Katie Rucke

Katie Rucke is a MintPress staff writer and investigative report specializing in the war on drugs, criminal justice, marijuana legislation, education and watchdog investigations as well as whistle-blowers. Her investigations related to the coverage of the 2010 Toyota recall scandal, and coverage of the trials of Anonymous hacker and proclaimed activist Jeremy Hammond as well as Bradley Manning have received international acclaim. Rucke has been recommended by the Wikileaks organization as a trusted journalist in 2013. Rucke has also written pieces for Yahoo! and various community magazines. Follow Katie on Twitter: @katierucke

Lawsuit Questions Power Of Federal Law In States That Legalize Marijuana Use

A lawsuit filed by a Washington state resident could have major implications for the state’s recreational and medicinal marijuana laws.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke
Marijuana

Last Tuesday, Shaun Preder filed a lawsuit with the Chelan County Superior Court against the city of Wenatchee, Washington, after city officials told the Washington state resident that he would not be able to open a retail marijuana store in the city because the business would be in direct violation of federal law. Although Washington legalized

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American Police Continue To MIlitarize Despite Record Low Crime Rates

Rates of gun-related crime are the lowest they’ve been since the 1960s, but most Americans think gun crime is at an all-time high.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke

Though it seems like at least one gun-related death is in the news every day, a study published by Pew Research Center in May 2013 found that the national rates of gun homicide and other violent gun crimes have actually decreased since the mid-1990s -- a surprising statistic, considering 56 percent of Americans think gun crime is higher now than it

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New Group Says “Whistleblowers Welcome”

ExposeFacts launched on Wednesday, offering whistleblowers a channel for exposing the truth and, it hopes, preserving democracy in the process.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke
Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg introduces ExposeFacts.org Whistleblowers from the National Security Agency, State Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice and British Government Communications Headquarters, gathered with noted journalists and freedom of information and human rights advocates on Wednesday to announce the launch of

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Report: Wal-Mart Heirs Are “Phony Philanthropists”

A new report reveals that the wildly wealthy Walton family donates 0.4 percent of their net worth to charity — just so they can avoid estate taxes.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke

Despite a net worth of nearly $140 billion, a new report released by the Walmart 1 Percent, a subproject of Making Change at Walmart, reveals that America’s wealthiest family and the owners of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the Waltons, have contributed almost nothing to their own charitable organization, the Walton Family Foundation. Even more

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Does The World Need More “Poor Presidents” Like Uruguay’s Mujica?

Activists around the globe have pointed to the Uruguayan leader as an example of how a political leader should lead.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke
Jose Mujica

The international media dubbed Uruguay’s 79-year-old President José Mujica Cordano the “poorest president in the world” after it was reported that the Latin American leader donates 90 percent of his monthly salary of $12,500 to charity -- specifically, those that help house the homeless -- leaving him with about $1,250 to spend on himself. He

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Suspicious Death Of Ariz. Deputy Highlights Joe Arpaio’s Racial Policies

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s racial profiling case is complicated by the discovery of a large stash of evidence and the death of a deputy.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio at a news conference at Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Headquarters in Phoenix. . (AP/Ross D. Franklin)

When police searched the home of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy Ramon “Charley” Armendariz in May, they found a large stash of evidence that had never been checked in to the law enforcement agency, including drugs, fake IDs, the personal information of drivers with Hispanic names, license plates, credit cards, passports and 900 hours of

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Is Congress Ready To End The War On Drugs?

The House approves legislation that stops the DEA from raiding, arresting, and prosecuting medical marijuana patients in states that have approved the drug.

Katie Rucke
作者 Katie Rucke
DEA

Congress approved an historic piece of legislation late Thursday that prevents the Drug Enforcement Administration from continuing to raid, arrest, and prosecute medical marijuana patients, by no longer allowing agencies under the Justice Department to use federal dollars to enforce federal marijuana laws in states that have legalized medicinal use

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