Law

National

Why Does The Federal Government Manage So Much Public Land In The West?

4:31pm January 08, 2016

by Kirk Siegler

The federal government owns huge swaths of land in the West. How it came to have all that land and authority over it is complicated and fraught with ages old controversies. NPR explores the history of land ownership in the West.

Lawyer Monique Pressley accompanied Bill Cosby and lawyer Brian McMonagle at a criminal court appearance in Elkins Park, Pa., last month.

Lawyer Faces National Scrutiny While Defending Bill Cosby

3:04pm January 08, 2016

by Elizabeth Blair

Monique Pressley is called "masterful" in her public message. She hits the spotlight of the Bill Cosby case after a career as a defense attorney, prosecutor and religion-based broadcaster.

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Religion

New York City Settles Lawsuits Over Surveillance Of Muslims

2:16pm January 08, 2016

New guidance against religious profiling by police officers in New York City were announced as part of the settlement. Renee Montagne talks to Hina Shamsi of the American Civil Liberties Union.

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National

2 Refugees Arrested On Terrorism Charges In Texas, California

2:10pm January 08, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Announcing the arrests of the two Palestinians who were born in Iraq, law enforcement officials say there was no sign of a plot to carry out an attack in the U.S.

Science

Animal Rights Group Loses Copyright Suit Over Monkey Selfies

10:36pm January 07, 2016

by Nina Totenberg

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a monkey cannot own the copyrights to selfies he took.

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NYPD Agrees To Settle 2 Lawsuits On Surveillance Of Muslims

7:25pm January 07, 2016

by Dina Temple-Raston

The New York Police Department has agreed to settle a pair of lawsuits that allege it illegally targeted Muslims in terrorism investigations. The settlement, if approved by a judge, will codify rules for terrorism investigations and provide more oversight.

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National

Oregon Ranchers Historically Divided Over Management Of Public Lands

7:00pm January 07, 2016

by Amanda Peacher

The occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in southeast Oregon has brought heightened attention to the federal government's management of public lands. The ranchers of Harney County, Ore., have a long history of both working with and struggling with the Bureau of Land Management. Some ranchers blame the area's economic hardship on federal mismanagement of public lands, but others see the government agency as a valuable partner.

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National

NYPD Settles 2 Lawsuits Over Surveillance Of Muslims

4:29pm January 07, 2016

by Bill Chappell

One suit accused the police of violating the New York and U.S. constitutions "by singling out and stigmatizing entire communities of New Yorkers based on their religion."

Advocates Push Public Health Campaign To Combat Gun Violence

4:13pm January 07, 2016

What if we treated gun violence as a public health issue the way there were campaigns against drunk driving? Or safer sex practices during the HIV/AIDS pandemic? NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research about what this would look like, and the political and personal challenges to doing research on gun violence.

A macaque took this self-portrait in 2011 with a camera owned by photographer David Slater. PETA says the monkey owns the copyright; Slater says he does. The U.S. Copyright Office says no one can, and a federal judge has now said it would be up to Congres

National

Monkey Can't Own Copyright To His Selfie, Federal Judge Says

11:49am January 07, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A district judge in San Francisco said that Congress and the president can choose to "extend the protection of law to animals as well as humans" — but that for now, no, monkeys can't own copyrights.