Law

Now 59, George Prendes works as a telemarketer in New York and struggles to make the rent on his small Bronx apartment.

National

Decades On, Stiff Drug Sentence Leaves A Life 'Dismantled'

1:11pm February 15, 2013

by Brian Mann

George Prendes was 23 when he was sentenced under New York's Rockefeller drug laws — tough mandatory sentencing guidelines for nonviolent drug crimes. The 15 years Prendes served for a drug transaction still reverberate for him and his family.

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The Jan. 4, 1973, edition of the New York Daily News reports that Gov. Rockefeller's State of the State speech called for a life sentence for drug pushers.

National

The Drug Laws That Changed How We Punish

3:05am February 15, 2013

by Brian Mann

Forty years ago, New York enacted tough laws in response to a wave of drug-related crime. They became known as the Rockefeller drug laws, and they set the standard for states looking to get tough on crime. But a new debate is under way over the effectiveness of such strict sentencing laws.

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U.S. Rep. James Clyburn explains the hope he carries along with him in his career to his granddaughter Sydney Reed.

National

Relentless, Despite Losses: Congressman's Climb To The Hill

11:26am February 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

Rep. James Clyburn talks to his granddaughter about his long road to becoming a U.S. congressman. After many losses, he never gave up, even when others suggested it was time to move on. Today, he's the highest-ranking African-American in Congress.

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Chris (right) and Renee Wiley pose for a wedding photo on Times Square in New York in December. Same-sex marriage in New York state became legal in July 2011.

National

Amid Daily Struggles, Gay Rights Movement Embraces Watershed Moments

10:22pm February 09, 2013

by NPR Staff

Support for gay marriage is growing, and the Supreme Court is set to take on the issue this spring. But while some in the gay community say equal rights are in sight, issues like employment discrimination can still dominate on the ground.

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Torahs are draped on chairs and tables at Temple Israel of Long Beach, N.Y. The synagogue was flooded during Superstorm Sandy, but hasn't received federal aid.

Federal Aid For Religious Institutions In Murky Waters After Sandy

8:57pm February 08, 2013

by Margot Adler

Houses of worship are still trying to recover from the damage done by the superstorm last fall. The government has encouraged them to apply for aid, but it's not clear whether they'll qualify. For some, even disaster relief would break down the boundary between "church and state."

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Obama Team To Make Important, If Symbolic, Choice On Gay Marriage

7:09pm February 08, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

By the end of this month, the federal government is expected to file briefs in a pair of same-sex marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. One case poses questions so difficult that the president himself is expected to make the final decision on what arguments the Justice Department will make.

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National

Former LAPD Officer Accused Of Killing Three People Spent Time In The Navy

7:09pm February 08, 2013

Police in southern California are still searching for Christopher Dorner, the fired Los Angeles police officer who is wanted for three murders and other shootings since the weekend. Robert Siegel speaks with Joel Rubin, who has been covering the story for The Los Angeles Times.

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With Pot Legalized, States Enter Uncharted Waters

3:14pm February 07, 2013

When electorates in Colorado and Washington State voted to legalize recreational marijuana, they thrust their states into uncharted territories. While it's one thing to say pot is legal, it's another to set up regulatory, law enforcement and business practices that work for the industry.

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Harlan County Lake, the Republican River's main reservoir in Nebraska, dropped 10 feet during the summer drought and hasn't recovered.

As Drought Intensifies, 2 States Dig In Over Water War

7:28pm February 06, 2013

by Grant Gerlock

The Republican River is crucial to the agricultural economy of several states in the West and Great Plains. But as a drought drags on, Kansas says Nebraska farmers have been taking more than their fair share of the river — and have asked the Supreme Court to weigh in.

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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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