Andrea Noble
Articles by Andrea Noble
Charles Severance of Virginia found guilty of three murders
A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury on Monday convicted Charles Severance, a Virginia man, of fatally shooting three prominent Alexandria residents in their homes over the course of a decade. Published November 2, 2015
IRS use of secret cellphone tracking systems has Chuck Grassley, Patrick Leahy demanding answers
Two top senators are probing use by the Internal Revenue Service of secret cellphone tracking systems that are more often utilized by federal or local law enforcement agencies. Published October 29, 2015
Federal court won’t halt phone-snooping program during transition
A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected a request to halt the government's collection of Americans' phone records as its current phone-snooping program enters its final weeks. Published October 29, 2015
Dennis Hastert, former House speaker, pleads guilty to lying to FBI
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to the FBI about $3.5 million in hush-money that he secretly tried to pay to a person to cover up past "misconduct." Published October 28, 2015
Texas police prepare for open carry of handguns in January 2016
Texans have long carried rifles and shotguns openly in public. But with the Lone Star State poised to allow residents to openly carry handguns beginning in January, law enforcement agencies are hurrying to train their officers on the intricacies of the law and to devise protocol for inquiring about a gun owner's open-carry permit. Published October 27, 2015
Police fear ‘YouTube effect’ affecting work, contributing to rise in violent crime
Law enforcement officers from around the country say they are increasingly concerned that video recordings of their interactions with the public are being used to show them in a negative light, creating a "YouTube effect" that is affecting how they do their jobs and, according to the FBI's director, could be behind a recent rise in violent crime. Published October 25, 2015
Ardit Ferizi to be charged with sharing U.S. military member info with Islamic State
The man blamed for stealing personal information of approximately 1,400 military members and federal employees and providing the information to members of the Islamic State has been arrested in Malaysia, according the Justice Department. Published October 15, 2015
Wayne Shelby Simmons, Fox News commentator, indicted for fraud against United States
Claiming to have worked for the CIA for nearly three decades won Wayne Shelby Simmons guest commentator slots on Fox News as a terrorism analyst, work as a defense contractor, and a shot at getting security clearance. Published October 15, 2015
Terry McAuliffe to ban guns in some state buildings, tighten enforcement
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe will ban the carrying of firearms in some state government buildings and also provide law enforcement broader authority to prosecute gun crimes. Published October 15, 2015
Richard Leon, judge in Cornell Jones tax case, outraged at ex-drug kingpin’s plea deal
A federal judge expressed such dismay over what he considered a lenient plea agreement offered to a one-time legendary D.C. gangster that the former drug kingpin's attorney pushed to have the judge recuse himself from the case. Published October 14, 2015
Illegal immigrant inmates will go from prison to deportation under federal cooperation
Nearly a third of the 6,000 inmates whom the Obama administration plans to release early from federal prisons across the United States this month are noncitizens, officials say. Published October 11, 2015
Drone lands at park near White House; man issued federal citation
Police issued a ticket to a D.C. man who was illegally flying a drone that crash-landed at a park near the White House early Friday. Published October 9, 2015
Judge Richard Leon worries about NSA phone snooping violations of Constitution
A federal judge in the District of Columbia hearing arguments Thursday on a revived motion to block NSA phone snooping acknowledged his own concern that the program is continuing to violate millions of Americans' constitutional rights. Published October 8, 2015
House bill would reduce prison time for some offenders
Bipartisan leadership from the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday introduced "companion" legislation meant to match the Senate's recent efforts to overhaul the criminal justice system. Published October 8, 2015
California paparazzi no longer can use drones over private property under new law
The paparazzi will no longer be allowed to operate drones over private property in California to photograph celebrities under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Published October 7, 2015
Police: No “armed subject” found on Virginia Commonwealth campus
Police on the Monroe Park campus of Virginia Commonwealth University were called Friday morning to investigate multiple reports of a "possible armed subject" near the Richmond campus but quickly walked back campus-wide alerts after officers searched the area and found nothing. Published October 2, 2015
Shooter at Oregon college kills 13; gunman dead
A gunman opened fire Thursday morning inside a classroom at a community college in rural Roseburg, Oregon, killing at least nine people and injuring seven more after reportedly asking people to state their religion. Published October 1, 2015
Senators craft prison reform bill to handle drug offenders, help judges in sentencing
A proposal put forth Thursday by a bipartisan group of senators to reform the U.S. criminal justice system would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders, provide judges more flexibility in sentencing, and create more opportunities for recidivism-reduction programs in prisons. Published October 1, 2015
Jason Chaffetz’s file leaked by Secret Service agents amid probe
At 10 a.m. on March 24, Rep. Jason Chaffetz convened a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing to look into scandals involving the Secret Service. Eighteen minutes later, a Secret Service agent improperly accessed the agency's restricted database to unearth unflattering information about the Utah Republican -- namely, that he had once unsuccessfully applied for a job with the agency. Published September 30, 2015
Despite Pope Francis, states prepare for series of executions
Less than a week after Pope Francis pushed to abolish the death penalty during his historic address to Congress, lawmakers in the states have shown little willingness to heed his pleas. Published September 30, 2015
