Articles

Obama’s final year: US spent $36 million in records lawsuits

The Obama administration in its final year in office spent a record $36.2 million on legal costs defending its refusal to turn over federal records under the Freedom of Information Act, according to an Associated Press analysis of new U.S. data that also showed poor performance in other categories measuring transparency in government.

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Tight budgets could complicate Sessions’ vow to fight crime

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is promising his Justice Department will lead the charge in helping cities fight violent crime, and police chiefs are ready with their wish lists. But the federal law-enforcement agencies could receive less funding in a budget plan to be introduced Thursday.

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Gorsuch might be tough to predict on criminal justice cases

During a decade on the federal appeals court in Denver, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch has raised concerns about intrusive government searches and seizures that he found to violate constitutional rights. He generally has ruled against defendants appealing their convictions and those who claim they received unfair trials. But he also has warned in writings and speeches about the danger of having too many criminal laws on the books.

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Strip club operator accused of exploiting dancers

A Colorado company that owns over a dozen strip clubs around the country, including in Indianapolis, is facing a federal lawsuit over allegations that it exploited its dancers by requiring them to pay fees in order to work.

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Western Indiana police get training on handling mentally ill

Police officers in Terre Haute are among those taking a weeklong Crisis Intervention Training Program organized by local and state organizations to build stronger relationships between law enforcement, mental health agencies and the local chapter of National Association of Mental Illness.

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Senate committee OKs Coats as national intelligence director

The Senate intelligence committee has voted to confirm President Donald Trump's pick for national intelligence director, advancing his nomination to the Senate floor.

The committee voted 13-2 in favor of former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to replace James Clapper, who retired at the end of the Obama administration.

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Pennsylvania sues IBM over $170M jobless claims contract

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's administration has sued IBM, saying the company failed to deliver on a 2006 contract to build an integrated system to process unemployment claims. IBM has been locked in a legal battle in Indiana for nearly seven years over its failed $1.3 billion contract to modernize the state’s welfare system.

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