Law

National

U.S. Says North Carolina Transgender Law Violates Civil Rights Act

12:34pm May 05, 2016

by Jeff Tiberii

The Justice Department warned North Carolina its transgender bill violates the Civil Rights Act. In a letter to the governor, the state is warned it could lose millions of dollars in federal money.

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Last year, the ACLU of Colorado discovered nearly 800 cases where people had gone to jail in Colorado Springs, Colo., when they couldn't pay their tickets for minor violations. Pictured above is Alamo Square Park, site of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Mus

National

Colorado Springs Will Stop Jailing People Too Poor To Pay Court Fines

11:45am May 05, 2016

by Joseph Shapiro

The Colorado city and the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado have announced a settlement that will end the practice. The city will even give payouts to people who were wrongly sent to jail.

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California is the second state to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. A similar law went into effect in Hawaii on Jan. 1.

California Raises Age Of Tobacco Purchase To 21 And Tightens Vaping Rules

10:58am May 05, 2016

by Lisa Aliferis

A package of tobacco bills signed into state law this week aims to cut the use of tobacco and e-cigarettes by adolescents and young adults, proponents say. Military personnel can still buy at age 18.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore characterized the Justice Department's warning as government overreach, according to NPR member station WUNC.

National

Justice Department Says North Carolina Bathroom Law Violates Civil Rights

7:48pm May 04, 2016

by Laura Wagner

Gov. Pat McCrory responded in a statement, saying, "We will be reviewing to determine the next steps." The state has until Monday to respond.

Ex-Chemist In Massachusetts Was High On Drugs At Work For 8 Years

6:09pm May 04, 2016

by Laura Wagner

Documents released Tuesday say Sonja Farak was under the influence of methamphetamines, ketamine, cocaine, LSD and other drugs nearly every day between 2005 and 2013.

Sabrina De Sousa, shown here at her Washington home in 2012, is a former CIA officer who was convicted in absentia by an Italian court for the 2003 abduction of a terrorism suspect, cleric Abu Omar, in Milan, Italy. She was detained in Portugal and could

Will An Ex-CIA Spy Go To Prison In Italy?

2:04pm May 03, 2016

by Mary Louise Kelly

Sabrina De Sousa could become the first U.S. official jailed for the CIA's rendition program. She was convicted of helping seize a radical Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan in 2003.

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Defendant Lonnie Franklin Jr. listens during opening statements of his trial. Franklin is accused of serial murders that terrorized South LA.

National

Families Of LA Serial Killer's Victims Still Await Closure

11:34am May 02, 2016

by Kirk Siegler

Police allege Lonnie Franklin Jr. terrorized LA for decades, targeting mostly young black women. As his trial wraps up, critics wonder if racial bias caused the investigation to take so long.

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World News

Gay Couple Wins Case; Gains Custody Of Baby Born To Thai Surrogate

6:26am May 02, 2016

A legally married same-sex couple who live in Spain, but whose baby was born to a surrogate mother in Thailand, won a court victory. Rachel Martin talks to Gordon "Bud" Lake III about the case.

National

Supreme Court Lets Texas Voter ID Law Stand — For Now

5:08pm April 30, 2016

The Supreme Court on Friday left intact a strict voter identification law in Texas, while leaving open the possibility that it would consider challenges to the law. NPR's Wade Goodwyn explains.

National

Training Helps Inmates Build A Bridge To Life Outside Prison Walls

5:08pm April 30, 2016

by Carrie Johnson

Loretta Lynch made her first visit to a federal prison as the nation's top law enforcement officer. She highlighted the need for more services to help inmates re-enter society.