Law

National

N.Y. Governor Flexes Political Muscle To Pass Tough Gun Law

5:09pm January 18, 2013

by Karen DeWitt

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new gun control bill into law Tuesday, just days after delivering an impassioned speech on the need to pass the legislation. The popular governor has managed to translate his high approval ratings into a number of political victories. But some say Cuomo is just padding his resume for a future presidential bid.

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Lucas Codognolla, 22, receives his license after qualifying for it under President Obama's federal immigration policy, which allows some young immigrants who are in the country illegally to stay in the U.S. for at least two years.

Some States Put Brakes On Driver's Licenses For Illegal Immigrants

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Craig LeMoult

Many young illegal immigrants can now drive without the fear of being pulled over. Under President Obama's deferred action program, many have begun receiving their driver's licenses. But not every state is on board with allowing these young people behind the wheel.

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The Decades-Old Gun Ban That's Still On The Books

7:16am January 18, 2013

by David Welna

In 1986, Congress passed a ban on buying and selling machine guns made from then on — with the blessing of none other than the National Rifle Association. Gun law experts say the law was more significant than it seemed at the time.

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Politics & Government

The President's Plans To Reduce Gun Violence

2:29pm January 16, 2013

A month after the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., President Barack Obama announced his proposals for gun control policies during a White House ceremony. He issued 23 executive orders on gun control and urged Congress to pass laws that would tighten requirements on gun sales and assault weapons.

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National

Did Prosecutors Go Too Far In Swartz Case?

7:54pm January 15, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Criticism is raining down on prosecutors in Massachusetts after the suicide of computer genius Aaron Swartz. His family says Swartz, who was facing trial on wire and computer fraud charges, was the victim of Justice Department overreach. But legal experts say the case is more complicated than that.

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Adult film production company Vivid Entertainment Group has sued Los Angeles County over the condom measure.

Porn Industry Turned Off By L.A. Mandate For Condoms On Set

7:54pm January 15, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

Lawyers for the adult entertainment industry are challenging a new rule requiring the use of condoms while filming sex scenes in Los Angeles County. Proponents say the rule protects adult film actors, but some actors and producers say films made with condoms don't sell.

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Watch an interactive of the Supreme Court justice narrating her personal family photos. (Above: Sotomayor, 1959)

A Justice Deliberates: Sotomayor On Love, Health And Family

3:27pm January 14, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is open about how she benefited from affirmative action, how she came to terms with her diabetes and the "out-of-body experience" of being appointed to the high court. Sotomayor spoke with NPR just before the release of her new autobiography.

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Lack Of Up-To-Date Research Complicates Gun Debate

3:27pm January 14, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Vice President Joe Biden says his task force on reducing gun violence is facing an unexpected obstacle: slim or outdated research on weapons. Public health research dried up more than a decade ago after Congress restricted the use of some federal money to pay for those studies.

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The Food and Drug Administration, which must approve all new tobacco products or any changes to existing brands, has not cleared any products since assuming that responsibility in 2009.

Cigarette Makers Frustrated As Product Approvals Stall

7:28pm January 11, 2013

by Debbie Elliott

The Food and Drug Administration must review all new tobacco brands, and changes to existing ones, under a 2009 law giving the agency jurisdiction over tobacco. But the FDA has yet to approve any products under the new system, leaving some cigarette makers frustrated with the pace.

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A photographic screen hangs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is undergoing renovations. On Wednesday, the justices will hear arguments in a case that asks whether police without a warrant can administer a blood test to a suspected drunken driver.

National

Can Police Force Drunken Driving Suspects To Take Blood Tests?

1:32pm January 09, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case testing whether police must get a warrant before forcing a driver to have his blood drawn. Missouri, backed by the Obama administration, argues that time is of the essence when alcohol is dissipating in a person's bloodstream.

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