All Law & Courts
FocusNo badges. No guns. Can violence interrupters help Minneapolis?Is violence something that can be cured? A new Minneapolis program sends out unarmed residents, rather than police, to de-escalate situations.
The ExplainerAre vaccine passports legal in the US? Five questions.Vaccine passports have become the latest question to divide the U.S., raising charged legal and ethical questions.
First LookThree questions Derek Chauvin's trial seeks to answerThe trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd opened this week in Minneapolis. Jurors are tasked with sorting through testimonies and evidence to answer why and how an encounter with police escalated.
FocusChauvin trial: Why Minneapolis activists are looking beyond the verdictGeorge Floyd鈥檚 death changed the conversation on police in America, launching the biggest civil rights movement in 50 years.
FocusTo fight pandemic, people gave up liberties. Will they get them back?Worldwide, citizens have given up civil liberties to fight the pandemic. But is it possible to act collectively and maintain individual rights?
First LookCapitol assault: two men charged in death of officer after riotThe Justice Department has arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol officer Brian Sicknick with a chemical spray during the Jan. 6 riot. Mr. Sicknick died Jan. 7 and the chemical spray may have contributed to his death.
First LookA year later, DOJ is still reviewing Breonna Taylor's murderNo officers have been convicted since police fatally shot Breonna Taylor in her home March 13, 2020. Activists聽express 鈥渃autious and guarded hope鈥� about the U.S. Department of Justice鈥檚 methodical investigation into the 鈥渘o-knock鈥� warrant that resulted in her death.聽
As attorney general, Garland vows to tackle domestic extremismMerrick Garland鈥檚 widely praised handling of the Oklahoma City bombing investigation may inform how he will approach the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
First LookAs Floyd case goes to trial, Minneapolis braces for unrestThe killing of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked nationwide protests against racism and police brutality in the U.S. As former police officer Derek Chauvin is set to go on trial for Mr. Floyd's death, tensions are rising in Minneapolis again.
First LookDefund the police? Ohio city backtracks on diverting money.Calls to redirect police funding were a consistent refrain during last summer鈥檚 protests, but it didn鈥檛 always translate into policy changes. A look at why city council members in Columbus, Ohio, decided to go ahead with a new class of police recruits.聽
First LookGrip on El Chapo cartel tightens: drug kingpin's wife arrestedMexican drug lord Joaqu铆n 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzm谩n is serving a lifetime prison sentence in the U.S. Now, federal authorities have arrested his wife聽Emma Coronel Aispuro聽on international drug trafficking charges.
First LookSenate acquits Trump again, but on a changed Washington stageBoth of Donald Trump's impeachments ended in his acquittal, with little suspense over the outcome. But the circumstances of the crimes and trials were radically different.
Shootings by police: Would hiring older recruits stem the tide?A proposed law in California would require new police officers to be older than 24 or have a college degree. It could reduce the use of deadly force.
First LookTexas Republicans work to block Biden's deportation banDemocratic-led states and immigration groups fought former President Donald Trump over immigration in court, often successfully. Now, a federal judge in Texas has issued聽temporary restraining order聽 to stop President Joe Biden's deportation moratorium.
鈥楢 too-powerful presidency鈥�: Will US ever rein in executive branch?President Biden signed 17 executive actions during his first hours in office. Since at least FDR, the executive branch has continued to grow in power.
Los Angeles鈥� new DA redefines what 鈥榩eople鈥檚 lawyer鈥� does (Q&A)George Gasc贸n, now Los Angeles County district attorney, sees a 鈥渕oral imperative to represent the entire community,鈥� defendants as well as victims.
First LookDead end for Parler? Judge denies restoration on Amazon.A federal judge has ruled against a plea to reinstate Parler, a social media app favored by followers of former President Donald Trump, rejecting its argument that Amazon violated antitrust laws and colluded with Twitter.
The ExplainerIncitement, sedition, and conspiracy 鈥� explaining Capitol crimesLegal fallout from Jan. 6 is likely to reach hundreds of cases. It could also affect free speech rights聽and shatter one last political norm.
First LookFlint looks for justice as ex-governor charged in water crisisFormer Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been charged with willful neglect of duty. The Flint water crisis was one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history,聽in which toxic metal spoiled a distribution system used by nearly 100,000 residents.
Why protecting prisons from COVID-19 is everyone鈥檚 problemPrison populations are at greater risk in a pandemic and their treatment has drawn attention, particularly in planning for vaccinations.聽
