California bans chokeholds, shortens probation sentences
"Americans across the country took to the streets this summer rightfully demanding more and better of our criminal justice system – and of ourselves," Newsom said in a statement.
Inside The U.S. Justice System
Compassionate release offers some federal inmates hope
Petitions for compassionate release were rarely approved prior to the passing of the First Step Act in December 2018, which made it easier for offenders to bring the request to the court.
Federal prisons will resume visitations in October
The bureau, which is home to over 127,000 federal offenders, took precautions in March to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Health care provider severs ties with Mississippi prisons
Violence, understaffing, and a deteriorating infrastructure have plagued the prison system.
100 federal inmates have died from coronavirus
Among the dead are fathers and mothers, daughters and sons and brothers and sisters — none of whom were sentenced to death.
DOJ says Alabama inmates are subjected to excessive force
After a multi-year investigation, the department discovered the use of excessive force by correctional officers at 12 of the 13 facilities evaluated.
Inmates are 5 times more likely to get virus than others, study says
"Prisoners have a right to adequate protection of their health while incarcerated," said the lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Execution blocked after victims' family raises virus concerns
Daniel Lewis Lee, a former white supremacist who robbed and murdered a family of three, including their 8-year-old daughter, was scheduled to be executed on Monday.
California to release another 8,000 inmates to slow virus
As of Friday, 2,315 inmates have been sickened by the virus, and 31 have died, according to state officials.
Michael Cohen back in custody after refusing terms of home confinement
Cohen had been furloughed in May over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic within the federal prison system.
17 Rikers Island officers face discipline in transgender woman's death
Layleen Polanco, 27, died of an epileptic seizure while in solitary confinement on June 7 of last year.
Hip-hop producer helps inmates hone voices behind bars
The group of incarcerated artists is releasing a new project on Friday, May 29, titled "The San Quentin Mixtape, Vol. 1."
Michael Cohen returns home after early prison release
Cohen is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence on home confinement, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.
Inmates on life inside prison during the pandemic
"We want to come home to our families healthy and not have to worry each day whether it's going to be our last."
Jay-Z and Meek Mill sending 10 million masks to U.S. prisons
With a $10 million boost from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Jay-Z and Meek Mill's criminal justice organization is sending 10 million surgical masks and other personal protective equipment to correctional facilities across the country.
CDC report details extent of coronavirus outbreaks in U.S. prisons
Jails and prisons, where social distancing is nearly impossible, have emerged as hotspots for COVID-19.
8 pregnant women to be released from New York prison
Six of the women were released from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility on Tuesday night, officials said
No phone or email for inmates at 3 federal prisons in effort to fight virus
CBS News spoke to the friends and families of five inmates who have been impacted by what one person characterized as a "gag order."
Leaving Rikers Island and coming home to a pandemic
More than 1,300 people in the New York City jail system have tested positive for the virus. Three inmates have died, along with 10 staffers.
Inmates and families confused by guidance on home confinement
The attorney general has said that for some inmates, "home confinement might be more effective in protecting their health."
Producer says virus shouldn't be a death sentence for inmates
Film producer Scott Budnick, who took a break from the industry to focus on criminal justice reform, sat down with CBS News for an interview on leaving Hollywood.
Kim Kardashian West calls for the release of Ohio inmate
Kevin Keith is serving time at Marion Correctional Institution, one of the largest coronavirus hot spots in the country.
ICE declines to release asylum-seekers amid pandemic
"There's fear among all of us," Marco, a Cuban asylum-seeker detained in Louisiana, told CBS News.
Madonna sends 100,000 surgical masks to jails and prisons
More than 50,000 surgical masks will be donated to Chicago's Cook County Jail, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Nurse fears her incarcerated fiance won't make it home amid pandemic
Chilling sound on a video appearing to show Alabama inmates describing how easily the coronavirus could spread in the state's jail system can be heard, "We need help… death is imminent for us."
U.S.
Here's how to delete your personal data, genetic sample from 23andMe
Data privacy experts are urging consumers to be proactive about protecting their data on the site. Here's how to delete yours.
