Law

National

'Whitey' Bulger Won't Testify, But He Didn't Finish Quietly

5:19pm August 02, 2013

by Tovia Smith

In Boston Friday, former mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger said he would not take the stand in his criminal trial and that his defense would rest. But before that happened, he railed at the judge and his defense team.

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National

Former Goldman Sachs Trader Found Liable For Fraud

5:48pm August 01, 2013

Former Goldman Sachs trader Fabrice Tourre was found liable on six of seven counts on Thursday. The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Tourre of misleading investors in a mortgage-linked security.

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The Mexican Consulate processes IDs at an area school. The New York Immigration Coalition goes to events like this one to find immigrants who are eligible for DACA.

National

Immigration Program Fails To Attract Eligible Applicants

6:05pm July 31, 2013

by Alexandra Starr

Immigrants who dropped out of high school are eligible for the Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals program simply by participating in a GED program or taking other classes. The new federal program offers young undocumented immigrants temporary legal status and protection from deportation.

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Metal crosses mark graves at the cemetery of the former Arthur Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Fla. Investigators in Florida using ground-penetrating radar and soil samples say there are nearly 100 unmarked graves on the grounds.

National

In Florida, A Clash Over Exhuming Bodies At Reform School

12:32pm July 31, 2013

by Greg Allen

A forensic anthropologist and her team want permission to exhume dozens of bodies they found in unmarked graves, but are meeting resistance from state officials.

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National

Where Do Drugs For Lethal Injections Come From? Few Know

6:45pm July 30, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

Georgia, like many other states, protects the identity of companies that make drugs used in executions. The lawyer of a death row inmate says not being able to verify the effectiveness of the drug violates his client's right "to be free from cruel and unusual punishment."

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Senate Passes Student Loan Legislation To Lower Interest Rates

9:31am July 25, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

After much drama, the Senate finally voted on a student loan bill that would tie the borrower's rate to the 10-year Treasury note on Wednesday. The proposal is a bipartisan compromise and similar both to a House plan and one offered by President Obama.

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Laws Tightening Abortion Rules Gain Traction In States

6:31pm July 23, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

Texas is one of several states that have passed laws tightening standards for clinics and doctors who provide abortions. Proponents say the laws make the procedure safer. But abortion rights advocates say the tightened requirements are unnecessary and driven by ideology, not safety concerns.

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World News

U.K. Cracking Down On Porn, Blocking It Unless Users Opt In

9:02pm July 22, 2013

The British prime minister says a plan to outlaw "violent" porn and block certain search terms is designed to protect children. Will a crackdown result in less child abuse?

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Becca Besaw of Austin, Texas, and Christopher Robertson of Fort Worth, Texas, protest the state's new law restricting access to abortion at a rally in Dallas on July 15.

State Laws Limiting Abortion May Face Challenges On 20-Week Limit

4:57pm July 22, 2013

by Julie Rovner

States are setting an abortion limit at 20 weeks after fertilization, but that may clash with established standards for calculating the viability of a pregnancy. It could also open the new laws up to constitutional challenges.

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National

The Voting Rights Act: Hard-Won Gains, An Uncertain Future

6:21pm July 21, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the civil rights-era legislation in June. Free of past restrictions, some states acted quickly to change their voting laws, and it is now up to Congress to figure out where the act goes from here and how to continue to protect voters from discrimination.

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