<p>A coalition of civil rights groups are concerned that the plans to redesign Washington D.C.'s National Mall will spatially restrict free speech and public protests, a charge the National Park Service rejects.</p>
<p>Filmmaker Danny Schechter reflects on the extent of America's debt crisis, and wonders if we need something like the Oscars to help name and identify those responsible.</p>
<p>To ward off crop extinctions in the event of some future catastrophe, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault opens today to receive thousands of seed samples from around the world.</p>
<p>The latest figures from Statistics Canada on household spending show that Canadians are spending more for basics, including shelter and public transportation.</p>
<p>Organized crime has taken over Naples' municipal waste disposal -- and the resulting, uncontrolled trash heaps are causing illness, ruining regional agriculture, and contributing to an atmosphere of ungovernability.</p>
