California Governor Jerry Brown last week signed a law obligating companies to obtain permits and fulfill other requirements before injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to crack rock formations and free up oil, a practice known as fracking. So Reuters reports.

The case of an ex-Wall Street portfolio manager, who has been jailed repeatedly for missing extremely high alimony payments as a result of having lost his high paying job, illustrates how New Jersey's tough alimony laws unfairly affect many ex-spouses. So reports Bloomberg.

Angela Corey, the prosecutor who failed to secure a conviction in the highly controversial Trayvon Martin case, has many vocal critics who claim she regularly overcharges defendants and is more interested in making a name for herself than in seeking justice. So reports USA Today.

Proposals to weaken a landmark law that requires significant review of construction projects' potential negative effects on the environment are being supported by the Democratic constituencies that have historically been that law's strongest supporters. So The New York Times reports.