The sudden prospect of a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court majority ready to overturn Roe v. Wade is adding new urgency to anti-abortion groups’ efforts to mobilize religious voters in battleground states like North Carolina and Arizona...

September 24, 2020 | Student Rights Teacher threatens to kick student out of virtual class over ‘Trump 2020’ flag A Northern California high school teacher threatened to kick a student out of a virtual class if he didn’t remove a “Trump 2020” campaign flag from his camera view.



The 16-year-old left the Zoom meeting for his Colusa High School chemistry class before the teacher could remove him, according to the boy’s mother, Tiffany. The teen was working from his bedroom where the political flag is pinned to the wall, his mother said... Read More

September 21, 2020 | Separation of Powers Trump narrows Supreme Court list as weighty decision looms President Donald Trump was only seven minutes into his campaign rally Friday when word arrived backstage that would dramatically alter the final stretch of his first term. Yet as his aides debated whether to alert him that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died, another message arrived from Trump's chief of staff: don't interrupt the President's speech... Read More

September 21, 2020 | Gun Rights Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death injects new urgency into Second Amendment debate amid Supreme Court battle At virtually every stop on the campaign trail, President Donald Trump has sought to strike an emotional chord in audiences with a familiar warning.



"Sleepy Joe is gonna take your guns away," Trump declared at a rally in Minnesota on Friday night, disparaging his political rival and Democratic efforts to tighten firearm controls... Read More

September 22, 2020 | Freedom of Religion A new conservative Supreme Court justice could boost religious rights at the cost of LGBTQ protections A conservative replacement for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday, could provide a major boost to religious rights while threatening years of advancements for the LGBTQ community, legal experts and activists say... Read More

September 16, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Lancaster protesters held on whopping $1 million bail each after alleged riots A Pennsylvania judge threw the book at several protesters – setting their bail at $1 million each – for allegedly rioting in the wake of the police shooting of a knife-wielding Lancaster man... Read More

September 15, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Court Rules Guantánamo Detainees Are Not Entitled to Due Process WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court panel has ruled for the first time that prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are not entitled to due process, adopting a George W. Bush-era view of detainee rights that could affect the eventual trial of the men charged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks... Read More

September 10, 2020 | Citizen Juries Citing ongoing outbreak, Johnson County officials don’t plan to resume jury trials just yet Citing the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Johnson County, officials plan to continue to postpone jury trials here until positivity rates come down across the county.



The Iowa Supreme Court ordered that courts could start resuming jury trials Sept. 14 after they were halted in March due to the pandemic... Read More

September 14, 2020 | Student Rights Transgender students score victories in landmark lawsuits WASHINGTON — Transgender teen Andrew Adams used the boys bathroom, which aligned with his gender identity, when he enrolled as a freshman in 2015 at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Fla.



Then two girls lodged a complaint and school authorities ordered Adams to use a gender-neutral or girls restroom instead. In 2017, he filed suit against the St. Johns County School Board... Read More

September 9, 2020 | Separation of Powers DeSantis vetoes vaping bill, calls the practice less dangerous than cigarettes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday night vetoed a controversial bill that would have raised the age to buy tobacco to 21 and imposed new regulations on vape shops and e-cigarette manufacturers... Read More

September 8, 2020 | Property Rights Fewer civil asset forfeiture seizures in 2019, but advocates push for more reform (The Center Square) – The 2019 civil asset forfeiture report released by Michigan State Police shows that more than $12 million in cash and other assets were forfeited to local governments and police agencies last year by people accused, but not necessarily convicted of, a crime.



A 2019 measure signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that went into effect Aug. 7, 2019, required a criminal conviction before some property seized under the Public Health Code can be forfeited... Read More

September 3, 2020 | Individual Liberties Governor eases travel quarantine order SANTA FE – New Mexico’s 14-day quarantine mandate for most incoming travelers, one of the strictest orders of its kind in the nation, is getting a facelift.



