Courts

The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee wonders if there's enough oversight of the Indian gambling industry. Senators held a hearing on the issue Wednesday, and invited Minnesota's U.S. attorney to testify.
Two reporters who refuse to provide the name of the person who may have violated federal law by revealing the identity of a CIA operative are facing jail time. A reporter who went to jail rather than reveal his conversation with a source says confidentiality agreements are essential.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled the legislature improperly tacked a bill loosening the gun permitting process to an unrelated measure. The ruling carries implications for gun owners and others concerned about gun control. But it also may affect how bills are amended.
The April 15 tax deadline to file taxes causes most Americans stress and anguish. But for the millions of people living and working illegally in the United States, filing taxes can be an opportunity to prove their economic contribution and document their residence here.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats are negotiating over President Bush's judicial nominees in an attempt to avoid a bigger fight over filibusters. At the same time, conservatives in the House are continuing to argue federal judges have too much power in deciding cases like Terri Schiavo's.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in 19 states. The executions, the court said, violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Warner Brothers holds auditions this weekend for a movie being made on the Iron Range. It's about a group of women who filed a lawsuit over sexual harassment at one of the mines. The lawsuit divided people on the Range, and the divisions are still there.
A Minnesota man was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison and 10 months of community service after pleading guilty to crippling nearly 50,000 computers by unleashing a variant of the "Blaster" Internet worm in the summer of 2003.
North Dakota lawmakers will likely toughen the laws against violent sex offenders this year. Lawmakers rejected the idea of reinstating the death penalty, but tougher penalties for violent sex offenders are expected to pass.