President Obama shortened the sentence of a convicted drug dealer who would otherwise have been destined to serve a 15-year prison term. So reports the Associated Press.

In a case that highlights the problems of inmates getting access to smuggled smartphones and the need for improved protections for prosecutors, a North Carolina inmate stands accused of orchestrating the abduction of the father of the prosecutor who helped to put him in prison for assault with a deadly weapon. So reports the Associated Press.

A man who worked as a night chef at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York City has filed suit against his former boss, Chef Anthony Paris, 2010 winner of the Food Network reality contest “Chopped,” for firing him when he requested time off after his wife of 17 years suffered a stroke. So reports the New York Post.

Federal prosecutors have charged a San Diego woman with forcible rape for retaliating against a couple who outbid her on a home by posting an online advertisement encouraging men to contact the home’s new owner for sexual favors when her husband wasn’t home. So reports NBC News.