation within the agency. Published July 7, 2014
Golden Hammer: Postal workers caught using travel cards for personal food as costs of mailing rise
Postal workers may be famous for delivering that check in the mail. But they apparently are also good at grabbing cash advances off their official credit cards to satisfy their personal hunger. Published July 3, 2014
Khattala’s lawyers say government has presented ‘lack of evidence’ in Benghazi attack
Lawyers for Benghazi terrorist suspect Ahmed Abu Khattala said Wednesday their client is innocent of accusations that he helped lead the attack that killed four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador. Published July 2, 2014