Under a revised order issued by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that takes effect Friday, most individuals entering New Mexico from 36 different states – including Arizona and Texas – and all foreign countries will still be subject to a revised travel quarantine order... Read More

August 31, 2020 | Gun Rights First Richmond gun show since new gun control laws took effect sees ‘record demand’ RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Thousands turned out this weekend for the first gun show in Richmond since a new universal background checks laws took effect earlier this summer.



It was also the first event of its kind since the coronavirus pandemic began back in March, according to the Virginia Citizens Defense League... Read More

September 4, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Trump Shutting Down 159-Year-Old Stars And Stripes, Newspaper For Troops The Pentagon sent a memo ordering Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for American troops that dates back to the Civil War and is funded by Congress, to begin preparations to “dissolve” by September 15, in what amounts to the latest attack by President Trump’s administration on the free press... Read More

August 30, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Ben Shapiro loses free speech lawsuit against UMN over venue change A judge determined Friday that University of Minnesota officials were driven by safety concerns in conservative speaker Ben Shapiro’s freedom of speech lawsuit, according to the Pioneer Press.



Shapiro and the groups that sponsored his campus visit – Young America's Foundation and Students for a Conservative Voice – filed a lawsuit in July 2018, alleging that the University held the event on a smaller venue on the St. Paul campus instead of a larger venue on the Minneapolis campus due to political bias... Read More

August 31, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Oakland PD raided this church. And took all their drugs. Religion means different things to different people. For the members of the Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants in Oakland, it means communing with God through a fog of cannabis smoke and hallucinogenic mushrooms.



Dave Hodges leads the unconventional church, preaching in a pot leaf-patterned robe while his congregation of up to 100 parishioners gathers every Sunday at 4:20 p.m. and smokes communal joints. Hodges elaborates on the teachings of Terence McKenna and shares spiritual experiences he’s had while taking up to 30 grams of mushrooms at once, 10 times a typical dose, and enough to make even the most fervent atheist see heavenly beings... Read More

August 30, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Unlawful assembly declared as protesters clash during Pro-Trump rally in Beverly Hills Over two hundred people gathered in Beverly Hills for a Pro-Trump rally Saturday afternoon.



This is part of a weekly Freedom Rally that has been held at Beverly Gardens Park since late July... Read More

August 27, 2020 | Federalism Hurricane Laura: More emergency federal aid could be coming for states hit by storm WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The White House says it is monitoring Hurricane Laura’s destruction closely. President Donald Trump visited FEMA Thursday to get an update on the storm and its impact.



Officials in Washington, D.C. are preparing for the worst as the storm moves inland... Read More

August 24, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process TikTok Sues Trump Administration, Claims Ban Violates Its Right To Due Process LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — TikTok is answering a federal ban Monday with a lawsuit, alleging President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop the company from doing business in the United States violates its right to due process... Read More

August 27, 2020 | Citizen Juries COVID-19 concerns cause months long delays for jury trials ATLANTA - Jury trials and most grand jury proceedings have been paused since March in Georgia due to concerns about spreading COVID-19.



Alan Holcomb, an attorney with The Law Center, and his clients have no choice but to wait... Read More

August 24, 2020 | Student Rights Black student alleges racially hostile environment at Ann Arbor high school in civil rights complaint ANN ARBOR, MI - A Black high school student has filed a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights alleging she and other Black students face a racially hostile environment at Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School.



The complaint was filed in conjunction with a 14-page letter describing in detail the alleged racism the student and other Black students have faced at the school, and how it has interfered with their education. Another complaint was filed by a Pioneer student with the U.S. Department of Education alleging a teacher’s violations of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act... Read More

August 21, 2020 | Separation of Powers Michigan Court of Appeals backs Whitmer on use of emergency power LANSING — The Michigan Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a lower court ruling that said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has not exceeded her emergency powers under the Emergency Powers of Governor Act during the coronavirus pandemic.



"We hold that the governor’s declaration of a state of emergency, her extension of the state of emergency, and her issuance of related executive orders fell within the scope of the governor’s authority under the EPGA," the court said in a 2-1 opinion... Read More

August 25, 2020 | Property Rights Controversial law allows police to seize and sell cars of non-lawbreakers, keeping the proceeds A controversial law that allows police in Minnesota to take and sell someone's personal property is coming under more scrutiny after the state patrol seized a woman's car during a drunk driving stop late last year, even though she was not driving or charged with a crime.



