Rumors are spreading that the U.S. Supreme Court will vote 5-4 to rule that a U.S. president cannot be prosecuted for anything he does while he is president. Some Democrats are suggesting that Joe Biden bring a gun to his first debate with Donald Trump. If he shoots Trump, he would be immune, but if Trump shoots Biden he would be prosecuted because he is not a sitting president.   read more

Election day in the U.S. cannot come soon enough for the Mexican peso, especially if Hillary Clinton is the winner. The peso reached its low point for the year shortly after Clinton was diagnosed with pneumonia. But it has recovered ground from that low amid the feeling that Clinton outperformed Trump in three presidential debates. Trump has hammered Mexico not only for illegal immigration, but also for U.S. jobs lost. Not to mention Trump's threats to make Mexico pay for the border wall.   read more

ACLU's Ho argued that Kansas was forcing voters to adhere to stricter registration guidelines than those of surrounding states. Judge Holmes' three-judge panel agreed. "Over 18,000 Kansans stood to lose the right to vote in the coming general elections—elections that are less than one month away. Exceedingly few non-citizens have been shown to have voted compared to the number of Kansans who stand to lose the right to vote in the coming elections," wrote Holmes.   read more

Many of the photos held by police agencies are of law-abiding Americans. The report found that 16 states allow officials to compare the faces of people suspected of criminal acts to photos on driver’s licenses without a warrant, “creating a virtual lineup of their state residents. This is unprecedented and highly problematic." Because African-Americans are disproportionately more likely to come into contact with, and be arrested by, police, their photos will most likely be over-represented.   read more

The reduction is likely to diminish the ability to detect voter intimidation and other potential problems at the polls. It comes as more than a dozen states have adopted new voting rules, and as Donald Trump warns without evidence that the Nov. 8 election will be rigged and exhorts his followers to be vigilant. "It's cause for concern," said ACLU's Dale Ho. Vanita Gupta of the Justice Dept's Civil Rights Division said there's no way to "sugar coat" the impact of the Supreme Court decision.   read more

It's alleged Colorado kept unofficial lists of veterans waiting for health care that could conceal how long it takes to get an appointment, possibly broadening a nationwide scandal. The inquiry will look into the whistleblower's allegations that records at the clinic were falsified after a veteran took his own life while awaiting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Unofficial or secret lists have been used at VA facilities across the country to hide lengthy delays in care for veterans.   read more

According to Gallup's new poll, released on Wednesday, 67% of Democrats support legalization, compared to 42% of Republicans and 70% of independents. Support among adults aged 18-34 was 77%, compared to 45% among those over 55. Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, said the two polls suggested that prospects were good for the state ballot measures. "More politicians — presidential candidates included — would do themselves a big favor to take note of the clear trend," he said.   read more

Critics have contended that the animals suffer pain and injuries ranging from cracked teeth to punctured lungs. Protests broke out in 2013 after an undercover video of the university's training in pediatric advanced life support was released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The video shows a trainee putting tubes down the throat of a sedated cat, sometimes struggling to get it right. However, the medical school continued using sedated cats in other training programs.   read more

While most grown-ups are a few weeks away from heading to the polls, more than 150,000 of the nation's schoolchildren have already voted on who they want to be president. The student vote has been a fairly accurate predictor of the actual election over the years. Scholastic says it has mirrored the results in every election since 1940, with the exception of election years 1948 and 1960. Kindergarteners through 12th graders were allowed to vote.   read more

The board took note of a strong support network for Slahi, and a letter from a former prison guard in favor of his release. "Before my assignment to Guantánamo, I had heard that the men I would be guarding were the worst of the worst and that they would likely hate me and everything the United States and I stood for," the letter said. "I expected to find angry and brutal men. In no way did I experience that with Mohamedou." The anonymous guard said he would welcome Slahi into his home.   read more

With the military commissions having trickled at a slow drip for the last 4 1/2 years, prosecutors say the order was an apparent effort to speed up the proceedings. Miller told the court that Gill had been taken into custody, but offered no information about where he was being held. Spath didn't say what will happen if Gill still refuses to testify. The CIA held al-Nashiri at one of its secret overseas prisons. He is among three former CIA captives whom the agency admitted to waterboarding.   read more

"They are not pieces of art. They are spiritual objects deeply important for tribal identity," Udall said. "Theft not only robs the tribes of a sacred object, it robs them of a piece of their spiritual identity." The Paris auctions have presented a diplomatic dilemma for years between the U.S. and France. EVE auction house in Paris halted one sale after facing immense pressure from top U.S. officials — including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell — who produced evidence of its theft.   read more

The report covers officers who were killed during ambushes, traffic pursuits, tactical situations, domestic disturbance calls and while handling prisoners and individuals with mental illness. More than half were on vehicle patrol when they died. Most who died — 38 — were killed with firearms. More than 50,000 officers were assaulted last year while performing their duties. And 45 law enforcement officers died accidentally in the line of duty, many during automobile and motorcycle accidents.   read more

On Wall Street, companies have long relied on confidentiality agreements to prevent employees from divulging secrets. But now, the nation’s labor board has challenged provisions in Bridgewater’s contract that it requires each full-time employee to sign. The board’s action has money management firms worried because they share many of the same provisions being challenged. Hedge funds and private equity firms are bracing themselves. “I would say it is a watershed event,” said Rabin.   read more

Some of the most troubling images of the opioid crisis involve parents buying or using drugs with their children in tow. Now new research finds that the drugs appear to blunt a person’s natural parenting instincts. About 9 million American children lived with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug last year. In 2014, 29 states reported that an average of 17.9% of child fatalities were associated with a caregiver who had a risk factor of drug abuse.   read more

The Florida Democratic Party sued the state saying that voters could be disenfranchised because election officials can discard the ballot if the signature doesn't match the one already on file. Voters aren't told about the problem until after the election is over. But state law requires election officials to notify a voter ahead of time if their mail ballot does not have a signature on it. Judge Walker said that discrepancy makes the law unconstitutional.   read more

The nation's high school graduation rate has reached a record 83.2%, continuing a steady increase that shows improvement across all racial and ethnic groups. President Obama welcomed the higher rate as good news, but the gains come against a backdrop of decreasing scores on national math and reading tests. "More African-American and Latino students are graduating than ever before," said Obama. Gains also were seen for disabled students and those from low-income families.   read more