Around the Nation

National

In New Jersey, Sweeping Reforms Deliver Existential Threat To Bail Bonds Industry

10:12pm July 06, 2017

by Joel Rose

Six months in, New Jersey's sweeping reforms have all but eliminated the use of cash bail in the Garden State. Advocates say that's good for low-income defendants. But it's an existential threat to the bail bonds industry.

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This undated photo provided by the Virginia Department of Corrections shows William Morva at the Greenville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va. Morva is scheduled to die by lethal injection Thursday, July 6, for the 2006 killings of a hospital security gu

National

Virginia Executes Prisoner Despite International Calls For Clemency

9:55pm July 06, 2017

by Amy Held

William Morva, who was convicted for a 2006 double murder, died by lethal injection on Thursday night. His lawyers and the European Union said he suffered from severe mental illness.

A closer look at a recently unearthed photo shows a short-haired figure who could be aviator Amelia Earhart.

Does A Newly Discovered Photo Show Amelia Earhart Survived A Crash Landing?

8:38pm July 06, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

If the photo does show the missing pilot and her navigator, it would lend support to the theory that they went down in the Marshall Islands and were imprisoned. But the evidence isn't crystal clear.

Some states seek to require Medicaid participants to work, get drug-tested or recertify their eligibility more frequently.

States Move To Tighten Medicaid Enrollment, Even Without A New Health Law

7:17pm July 06, 2017

by Charles Ornstein

Some states are seeking to make major changes in their Medicaid programs that would end coverage for millions of people, even if the Affordable Care Act isn't repealed.

During one "extravehicular activity," members of Crew 177 collected rock specimens for analysis back at the lab.

To Prepare For Mars Settlement, Simulated Missions Explore Utah's Desert

5:25pm July 06, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

NASA plans to send people to the Red Planet in the 2030s. In the meantime, a remote location in southern Utah serves as a non-NASA training ground for the Mars-minded.

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Federal Court Prepares To Consider Texas Gerrymandering Case

4:31pm July 06, 2017

by Ashley Lopez

Next week a federal court will consider whether Texas should change its political boundaries before the 2018 election. Courts had ruled that previous congressional and statehouse districts discriminated against minorities. But plaintiffs in this case argue the current maps haven't fixed that problem.

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Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran Faces Pressure Over Health Care At Town Hall Event

4:31pm July 06, 2017

by Jim McLean

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran is one of the few Republicans holding town hall events this week while Congress is in recess. He is facing pressure over the Senate health care bill.

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Outgoing ethics director Walter Shaub said in January that President Trump's plan to reduce conflicts of interest "doesn't meet the standards ... that every president in the past four decades has met."

Politics & Government

Ethics Office Director Walter Shaub Resigns, Saying Rules Need To Be Tougher

4:31pm July 06, 2017

Shaub, who has had many battles with the Trump administration, says he is quitting to become a legal activist. He says the "current situation" shows tougher ethics action is needed.

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Sen. Ted Cruz at an event for the Federalist Society in November 2016.

'Shame On Ted': Health Care Protests Greet Ted Cruz In Texas

4:31pm July 06, 2017

At a veterans event Wednesday night, about 150 protesters showed up to oppose the Senate's efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

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The view from Auke Bay, Alaska. One commentator says political life in Alaska takes a back seat during the height of summer. "Once the fish start running ... all the air goes out of it and people stop paying attention," said Charles Wohlforth.

National

Alaskans Greet North Korean Missile Test With A Shrug

4:19pm July 06, 2017

by Zachariah Hughes

"We have the assurance that no matter what happens to us here in Alaska we'll be able to take care of ourselves," Anchorage's mayor said.