Emma Dietrich recently paid thousands of dollars to buy back a 2013 Chevy Camaro that she had already paid off... Read More

August 17, 2020 | Individual Liberties Governments have collected large amounts of data to fight the coronavirus. That’s raising privacy concerns Technology has enabled the world to respond quickly to the coronavirus pandemic — but solutions through mass data collection have also raised questions about privacy rights. Digital check-in systems, wristband trackers and mobile applications are just some examples of the surveillance technology implemented by governments to monitor and track the movement of people as they seek to stem the spread of the virus... Read More

August 19, 2020 | Gun Rights Trump and Biden on guns: Far apart on policy and perspective The candidates change; the divide on guns remains the same. The surprise will be if the contest between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican President Trump unearths much beyond what voters have come to expect from the two major parties on gun policy in recent elections. Read More

August 15, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Hong Kong journalists harassed, arrested and lose press freedoms under new China law HONG KONG — Once known for fierce independence and exposing the misdeeds of the political elite, iCable has had the sting taken out of its reporting as the Chinese Communist Party tightens its grip on this city by arresting journalists and raiding newsrooms.



The broadcaster’s new director of news, Oscar Lee, is best known for being a television anchor and a parenting influencer. He was widely mocked on social media after a recent interview with the police chief, which critics said was overly fawning and deferential... Read More

August 14, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Federal judge sides with wedding photographer, says Louisville law violates free speech A federal judge has ordered Louisville not to enforce the Fairness Ordinance against a local photographer.



Chelsea Nelson sued Louisville November 2019, she argued the ordinance violates her constitutional rights by making it illegal to refuse her services for same-sex weddings. She also said Louisville made it illegal for her to explain her beliefs against same-sex marriage on the studio’s website... Read More

August 12, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Bend, Oregon activists block ICE bus, prompting federal agents’ response Federal agents in Bend, Ore., clashed with hundreds of protesters late Wednesday night after an hourslong standoff sparked by the arrest of two men by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who said they were a "threat to the public." Read More

August 12, 2020 | Federalism State responds after more than a dozen California parents sue Governor Newsom to reopen schools More than a dozen California parents are suing Governor Gavin Newsom over his school closure order. The lawsuit aims to reopen schools across the state, but the state is fighting back.



"This is a human rights crisis. Our children are being denied a fair and appropriate education,” said Christine Ruiz... Read More

August 12, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Coronavirus Negotiators Remain ‘Miles Apart,’ Pelosi Says WASHINGTON—A dayslong standoff between Democrats and Republicans over another coronavirus-relief bill showed no signs of abating Wednesday, as negotiations threatened to stall until next month, when lawmakers must reach an agreement to keep the federal government funded. Read More

August 12, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Oregon judge: Cities cannot fine people for living outside GRANTS PASS — An Oregon city has joined Boise in eliciting a precedent-setting court ruling that could change how cities nationwide cite and fine people living outside.



A U.S. judge decided last month that Grants Pass violated its homeless residents’ Eighth Amendment rights by excluding them from parks without due process and citing them for sleeping outside, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported... Read More

August 10, 2020 | Citizen Juries Pittsburgh dem proposes citizen police review boards Counties would be allowed to create citizen police review boards under legislation proposed recently in the state Legislature.



Rep. Austin Davis, D-Allegheny, introduced House Bill 2691 to amend state law allowing second through eighth class counties to create the boards, which would have nine members. Members would reflect the geographic and cultural diversity of a county, according to the legislation, with membership made up of two members from a borough, two members from a first class township, two members from a second class township and one member from the county at-large... Read More

August 7, 2020 | Student Rights Pajamas ban for students learning from home draws mixed response Students in one central Illinois district are barred from wearing pajamas while taking online classes, with education officials there saying sleepwear is "not acceptable school apparel."



