Evaluating The Qualifications Of Neil Gorsuch
President Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Yale Law Professor Stephen Carter about his reputation and qualifications.
Law
Does Having More Black Officers Reduce Police Violence?
Data overwhelmingly confirm that black people are involved in and are victims of police-involved killings at greater proportions than any other racial group in the country. But there's a new twist.
Federal Judge Stays Trump Travel Order, But Many Visas Already Revoked
Some 60,000 visas were canceled, says the State Department, a number higher than previous estimates of how many people had been barred from entering. The White House promised a quick legal response.
National Panel Advises Judges On People Who Can't Pay Court Fees
Jurisdictions around the country are receiving guidelines that urge courts find alternatives to jail for defendants who can't pay fines linked to minor, nonviolent offenses such as traffic tickets.
Federal Courts Consider Legal Challenges To Trump's Immigration Ban
As federal courts begin to consider the legality of President Trump's refugee ban, immigrant lawyers and advocates provide updates on the litigation filed across the country. Meanwhile, protesters are staging events against the ban during noontime prayers at mosques and other locales in more than a dozen states.
Former Immigration Director Defends U.S. Record On Refugee Vetting
A fraction of people who seek refugee status in the U.S. are approved. Less than one-fourth of 1 percent of refugees on the planet are approved to come here. Leon Rodriguez, former head of Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that vets refugees, says agents already do "extreme vetting."
U.S. Treasury Department Announces New Sanctions On Iran
Less than a week after Iran tested a ballistic missile, the U.S. government expanded economic sanctions against the country. Iran insists its missile program is purely defensive.
There's A Long, Ignominous Trail Of Bans, Registries And Forced Relocation
The travel ban imposed by the president a week ago on people from seven Muslim-majority countries is only the latest executive order through the years grounded in race, ethnicity or country of origin.
House Votes To Overturn Obama Rule Restricting Gun Sales To the Severely Mentally Ill
On Thursday the GOP-controlled House voted to overturn an Obama administration rule designed to keep firearms out of the hands of some people deemed mentally ill.
Senate Democrats In Political Quagmire Over Supreme Court Nomination
Democratic senators could filibuster the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. But it is unclear whether this is a wise move or would cost them politically in the future.