Nazis were treated better than Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act, judge says
"Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here," a judge told a government lawyer Tuesday.
Hyundai says it will build $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana
President Trump touts Korean automaker's pledge to invest billions in the U.S., saying tariff threats are working.
Trump administration cites new deportation grounds in Mahmoud Khalil case
The Trump administration is citing new grounds to seek the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, whose arrest by immigration authorities has triggered a national debate.
Tornado hits Mississippi town nearly 2 years to the day after deadly twisters
Sharkey County's emergency management director "attempted to get to his house while watching the tornado come across farm fields," an official said, as Rolling Fork mourned two years since the 2023 twister outbreak.
Staunch Trump defender Alina Habba to be interim U.S. attorney in New Jersey
A personal attorney to President Trump for years, Alina Habba is known for her pugnacious defense in the media and in courtrooms.
Top Trump officials included journalist in group chat about bombing Yemen
The National Security Council said the message thread "appears to be authentic" and the administration is "reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
Trump nominates Susan Monarez for CDC director
President Trump announced Susan Monarez is to be elevated from her role as acting CDC director, after nominee David Weldon was withdrawn earlier this month.
Trump asks Supreme Court to pause reinstatement of some workers
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to pause a lower court decision requiring six agencies to reinstate more than 16,000 federal probationary workers.
U.S.
More U.S.
Here's how to delete your personal data, genetic sample from 23andMe
Data privacy experts are urging consumers to be proactive about protecting their data on the site. Here's how to delete yours.
Nazis were treated better than Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act, judge says
"Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here," a judge told a government lawyer Tuesday.
Hyundai says it will build $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana
President Trump touts Korean automaker's pledge to invest billions in the U.S., saying tariff threats are working.
Trump administration cites new deportation grounds in Mahmoud Khalil case
The Trump administration is citing new grounds to seek the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, whose arrest by immigration authorities has triggered a national debate.
Tornado hits Mississippi town nearly 2 years to the day after deadly twisters
Sharkey County's emergency management director "attempted to get to his house while watching the tornado come across farm fields," an official said, as Rolling Fork mourned two years since the 2023 twister outbreak.
MoneyWatch
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Here's how to delete your personal data, genetic sample from 23andMe
Data privacy experts are urging consumers to be proactive about protecting their data on the site. Here's how to delete yours.
Hyundai says it will build $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana
President Trump touts Korean automaker's pledge to invest billions in the U.S., saying tariff threats are working.
Stocks jump amid signs Trump could scale back tariffs
Investors cheered by White House signals that President Trump might narrow scope of planned tariffs.
23andMe files for bankruptcy and will try to find a buyer
23andMe, which helped popularize ancestry tracing through genetic testing, filed for bankruptcy protection and will seek a sale.
In U.S. auto market, uncertainty reigns over the potential impact of tariffs
A 25% tariff on imported vehicles and vehicle parts from Canada and Mexico is set to take effect on April 2.
Politics
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Nazis were treated better than Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act, judge says
"Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here," a judge told a government lawyer Tuesday.
Trump administration cites new deportation grounds in Mahmoud Khalil case
The Trump administration is citing new grounds to seek the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, whose arrest by immigration authorities has triggered a national debate.
Staunch Trump defender Alina Habba to be interim U.S. attorney in New Jersey
A personal attorney to President Trump for years, Alina Habba is known for her pugnacious defense in the media and in courtrooms.
Top Trump officials included journalist in group chat about bombing Yemen
The National Security Council said the message thread "appears to be authentic" and the administration is "reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
Trump nominates Susan Monarez for CDC director
President Trump announced Susan Monarez is to be elevated from her role as acting CDC director, after nominee David Weldon was withdrawn earlier this month.
HealthWatch
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Trump nominates Susan Monarez for CDC director
President Trump announced Susan Monarez is to be elevated from her role as acting CDC director, after nominee David Weldon was withdrawn earlier this month.
UNAIDS chief says U.S. aid cuts could leave AIDS pandemic to resurge
UNAIDS boss Winnie Byanyima says if U.S. foreign aid isn't restored, AIDS will "come back, and we'll see people die the way we saw them in the '90s."
