Law

An M-44 device — also known as a "cyanide bomb" for the way it sprays sodium cyanide — sits nested between two rocks. Several petitions are now calling for the removal of these devices used to protect livestock from predators. Mark Mansfield, father o

Calls Mount For Ban On 'Cyanide Bombs' After Death Of Family Pet

2:18pm March 29, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

An M-44, which sprays predators with sodium cyanide, detonated on a teen and his dog earlier this month in Idaho. Now the family and others are petitioning the USDA to end its use of the devices.

Judge Neil Gorsuch is sworn in on the first day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on March 20, 2017.

Politics & Government

A 'Nuclear' Senate Showdown Next Week Appears All But Inevitable

12:59pm March 29, 2017

by Scott Detrow

If Senate Democrats are determined to oppose the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, Senate Republicans are just as determined to confirm him.

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Police stand guard at the Botanical Gardens after the incident near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Suspect Arrested Near U.S. Capitol After Officers 'Nearly Struck' By Vehicle

12:37pm March 29, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Officers observed an "erratic and aggressive" driver near the Capitol and tried to carry out a traffic stop. Then, police said, the driver nearly hit officers. Shots were fired; no one was injured.

Democrats And Republicans Dig In For Political Fight Over Gorsuch

5:07am March 29, 2017

by Scott Detrow

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called on his fellow Democrats to filibuster the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, setting up a showdown that could undo Senate tradition.

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National

Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Disability Standards In Death Row Cases

11:38pm March 28, 2017

by Nina Totenberg

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down as unconstitutional the standards used by the state of Texas to determine whether a convicted murderer is mentally deficient and thus may not be executed.

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Summer Zervos, shown with attorney Gloria Allred earlier this year in Washington, D.C., accuses President Trump of sexual harassment and has filed a lawsuit against him.

Trump Lawyers Claim Immunity In Sex Harassment Suit, Just As Bill Clinton Did

8:23pm March 28, 2017

by Peter Overby

Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, says Donald Trump engaged in "disgusting touching." Trump's legal team wants the case dismissed, at least until after the president leaves office.

A settlement agreement allocates tens of millions to replace Flint's damaged water service lines.

Judge Approves $97 Million Settlement To Replace Flint's Water Lines

6:02pm March 28, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Residents of the Michigan city have been struggling with the lead crisis for the past three years. "This is the first little battle won in this huge overall war," plaintiff Melissa Mays tells NPR.

National

Judge Approves Settlement To Replace Flint's Lead-Tainted Water Lines

5:41pm March 28, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Melissa Mays, a plaintiff in the lawsuit that just reached a settlement in federal court over lead-tainted water lines in Flint, Mich.

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The coal-fired Plant Scherer operates in June 2014 in Juliette, Ga.

Trump Takes Aim At A Centerpiece Of Obama's Environmental Legacy

5:29pm March 28, 2017

The Trump administration aims to roll back the Clean Power Plan, which limits emissions from power plants, lift the moratorium on federal coal leases and change the "social cost of carbon" policy.

National

Police Warning Shots May Be In For A Comeback

4:33pm March 28, 2017

by Martin Kaste

Police are trained to avoid warning shots for tactical and legal reasons. This long-standing prohibition is being reconsidered under public pressure to reduce deadly shootings by police.