December 20, 2015 Texas files appeal following federal ruling state's new abortion law is unconstitutional Texas officials have appealed a decision made Monday in federal court that would block a part of the state’s new abortion law requiring doctors who perform an abortion to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled Monday that the provision in the bill violates the rights of abortion doctors to do what they think is best for their patients and would unreasonably restrict a woman’s access to abortion clinics.
December 20, 2015 Pot legalization effort moves eastward to Maine Advocates of recreational marijuana use are looking to an upcoming vote in Maine as an indicator of whether the East Coast is ready to follow in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington by legalizing cannabis.
December 20, 2015 Supreme Court indicates support for Michigan ban on affirmative action The Supreme Court seems prepared to uphold a voter-approved ban on taking account of race in college admissions.
December 20, 2015 Michigan's gay marriage ban faces court challenge Wednesday Two Detroit-area nurses wanted to adopt each other's children, not rewrite Michigan law on gay marriage. But their lawsuit could end up overturning a 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that passed by a landslide.
December 20, 2015 FBI says alleged welfare cheat scammed Hawaii taxpayers for 14 years The FBI is accusing a Hawaii man of making an art form of scamming local and federal taxpayers during the past 14 years, taking numerous government benefits he was not entitled to receive.
December 20, 2015 Justice Department sues North Carolina over voter law The Justice Department announced Monday that it is suing the state of North Carolina for alleged racial discrimination over tough new voter ID rules.
December 20, 2015 Ex-US House leader DeLay says conviction overturn means liberals failed Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Thursday that the left and liberals "didn't accomplish their goal" after a Texas appeals court overturned his money laundering conviction, saying there was insufficient evidence.
December 20, 2015 Jeb Bush joins Gov. Jindal in demanding feds drop lawsuit against Louisiana over school vouchers Jindal, a Republican considering a 2016 presidential bid, said Obama and Holder are denying students in his state the same opportunities their own children enjoy.
December 20, 2015 Court sides with feds in dispute over California oyster farm closure A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a decision by former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar not to renew the lease of a popular oyster farm operating in the Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California.
December 20, 2015 Feds won't sue to stop marijuana use in Colorado, Washington state The Justice Department said Thursday it would not challenge state laws in Colorado and Washington that allow for the medical and recreational use of marijuana as long as drug sales don’t conflict with a set of new federal enforcement policies.
