Andrea Noble

Nheru Littleton’s anti-cop rant draws terrorism charge; free speech advocates fear chilling effect

For two weeks Nheru Littleton has been held in a Michigan jail on $1 million bond, awaiting a chance to fight the accusation he made a threat of terrorism — a criminal charge that a local Detroit prosecutor already declined to bring due to lack of evidence and that civil rights advocates see as overkill that could chill free speech.

October 18, 2016

James E. Cartwright, former general, charged with false statements in leak probe

Retired four-star Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright was charged Monday with making false statements during an investigation into leaks of classified information, federal prosecutors announced.

October 17, 2016

James Comey, FBI chief: Without use-of-force data, viral videos fuel ‘biased police’ narrative

FBI Director James B. Comey pushed back against the idea that "biased police are killing black men at epidemic rates," saying Americans are relying on anecdotes and videos capturing the deadly encounters rather than on hard evidence to form that narrative.

October 17, 2016

Kansas militia members charged in alleged bomb plot targeting Somali immigrants

Authorities have charged three Kansas militia members with planning to bomb an apartment complex that is home to about 120 Somali immigrants, saying the men sought to target Muslims as part of an attack to "wake people up."

October 14, 2016

Secret Service database still vulnerable to improper access: IG report

Information technology shortcomings within the Secret Service mean the potential still exists for employees to improperly access the agency's restricted database, as agents did last year when they leaked unflattering information about House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz, according to a new inspector general's report.

October 14, 2016

Real ID law facing backlash from states refusing to comply

The Department of Homeland Security this week rejected requests to extend the amount of time five states have to develop identification cards compliant with the Real ID Act, upping the incentive for states to fall in line with the federal proof-of-identity law.

October 13, 2016

DEA delays kratom ban, waits for word from FDA

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will hold off on a previously-announced ban of the herbal drug kratom while soliciting additional input from the public and the Food and Drug Administration.

October 12, 2016

More than half of U.S. adults want to legalize marijuana: Survey

A new survey finds U.S. adults increasingly supportive of marijuana legalization, with 57 percent saying that the drug should be made legal.

October 12, 2016

Social media sites cut off tech company that provides data intel to law enforcement

A technology company that analyzes social media data and sells the information to law enforcement for surveillance purposes will no longer have special access to user data on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

October 11, 2016

Army soldiers charged with plot to sell stolen military equipment

Soldiers from the Fort Campbell U.S. Army base have been charged with conspiracy to steal and sell $1 million worth of sensitive military equipment -- ranging from body armor to sniper telescopes.

October 6, 2016

Harold Thomas Martin III, federal contractor, arrested, charged with stealing classified material

Federal authorities have arrested and charged a contractor for the National Security Agency with stealing classified material, the first report of such accusations against an employee at the electronic eavesdropping agency since the massive leak of secrets by former contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.

October 5, 2016

Justice Dept.: Background checks, citizenship requirements hindering police diversity

Local police departments' use of criminal background checks and citizenship requirements to vet job applicants are among the barriers limiting diversity in law enforcement, a new Justice Department report finds.

October 5, 2016

DEA taking steps to limit opioid overprescribing

The Drug Enforcement Administration, which controls the amount of drugs produced annually, will reduce the amount of opioid medications manufactured in the U.S. next year.

October 4, 2016

Police violence against blacks yields fewer 911 calls, study finds

Black Americans have significantly less confidence in their local police departments than white Americans, surveys show, and it could be having some startling effects on crime.

October 3, 2016

Supreme Court rejects Redskins’ trademark appeal case

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal brought by the Washington Redskins to challenge a lower court ruling that cancelled the team's trademarks on the grounds their name is offensive to Native Americans.

October 3, 2016

Terence Crutcher case: Betty Shelby, Tulsa officer, pleads not guilty in fatal shooting

A Tulsa police officer charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man pleaded not guilty to manslaughter on Friday morning after her defense attorney claimed that during the high-stress incident she temporarily lost her hearing and was unaware other officers had responded to the scene to provide backup.

September 30, 2016

Edward Snowden reduced FBI surveillance law use

The FBI's use of a surveillance statute to collect Americans' phone and email records has declined since details about the program were leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013, a watchdog report has found.

September 29, 2016

Alfred Olango killed by El Cajon police officer pointed vaping device at officers

The device that an unarmed black man pointed at El Cajon, California police officers just before he was shot was a vaping device, according to police.

September 29, 2016

Two students, teacher wounded in South Carolina school shooting

Two elementary school students and a teacher were injured Wednesday afternoon in a shooting at a South Carolina elementary school and one adult killed in a separate but possibly related incident, according to local news reports.

September 28, 2016

Police fatally shoot unarmed, mentally ill black man in El Cajon, California

Dozens gathered outside the El Cajon Police Department Wednesday morning to protest a police officer's fatal shooting of an unarmed and mentally ill black man -- an incident they say raises questions about how the department reacts to those suffering from mental illness.

September 28, 2016