Gottlieb: RFK's suggested MMR vaccine alternatives are "not viable"
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s suggested alternatives to the MMR vaccine are "not viable" and "'I'd much prefer if he made a full throated recommendation to parents to get kids vaccinated, especially in a setting of the regions" where measles is spreading.
Doctors diagnosed a grandma with the "silent killer" of cancers. She survived.
Irene Wells didn't ask just how bad her pancreatic cancer was — she just wanted aggressive treatment so she could do "a little bit more" in her life.
ABLE accounts allow Americans with disabilities to save and invest
Named for the 2014 law that created them, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, ABLE accounts have been available since 2016 to those eligible.
World
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Top Trump officials included journalist in group chat about bombing Yemen
The National Security Council said the message thread "appears to be authentic" and the administration is "reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain."
More than 1,100 arrested as defiant protests rock Turkey
More than 1,100 people, including some journalists, were detained in protests against Turkish President Erdogan after the arrest of his rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
UNAIDS chief says U.S. aid cuts could leave AIDS pandemic to resurge
UNAIDS boss Winnie Byanyima says if U.S. foreign aid isn't restored, AIDS will "come back, and we'll see people die the way we saw them in the '90s."
Gérard Depardieu goes on trial in France accused of sexual assaults
French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu stands accused of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in Paris.
Zelenskyy calls for pressure on Putin as U.S. pushes for limited truce
U.S. officials are meeting separately with Ukrainian and Russian officials in hopes of hammering out a partial ceasefire in the 3-year war in Ukraine.
Entertainment
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"American Idol" contestant's song for late dad brings judges to tears
"American Idol" contestant Freddie McClendon shared the devastating story of his late father Davis McClendon through a powerful original song, leaving all three judges in awe.
Conan O'Brien honored at Kennedy Center
Comedian Conan O'Brien accepted this year's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday at the Kennedy Center. Some comics took jabs at the night's honoree and President Trump, who took over as chair of the Kennedy Center in January.
Krysten Ritter on new thriller, "Retreat"
Known for her role as Marvel's "Jessica Jones" and her appearances in "Breaking Bad," Krysten Ritter is also making her mark as an author. Her second novel, "Retreat," follows a con artist navigating high society and hidden danger in an exclusive Mexican beach town. She joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss the twist-filled story.
Sofia Carson on "The Life List"
Actor and singer Sofia Carson returns to the screen in Netflix's "The Life List," playing a young woman sent on a mission by her late mother to complete a childhood bucket list before receiving her inheritance. She joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about the emotional new film and working alongside Connie Britton.
Gérard Depardieu goes on trial in France accused of sexual assaults
French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu stands accused of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in Paris.
Technology
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Is carbon capture a solution to the climate crisis?
Carbon capture chemically removes CO2 from the air, to store or recycle into products. But is this technology – underwritten by the fossil fuel industry – an effective means to address climate change?
Keeping your data safe at the airport
Experts warn that hackers are trolling free connections like airport Wi-Fi networks and sometimes impersonate the networks in an effort to get your credit card numbers and other sensitive information. Cybersecurity expert Matthew Hicks joined CBS News with tips on how to protect yourself.
How AI powered robots are helping small farms
From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.
Smartphone addiction is leading to "brain rot," doctors say
Research has shown that smartphone addiction causes major increases in brain activity, requiring the brain to work harder to complete simple tasks.
How smartphone addiction may be hurting our brains
Research is showing that smartphone addiction can lead to "brain rot," requiring the brain to work harder to complete simple tasks. Meg Oliver has more on why doctors are saying it is important for our mental health to learn to unplug.
Science
More Science
Is carbon capture a solution to the climate crisis?
Carbon capture chemically removes CO2 from the air, to store or recycle into products. But is this technology – underwritten by the fossil fuel industry – an effective means to address climate change?
Is carbon capture a solution to the climate crisis?
