Law

National

In South Carolina, Class Action Lawsuit Pits Foster Kids Against State

12:32am January 26, 2015

by Laura Sullivan

After years of high profile problems — including the death of five children and cries of inaction — the South Carolina Department of Social Services is facing a new hurdle. Foster care children in the state have banded together in a class action lawsuit to demand changes.

Queue Listen Now

Joseph Sledge, 70, addresses members of the media after being released from jail in Columbus County, N.C., on Friday. He served nearly four decades behind bars for two slayings he didn't commit.

National

DNA Exonerates Man Who Served Nearly 40 Years For Murder

6:32pm January 23, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Joseph Sledge, now 70, spent 37 years in prison for a crime that a three-judge panel said Friday he did not commit.

Supreme Court Agrees To Rule On Constitutionality Of Execution Drug Cocktail

6:23pm January 23, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

Three Oklahoma inmates say they face the risk of extreme suffering, which would violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Anti-abortion activists participate in the annual "March for Life" in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

States Continue Push To Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks

8:32pm January 22, 2015

by Jennifer Ludden

Although the Republican-led House decided not to vote to ban abortions after 20 weeks, 10 states already have such measures and more states are considering them.

Queue Listen Now

In 2010, Omar Thornton killed eight colleagues in Manchester, Conn., before killing himself. Private employers used to create their own rules about guns on their property. But over the past five years, many states have adopted laws that allow employees to

National

Do Guns On The Premises Make Workplaces Safer?

10:39am January 22, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

Private companies used to make their own rules about guns on their property. But a growing number of states have adopted laws allowing workers to keep guns in their cars in the workplace parking lot.

Queue Listen Now

Keith Herie is swamped in debt from medical issues he and his wife encountered starting about a decade ago. Heartland hospital is seizing 10 percent of his paycheck and 25 percent of his wife's wages, and has placed a lien on their home.

When Nonprofit Hospitals Sue Their Poorest Patients

10:13am January 22, 2015

by Chris Arnold

In exchange for tax breaks, nonprofit hospitals provide assistance to poor patients. But some hospitals seize wages from poor patients with unpaid bills — even those who qualify for reduced-cost care.

Queue Listen Now

A Los Angeles County Department of Public Health worker shows condoms for weekly distribution to inmates in the Men's Central Jail.

California Prisons Aim To Keep Sex Between Inmates Safe, If Illegal

8:13pm January 21, 2015

by George Lavender

A new state law requires that condoms be made available to all prison inmates — even though state law also forbids sex between prisoners.

Queue Listen Now

National

Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Air Marshal Whistleblower

7:30pm January 21, 2015

by Nina Totenberg

Robert MacLean gave a reporter information about U.S. air marshals being taken off flights to save money.

Queue Listen Now

Demonstrators remember Michael Brown on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marching from the apartment complex where Brown was killed to the Ferguson police station. A federal inquiry has found no evidence that officer Darren Wilson violated Brown's civil rights

National

Justice Dept. Will Reportedly Clear Ferguson Police Officer In Brown Case

5:56pm January 21, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The Justice Department is poised to declare that former police officer Darren Wilson should not face civil rights charges over the death of Michael Brown, sources tell NPR.

Soccer Players Sue Over Proposed Turf Field For Women's World Cup

2:52pm January 21, 2015

Team USA soccer player Heather O'Reilly talks about the lawsuit she and other players from the U.S. and abroad have filed against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association.

Queue Listen Now