With two landmark decisions, the Supreme Court struck down the 1996 law blocking federal recognition of gay marriage, and it allowed gay marriage to resume in California by declining to decide a separate case.
Jurors in the George Zimmerman trial saw photos of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's body on Tueusday during police testimony about the night of the shooting, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The first state witness called this afternoon was Sanford police Sgt. Anthony Raimondo, one of the first officers to arrive at the scene after the shooting.
The Republican-dominated Texas Legislature moved closer on Monday to passing some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country, as the State House of Representatives approved a bill that would ban abortion clinics to the same standards as hospital-style surgical centers, the New York Times reported. Senate Bill 5, as it is known, will require clinics to be surgical centers and mandating that doctors have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. These measures will would force dozens of abortion providers in the state to close, news reports said.
A panel of judges on Monday sentenced former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to seven years in prison for abusing power and having sex with an underage prostitute, CNN reported. Judges also barred him from holding public office.
