NBC News reports that President Bush has nominated former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik to replace Tom Ridge as Secretary of Homeland Security. MSNBC has more.

In a settlement that resolves the Eastern District of Missouri's largest-ever healthcare fraud case, Gambro Healthcare, the country's third-largest provider of kidney dialysis, has agreed to pay $350.5 million in civil and criminal penalties for overcharging the government, and its subsidiary Gambro Supply Corporation has agreed to permanent disqualification from the Medicare program. According to [...]

Over the objections of real estate developers, California's Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has voted to adopt one of the nation's most far-reaching affordable-housing policies. As of next month, the policy will require developers to set aside 15% of all construction in unincorporated areas for low-income residents, with 3% to be reserved for families earning [...]

In the most thorough revision of Japan's penal and criminal procedure codes since their enactment in 1907, the House of Councillors on Wednesday lengthened prison terms for many felonies, increased the statute of limitations, enhanced victims' rights, and codified gang rape as a crime distinct from and more serious than rape. According to the Yomiuri [...]

A new custody hearing ordered by the Nebraska Supreme Court after a finding that the state violated the due process rights of Guatemalan refugee Mercedes Santiago-Felipe has reunited her with the two American-born children she had not seen in three years. Santiago-Felipe came to the United States and sought asylum more than a decade ago, [...]

In Thursday's corporations and securities law news, a federal judge ruling in the Qwest investor lawsuit threw out claims against former Qwest president Afshin Mohebbi, former sales executive Gregory Casey, and some claims against the company. The claims arose from a investor lawsuit accusing the company and its executives of misleading investors in the company's [...]

Updating an earlier report in JURIST's Paper Chase, the Ukrainian Supreme Court adjourned Thursday without ruling on the opposition's election fraud case, as had previously been anticipated. The court did, however, begin hearing final arguments in the appeal, and will continue to do so Friday. AP has more. Opposition leaders are hoping that the court [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the FBI seeking information on why the agency task forces set up to combat terrorism also looked into animal rights, environmental, and anti-war groups. The ACLU is seeking FBI files on individuals and groups that have been interviewed, investigated or subjected [...]

The SEC said Thursday that it had filed charges against three former Kmart executives and various other executives of Kmart vendors alleging that these individuals helped Kmart in issuing materially false financial statements by improperly accounting for millions of dollars worth of vendor allowances. Kmart obtained these allowances for use in various promotional and marketing [...]

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo announced Thursday that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has upheld the conviction of Lori Berenson, an American woman who was imprisoned in Peru for terrorist collaboration with Marxist guerrillas. The court, which is affiliated with the Organization of American States, debated Berenson's appeal and 20-year sentence last week and was [...]