A federal board responsible for protecting Americans against abuses by spy agencies is in disarray just weeks before Trump takes office. The board was revitalized after Edward Snowden's disclosures on the scope of U.S. spying in 2013. It concluded that the NSA's phone surveillance program was illegal. It has been crucial in ensuring a window into the secretive world of intelligence agencies. Sen. Ron Wyden said the panel's role as a government watchdog is "absolutely critical now."   read more

The move puts finishing touches on Obama's environmental legacy while also testing Trump's promise to unleash the nation's untapped energy reserves. The actions were announced in conjunction with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. The White House said it's confident the president's order will withstand legal challenge and said the language of the statute provides no authority for subsequent presidents to undo permanent withdrawals.   read more

"I think we are watching a major political climate change concerning capital punishment and it's reflected among reduced death sentences across the country," said DPIC's Dunham. "As fewer states use the death penalty and as it's used more sparingly in the states that do, we can expect long-term numbers to remain low and perhaps continue to drop." On the Supreme Court, only Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer have questioned the constitutionality of the death penalty.   read more

People living in areas with periods of freezing weather are more likely to doubt climate change, as local weather seems to shape a person’s views. Researchers surveyed 12,000 people in the U.S. to determine whether regional weather caused them to either reject or accept climate change. “If you’re living in a place where there’s been more record cold weather than record heat lately, you may doubt reports of climate change,” said study co-author Peter Howe.   read more

In 2014, almost 4% of pregnant women said they'd recently used marijuana, up from 2.4% in 2002. Laws legalizing medical marijuana don't prohibit use by pregnant women and don't include warnings about possible harms to the fetus. But besides low birth weights, newborns may face increased risks for anemia and other problems requiring intensive care. Memory and attention problems also have been found in older children whose moms used marijuana in pregnancy.   read more

The DEA records — which leading drug wholesalers had fought in court to keep secret — show the wholesalers shipped ever-higher doses of the pills — a telltale sign of growing addictions — even as the death toll climbed. "These numbers will shake even the most cynical observer," said former Delegate/pharmacist Don Perdue. "Distributors have fed their greed on human frailties and to criminal effect. There is no excuse and should be no forgiveness."   read more

The case could offer some credence to Edward Snowden's claim that he could not have reported the government's domestic surveillance program without facing reprisals. Ellard received attention in 2014 for criticizing Snowden, the former NSA contractor who had leaked secret documents about the surveillance program. Snowden says he went public because he feared retaliation from his superiors if he had raised his concerns with them. Ellard had said that Snowden could have safely come to him.   read more

Opponents said the rule supports the environmental movement's efforts to reduce use of fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. NMA's Quinn argued that it will put tens of thousands of Americans out of work. But an Interior official projected that fewer than 300 jobs would be lost after the regulation takes effect. Sierra Club called the rule "a long overdue step toward guaranteeing every community in America is protected from the toxic water pollution caused by surface coal mining."   read more

State lawmakers introduced more than 200 anti-LGBT bills this year and dozens more have been drafted. “Religious freedom is a fundamental right,” said ACLU's Esseks. “Everybody has the right to believe whatever they want about God and religion, but none of that gives anybody the right to discriminate against other people.” Republicans in Congress, who will hold a majority in both chambers under Trump, may try to pass a law meant to allow anyone to act with impunity based on religious belief.   read more

As Trump tries to burn the media village down, he may just be saving it. His running campaign of Twitter attacks and vows to punish the traditional news media is threatening to put the industry on more solid economic footing, where customers are willing to pay for it more regularly. As the country and the world head into this confusing new era, news organizations are in a position to make a newly urgent pitch: Buying a subscription is tantamount to supporting the pillars of democracy.   read more

Civil rights advocates see a growing wave of intolerance that has been amplified by the victory of Trump. Experts on religious freedom worry Trump’s inauguration leaves the future of the religious freedom law in doubt. The man he has nominated to lead the Justice Dept, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has endorsed Trump’s call for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Sessions might be less sympathetic to pursuing investigations involving Muslim rights.   read more

The San Ardo Field is the 46th largest oil field in the U.S. The oil is “heavy” and has the consistency of ketchup, but by injecting steam it is heated and extracted more easily. Chevron is the largest operator on the site, producing about 11,000 barrels of oil per day. Measure Z, presented to voters as a ban on fracking and risky oil operations to protect the region’s water, passed with 56% approval on Nov. 8. It prohibits fracking and other procedures deemed a danger to groundwater.   read more

The Justice Dept civil rights division based its lawsuit on a law meant to prohibit religious discrimination and prevent unjustified burdens on people exercising their religion. Vanita Gupta, the civil rights division's chief, said they would continue to “aggressively protect” the rights of communities to live, pray and worship. “We have definitely seen a spike in these cases, in problems when it comes to minority religions,” Azzam Elder, lead lawyer for the community center, said Friday.   read more

The rates correspond with women's use of opioid drugs during pregnancy. This includes use or misuse of oxycodone and other prescription opioid painkillers, and use of illegal narcotics. Newborns whose mothers use these drugs during pregnancy are at risk for seizures, excessive crying, problems with breathing, sleeping and feeding and other withdrawal symptoms. Treatment sometimes includes methadone and babies may need to be hospitalized for weeks or months.   read more

“One in 10 children in Nebraska have a parent who is behind bars,” according to the report. Coincidentally, or not, “One in 10 Nebraskans are people of color,” the study notes. However, “More than five in 10 Nebraskans in jail pretrial are people of color. Before they even get to trial, Nebraska defendants charged with nonviolent offenses spend an average of 48 days behind bars. This research shows a clear and disturbing overrepresentation of people of color behind bars in Nebraska as well.”   read more

They represent some of the more serious misconduct concerns faced by the military. And they underscore the fact that transgressions are occurring in the higher ranks. Sexual misconduct — which includes assault, harassment and improper affairs — and professional retaliation have long been identified by the Pentagon. Reprisal is the "number one allegation" that the inspector general's office investigates. "This is very concerning," said the memo sent last month to top Army leaders.   read more