Law

National

Former Fox News Pundit Is Arrested, Charged With Fabricating A CIA Past

7:01pm October 16, 2015

by Alexandra Starr

Federal prosecutors say Wayne Simmons claimed to be retired from a long CIA career and parlayed his bogus credentials into work as an intelligence adviser to senior U.S. military personnel overseas.

Maryland will no longer offer Sons of Confederate Veterans license plates, starting next month.

National

Maryland To Be The Third State To Phase Out Confederate Flag License Plates

6:04pm October 16, 2015

by Laura Wagner

A federal judge's ruling allows Maryland to phase out plates featuring the rebel battle flag. The state's move is a reaction to the murders in a black church in South Carolina.

National

'Ebony Magazine' Explores 'The Cosby Show's' Tainted Legacy

5:23pm October 16, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Ebony Magazine writer Goldie Taylor about the cover of next month's issue, which features the Huxtables with shattered glass over the image of Bill Cosby.

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Books

More Fair Use News: Google Books, Again, Prevails Against Authors

4:55pm October 16, 2015

by Alina Selyukh

Google gets another win in a case by book authors and publishers challenging its digital library. Disputes over "fair use" of copyrighted material are bound to continue as more stuff ends up online.

Returning To Syria For Love: Why A Refugee Plans To Leave The U.S.

4:23pm October 16, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

A man who has lived in the U.S. for three years is returning to Syria because his fiancé of four years has no chance of coming to the U.S.

Since 2004, Google has scanned more than 20 million books as part of an electronic database, such as these volumes at the University of Michigan's Buhr Shelving Facility.

Google's Book-Scanning Project Is Legal, U.S. Appeals Court Says

12:57pm October 16, 2015

by Alina Selyukh

A group of authors had sued over Google's effort to compile a digital library, arguing the project was illegal. An appeals court found the program complies with copyright law.

National

Are Smartphone Apps Making It Easier To Racially Profile?

7:39pm October 15, 2015

Retailers are using apps to report thefts and suspicious activity. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post about how that cooperation doesn't necessarily mean safer streets.

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As colleges have been cracking down on campus sexual assault, some students have been complaining that schools are going too far and trampling the rights of the accused in the process.

For Students Accused Of Campus Rape, Legal Victories Win Back Rights

7:25pm October 15, 2015

by Tovia Smith

As campuses crack down on sexual assaults, some have said the rights of the accused have been trampled. Recently, courts have slammed some schools for systems they say are stacked against the accused.

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Volkswagen Announces Recall Of 8.5 Million Vehicles In Europe

5:20pm October 15, 2015

by John Ydstie

Volkswagen announced Thursday a fourth engineer has been suspended as it continues to investigate the decision to install emissions cheating software on 11 million vehicles. Company officials have suggested only a small number of people knew about the deception. It's a claim many observers find hard to believe.

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Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert departs the federal courthouse in Chicago on June 9 after his arraignment.

National

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert To Plead Guilty In Hush-Money Case

12:38pm October 15, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

He is accused of agreeing to pay $3.5 million to an individual to cover up allegations of misconduct stemming from days as a high school teacher and coach and then lying about it to authorities.