The Springfield Public Schools Board of Education this week approved the district's new student handbook, which included language that applies in-person dress codes to remote instruction... Read More

August 9, 2020 | Separation of Powers What’s in Trump’s Executive Actions on Coronavirus Aid—and What’s Not President Trump signed four executive actions Saturday to provide additional jobless aid, suspend the collection of payroll taxes, avoid evictions and assist with student-loan payments. Mr. Trump made the moves as talks in Congress over a broad new coronavirus aid package remained deadlocked and are seen as potentially accelerating talks... Read More

August 2, 2020 | Property Rights A rental car owner wanted to help police solve a drug crime. Instead they took his car. A middle-aged executive of a supply chain management company was driving a black Chevrolet Malibu west on the interstate on a hot evening in April when he caught the eye of a Hancock County Sheriff's Deputy.



The deputy allegedly clocked the sedan at going at least 8 mph above the speed limit, flicked on his blue lights, and pulled behind the black Malibu, which had Texas license plates... Read More

August 6, 2020 | Individual Liberties Judge sides with Louisiana governor, upholds virus rules BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana judge Thursday upheld Gov. John Bel Edwards' statewide mask mandate and bar restrictions as legal and enforceable, rejecting claims from Jefferson Parish business owners that the Democratic governor overstepped his legal authority in enacting the coronavirus rules... Read More

August 4, 2020 | Gun Rights After a gunman killed 9, Gov. DeWine heard chants of ‘Do something!’ and rolled out a plan. A year later, Ohio laws haven’t changed a bit. COLUMBUS, Ohio – The day after a gunman killed nine people and injured 27 more, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stood on the brick-lined streets of the Oregon District in Dayton and started to speak.



The former prosecutor turned Republican governor remarked about the crowd size and then a voice cried out: “Do something!”... Read More

August 3, 2020 | Freedom of the Press American journalist tops ‘10 Most Urgent’ list of press freedom cases NEW YORK — The One Free Press Coalition, a united group of pre-eminent editors and publishers using their global reach and social platforms to spotlight journalists under attack worldwide, today issued its 18th “10 Most Urgent” list of journalists whose press freedoms are being suppressed or whose cases are seeking justice... Read More

July 31, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Princeton professor pushes back on cancel culture on campuses: ‘First Amendment is for all of us’ The right to free speech in America needs to be protected, Princeton University jurisprudence professor Robert George stated Friday. According to reporting from WLIX, when Greg and Kjersten Offbecker created the St. Johns inn -- named The Nordic Pineapple -- they installed the flag, hanging an American flag alongside it... Read More

August 3, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Could the state enforce the Safe Start plan for religious organizations? YAKIMA COUNTY -- Some local churches are holding indoor services despite the governor's order, but would the state really fine a church for not obeying? Read More

August 2, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly New Mexico governor nixes door-knocking, but not protests — then clarifies Hundreds of people gathered and marched on Saturday in Portland, Oregon, marking the 66th night of Black Lives Matter protests in the city, according to the Portland Police Bureau.



Police said hundreds of people gathered at the federal courthouse Saturday night to protest and hear speeches before marching through downtown. That march was peaceful, police said... Read More

July 29, 2020 | Federalism Federal Agents Agree to Withdraw From Portland, With Conditions Federal tactical teams that have clashed with protesters in Portland in recent weeks will soon begin leaving the city, Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said Wednesday.



Under an agreement between Ms. Brown and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the governor’s office said the Oregon State Police will provide security for the exterior of the city’s federal courthouse, while the usual team of federal officers that protects the courthouse year-round will continue to provide security for the interior of the building... Read More

July 28, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process End ‘no-knock’ warrants? Fully fund body cameras? SC lawmakers tackle police reform South Carolina has left police officers without the training or equipment needed to handle people dealing with the challenges of homelessness, drug addition, mental health, school discipline and more, experts told a S.C. House panel Tuesday.



“Yet, largely, that is what we rely on them to do,” testified Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, who before becoming an expert on better policing was a police officer and investigator in Florida... Read More

July 28, 2020 | Citizen Juries State Supreme Court throws out jury tampering conviction DETROIT (AP) — Who is a juror?



