Law

An inmate lies in a single cell at the Harris County jail in 2014, in Houston. A new report highlights how badly the federal government is tracking reports of deaths in law enforcement in the U.S.

National

Deaths in custody are a crisis, but data on them is a black hole, a new report says

5:04am February 23, 2023

by Jaclyn Diaz

A new report indicates that the federal government severely undercounts people who died while being transported, detained or arrested by law enforcement and those who died while incarcerated.

When he was in prison, Lee Reed was in agonizing back pain. His doctors there told him he needed back surgery, but because he was so close to his release date, they said he'd have to get it done on the outside. Reed saw that surgery as his ticket to being able to get a job and effectively reenter society.

Health & Safety

Red and blue states look to Medicaid to improve the health of people leaving prison

5:01am February 23, 2023

People leaving jail or prison are at extremely high risk of hospitalization and death, and policymakers from deep blue California to solidly red Utah think bringing Medicaid behind bars could help.

West Virginia's legislature has passed a bill that would allow concealed carry of firearms on public college campuses, including West Virginia University (pictured here).

A West Virginia bill allowing concealed guns at colleges is one step away from law

5:00am February 23, 2023

by Roshan Fernandez

A bill that would allow concealed weapons to be carried on West Virginia college campuses passed by a landslide in the state's House of Delegates. It heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Jim Justice.

Zeus looks out of the car window as his owner picks up pet food at a Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department Drive-Thru Pet Food Bank, Thursday, June 4, 2020, at Lake Stevens Park in Miami Gardens, Fla.

National

A proposed bill in Florida would ban dogs from hanging their heads out of car windows

4:35am February 23, 2023

by Ayana Archie

Dogs would not be able to hang their heads out of car windows under a new bill proposed in Florida. The bill would additionally ban cat declawing and cosmetic animal testing.

National

Update on Supreme Court case of social media giants and terrorism victims' families

7:29pm February 22, 2023

by Nina Totenberg

Day two of the big tech arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court: On one side are Twitter, Google, Facebook and other mega companies. On the other, American families of people killed in terrorist attacks.

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Eric R. Holder Jr. sits in the courtroom at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Sept. 15, 2022, in Los Angeles. Holder, who was convicted last year of fatally shooting rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years to life in prison.

Rapper Nipsey Hussle's killer is sentenced to 60 years to life in prison

6:07pm February 22, 2023

by Neda Ulaby

Eric R. Holder Jr. will likely remain in jail for the rest of his life for the murder of Nipsey Hussle, a beloved figure in south LA who was killed in 2019 outside his clothing store.

55,000 non-incarcerated felons will soon be eligible to vote in Minnesota

4:47pm February 22, 2023

by Brian Bakst

As many as 55,000 formerly incarcerated people in Minnesota will become eligible to vote under a bill about to become law. It's part of a voting-access push in a state where Democrats call the shots.

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A new report finds that the vast majority of criminal cases end in a plea bargain. The American Bar Association says the practice puts efficiency over fairness and leads to innocent people being coerced to plead guilty.

Politics & Government

The vast majority of criminal cases end in plea bargains, a new report finds

11:29am February 22, 2023

by Carrie Johnson

The practice prioritizes efficiency over fairness and innocence, the American Bar Association says, and leads innocent people to be coerced into guilty pleas.

National

Mexico's ex-public security head is convicted in the U.S. of taking cartel bribes

8:20am February 22, 2023

A jury in New York found Genaro Garcia Luna guilty of taking bribes from a cartel. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Maria Hinojosa, founder of Futuro Studios and co-host of the podcast USA V. Garcia Luna.

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Morning news brief

5:59am February 22, 2023

Russia will stop its participation in a nuclear arms control treaty. U.S. jury convicts Mexico's ex-public security head of taking cartel bribes. Poll shows President Biden's approval rating is up.

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