Government blesses omitting race from admissions, enrollment
The Trump administration said the government would no longer encourage schools to use race as a factor in the admissions process, rescinding Obama-era guidance meant to promote diversity among students.
Scathing report on Baltimore cops vindicates black residents
With startling statistics, a federal investigation of the Baltimore Police Department documents in 164 single-spaced pages what black residents have been saying for years: They are routinely singled out, roughed up or otherwise mistreated by officers, often for no reason.
Justice Dept.: States shouldn’t jail over fine nonpayment
The Justice Department is discouraging state court systems from jailing poor defendants who fail to pay fines or fees, warning against practices that it says run afoul of the Constitution and erode community trust.
Gov’t sues Ferguson after city tries to revise deal
The federal government sued Ferguson on Wednesday, one day after the City Council voted to revise an agreement aimed at improving the way police and courts treat poor people and minorities in the St. Louis suburb.
Justice Dept.: Food companies risk prosecution for outbreaks
Following a deadly listeria outbreak in ice cream, the Justice Department is warning food companies that they could face criminal and civil penalties if they poison their customers.
Federal report faults police actions during Ferguson unrest
Police antagonized crowds who gathered to protest in Ferguson after Michael Brown’s death last summer, violated free-speech rights and made it difficult to hold officers accountable, according to a Justice Department draft report that found across-the-board flaws in law enforcement’s response.
Michael Gerson: Viewing Ferguson from Selma
The juxtaposition of the Justice Department’s damning Ferguson report and President Obama’s fine speech to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday was coincidental. But the founders of the civil rights movement would certainly have found it providential, so I’ll go with that.
Auto parts price-fixing probe rattles industry
An investigation into price-fixing and bid-rigging in the auto parts industry has mushroomed into the Justice Department’s largest criminal antitrust probe ever, and it’s not over yet.
Lawmakers move to restore Voting Rights Act
Four states — Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — would again have to get approval from the Justice Department before making any changes in the way they hold elections under a bipartisan bill introduced Thursday to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional.
FDA allows OTC morning-after pill, lifts age limit
WASHINGTON — The morning-after pill is finally going over-the-counter. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved unrestricted sales of Plan B One-Step, lifting all
Feds: Morning-after pill appeal officially on hold
The Obama administration’s appeal in the legal fight over morning-after pills has been officially put on hold until a judge weighs a new plan to allow girls of all ages to buy the contraceptives without a prescription, according to a government letter filed Tuesday.
Feds now back morning-after pills for all girls
NEW YORK — After setting off a storm of criticism from abortion rights groups upset that a Democratic president had sided with social conservatives, the
Court: Girls can buy morning-after pill for now
Girls of any age can buy generic versions of emergency contraception without prescriptions while the federal government appeals a judge’s ruling allowing the sales, a federal appeals court said Wednesday.
Hobby Lobby appeals employee birth control option
DENVER — In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is asking a federal appeals court for an exemption from part
Gov’t obtains wide swath of AP phone records
The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative’s top executive called a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into how news organizations gather the news.
Justice Department appeals morning-after case
The Obama administration on Wednesday appealed a federal judge’s order to lift all age limits on who can buy morning-after birth control pills without a prescription.
Justice says Armstrong was ‘unjustly enriched’
AUSTIN, Texas — The federal government is going after Lance Armstrong’s money. As much as it can get. The Justice Department unveiled its formal complaint
Too big to jail? Execs avoid laundering charges
When the Justice Department announced its record $1.9 billion settlement against British bank HSBC last week, prosecutors called it a powerful blow to a dysfunctional institution accused of laundering money for Iran, Libya and Mexico’s murderous drug cartels.
Justice Dept faulted in gun-trafficking operation
The Justice Department’s internal watchdog on Wednesday faulted the agency for misguided strategies, errors in judgment and management failures during a bungled gun-trafficking probe in Arizona that disregarded public safety and resulted in hundreds of weapons turning up at crime scenes in the U.S. and Mexico.
Justice Dept. opens civil rights unit in Alabama
The Justice Department said Tuesday it was establishing its first civil rights unit in Alabama, a move that comes after the state’s crackdown on illegal immigration raised broader concerns about compliance with federal laws.