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Stepping on big toes is pretty much the job description of the Justice Department's Michael Horowitz. He's boss of about 450 employees who sift through allegations of misconduct at Justice, the FBI and ATF. One looming item: a report on the gunrunning operation called Fast and Furious.

Special prosecutor Henry Schuelke, who earlier this month issued a blistering 500-page report about the Justice Department's actions, is due to testify.

The sheer number of law enforcement officers makes it hard for big gangs to meet openly in New York City the way they did back in the 1980s, so many gang members who have left state prison have migrated north. Authorities say they brought shootings and stabbings with them.

The report by congressional Republicans says ATF agents and supervisors should have realized two targets of their criminal case along the Southwest border had already been under investigation by the DEA and the FBI. It comes the same day the attorney general faces questions on Capitol Hill about the debacle.

If he does face a court martial and is convicted, Pvt. Manning could be sentenced to life in prison.

For the first time, researchers have surveyed more than 1,600 young people serving life without the possibility of parole. The study found that many came from homes of violence and abuse. And for many young offenders, educational programs in jail are out of reach.

In a closed-door meeting Thursday, lawmakers will consider whether to approve the report, which human rights groups are pushing to be made public. It's part of an ongoing fight over whether harsh interrogation methods, which critics compared to torture, were effective.

Criticism is raining down on prosecutors in Massachusetts after the suicide of computer genius Aaron Swartz. His family says Swartz, who was facing trial on wire and computer fraud charges, was the victim of Justice Department overreach. But legal experts say the case is more complicated than that.

Federal sentencing punishments are supposed to be predictable. But Republicans in Congress argue that sentences are not consistent, and they're calling for tough new mandatory prison terms. Others say Congress shouldn't take away the discretion that judges have to evaluate each defendant.

The owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig where 11 men died in April 2010 has agreed to pay criminal and civil penalties to resolve Justice Department allegations over its role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.