Law

National

A Supreme Court Fight For The Rights Of (Frequent) Fliers

6:02pm December 03, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

What rights do participants in an airline's frequent-flier plan have to their miles or points? That's the question before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, when the justices examine whether, and under what circumstances, frequent fliers can sue in these disputes.

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Archbishop Joseph William Tobin of Indianapolis prays at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' annual fall meeting in Baltimore on Nov. 12.

ACLU Sues, Claiming Catholic Hospitals Put Women At Risk

7:50pm December 02, 2013

by Julie Rovner

A woman in Michigan says that a Catholic hospital failed to give her adequate health care when she came to the hospital after her water broke when she was 18 weeks pregnant. That has sparked a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union.

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Stephen Glass during a 2003 interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes.

National

Infamous Reporter Stephen Glass Vies For Bar Admission

1:28pm November 26, 2013

by Emily Green

The New York State Bar rejected Glass on moral character grounds nine years ago, and the California Supreme Court is likely to do the same. Still, some say the man who fabricated dozens of magazine stories has changed and should be given the chance to practice law.

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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives employs special agents who pose as hit men to stop contract killings.

National

A Special Agent's Secret Job: Hit Man

7:40am November 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

Charles Hunt — that's not his real name — works for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. To prevent contract killings, he and colleagues pose as killers themselves. Journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas, who wrote a profile of the agent for GQ, says in real life he's a "lovely man" playing a "bit of a superman role."

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National

Examining The 'Red Flags' In A Massachusetts Crime Lab Scandal

6:07pm November 23, 2013

by Deborah Becker

A former Massachusetts chemist is now behind bars because of sloppy drug testing that went on for years, compromising up to 190,000 criminal cases and costing the state millions of dollars. The scandal raises questions of accountability in forensic labs around the country.

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The U.S. government says JPMorgan Chase & Co. knowingly sold faulty mortgage-backed securities in the years leading up to the financial crisis. The bank says it's broken no laws.

JPMorgan Says It Broke No Law. So Why Pay The $13 Billion?

1:20am November 23, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

The banking giant has agreed to pay a record sum to the U.S. government over charges that it knew it was selling risky mortgage products. But it's not clear exactly what, if anything, the bank is admitting to — or if the government's case would have held up in a jury trial.

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National

Personhood In The Womb: A Constitutional Question

4:57pm November 21, 2013

A study released this year examined cases where law enforcement intervened in the lives of pregnant women who were believed to be endangering their fetuses. State laws are stepping in on behalf of the fetuses' constitutional rights — but what of the mothers' rights? Fresh Air looks at three perspectives in the debate.

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What A Bitcoin Political Debut Could Mean For Transparency

7:28pm November 20, 2013

by Peter Overby

The Federal Election Commission is expected to vote Thursday on a proposal to allow virtual currency contributions to political action committees.

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The federal immigration detention center in Florence, Ariz., is one of about 250 such facilities around the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is required to house 34,000 immigration detainees per day, nationwide.

National

Little-Known Immigration Mandate Keeps Detention Beds Full

5:04pm November 19, 2013

by Ted Robbins

A congressional directive requires U.S. detention centers to fill 34,000 beds per night. Supporters say it ensures that the nation's immigration laws are being enforced. But critics say housing a fixed number of immigrants at any given time is inhumane, inefficient and too expensive.

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In 1973, Ray Litt and a group of Detroiters went to court in an attempt to force the state to desegregate the city's schools.

Education

How Court's Bus Ruling Sealed Differences In Detroit Schools

1:46pm November 19, 2013

by Sarah Alvarez

It's been 40 years since the Supreme Court accepted what became a landmark case about school desegregation. The case was controversial because it involved busing students between a largely African-American city — Detroit — and its white suburban areas.

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