Law

More than 400 guns, including these three, were turned in during a Dallas gun buyback program in January. But determining the effectiveness of such programs is difficult due to limits on gun-related research.

Debate Rages On Even As Research Ban On Gun Violence Ends

6:12pm February 06, 2013

by Julie Rovner

President Obama has ordered an end to a 16-year-old ban on federal funding of research on guns and health. But the political controversy that led to the ban in the first place is far from over.

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Immigration Challenges For 'Mixed-Status' Families

4:14pm February 05, 2013

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that there are millions of people living in mixed-immigration-status families in the U.S. Immigration attorney Kamal Essaheb and Center for Public Integrity reporter Susan Ferriss discuss the challenges these families face.

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Texas Court Of Inquiry To Decide If Prosecutor Lied

1:47pm February 05, 2013

by Wade Goodwyn

A rare "court of inquiry" is underway for a sitting judge in Texas. Judge Ken Anderson faces allegations that as a prosecutor he hid evidence vital to a murder defendant's case. That defendant was convicted of killing his wife, and spent 25 years in prison before being exonerated.

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Politics & Government

Immigration, Gun Legislation And The Shakeup In Iowa

2:27pm January 30, 2013

NPR's Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics, from the new proposals for immigration policy, to the Senate testimony on gun control legislation. Kathie Obradovich, political columnist for the Des Moines Register, about the retirement of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and the politics of Iowa in 2014.

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Polling Firm Gallup Lands In Legal Hot Water

1:17pm January 30, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

The company's name has been tarnished by a whistle-blower lawsuit alleging that it overcharged the federal government, and by a guilty plea from a former FEMA executive for improperly steering business to the polling firm. For now, Gallup has been suspended from winning any new federal contracts.

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Dan McKown, who confronted a gunman at a shopping mall in 2005, says he doesn't regret his actions, although he was shot five times and is now in a wheelchair.

National

Armed 'Good Guys' And The Realities Of Facing A Gunman

8:18pm January 29, 2013

by Martin Kaste

As the nation ponders how to stop the next mass shooting, the gun rights movement offers one controversial answer: armed civilians. In 2005, one such private citizen tried to stop a mass shooting at a mall in Washington state — and paid a heavy price.

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In Night Clubs, The Steps Taken To Prevent Tragic Fires

6:24pm January 29, 2013

The deadly nightclub fire in Brazil that claimed more than 230 lives is a tragic addition to an all-too long list of historic incidents. Ray O'Brocki, of the Baltimore Fire Department, explains how night clubs and other high-capacity facilities deal with fire safety.

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Jennie and Kristian Aspelin pose in a pumpkin patch with their children two weeks before three-month-old Johan died.

Health & Safety

Dismissed Case Raises Questions On Shaken Baby Diagnosis

3:27pm January 29, 2013

by Joseph Shapiro

Kristian Aspelin had one thing in his favor: enough money to pay for medical experts. The experts were able to convince prosecutors that his infant son's death was an accident.

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Senators Propose Principles For Immigration Reform

3:13pm January 28, 2013

A bipartisan group of senators is released a proposal for immigration reform. The plan specifically addresses creating a path to citizenship, employment verification systems and worker recruitment programs and raises many questions about potential changes for immigrants and employers.

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Google Explains How It Handles Police Requests For Users' Data

10:11am January 28, 2013

by Martin Kaste

For the first time, Google has posted its policies for when it gives up users' information to the government. It's part of a broader company strategy to push for tougher privacy laws.

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