An Old Law Applied to Modern Circumstances

NPR's All Things Considered of October 1 has this story about how a law enacted in 1863, during the American Civil War, in reaction to shoddy supplies being sold to the government (gunpowder mixed with sawdust, for example), is being used to fight fraud today. The unusual aspect of the law is that it allows the person who steps up to reveal the fraud (the whistleblower) to receive a part of the fine obtained. 4 min 52 sec, transcript available.