Law

A visitor handles a revolver at a Smith & Wesson display during the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits on April 14 at America's Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Single-Issue Solidarity Behind NRA's Clout

5:44am December 20, 2012

by Peter Overby

The National Rifle Association ranks among the most effective advocacy groups in America. It reaches its members almost every way imaginable — and it gets them to volunteer for campaigns and educates them on how to vote.

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Robert Bork, nominated by President Reagan to the Supreme Court, is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing, Sept. 15, 1987.

Robert Bork's Supreme Court Nomination 'Changed Everything, Maybe Forever'

8:31pm December 19, 2012

by Nina Totenberg

Known as a charming and witty man in private, Bork, who died Wednesday, was dour and humorless in his Senate confirmation hearings, and his answers seemed to play into the stereotype liberals painted of a man who cared little for the public. His Senate rejection changed the way future nominees have testified.

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The Pressures, Procedures Of Mass Murder Investigations

2:24pm December 18, 2012

Investigators have been slowly releasing information about the Newtown, Conn. shooting that claimed the lives of 20 children, six adults and the gunman. As the investigation unfolds, a number of questions are being raised about how law enforcement decides what information should be made public.

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Maria Lola Melisio, 18, entered the U.S. illegally with her mother when she was 7. Now she's an undocumented resident living in Alabama, which has one of the country's toughest immigration laws.

Federal-State Tug Of War: Drawing The Lines In Immigration Overhaul

7:19pm December 17, 2012

by Debbie Elliott

In recent years, states have passed a patchwork of immigration laws, at times running afoul of the U.S. Constitution. Advocates for the tough measures say state and local governments should still have a role, even as the debate shifts to the federal level.

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Some Senators Show Willingness To Take On Gun Laws

7:19pm December 17, 2012

by David Welna

The combination of a powerful gun owners' lobby and a loss of public support for gun control has stymied efforts in recent years to tighten gun laws. But there are signs the Newtown massacre may prompt change on Capitol Hill.

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Sandy Hook Massacre Changes Gun Control Conversations

2:25pm December 17, 2012

Twenty students and six teachers were killed when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. As police continue to investigate the massacre, some argue that it's time to change the conversation about guns in America.

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A makeshift shrine honors the victims of a elementary school shooting that happened Friday in Newtown, Conn.

National

'We Have To Act' On Gun Violence. But How?

7:07pm December 16, 2012

by NPR Staff

The mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school has revived calls for stricter gun laws. The debate is not unfamiliar, but the nature of the event may provide new impetus for action. Exactly what kind of action might make a difference is another story.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., have opposing views about a report detailing CIA detention and interrogation practices.

Report On CIA Interrogation Tactics Revives Torture Debate

9:03am December 13, 2012

by Carrie Johnson

In a closed-door meeting Thursday, lawmakers will consider whether to approve the report, which human rights groups are pushing to be made public. It's part of an ongoing fight over whether harsh interrogation methods, which critics compared to torture, were effective.

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A crowd seeks help applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles in August. Schools have been inundated with requests for the documents needed to qualify.

New Policy For Young Immigrants Creates Paperwork Deluge

6:29pm December 12, 2012

by Karen Grigsby Bates

A new law provides a path to temporary legal status for some youth in the U.S. illegally, but families must produce a bevy of documentation to qualify. In California, some school districts have devised new systems to help manage the high demand for data and school transcripts.

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Economy

What Changes In Right-To-Work States?

4:26pm December 11, 2012

The Michigan House approved two measures that would make the state the 24th in the nation to enact right-to-work legislation. Protesters continue to gather at the State Capitol in opposition to legislation that will likely weaken unions in the home of the United Auto Workers.

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