AP is reporting that New York Times reporter Judith Miller has been released from federal prison after agreeing to testify to a grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA operative's identity, according to legal sources. Her time at the Alexandria Detention Facility in Virginia marks the longest any journalist has ever served to protect [...]

Trial preparations commenced Thursday in federal court in Houston for the first federal civil trial involving the Merck-manufactured Vioxx painkiller. Earlier this month, New Orleans-based US District Judge Eldon Fallon, charged with managing the hundreds of federal civil suits involving the withdrawn prescription drug, decided to move the trial from New Orleans to Houston in [...]

The White House said Thursday that President Bush will probably wait until next week to announce his next nominee to the US Supreme Court. Bush was earlier expected to announce his nominee to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor almost immediately after the Senate confirmed John Roberts to be Chief Justice. Because Justice O'Connor's replacement [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled unanimously Thursday that provincial governments can pass laws to recover health care costs incurred in taking care of people sickened by smoking. Canadian tobacco companies had challenged the constitutionality of the 1998 Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act which authorized British Columbia to seek damages against the [...]

The US House of Representatives Thursday approved by 229-193 legislation that would overhaul the 1973 Endangered Species Act . Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) steered the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA) through the House Resources Committee last week . If enacted, the law will eliminate the designation of "critical habitat" for those [...]

Leading Thursday's states brief, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in separate decisions today that a state law banning live sex shows and a local ordinance that requires nude dancers to stay four feet away from customers both violate the state constitution guarantee of free expression. The majority opinion in the first case stated that freedom [...]

The New Orleans police department Thursday launched an investigation into police officers' alleged participation in looting that occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina . News reports filed in the wake of the hurricane placed some officers at the scene of some of the heaviest looting in the city. A spokesperson for the New Orleans [...]

Canadian holding company Ravelston Corp. will plead not guilty to US fraud charges alleging the company participated in a scheme to swindle more than $32 million from US-based Hollinger International . Ravelston, the holding company of former Hollinger CEO Conrad Black , and other former Hollinger executives were indicted last month on federal fraud charges [...]

Federal prosecutors in Miami have asked the full US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reconsider a decision by a three judge panel to throw out the convictions of five accused Cuban spies for spying for Cuban leader Fidel Castro . In its August decision that was praised by the Cuban government , [...]

Following this morning's confirmation vote in the US Senate, John Roberts has been sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States at a ceremony at the White House. Justice John Paul Stevens administered the oath of office. CBS News has more. 5:39 PM ET – Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, President Bush said: Today [...]