Not someone who is simply told to report for jury duty, the Michigan Supreme Court said Tuesday as it overturned the jury tampering conviction of a man in western Michigan.



Keith Wood was distributing pamphlets in 2015 outside the Mecosta County courthouse in Big Rapids. He told two women they could choose their conscience over the law if they were picked to serve on a jury. Read More

July 20, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Committee OKs $5 million to settle class-action lawsuit by motorists denied due process after vehicles seized in drug cases Chicago taxpayers will spend nearly $5 million to compensate motorists denied due process after their vehicles were seized in connection with suspected drug-related offenses.



The City Council’s Finance Committee signed off on the $4.95 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit filed in March 2015... Read More

July 15, 2020 | Citizen Juries Courts get creative to restart jury trials amid pandemic It was New Mexico's first jury trial since the pandemic crippled the U.S. criminal justice system, and defense attorney Roberta Yurcic was nervous.



The court had erected a plexiglass panel on the defense table as a shield against the coronavirus, and Yurcic could communicate with her client by passing notes through a hole in the barrier. But the man charged with drug trafficking could not read or write, so she felt she had choice but to get close... Read More

July 14, 2020 | Student Rights Students may face suspension or expulsion for hosting parties, gatherings Syracuse University students may face disciplinary action for holding social gatherings of more than 25 people, leaving the central New York area or not participating in mandated coronavirus testing during the fall semester, the university announced Tuesday.



In a “Stay Safe Pledge” released Tuesday, the university outlined the health behaviors it expects students to follow to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus this fall. Students who violate the guidelines could be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for a conduct violation even if they did not sign the pledge, said Rob Hradsky, vice president for the student experience, in a campus-wide email... Read More

July 22, 2020 | Separation of Powers Legal analysis: Is Trump stretching the law to deploy federal police power in cities? WASHINGTON — The federal government has broad power to enforce the laws of the United States, but not to police the streets or maintain order in a city if protests lead to violence.



That has been how the separation of powers between states and the federal government has been understood. The Constitution leaves the “so-called police power” in the hands of state and local officials. It is one of the “powers not delegated the United States” and instead is “reserved to the states,” as the 10th Amendment says... Read More

July 16, 2020 | Property Rights Pompeo Says Human Rights Policy Must Prioritize Property Rights and Religion WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a divisive speech on Thursday calling for the United States to ground its human rights policy more prominently in religious liberty and property rights.



Mr. Pompeo’s speech, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, came as he announced the release of a report created by a panel he commissioned last year to suggest how American human rights policy could better reflect the “nation’s founding principles.”... Read More

July 22, 2020 | Individual Liberties Three More Wisconsin Cities To Require Masks In Most Public Spaces Green Bay, Racine and Superior will soon be among the cities that require masks in businesses and many other public spaces.



All three cities passed ordinances Tuesday night, hours after state health officials announced a single-day record of 1,117 new coronavirus cases.



Green Bay's Common Council approved its ordinance 7 to 5, after several hours of debate. Most of the residents who spoke to the council ahead of the vote opposed the requirement, but Alder Barbara Dorff said the ordinance makes a number of exceptions that should address their concerns... Read More

July 23, 2020 | Gun Rights Bloomberg’s gun control group spends $15M on campaigns in eight swing states Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control organization funded by Michael Bloomberg, announced Thursday it is spending $15 million on a digital ad campaign in eight swing states to help boost former Vice President Joe Biden and Democrats in competitive Senate races... Read More

July 14, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Trump calls Confederate flag ‘freedom of speech,’ gives heated response on police brutality President Trump said Saturday that the Confederate flag should be protected under the First Amendment and treated as freedom of speech, despite the intense backlash surrounding the symbol in recent months... Read More

July 8, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Supreme Court says Trump administration can let religious employers deny birth control coverage under Obamacare The Supreme Court on Wednesday voted 7-2 to uphold Trump administration rules to allow employers with sincere moral or religious objections to deny employees access to free contraceptive coverage.



