Apr 21 Watch Was the Supreme Court ruling a setback for voting rights? By PBS News Hour In the months since the Supreme Court struck down a key portion of the Voting Rights Act, five states have tightened access to voting. The ruling has sparked nationwide debate, and the Obama administration is pushing back with an investigation. Continue watching
Apr 21 Watch How retired Supreme Court Justice Stevens would amend the constitution By PBS News Hour Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens talks to Judy Woodruff about his new book, “Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution.” In his book, the 94-year-old liberal justice calls for major changes to the Constitution on… Continue watching
Apr 21 Watch What factors should be considered for clemency against drug charges? By PBS News Hour The Justice Department announced it would expand the criteria used to decide which drug offenders are eligible for presidential clemency. Hundreds, if not thousands, could qualify for suspended sentences. Jeffrey Brown examines the new guidelines with Vanita Gupta of the… Continue watching
Apr 21 Four years after oil spill, BP refusing funds for research By Anya van Wagtendonk Four years since the largest offshore oil spill in American history, British Petroleum is largely discontinuing funds for determining the extent of the damage. Continue reading
Apr 21 Calling out Social Security for its awful inequities By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security's arcane provisions don't just disadvantage recipients who can't figure out what they mean. As Larry Kotlikoff explains, there are also structural inequities in the system that put certain groups, particularly lower-earners, at a disadvantage. Continue reading
Apr 21 Justice Department encourages imprisoned drug offenders to seek clemency By Associated Press In a video statement Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder said the change is designed to help federal drug offenders imprisoned under now out-of-date sentencing guidelines. Continue reading
Apr 21 Athletes return to Boston Marathon to finish race they started one year ago By Ellen Rolfes Rita Jeptoo of Kenya won today's marathon, logging back-to-back wins and setting a new course record for women. Jeptoo crossed the finish line after 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds, running an average mile just under 5 minute 20 second. Continue reading
Apr 21 Teen stowaway survives five hour flight to Hawaii in plane's wheel well By Justin Scuiletti “How he survived, I don’t know,” said FBI spokesman Tom Simon. “It’s a miracle.”… Continue reading
Apr 21 Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments over Internet TV service Aereo By Mark Sherman, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Thirty years after failing to convince the Supreme Court of the threat posed by home video recordings, big media companies are back and now trying to rein in another technological innovation they say threatens their financial well-being. The… Continue reading
Apr 21 Study questions environmental benefits of biofuels By Dina Cappiello, Associated Press A $500,000 study paid for by the federal government and released Sunday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate Change concludes that biofuels made with corn residue release 7 percent more greenhouse gases in the early years compared with conventional gasoline. Continue reading