FBI: Hate crimes against Muslims up 67 percent in 2015
The FBI says the number of hate crimes reported to police increased by about 6.7 percent last year, led largely by a 67 percent surge in crimes against Muslims.
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Justices raise doubts about temporary presidential picks
The Supreme Court of the United States is raising doubts about the temporary appointment of a former labor official in a case that could limit the president’s power to fill top government posts.
Janet Reno, former US attorney general, dies at 78
Shy and admittedly awkward, Janet Reno became a blunt-spoken prosecutor and the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney general, yet she also was the epicenter of a relentless series of political storms, from the deadly raid on the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas, to the seizure of 5-year-old Cuban immigrant Elian Gonzalez. She died early Monday at 78.
Appeals court: Consumer watchdog structure unconstitutional
A federal appeals court has ruled that the structure of a U.S. consumer watchdog agency is unconstitutional because it gives too much power to a single agency director.
St. Vincent loses court battle over $15 million hospital loan
St. Vincent Health has lost a two-year battle over whether it can be reimbursed by Medicare for interest expenses on a $15 million loan it took out to build a new hospital in eastern Indiana.
More Hillary Clinton emails to be released by State Department
The State Department told a federal judge Friday it found 5,600 work-related e-mails from a disk of deleted messages recovered from the private email server Hillary Clinton used while secretary of state, raising the possibility of further disclosures on a subject that has dogged the Democrat’s presidential bid.
Zoeller adds Indiana to states’ challenge of new federal overtime rule
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has added Indiana to a list of 20 other states challenging a new federal overtime rule.
Order: Strip searches violate religious rights of ‘American Taliban’
A federal judge has ruled strip searches prior to non-contact visits are a violation of the religious rights of Yahya (John Walker) Lindh, the so-called “American Taliban” who’s housed in the federal prison at Terre Haute. The judge also chided federal authorities who ignored Supreme Court precedent that was on point in the case.
FAA forecast: 600,000 commercial drones within the year
There will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them on Monday, according to a Federal Aviation Administration estimate.
Workplace harassment endures, evolves
Despite decades of on-the-job training for workers and numerous high-profile lawsuits, harassment by managers and co-workers persists. Though the number of sexual harassment claims has declined in recent years, companies still get hit with thousands of lawsuits alleging harassment of some kind each year.
Judge rejects Durham’s bid to dismiss SEC civil suit
Ponzi scheme operator Tim Durham has failed to persuade a federal judge to dismiss the government’s civil action against him and other convicted accomplices.
Treasury corporate-debt rules exceed authority, tax lawyers say
The U.S. Treasury Department exceeded its authority by proposing wide-ranging regulations intended to curb corporations’ ability to shift their American earnings overseas, tax lawyers told agency officials during a hearing.
Indy property management group accused of discriminating against families
Fair housing advocates have filed a complaint with the federal government against Indianapolis-based property management group AMP Residential, alleging the group has “engaged in systemic discrimination against families with children.”
Worker health, company headache
New EEOC regulations add to the milieu of rules governing company wellness programs.
Pacers’ legal tenacity on display in IRS fight
The legal fallout stemming from Melvin Simon’s decision to unload his half of the Indiana Pacers to his brother Herb just a few months before his September 2009 death is getting crazier by the day.
Delays mount at State Department for Clinton records
Just five months before the presidential election, the State Department is under fire in courtrooms over its delays in turning over government files related to Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state.
US health fraud stings net 301 people this year, most ever
The U.S. charged 301 people this year in a series of medical fraud sting operations, the most ever, for allegedly running scams that bilked the government out of $900 million.
Court upholds net neutrality rules on equal internet access
In a big win for the Obama administration, a federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the government's "net neutrality" rules that require internet providers to treat all web traffic equally.
Michigan governor halts internal Flint probes after prosecutors object
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday called for an end to civil and administrative investigations into how two state agencies contributed to Flint's lead-tainted drinking water crisis, after being warned they are hampering state and federal criminal probes.
GOP governors ask FCC to address illegal prison cellphones
Ten Republican governors, including Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, want the Federal Communications Commission to give states more autonomy to apply technology that can stop prison inmates from using smuggled cellphones.