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If he does face a court martial and is convicted, Pvt. Manning could be sentenced to life in prison.

Special prosecutor Henry Schuelke, who earlier this month issued a blistering 500-page report about the Justice Department's actions, is due to testify.

In a closed-door meeting Thursday, lawmakers will consider whether to approve the report, which human rights groups are pushing to be made public. It's part of an ongoing fight over whether harsh interrogation methods, which critics compared to torture, were effective.

Criticism is raining down on prosecutors in Massachusetts after the suicide of computer genius Aaron Swartz. His family says Swartz, who was facing trial on wire and computer fraud charges, was the victim of Justice Department overreach. But legal experts say the case is more complicated than that.

For the first time, researchers have surveyed more than 1,600 young people serving life without the possibility of parole. The study found that many came from homes of violence and abuse. And for many young offenders, educational programs in jail are out of reach.

Federal sentencing punishments are supposed to be predictable. But Republicans in Congress argue that sentences are not consistent, and they're calling for tough new mandatory prison terms. Others say Congress shouldn't take away the discretion that judges have to evaluate each defendant.

"Good gun companies don't need special protection from the law," says Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The National Rifle Association, though, calls the law that gives companies immunity from most negligence and product liability lawsuits "vitally important" to the gun industry.

Members of Congress say they'll investigate why the FBI and Justice Department didn't tell them earlier about an investigation involving former CIA Director David Petraeus. But the legal authority for reporting such sensitive information to lawmakers is murky.

President Obama and Senate Republicans have different views when it comes to what counts as "recess." A federal appeals court is now weighing the question in a case challenging three of Obama's appointments.

As the Supreme Court takes up fundamental challenges to voting rights laws and affirmative action, the storied NAACP Legal Defense Fund prepares to take on a new leader, Sherrilyn Ifill.