NFL more forceful on Texas ‘bathroom bill’ after Super Bowl

Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to... Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to enter pleas in the case. The howling winds of the biggest snowstorm of the winter to hit the Northeast have been replaced by the scraping of shovels and the growl of snowblowers.

Suspects in videotaped beating plead not guilty in Chicago

The four are charged, with aggravate... Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to... Four black people charged with a hate crime in an attack of a white mentally disabled man that was captured by a cellphone camera and shown live on Facebook are set to return to court where they are expected to enter pleas in the case. The howling winds of the biggest snowstorm of the winter to hit the Northeast have been replaced by the scraping of shovels and the growl of snowblowers.

President Trump Orders Review of DOL Fiduciary Rule and Addresses…

On February 3, 2017, President Trump took actions aimed at alleviating some of the regulatory burdens on the financial services industry. Through a Presidential Memorandum , President Trump ordered the DOL to "examine the Fiduciary Duty Rule to determine whether it may adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement information and financial advice" and prepare an updated economic and legal analysis concerning the impact of the rule, while taking into account several enumerated considerations.

Senate “sanctuary cities” bill hearing

After a 16-hour hearing that included tears, heckling, bursts of anger and warnings from lawmakers to witnesses to respect the rules of the Capitol's upper chamber, the Texas Senate's State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 along party lines early Friday morning to advance a controversial state-based immigration bill to the full Senate. Senate Bill 4, commonly known as the anti-sanctuary cities bill, would punish local government entities and college campuses that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials or enforce immigration laws.

‘Sanctuary cities’ bill advances in Texas, despite outcry

A Texas Senate panel shrugged off 16 hours of sometimes tearful pleas and defiant opposition to approve a "sanctuary cities" proposal that would withhold grant funding from local jurisdictions that don't hand over immigrants already in custody for possible deportation. A 7-2 vote around 12:45 a.m. Friday from the chamber's powerful State Affairs Committee sends the bill to the full Senate, where a vote could come as early as next week.

New Mexico AG joins with water users in Rio Grande fight

Texas and New Mexico are locked in a battle before the U.S. Supreme Court over management of one of the longest rivers in North America and there's no indication the case will be dismissed. So New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is joining forces with downstream users on the Rio Grande to develop a new strategy that he says will incorporate the best available science.

‘Made in America’ Strategy Isn’t Enough to Shield Toyota From Trump

When Trump administration appointee Wilbur Ross sat for a hearing on his commerce secretary nomination, one name kept coming up: Toyota. A senator from Vice President Mike Pence's home state asked to be reassured trade reforms wouldn't compromise Indiana jobs.

Sparks: Fetal Burial Rule “Pretext” For Restricting Abortion

U.S. Federal District Judge Sam Sparks took sharp aim at the state of Texas' flimsy defense of a rule that forces women to bury or cremate their fetal tissue after an abortion or miscarriage. In a 24-page order issued Friday, Jan. 27, that again halted the anti-choice rule, Sparks hit back at the state health department for proposing a regulation that may amount to a "pretext for restricting abortion access."

Prosecutor: Man attacks Muslim airline employee at JFK

A Marine Corps official says female infantry Marines will be sleeping in makeshift shelters next to their male counterparts when out in the field and no special accommodation will be offered to them Female infantry Marines will now be sleeping in makeshift shelters next to their male counterparts when out in the field and the Marine Corps says no special accommodation will be offered to them A Massachusetts man who authorities say assaulted a Muslim airline employee at New York's Kennedy Airport is facing hate crime charges A Massachusetts man who authorities say assaulted a Muslim airline employee at New York's Kennedy Airport is facing hate crime charges Texas prison officials at least temporarily delayed the scheduled Thursday night execution of a man convicted of a fatal robbery at a Dallas-area sandwich shop while the U.S. Supreme Court considered multiple... A man convicted of ... (more)

Some fear Trump’s voter fraud investigation could lead to voter suppression

President Donald Trump's call on Wednesday for a "major investigation" into voter fraud, despite no evidence to support his claims that millions of ballots cast illegally cost him the popular vote, led many critics to pounce on him as thin-skinned. But some voting rights experts and Democrats say they fear something more pernicious than a bruised ego at play: a long-range bid to impose tougher voting requirements nationwide.

A look at border security, fencing as Trump announces wall

President Donald Trump announced his long-awaited plan Wednesday to build a wall on the 1,954-mile U.S. border with Mexico, calling for its "immediate construction" to stop the flow of smuggling and drugs. One-third of the U.S.-Mexico border, or 653 miles, is already studded with fence in a potpourri of styles, from menacing barriers to those that can be easily hopped.

Court declines Texas appeal

The Supreme Court declined Texas officials' appeal in the ongoing battle over the state's voter identification law Monday, meaning an earlier decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - which found the law violates the Voting Rights Act - will stand. Chief Justice John Roberts, however, took the unusual step of offering an explanation for why the Supreme Court chose not to hear the appeal.