Law

National

Community Keeps Calm Despite Questions About Wal-Mart Shooting

2:43pm September 16, 2014

by Jerry Kenney

Peaceful protests have taken place since police shot and killed a black 21-year-old who was holding a toy gun while shopping in Ohio. But new questions are being raised about the handling of the case.

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The school district has released two renderings of what the MRAP might look like after its tan military color is painted over. In one version, it's police blue; another depicts it as more of an ambulance, white with a red cross.

San Diego School District's New 18-Ton Armored Vehicle Creates Stir

11:40am September 16, 2014

by Bill Chappell

The mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, will have teddy bears in it, school police officials say. The MRAP is a piece of military surplus equipment that's worth around $733,000.

GM Ignition-Switch Defect Now Linked To 19 Deaths

11:03am September 16, 2014

by Tracy Samilton

A special compensation fund for victims of the faulty ignition switch has issued its first report, which makes clear GM will pay claims for more than the 13 deaths it says were linked to the defect.

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Slow-loading messages will appear on some of your favorite sites Wednesday as part of a protest for net neutrality. But the sites won't actually be loading slower — the banners will be displayed just to make a point.

National

Your Favorite Sites Will 'Slow Down' Today, For A Cause

10:41am September 16, 2014

by Elise Hu

Websites including Foursquare, Netflix and WordPress are taking part in Internet Slowdown Day to make a case for unfettered access to the Internet. The slowdown will only be symbolic, not real.

Carl Abramson, Kim Sarubbi and their three children.

National

Creating Your Baby's Last Name? Tennessee Says No

9:03am September 15, 2014

by Bobby Allyn

A Tennessee family invented a new surname for their kids, completely different from their own, and discovered that their state's law bars them from doing that.

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Judge: Government Can't Arbitrate The Truth In Politics

12:47pm September 13, 2014

by Nick Castele

A federal judge has struck down an Ohio law that banned lies in political ads. He ruled that it is up to voters to decide what the truth is.

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White House Tries To Ease Hispanic Caucus Frustrations

12:47pm September 13, 2014

Many were disappointed when President Obama announced he would delay immigration reform until after mid-term elections. NPR's Wade Goodwyn talks to White House domestic policy chief Cecilia Munoz.

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Wade Goodwyn's dogs, Miles and Rosie, greeted James Lee Woodard eagerly.

After Exoneration, Small Moments Take On New Meaning

12:47pm September 13, 2014

by Wade Goodwyn

Two more men sentenced to die have been exonerated. Another wronged man, James Lee Woodard, visited NPR's Wade Goodwyn years ago. On his first day out of prison, he bonded with Goodwyn's dogs.

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National

20 Years Later, Parts Of Major Crime Bill Viewed As Terrible Mistake

1:41pm September 12, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

In 1994, Congress passed the most significant crime-fighting legislation in a generation. Now, policymakers are dialing back Clinton's tough-on-crime policies.

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Plenty of fashions adopted by young people get under the skin of adults, but the opposition to sagging often has the feel of a moral panic.

National

Sagging Pants And The Long History Of 'Dangerous' Street Fashion

10:16am September 12, 2014

by Gene Demby

For adults, "sagging" has long been a marker of slovenliness or something more sinister. But the style might just be the latest iteration of fashion freighted with some old anxieties.