Search results for

Judge Richard Leon says the sweeping NSA collection of U.S. phone metadata constitutes an unreasonable search or seizure under the Fourth Amendment. The federal judge stayed the ruling waiting for a likely appeal from the Justice Department.

Two sources familiar with the search for a new director of the agency tell NPR that James B. Comey is in line to succeed outgoing chief Robert Mueller. Comey was the No. 2 official at the Justice Department in the George W. Bush administration.

The attorney general heads to the Senate on Thursday, where lawmakers are sure to demand answers. But being in the center of the storm is nothing new for Holder. Over four years in office, he has been a lightning rod for the president's fiercest critics.

For the first time, the Justice Department admits that it targeted American-born al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki and that three other U.S. citizens have died in drone strikes.

While the ATF is a fraction of the size of its sister agency, the FBI, it runs the show when it comes to tracing weapons at crime scenes and investigating bombs and arson. But the agency has been without a permanent director for almost seven years.

Republicans claim Thomas Perez struck a quid pro quo deal with Minnesota that may have cost the federal treasury as much as $180 million. Perez says he acted ethically.

Federal prisoners can request compassionate release if they are terminally ill, but a recent investigation found that many die while their requests drift through the system. Now, prison leaders say they will simplify the approval process and start tracking requests electronically.

In his first full week on the job, FBI Director Jim Comey expressed "intense concern" that sequester cuts could result in two weeks of furlough days for agents and the loss of 3,000 positions. He says it's a big national security worry.

Prosecutors acknowledge they built their case against Somali-born U.S. citizen Mohamed Osman Mohamud partly with secret surveillance information — an admission that could delay his sentencing.

How the Supreme Court decides the Defense of Marriage Act could mean changes for how same-sex couples file taxes. But experts say checking off the "married" box on tax forms will be a mixed bag for some gay couples.