-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
via Mark Sherman, Associated Press The Supreme Court plunged into the contentious issue of gay marriage Friday when it agreed to take up California’s ban on same-sex unions and a separate dispute about federal benefits for legally married gay couples. The court’s action gives the justices the chance to say by late June whether gay … Continue reading
via Peter Henderson, Reuters The American Civil Liberties Union and four servicewomen sued the U.S. Defense Department on Tuesday to end a ban on women in combat, calling the military the last bastion of discrimination by the federal government and saying modern warfare has already put women in the line of fire. The civil rights … Continue reading
via Chicago Sun-Times The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an Illinois prosecutor’s plea to allow enforcement of a law aimed at stopping people from recording police officers on the job. The justices on Monday left in place a lower court ruling that found that the state’s anti-eavesdropping law violates free speech rights when used against … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan reiterated his well-known opposition to same-sex marriage in Cincinnati today. As ThinkProgress noted of this CNN clip, Ryan responded to an audience member’s question by declaring, “The things you talk about like traditional marriage and family and entrepreneurship…these aren’t values that are indicative to any … Continue reading
via Kris Maher, The Wall Street Journal A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday blocked the state’s controversial voter-identification law from taking effect in time for the November election. Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson said he thought the measure, which would have required voters to show a photo ID at polls, could have kept some people from … Continue reading
via Stephen Ceasar, Los Angeles Times The University of California will pay damages of $30,000 to each of the 21 UC Davis students and alumni who were pepper-sprayed by campus police during an otherwise peaceful protest 10 months ago, the university system announced Wednesday. The agreement, which must still be approved in federal court, also … Continue reading
via Sterling C. Beard, The Hill’s Ballot Box The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to expedite its handling of a legal challenge to Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer. The plaintiffs seeking to place an injunction on the law and prevent it from going into effect, including the American Civil Liberties … Continue reading
via Associated Press, The Washington Post If you’ve ever lied to a potential Internet date about your weight, texted your spouse that you were someplace you weren’t or emailed mom to say how much you love that ugly new sweater, you were breaking the law if you did it in Rhode Island. But state lawmakers … Continue reading
via Mary Long, Media Bistro The City of New York sent a subpoena to Twitter in February demanding it release all of Occupy Wall Street protestor Malcolm Harris’ tweets between September 15 and December 31 2011, as well as his email address and any other user information associated with his account. Well, after a lot … Continue reading
via Owen Bowcott, The Guardian The US policy of using aerial drones to carry out targeted killings presents a major challenge to the system of international law that has endured since the second world war, a United Nations investigator has said. Christof Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, summary or arbitrary executions, told … Continue reading
via Sophia Tareen, The Huffington Post More than two dozen gay and lesbian couples filed lawsuits Wednesday arguing that it’s unconstitutional for Illinois to deny them the right to marry, a move advocates hope will lead to legalized same-sex marriage in the state. The two lawsuits – backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of … Continue reading
via Paul Elias, The Huffington Post A measure to abolish California’s death penalty qualified for the November ballot on Monday. If it passes, the 725 California inmates now on Death Row will have their sentences converted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It would also make life without parole the harshest penalty … Continue reading
via Dave Jamieson, The Huffington Post In a victory for privacy hawks and worker advocates, Maryland legislators passed a bill Wednesday that would ban employers from asking job candidates or current employees for their passwords to social-media sites like Facebook and Twitter. If the bill is signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and becomes law, … Continue reading
via David Allyn, Chicago Tribune We seem to be living in a time warp. Conservatives are denouncing not just abortion, but birth control. There was the Rush Limbaugh “slut” episode. Actor Kirk Cameron called homosexuality “unnatural,” “detrimental” and “ultimately destructive.” Meanwhile, Rick Santorum sees Satan lurking in America’s bedrooms. At first blush, such backwardness might … Continue reading
via Michael McAuliff and Ryan Grim, The Huffington Post Marijuana activists may gain an unexpectedly high-profile champion for their cause next year, thanks to Bob Kerrey’s sudden decision to jump into the Nebraska contest for retiring Sen. Ben Nelson’s seat. Pot reformers have their fingers crossed. Kerrey, a Democratic senator for Nebraska in the 1990s, … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post Several Illinois lawmakers expressed frustration last week when the Illinois House Agriculture Committee once again put women’s health issues on their agenda — and now one legislator is fighting back. The committee, which is supposed to deal with livestock and farming issues, has a history of taking up controversial social issues … Continue reading
via Marie Diamond, ThinkProgress Federal imprisonment for unpaid debt has been illegal in the U.S. since 1833. It’s a practice people associate more with the age of Dickens than modern-day America. But as more Americans struggle to pay their bills in the wake of the recession, collection agencies are using harsher methods to get their … Continue reading
via Brian Lyman, The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser, USA TODAY The Justice Department asked the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday to block Alabama’s strict new immigration law, saying it creates discrimination and drives aliens from the state through procedures outside those established in federal law. In a filing with the Atlanta-based court, the department … Continue reading
A federal judge refused Thursday to block enforcement of a new Kansas law that restricts insurance coverage for abortions. U.S. District Judge Wesley Brown rejected a request from the American Civil Liberties Union for a temporary injunction while the group challenges the law in court. Brown said the ACLU, which filed its lawsuit in August, … Continue reading
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (Oct. 5.) will hear one of most important religion cases in decades, centered on the degree to which religious institutions should be exempt from anti-discrimination laws. The case started at a Lutheran elementary school in Michigan where a teacher claimed she was fired in violation of the Americans With Disabilities … Continue reading
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is standing by his state’s new policy of drug testing welfare recipients even after the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the scheme in a lawsuit and just 2.5 percent of beneficiaries flunked the first round of tests in July, triggering additional calls for the policy’s repeal. The governor highlighted the … Continue reading
The Brandt Standard 