Julia K Cole

New year, new laws. Dozens of new laws that affect you are going into effect in states across the U.S. come 2014. The provisions run the gamut from tanning salons to texting and driving to a higher minimum wage. New voter ID laws go into effect in Arkansas, Rhode Island, and Alabama on January 1. In Colorado, a new law allowing anyone 21 and over to buy an ounce of marijuana for recreational use goes into effect. And a new IRS rule will treat automatic tips added to large parties as taxable wages, which could mean that automatic gratuity may go away altogether. Click HERE to view what the state-by-state  the laws you need to know about come 2014.

Sara Kruzan was a victim of human trafficking when she was 13 years old, and was trapped for three years in a cycle of sexual, physical, and mental abuse. Night after night, Sara was sexually exploited for her abuser’s gain. Then, after years of torture and exploitation, she shot and killed her trafficker and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. She was just sixteen years old. Sara has been in prison for nearly two decades now. When I learned about her story and that she was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after living a life of horrific violence and abuse. On Jan 18, 2013 Sara’s sentence was reduced to second degree murder and since she had already served 18 years, Sara was fast-tracked to parole. Now, California Governor Jerry Brown has only a few weeks left to sign off on Sara's parole. I need your help to bring her home.  Sara's friend, Carrie Christie, has started a petition  b ecause while she can't help all huma...

Convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala was found guilty in 2010 of killing four women and a 12-year-old girl in Southern California in the 1970s. Alcala, 69, is a former photographer and a one-time dating-show contestant who has been behind bars since 1979.  Police in California previously released dozens of photos, including the ones seen here, taken from a storage space rented to Alcala. Recognize the people in this photo?  Please contact Huntington Beach, Calif., Police Det. Patrick Ellis at  714-375-5066  or  pellis@hbpd.org .  Click HERE to view All the photos Or copy and paste the URL below http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-504083_162-10006434.html