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The U.S. is prosecuting pirates again. Piracy is one of the oldest crimes in federal law. Three cases have been heard in Virginia, including one in which five Somali men were sentenced this week to life plus 80 years. Often, suspects claim to be minors, and the government has to spend time trying to find out if it's true.

In its first statement on the allegations against Rep. Keith Ellison, the national Democratic Party says, "All allegations of domestic abuse are disturbing and should be taken seriously."

The Sentencing Commission meets Friday to vote on a plan that could send home tens of thousands of federal inmates convicted of drug trafficking.

"I see the government operating the way the founders intended," says FBI Director Jim Comey, who notes that branches of the U.S. government approved the bulk collection of U.S. phone records.

Attorney General Eric Holder has asked a court to order federal oversight of Texas' voting practices because he says the state discriminated against minority voters during the redistricting process. It's the first in a wave of federal actions to protect voters after a recent Supreme Court ruling threw out part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Leaks by Edward Snowden prompted the intelligence community to declassify details about super secret phone and Internet surveillance. But with every detail government lawyers release comes the pressure and the legal obligation to release more.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking a new look at the effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences, and the movement to change the system has got some surprising allies, including some federal judges and many Republicans.

Republicans claim Thomas Perez struck a quid pro quo deal with Minnesota that may have cost the federal treasury as much as $180 million. Perez says he acted ethically.

A Senate panel is investigating the use of federal grant money to states that incarcerated children alongside adult criminals. Whistleblowers have spent years flagging problems with the program.

James Comey says the nation is at a crossroads when it comes to race and policing. He told students on Thursday that it's time for law enforcement and communities to face some hard truths.