Bernie Sanders Blames Guns for Orlando Nightclub Massacre

Erstwhile contender for the Democratic nomination Bernie Sanders had this to say about Sunday's massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando : "I believe that in this country, we should not be selling automatic weapons which are designed to kill people," Sanders said, according to an emailed statement from NBC. "We have got to do everything that we can on top of that to make sure that guns do not fall into the hands of people who should not have them, criminals, people who are mentally ill."

Saratoga Springs Erupts In Protest After Local Government Outlaws Sitting Down

In Saratoga Springs, New York, some people felt uncomfortable with the idea that, while they sleep nice and cozy in their homes, other people are struggling just to obtain the bare necessities of life. So, in response, what did the privileged class in Saratoga Springs do? Did they decide to allocate funds to help people struggling with poverty? No.

Fiery train derailment in Oregon caused by at least one broken bolt

Crumpled oil tankers lie beside the railroad tracks after a fiery derailment on June 3 prompted evacuations from the tiny Columbia River Gorge town in Mosier, Ore. Railroad officials say at least one broken bolt holding a rail in place caused the fiery derailment of a Union Pacific train moving volatile crude oil through the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon-Washington border.

News Minute: Here is the latest Oklahoma news from The Associated Press at 5:40 a.m. CDT

A new Oklahoma law that will go into effect this summer will allow craft breweries to sell full-strength beer. The Oklahoman reports that Gov. Mary Fallin approved the law this week, allowing craft breweries to sell glasses of full-strength beer to visitors, as well as cans, bottles and growlers for customers to take home.

Editorial: Smarter federal justice close at hand – Thu, 09 Jun 2016 PST

Republicans and Democrats have coalesced around the idea of federal sentencing reform to address the nation's high incarceration rate, but proposed legislation is serving a longer stretch in Congress than it should. Republicans and Democrats have coalesced around the idea of federal sentencing reform to address the nation's high incarceration rate, but proposed legislation is serving a longer stretch in Congress than it should.

Democratic Platform Committee Member: No One Should Have a Gun

During a meeting of the Democratic party's platform drafting committee Wednesday, committee member and businesswoman Bonnie Schaefer said that no one should be able to own a gun. "I really don't personally think anyone should have a gun," Schaefer said after testimony by Lucia McBath, a spokeswoman for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

GOP Rep Labrador predicts “we’re going to see some of the greatest…

Someone should be collecting all the big talk we have heard from elected officials and pundits about the ground-breaking criminal justice reforms that are purportedly soon to happen in Congress . As noted in this prior post , at least one notable commentatory was saying in summer 2013 that "momentum for sentencing reform could be unstoppable."

Yahoo Releases Info About FBI Requests for User Data

Security reforms adopted by the U.S. Congress last year have enabled Yahoo to publicly disclose three National Security Letters that it has received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation . Prior to passage of the USA Freedom Act last June, recipients of NSL requests for user data were often prohibited from even publicly acknowledging they had received such orders.

Prescription drugs No. 1 trafficking problem in 10th Judicial District: Task force director

Though the 10th Judicial District Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force tracks many types of illicit drugs trafficked in the area, one type of drug keeps showing up with more and more frequency. BILLa SCHERRY, director of the 10th Judicial District Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, speaks to the Bradley Sunrise Rotary Club about drug abuse trends.

Oklahoma fails to make doctor-performed abortions a felony

Doctors who perform abortions in Oklahoma won't be guilty of a felony after the state Senate adjourned for the year without trying to override Republican Gov. Mary Fallin's veto of a bill to make it a felony crime. The Senate ended the session Friday before state Sen. Nathan Dahm tried an override on his bill to remove an exemption from the law for licensed doctors .

HBO Producer Among Two Men Facing Charges Stemming From Long Island Doctor’s Mysterious Death

On Tuesday, two men - including the former producer for the forthcoming HBO drama series The Deuce - were arrested on drug charges related to the mysterious death of Kiersten Cerveny , a married Long Island doctor who died in the doorway of a Manhattan apartment building last October, PEOPLE confirms. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice obtained by PEOPLE, HBO producer Marc Henry Johnson, 51, and James Holder, 60, both face federal drug and conspiracy charges related to Cerveny's death.

US attorney general visits NC weeks after filing federal complaint over HB2

U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch is in North Carolina two weeks after filing a federal complaint against Governor Pat McCrory and state officials over House Bill 2. The attorney general's office says, "In this second phase of the tour, Attorney General Lynch will visit six jurisdictions around the country that have excelled in each of the six pillars discussed in the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing final report: building trust and legitimacy; policy and oversight; technology and social media; community policing and crime reduction; officer training and education; and officer safety and wellness."

DOD uses undisclosed files to defend sex assault testimony

The Pentagon is relying on information it won't make public to dispute an Associated Press investigation that found the military misled Congress about sexual assault cases to blunt support for Senate legislation. In a report sent Thursday to a bipartisan group of senators, the Pentagon refers to undisclosed files about several of the cases to challenge AP's findings.

Government Favors Open Hearing in Bridge Co-Conspirator Case

Unsealed filings in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case released Monday show federal prosecutors sided with media organizations in seeking a public hearing for an unidentified person trying to block the publication of a list of unindicted co-conspirators. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals already ruled last Friday the June 6 oral arguments in Philadelphia are to be open.