As a tool to address rising greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture chemically removes carbon dioxide from the air, to store or recycle into products. The company behind a new plant to be opened this summer claims the facility will remove 500,000 tons of CO2 a year. But is this form of carbon capture – underwritten by the fossil fuel industry – an effective means to address climate change? Correspondent David Pogue looks at the technology behind this initiative, and the controversy it has raised.
Bones of mammoths butchered for their tusks unearthed by archaeologists
Remains of five mammoths were found archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences said Thursday in a news statement.
Venus will pass between the Earth and sun on Saturday
Our planet's closest and brightest neighbor will pass approximately between the Earth and sun this week, in what's called an inferior conjunction.
New evidence about dark energy may be "cusp of a major discovery"
The new findings come from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which sits on a telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
Crime
More Crime
"American Idol" contestant's song for late dad brings judges to tears
"American Idol" contestant Freddie McClendon shared the devastating story of his late father Davis McClendon through a powerful original song, leaving all three judges in awe.
Gérard Depardieu goes on trial in France accused of sexual assaults
French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu stands accused of sexually assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) in Paris.
12-year-old accused in hate crime at Connecticut middle school
A 12-year-old student faces a hate crime charge for her alleged involvement in an attack on Muslim sisters at their Connecticut middle school.
Wife of slain Cal Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi arrested in Mexico
Yolanda Marodi is accused of stabbing her wife, Cal Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi, to death in February.
4 arrested in New Mexico shooting that left 3 dead, at least 15 injured
Police announced the arrests of four suspects accused in the Friday shooting at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They all face murder charges.
Space
More Space
Space
Data on dark energy, universe collapse
Data on dark energy weakening over time may signal that if the trend continues it could eventually cause the universe to collapse, according to a new study. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, a physics professor and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) researcher, joins CBS News with more.
Venus will pass between the Earth and sun on Saturday
Our planet's closest and brightest neighbor will pass approximately between the Earth and sun this week, in what's called an inferior conjunction.
Tom Hanks takes viewers through immersive experience to the moon
"The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks" tells the story of the Apollo missions.
New evidence about dark energy may be "cusp of a major discovery"
The new findings come from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which sits on a telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
Sunset on the moon seen in stunning images taken by lunar lander
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander marked the first successful commercial moon landing.
Latest Galleries
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Notable Deaths in 2025
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
The Scott Peterson case: New evidence?
Peterson's death sentence for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci has been overturned. Now his supporters are pushing for a complete retrial.
The troubled marriage of Ashley and Doug Benefield
The seesaw marriage between the former ballerina and her much older husband only lasted four years, until she shot him on Sept. 27, 2020.
Texas couple investigates teen daughter's unusual death
Cayley Mandadi's mother and stepfather go to extreme lengths to prove her death was no accident.
Serial killer Rodney Alcala's secret photos
See some of convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala's photographs that were discovered by detectives in a Seattle storage locker.
Latest CBS News Videos
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Latest CBS News Videos
FTC commissioner speaks out against her firing
President Trump's firing of two members of the Federal Trade Commission could be at odds with a 90-year-old Supreme Court ruling limiting executive power. The two fired Democratic commissioners argue that Mr. Trump violated the legal precedent "Humphrey's Executor." Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter joins "America Decides" to discuss.
Trump holds Cabinet meeting amid text mishap
The revelation that top national security officials mistakenly shared messages on Signal about Yemen war plans with a journalist overshadowed President Trump's Cabinet meeting on Monday. CBS News' Robert Costa, James LaPorta and Scott MacFarlane have the latest.
Inside appeals hearing on Alien Enemies Act
A panel of three judges heard arguments Monday on the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations. CBS News Department of Justice reporter Jake Rosen has more on how the hearing went.
Stocks rebound amid hopes of ease in tariffs
The stock market had a solid day on Monday as traders banked on hopes that there would be an ease in tariffs, but President Trump announced in the afternoon that more tariffs are on the horizon. CBS News business contributor Javier David reports.
Trump on journalist's inclusion in Yemen chat
President Trump reacted Monday to news that the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was included in a group chat with top administration officials about bombing plans for Yemen. CBS News White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi has more.