Trump's warning that the election might be rigged along with his call for supporters to monitor polling places has alarmed advocacy groups who say such comments threaten to undermine voter confidence in the election. "We are deeply concerned about the chilling effect this call might have on the electorate and minority voters..." said Clarke. "We are concerned about disruption this will cause for election workers." Clarke and others say Trump supporters at the polls could lead to intimidation.   read more

The shift comes at a time of conflicting narratives about gun violence in America. During the past 25 years, violent crime has decreased dramatically in the U.S. But the number of mass shootings per year has surged. Applications for concealed-carry permits have hit records in some places, giving rise to a group of people who consider themselves part of a concealed-carry lifestyle. In 1994, about 44 million Americans owned 192 million guns. Today, about 55 million Americans own 265 million guns.   read more

A Connecticut judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack, delivering a blow to an ambitious effort to hold accountable the makers of the assault rifle used in the 2012 massacre. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who include relatives of nine of the 26 people who were killed in the shooting, as well as a teacher who survived, contended that the law’s exception for cases of negligent entrustment justified the complaint.   read more

By Friday, Cross’ story had been shared more than 38,000 times and had attracted more than 14,000 comments, transforming her Facebook page into a forum where minority professionals reflected on the difficulties they face from people who doubt their qualifications or abilities. “Tamika, I know exactly how you feel, when people don’t want your help, because of the color of your skin,” Iniece Crawford wrote. “I go through this on a regular basis and I’m just a pharmacy associate."   read more

Maryland began pulling 30 children out of homes owned and managed by AdvoServ in August, but hadn’t yet relocated a teenage girl when she died a month later after being manually restrained by staff. In June, a lawsuit was filed against AdvoServ in state court in Delaware, alleging that a teenage boy from Maryland was left unsupervised and raped repeatedly by other clients during more than four years in the company’s homes. His neck was injured during a restraint performed by workers.   read more

The report argues that the decades-long "war on drugs" has failed, with rates of drug abuse still high. It says criminalization of drugs tends to drive people who use them underground, making it less likely they will get treatment. However, D,A, Michael Ramos said decriminalization would pose "huge dangers": property crime would increase, and rehabilitation programs would wither if drug abusers no longer had the threat of incarceration as an incentive to participate.   read more

Out of all white students who attended public colleges in 2014, almost 20% attended highly selective schools. Asian students fared even better, with 31%. But only 9% of black students and 12% of Latinos attended public universities with the most-selective admission rates. Authors of the study say it helps explain why disproportionately few minorities earn college degrees.   read more

Muslim immigrants sued over policies that swept hundreds of people into detention in the weeks after the attacks. They were subjected to beatings and humiliating searches. The Justice Dept later said the government had made little or no effort to distinguish between suspects and Muslim immigrants. “To suggest that the most powerful people in our nation should escape liability when they violate clearly established law defies the most fundamental principle of our legal system," said Meeropol.   read more

A disproportionate number of those arrested are African-Americans, who smoke marijuana at rates similar to whites but are arrested and prosecuted far more often for having small amounts for personal use.The report found that while whites are more likely than blacks to use illicit drugs, black adults were more than 2 1/2 times as likely to be arrested. In terms of marijuana possession, black adults were more than four times as likely to be arrested as white adults.   read more

The case has created a fissure among environmentalists in this liberal state with a reputation for green thinking, pitting those who see wind energy as key to reducing reliance on pollution-spewing fossil fuels against those convinced audible noises and inaudible "infrasound" present health threats to those living nearby. More than 100 doctors, other scientists and activists worldwide have signed a letter urging the World Health Organization to recommend new sound guidelines for wind turbines.   read more

The ruling handed a victory to the banking industry, which has viewed the agency as a thorn in its side and accused it of overreaching in its regulation of consumer financial activities. The agency has taken legal action against banks, mortgage companies, credit card issuers, payday lenders, debt collectors and others. CFPB says that over five years it has recovered $11.7 billion that it returned to more than 27 million harmed consumers.   read more

This week 90% of recent water samples in Flint were below concerning lead levels. Yet the fears over using the water have scarcely subsided for Flint residents. They are deeply suspicious of government officials, who for much of 2014 and 2015 reassured them that the water flowing from the Flint River into their taps was perfectly safe, despite its foul odor and appearance and how it made people sick. Many who live here are convinced that the water will never be acceptable again.   read more

These moves go toward closing what has been an intractable divide between broadband haves and have-nots. About 20 percent of Americans do not have a mobile data plan or broadband at home because the services are too expensive or they live too far from the networks, among other reasons. That often leaves such households in a worse-off position for basic tasks like doing homework and applying for jobs, all of which have moved online over the years.   read more

The Standing Rock Sioux wants construction halted because of concerns about potential contamination of its water supply and says the pipeline will encroach on tribal burial sites and other cultural artifacts. A state archaeologist's inspection found no such artifacts on the private land where construction will resume, but the tribe disputes that. Dozens have been arrested at construction sites, including actress Shailene Woodley and Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.   read more

Two Native American tribes in Nevada won an emergency court order late Friday in a federal lawsuit accusing the Republican secretary of state and two counties of discriminating against them under the Voting Rights Act. Like most minorities, Native Americans in general are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans. Nevada is considered a key swing state in the upcoming presidential election. A tight contest for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Harry Reid also hangs in the balance.   read more

Across the nation, 1 in 13 African-American adults cannot vote because of a felony conviction. Three swing states — Florida, Iowa and Virginia — have some of the harshest laws; they impose a lifetime voting ban on felons. “The message that comes across to them is: Yes, you have all the responsibilities of a citizen now, but you’re basically still a second-class citizen because we are not permitting you to be engaged in the political process,” said Christopher Uggen.   read more