Department of justice Stories
DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional By U.S. District Judge
Two laws preventing the federal government from recognizing and providing benefits to same-sex couples are unconstitutional, a federal judge in California ruled.
Virginia Inmates Stage Hunger Strike To Protest 'Torturous' Solitary Confinement
Forty-five prisoners are abstaining from food in an effort to highlight what they say are inhumane conditions in Virginia's Red Onion State Prison.
Alabama Governor Calls Special Legislative Session To Fix Immigration Law
Days after the Alabama legislature voted to update a stringent immigration law considered among the toughest in the nation, Governor Robert Bentley has called for a special legislative session to address his concerns with the law.
U.S. Orders New Rules To Prevent Prison Rape
The announcement came on the heels of a survey that found one in 10 inmates are sexually victimized by other prisoners or prison staff.
Same-Sex Unions OK With Two Thirds Of Americans: Poll
A clear majority of Americans support some form of legally recognized same-sex unions, according to a new CBS/New York Times poll.
US Sen. Franken Presses Justice Department On Cell-Phone Tracking
Law-enforcement officers who track the locations of people via their cell phones may be operating outside the bounds of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., said Thursday.
House Republicans Attempt To Hamstring Eric Holder's Justice Department
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives added amendments to a Justice Department funding bill that would restrict taxpayer money from litigation involving voter ID laws, the health care law and other politically-divisive issues.
Facebook IPO: Could FTC Probe Throw Wrench Into Deal?
Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, is facing a probe into its acquisition of Instagram that could delay its $100 billion initial public offering.
Department Of Justice To Sue Immigration Hardliner Sheriff Joe Arpaio
The Department of Justice plans to sue Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio for civil rights abuses, including racial profiling against Latinos.
Obama Ad Hits Romney On Gay Marriage
Less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama explicitly declared his support for same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting American president to do so, his re-election campaign sought to capitalize with an Internet video drawing a contrast between the president and his likely Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
As Obama Backs Gay Marriage, Romney Reiterates His Opposition
Hours before President Obama made history on Wednesday by becoming the first sitting president to explicitly back same-sex marriage, presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney underscored his belief that marriage should be exclusively between a man and a woman.
Obama Criticizes North Carolina Same-Sex Marriage Ban
President Obama is disappointed that North Carolina passed an amendment to its state constitution banning same-sex marriage, according to a statement from his campaign.
For Same-Sex Marriage Supporters, North Carolina Amendment Is Another Hurdle In A Long Road
Same-sex marriage advocates are confident that the nation is moving gradually towards marriage equality, but they will need to contend with a majority of states -- North Carolina among them -- that restrict marriage to a man and a woman.
Obama Gay Marriage Position Is The Same As Biden's, Better Than Romney's: Axelrod
Senior Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod downplayed Vice President Joe Biden's vocal embrace of gay marriage, saying President Obama's shared the same beliefs.
Black, Latino Voter Registration Plummets
The number of blacks and Hispanics registered to vote has dropped precipitously since the 2008 election, diminishing two bastions of Democratic support that could prove crucial in what promises to be a tight presidential race.
Thousands of Classified Records Said To Be Missing From National Archives
A recent investigation concluded more than 1,500 boxes of top secret or confidential-level documents have been misplaced as of March 2011.
Florida 'Stand Your Ground': Lawmakers Claim Attacks On Self Defense Statute Are 'Anti-Women'
Two members of the Florida Legislature argue the self-defense law empowers women against potential attackers, despite its questionable application in domestic violence cases.
Taser Guns Can Cause Heart Attacks, Study Says
Tasers can cause cardiac arrest and even death, according to a new study.
BP Earnings Fall As Gulf Spill Costs Continue To Weigh
BP Plc (BP.L) reported a bigger-than-expected profit drop on the back of a fall in production prompted by the need to sell oil fields to pay for the Gulf of Mexico disaster, raising concerns about the oil group's turnaround plan.
SNOPA Bill Stops Employers From Requiring Employee Facebook Passwords
Two members of Congress introduced a bill on Friday that would ban employers from requiring employees to hand over their social networking account information. The Social Network Online Protection Act was introduced by Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel of New York and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.
BP's $7.8 Billion Settlement Days Away From Preliminary Approval, U.S. Judge Says
The first part in a saga of litigation and claims for damages following the BP 2010 Gulf oil spill is just days away from being finished.
Apple, Google, And Intel Fail To Dismiss Staff-Poaching Lawsuit
Apple Inc, Google Inc, Intel Corp and four other technology companies were ordered by a judge to face an antitrust lawsuit claiming they illegally conspired not to poach each other's employees.
Yonas Fikre: American Muslim Seeks Asylum In Sweden, Claims UAE Tortured Him At FBI's Request [VIDEO]
Yonas Fikre, an American Muslim, is seeking asylum in Sweden and has claimed that he was detained, torture and kept in solitary confinement in the United Arab Emirates for 106 days at the request of the FBI.
Happy Tax Day: Economist Charged With Dodging $500K IRS Bill For 22 Years
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York said 68-year-old David Gilmartin went to great lengths to avoid his legal obligation as a citizen to pay taxes.
Google Shares Fall After FCC Seeks Fine On Privacy Invasions Claims
Shares of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), the No. 1 search engine, fell after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it had tried to impede a privacy investigation.
Google 1Q Earnings Beat Estimate; Announces Stock Split
Google reported first-quarter financial results that beat analysts' estimates by a wide margin.
SOPA Is 'Dead,' Film Industry Lobbyist Chris Dodd Says
Chris Dodd, a former U.S. senator who heads the Motion Picture Association of America, said there will be another push for some kind of anti-piracy legislation after the 2012 elections.
Apple DOJ Lawsuit: Why Amazon Wins The E-Book Pricing Battle, But Not The War
The United States Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple and a handful of major book publishers on Wednesday, alleging that the companies colluded to raise the price of e-books back in 2010. Amazon is the clear winner here, but it won't win out in the long-run.
US Sues Apple, 5 Publishers Over Alleged E-Book Price-Fixing
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Apple and publishers worked to eliminate competition. Three publishers settled the case.
Lobbyist Lobby Pushes Tighter Registration Regulations
The American League of Lobbyists Monday decided to ask the U.S. Congress to approve a set of changes to current registration rules.