Constitution’s ‘excessive fines’ ban bolstered by U.S. high court
In a decision that may curb the rise of financial penalties and property seizures in the U.S. criminal justice system, the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the first time ruled that the U.S. Constitution’s ban on “excess fines” applies to states as well …
In U.S., pope’s summit on sex abuse seen as too little, too late
In the study of his home outside Washington, victims’ advocate Tom Doyle searched a shelf packed with books to find the thick report that led him to stop practicing as a priest and devote himself to helping those who had been sexually abused by clergymen.
U.S. judge dismisses boys’ lawsuit against Trump climate rollbacks
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by two Pennsylvania boys and an environmental group seeking to stop U.S. President Donald Trump from rolling back regulations addressing climate change, saying the court does not have power to tell the White Hous…
Snow, sleet threaten U.S. East Coast, hinder hundreds of flights
A winter storm bore down on the U.S. East Coast on Wednesday, threatening to snarl New York City’s evening commute after hindering air travel along the East Coast and prompting the shutdown of federal offices in Washington.
Trump ‘fear-mongering’ fuels rise of U.S. hate groups to record: watchdog
The number of hate groups operating in the United States rose 7 percent to an all-time high last year, the Southern Poverty Law Center said on Wednesday, attributing the increase largely to anti-immigrant rhetoric from President Donald Trump.
‘El Chapo’ lawyers may challenge conviction over juror remarks
Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman may file a motion challenging his conviction on 10 criminal counts, after a juror told Vice News that jurors read media coverage of the case and discussed it with one another while the trial was going on, one…
Charter school battle extends West Virginia teacher strike
West Virginia teachers were on strike for a second day on Wednesday, canceling classes for about 270,000 students in a bid to defeat a bill that would allow the state’s first seven charter schools to open.
Consultant says unaware of fraud in U.S. House race in North Carolina
A political consultant told North Carolina’s elections board on Wednesday he was not aware an operative working for their Republican candidate had devised an unlawful absentee ballot operation that investigators say was an effort to sway a close congre…
White House readies panel to question security risks of climate
The White House is readying a presidential panel that would question U.S. military and intelligence reports showing human-driven climate change poses risks to national security, according to a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
Number of U.S. hate groups hits all-time high, watchdog says
The number of hate groups operating in the United States rose 7 percent to an all-time high in 2018, reflecting an increasingly divisive debate on immigration and demographic change, the Southern Poverty Law Center said on Wednesday.
