Jul 31 Mortgage servicers go to extreme lengths to skirt new regulations By Jeff Horwitz, Associated Press They are selling or have sold nearly nonexistent insurance agencies — in some cases with no offices, no websites and only a single registered agent — in multi-million dollar deals, as new rules prohibit them from collecting commissions on insurance… Continue reading
Jul 31 Holder: Big data is leading to 'fundamental unfairness' in drug sentencing By Joshua Barajas Attorney General Eric Holder told PBS NewsHour's Gwen Ifill on Thursday that he's worried about the criminal justice system relying on so-called big data, in some states, for its drug sentencing. States should, the attorney general said, base a sentence… Continue reading
Jul 31 Batkid returns and he's stronger than ever By Justin Scuiletti While Batman celebrates his diamond jubilee this year, it was last November that a tinier black-caped crusader stole headlines. It was a wish come true for Batkid, aka Miles Scott, a 5-year-old in remission after a three-year battle with leukemia. Continue reading
Jul 31 Why more than 3,300 U.S. inmates have sought clemency By Eric Tucker, Associated Press More than 3,300 federal inmates have applied since April to have their prison sentences cut short under a new Justice Department clemency initiative, according to data provided to The Associated Press. Continue reading
Jul 31 Why the benefits of the EPA's new carbon rule outweigh the costs for the U.S. -- just not by as much as you've heard By Robert Stavins The EPA's proposed regulation to cut carbon emissions is the subject of public hearings across the country this week. Environmental economist Robert Stavins weighs in on how the government is calculating the regulation's benefits, concluding that the benefits do outweigh… Continue reading
Jul 31 CIA director apologizes for Senate computer searches By Ken Dilanian, Associated Press WASHINGTON — CIA Director John Brennan apologized to Senate intelligence committee leaders after his inspector general found that CIA employees acted improperly when the CIA searched Senate computers earlier this year. Continue reading
Jul 31 Obama takes aim at labor violators with new executive order By Josh Lederman, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Some companies that earn billions of dollars as government contractors are among the worst violators of U.S. labor laws, yet year after year they keep winning new contracts. So President Barack Obama is aiming to end impunity for… Continue reading
Jul 31 Sara Just named Executive Producer of PBS NewsHour By Linda Winslow A 25-year veteran of ABC News, Sara worked at “Nightline” for 17 years and served as Acting Executive Producer when that program was being redesigned. She has also been a member of the network’s senior digital management team and played… Continue reading
Jul 30 Watch Comedian Hari Kondabolu finds humor and substance in talking about race By PBS News Hour Comedian Hari Kondabolu has made a name for himself by speaking honestly -- and humorously -- about race. Kondabolu sits down Hari Sreenivasan at the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss why colonialism can be a ripe subject for humor, and… Continue watching
Jul 30 Watch PBS NewsHour | Full Episode | July 30, 2014 By PBS News Hour Wednesday on the NewsHour, taking a closer look at strong growth in the U.S. economy reveals inconsistencies around the country. Also: Addressing sexual assault on college campuses, terrorists turn to kidnapping Europeans as a source of revenue, cosmetic microbeads cause… Continue watching