WASHINGTON — The Boy Scouts of America announced Wednesday they will require criminal background checks of new adult volunteers beginning next year. “New volunteers to the Boy Scouts will have to submit for criminal background checks as of this spring,” spokesman Gregg Shields said. Background checks will be required across varied arms, including Cub Scouts, [...]

NEW YORK - FBI officials said Monday they busted an identity-theft ring that stole the credit files of at least 30,000 people, resulting in losses that total so far $2.7 million. FBI investigators said the scam helped New York street criminals take out loans in the names of the victims, buy merchandise, order credit cards [...]

FLORIDA — The number of people sick onboard a Disney cruise ship has climbed Friday to 187, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The Disney Cruise Line was quickly disinfected before embarking on the current cruise. On last week’s cruise more than 300 passengers and crew fell ill with flu-like symptoms such nausea, [...]

President Bush signed Wednesday a The Cyber Security Research and Development Act (CSRDA) that hands colleges and universities about $900 million during the next five years to create security centers, recruit graduate students, and pay for research.
During the five-year period, CSDRA will allocate:
* $275 million for post-doctoral research fellowships and senior research fellowships.
* $233 million [...]

WASHINGTON — President Bush Monday signed into law legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security, and named Tom Ridge as his nominee to lead, the new department. The law sets into motion the largest reorganization of the federal government in more than half a century. The new department will bring together 170,000 federal employees in [...]

BOSTON — Judge Constance M. Sweeny ordered today that 11,000 documents concerning the church’s handling of 65 priests accused of sexually abusing children be made available to the public. Last Friday, the archdiocese complied with a court order to give the documents to lawyers for four young men who claim Rev. Paul R. Shanley molested [...]

MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester announced Tuesday that it will pay $5 million to settle lawsuits brought by more than 60 people who said they were sexually abused by priests in New Hampshire. Peter Hutchins said the diocese had agreed to settle the civil claims filed by 62 of his clients [...]

A rider to the Homeland Security Act redefines ingredients listed within a vaccine’s product-license application or product label as part of the vaccine. The amendment makes any claim against the mercury-containing preservative Thimerosal a claim against the vaccine, which is a major setback to suits claiming Thimerosal is linked to autism.
“It’s a get out of [...]

The Security and Exchange Commission’s investigation on Homestore has expanded into the company’s dealings with real estate and travel company Cendant, people involved in the investigation said late last week. Homestore has acknowledged overstating revenue in the first nine months of last year by more than 30 percent.
People involved in the inquiry said that [...]

WASHINGTON — The American Law Institute, an influential group of lawyers and judges, has recommended extensive changes in family law that would increase alimony and property rights for divorced women, while extending such rights to domestic partners, both heterosexual and gay. The report seeks to update family law to reflect changes in society over the [...]