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Life without parole sentence unconstitutional for juveniles

GATESVILLE, Texas (KWTX) There are 12 state prison inmates in Texas serving life without parole sentences which the U.S. Supreme Court has said is unconstitutional, but not a single one of them has asked for a new sentence. One of those inmates is housed at a prison unit in Gatesville. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote a majority opinion by the court that said “under the Eighth Amendment's bar against cruel and unusual punishment, states may no longer sentence juveniles to life without parole.” “We have 12 in custody now serving life without parole sentences who were younger than 18 when they committed their crimes,” Jason Clark, public information director for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a telephone interview Thursday . “As far as I know none of them has asked for a new sentence and it’s something they have to do,” Clark said. As long ago as 2012 the high court ruled that a life without parole sentence handed to a person convicted...

The Army Captain Trying to Prove the U.S. Has Lost the War in Afghanistan

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Aug 16, 2017 The first time Captain Noorullah Aminyar traveled to the United States, in 2012, he felt calm and peaceful in a way he never had before. Back home in Afghanistan, he had slept fully clothed , boots on, hand on his rifle. The Taliban attacked every night, and he had to be ready. "But when I come to America," he told me, "I have no stress in America. I sleep good. I tell you, I have no stress. It was really easy. It was a good thing. You feel safe. I was born in the war. I grew up in the war. Always, your life is in danger. You find a little safe time, for sure you'll be happy." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below For Aminyar, then twenty-eight, coming to America was an honor and an achievement. He attended the prestigious Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, the culmination of more than a decade of studying English, followed by a basic infantry officer 's course at Fort Benning, Georgia, with Ame...

This Day in History - August 25

'); } else { $(".fotorama-caption").addClass("remove_caption"); } }) .fotorama(); Today is the 237th day of 2017. There are 128 days left in the year. TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT 2000: The Zimbabwe Government names another 509 white-owned farms it plans to confiscate for redistribution to landless blacks, bringing to 1,542 the number it has targeted under a hastened land seizure programme . OTHER EVENTS 1580: Spain invades Portugal and, in a matter of weeks, conquers it and keeps it for more than 80 years. 1718: Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana with some settling in present-day New Orleans. 1825: Uruguay declares independence from Brazil. 1860: British and French troops take Tianjin in war with China. 1875: Matthew Webb, British professional swimmer , becomes the first person to swim across the English Channel, travelling from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 22 hours. 1883: France obtains protectorate over Annam and Tonkin in Indochina. 19...

Is cuddling tiger cubs conservation?

Photo: Loren Elliott, AP Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Image 1 of 6 ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY. AUG 5 - In this July 20, 2017 photo, a tiger named Seth rests above a pond at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Big Cat Rescue is a nonprofit sanctuary committed to humane treatment of rescued animals, often coming from exploitive for-profit operations. (Loren Elliott/ Tampa Bay Times via AP) less ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY. AUG 5 - In this July 20, 2017 photo, a tiger named Seth rests above a pond at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Big Cat Rescue is a nonprofit sanctuary committed to humane treatment of ... more Photo: Loren Elliott, AP Image 2 of 6 ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY. AUG 5 - In this July 20, 2017 photo, founder Carole Baskin walks the property at Big Cat Rescue at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Big Cat Rescue is a nonprofit sanctuary committed to humane treatment of rescued animals, often coming from exploitive for-profit operations. (Loren Elliott/ Tampa Bay Times via AP) le...