Law

Watch an interactive of the Supreme Court justice narrating her personal family photos. (Above: Sotomayor, 1959)

A Justice Deliberates: Sotomayor On Love, Health And Family

3:27pm January 14, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is open about how she benefited from affirmative action, how she came to terms with her diabetes and the "out-of-body experience" of being appointed to the high court. Sotomayor spoke with NPR just before the release of her new autobiography.

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Lack Of Up-To-Date Research Complicates Gun Debate

3:27pm January 14, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Vice President Joe Biden says his task force on reducing gun violence is facing an unexpected obstacle: slim or outdated research on weapons. Public health research dried up more than a decade ago after Congress restricted the use of some federal money to pay for those studies.

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The Food and Drug Administration, which must approve all new tobacco products or any changes to existing brands, has not cleared any products since assuming that responsibility in 2009.

Cigarette Makers Frustrated As Product Approvals Stall

7:28pm January 11, 2013

by Debbie Elliott

The Food and Drug Administration must review all new tobacco brands, and changes to existing ones, under a 2009 law giving the agency jurisdiction over tobacco. But the FDA has yet to approve any products under the new system, leaving some cigarette makers frustrated with the pace.

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A photographic screen hangs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is undergoing renovations. On Wednesday, the justices will hear arguments in a case that asks whether police without a warrant can administer a blood test to a suspected drunken driver.

National

Can Police Force Drunken Driving Suspects To Take Blood Tests?

1:32pm January 09, 2013

by Nina Totenberg

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case testing whether police must get a warrant before forcing a driver to have his blood drawn. Missouri, backed by the Obama administration, argues that time is of the essence when alcohol is dissipating in a person's bloodstream.

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National

NRA Vows To Stop Tucson From Destroying Guns

1:14pm January 09, 2013

The Arizona city's gun buyback program is being challenged by the National Rifle Association. The gun rights group says it is illegal under the state's law to destroy the guns, and warned the city it will sue. Tucson officials say they are not violating the law.

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Officers transfer confiscated weapons after a news conference to announce the arrests of scores of alleged gang members and associates on federal racketeering and drug-trafficking charges in Lakewood, Calif., in 2009.

Gun Control Advocates Say ATF's Hands Have Been Tied

6:37pm January 08, 2013

by Brian Naylor

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the primary enforcer of the nation's gun laws, but advocates and former ATF officials say agents face legal restrictions that limit their effectiveness. In addition, the agency has been without a permanent director for years.

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Law professor Mike Seidman argues that it's time to reexamine the role of the Constitution.

Op-Ed: We The People Should Throw Out The Constitution

11:01am January 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

One of the cornerstones of American democracy is the pledge that every federal officer takes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. In a piece in The New York Times, law professor Mike Seidman argues that it's time to re-examine the role the document plays in American society.

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New Regulations Could Treat Virginia Abortion Clinics Like Hospitals

10:00am January 08, 2013

by Kathy Lohr

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has approved regulations requiring clinics where abortions are performed to meet the same building codes as new hospitals. Abortion-rights groups say the regulations are unnecessary, but abortion-rights opponents say they're the only way to ensure that clinics are safe.

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National

Aurora Shooting Suspect Looked Like A Fellow Officer, Police Say

6:19pm January 07, 2013

by Bill Chappell

Moments after a deadly attack that turned an Aurora, Colo., movie theater into a scene of panic and tragedy, the police officer who found suspect James Holmes at first took him for a fellow police officer, due to the body armor Holmes was wearing.

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Ohio Rape Allegations Spread Through Social Media

2:52pm January 07, 2013

by M.L. Schultze

More than a thousand protesters turned up in the Ohio River town of Steubenville over the weekend, spurred by a blogging and Twitter campaign that's focused on rape allegations involving high-school football players. Social media has taken the case well beyond the small eastern Ohio town, sparking international tension.

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