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The injuries Jack Blankenship sustained after a 300-pound rock pinned him to the ground while working in a coal mine prevent him from sitting for long periods of time or walking far. He says he's in constant pain.

The injuries Jack Blankenship sustained after a 300-pound rock pinned him to the ground while working in a coal mine prevent him from sitting for long periods of time or walking far. He says he's in constant pain. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Anna Boiko-Weyrauch/NPR

Delinquent Mines

Miners At Risk Because Of Unpaid And Uncollected Fines

NPR probes the regulatory loophole that allows mine owners to ignore government regulators and operate unsafe mines. For years, the owners have failed to pay penalties even as workers are injured.

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Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana walks through the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Congress returned to work following last week's midterm elections break. Landrieu is locked in a runoff with Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana walks through the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Congress returned to work following last week's midterm elections break. Landrieu is locked in a runoff with Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Politics

House, Senate To Vote On Keystone After Landrieu Calls For Vote

Legislation to build the Keystone XL pipeline got new life after Senate Democrats abandoned efforts to block the measure in hopes of helping endangered Sen. Mary Landrieu keep her seat in Louisiana.

Pedestrians pass the display windows at Bonhams New York auction house. The Mexican government accuses Bonhams of auctioning off artifacts that were stolen from Mexico, and says others that were offered as ancient were modern fakes.

Pedestrians pass the display windows at Bonhams New York auction house. The Mexican government accuses Bonhams of auctioning off artifacts that were stolen from Mexico, and says others that were offered as ancient were modern fakes. Bebeto Matthews/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Bebeto Matthews/AP

The Two-Way

Mexico Claims U.S. Auction House Sold Stolen, Fake Artifacts

Bonhams Auction House sold several pre-Hispanic artifacts in New York on Wednesday. The Mexican government says half of them are fake, and the other half were stolen from Mexico.

Few police departments have required officers to wear body cameras, but that's changing after the events in Ferguson, Mo., this summer.

Few police departments have required officers to wear body cameras, but that's changing after the events in Ferguson, Mo., this summer. Jim Mone/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Jim Mone/AP

After Ferguson, Police Body Cameras Catching On KBIA-FM

The Columbia, Mo., police department gave its officers body cameras in July, saying they could help exonerate officers from claims of abuse of force. After Ferguson, the demand for cameras surged.

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Workers assemble Volkswagen Passat sedans at the German automaker's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., on June 12, 2013. The automaker announced a new policy Wednesday that would allow interaction with labor unions at the plant.

Workers assemble Volkswagen Passat sedans at the German automaker's plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., on June 12, 2013. The automaker announced a new policy Wednesday that would allow interaction with labor unions at the plant. Erik Schelzig/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Erik Schelzig/AP

The Two-Way

New Volkswagen Policy OKs Interactions With Unions At U.S. Factory

The automaker said the new policy would allow dialogue — but not collective bargaining — with groups. It comes months after the UAW lost a vote to represent workers at the Chattanooga, Tenn., factory.

State Reps. Barry Moore, Joe Hubbard, Rod Scott and Merika Coleman study a map of the proposed redistricting plan in May 2012 following a meeting of the Legislative Committee on Reapportionment at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala.

State Reps. Barry Moore, Joe Hubbard, Rod Scott and Merika Coleman study a map of the proposed redistricting plan in May 2012 following a meeting of the Legislative Committee on Reapportionment at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala. Dave Martin/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Dave Martin/AP

Law

At The Supreme Court, Tracing A Fine Line Between Politics And Race

On Wednesday, the justices took up a redistricting case from Alabama that explores the question of which kinds of political gerrymandering are acceptable and which are not.

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This photo of Roy Middleton working underground at the Kentucky Darby mine now sits on the mantel in the Middleton home in Harlan County, Ky. He was killed after an explosion in 2006.

This photo of Roy Middleton working underground at the Kentucky Darby mine now sits on the mantel in the Middleton home in Harlan County, Ky. He was killed after an explosion in 2006. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch/NPR/Original photo courtesy of the Middleton family hide caption

itoggle caption Anna Boiko-Weyrauch/NPR/Original photo courtesy of the Middleton family

Delinquent Mines

Coal Mines Keep Operating Despite Injuries, Violations And Millions In Fines

An NPR investigation found thousands of American mine owners fail to pay penalties for safety violations, even as they continue to manage dangerous — and sometimes deadly — operations.

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Jay Ruskey grows coffee next to avocados on his farm, Good Land Organics, in Goleta, Calif. The two crops are often grown together in Central America, partly because they can share fertilizer and water.

Jay Ruskey grows coffee next to avocados on his farm, Good Land Organics, in Goleta, Calif. The two crops are often grown together in Central America, partly because they can share fertilizer and water. Lisa Morehouse/KQED hide caption

itoggle caption Lisa Morehouse/KQED

The Salt

Golden State Joe: California Makes A Play For Coffee's Future

California's coffee crop is new and small, but farmers are optimistic about its potential. Scientists hope that by growing coffee here they can learn more about how to help the crop resist disease.