The trial of James E. Holmes, the Colorado man who killed twelve and injured seventy in a movie theatre shooting, begins today. As in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial, the defense will focus on keeping their client from receiving the death penalty. 
At the New York Times:

Leading the prosecution is George Brauchler, the elected district attorney, who is seen as a possible Republican candidate for governor. Two years ago, during a hearing, Mr. Brauchler stood up before the judge to say that after prosecutors consulted with hundreds of people touched by the shooting, he determined that in this case, “justice is death.”

Mother Jones has been asking, since the shooting, how much does gun violence cost our country? 

Loretta Lynch will be sworn in as Attorney General this morning. Lynch was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and, according to the Atlantic, “13 of the 18 black women in Congress today belong to one of the four national black sororities.” The Atlantic article examines the role of black sororities in political power. 

If it's good enough for Charles Dickens... can serializing novels invigorate the publishing industry?  The Washington Post makes a case.

For a brief summary of the latest updates on the earthquake and relief efforts in Nepal, the BBC’s coverage has several videos and infographics, and links to stories with further analysis.