The rules broadened a carve-out to the contraceptive coverage mandate included in the Affordable Care Act, the health-care overhaul commonly known as Obamacare. According to government estimates, the religious exemption would lead to possibly as many 125,000 women losing their coverage... Read More

July 15, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Texas protesters defy governor’s order, host mostly maskless rally at bar Texas protesters defied Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) executive order shutting down bars by hosting a mostly maskless rally at a club near Houston over the weekend.



Demonstrators gathered at Chuters Dance Hall & Saloon in Pasadena, Texas, Sunday night for a “Texas Bars Fight Back Rally” after nightclubs were ordered to close amid the state’s coronavirus outbreak, The Houston Chronicle reported... Read More

July 13, 2020 | Federalism Federal judge says Georgia’s heartbeat abortion bill is unconstitutional A federal judge has ruled Georgia's heartbeat abortion bill is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. The law essentially banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy but makes exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother's health. Read More

July 13, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Oregon bans indoor gatherings of more than 10 people, requires face masks in outdoor crowds PORTLAND, Ore — As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown announced a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 10 people in an effort to slow the spread.



The new rule does not apply to businesses at this time, Brown said.



Oregon will also expand face mask requirements outdoors. Starting Wednesday, July 15, face coverings will be required outside if people cannot keep a distance of more than 6 feet away from others... Read More

July 13, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process 17 Memphis restaurants sue Shelby County and health department over latest order to close More than a dozen restaurants in the Mid-South are suing the Shelby County government and the health department after they were forced to shut down in a new health directive issued last week. The order from the health department forced limited-service restaurants to close after a spike in coronavirus cases countywide... Read More

July 10, 2020 | Citizen Juries Supreme Court rejects Trump claim of ‘absolute immunity’ from grand jury subpoena for tax returns In a history-making decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump cannot claim "absolute immunity" from criminal investigation while in office and may need to comply with a New York grand jury subpoena seeking his personal financial records... Read More

July 9, 2020 | Student Rights Lawsuits Aim to Block DeVos’s New Sexual Misconduct Rules WASHINGTON — Students, women’s rights and education groups are suing to block Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s campus sexual assault rules from taking effect next month, with plaintiffs as young as 10 joining arguments that the rules will harm students and burden institutions... Read More

July 8, 2020 | Separation of Powers Supreme Court strengthens religious protection from discrimination lawsuits The Supreme Court on Wednesday strengthened legal protections that shield religious institutions from job discrimination lawsuits.



It was the court's second ruling this term intended to expand religious freedom. In a previous 5-4 ruling along traditional ideological lines, the justices said states cannot exclude religiously affiliated schools from state scholarship programs, a decision that further lowered the wall of separation between church and state... Read More

July 6, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Navy updates order after religious freedom complaint from law firm, chaplains The Navy updated its coronavirus restrictions after chaplains and a religious liberty law firm complained last week alleging that service members were being unlawfully prohibited from attending indoor religious services... Read More

July 3, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Facebook, Twitter, Google Face Free-Speech Test in Hong Kong HONG KONG—U.S. technology titans face a looming test of their free-speech credentials in Hong Kong as China’s new national-security law for the city demands local authorities take measures to supervise and regulate its uncensored internet.



Facebook Inc. and its Instagram service, Twitter Inc. and YouTube, a unit of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, operate freely in the city even as they have been shut out or opted out of the mainland’s tightly controlled internet, which uses the “Great Firewall” to censor information... Read More

July 6, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Police release video from fatal police shooting in Maryvale; protests continue The Phoenix Police Department is under scrutiny again after the fatal shooting by officers of a 28-year-old man in west Phoenix on the Fourth of July.



A witness' video footage depicting the killing was shared widely on social media over the weekend, leading to community protests.



On Monday, police, citing false claims on social media, released a 911 call that led to the confrontation and a 44-second body-camera footage of an officer who appears on the scene after the shooting... Read More

June 30, 2020 | Federalism Virginia’s new laws on LGBT rights, guns and abortion reflect state’s political makeover. RICHMOND — Restrictions on guns tighten in Virginia on Wednesday while those governing abortion, marijuana and voting loosen under a raft of laws adopted earlier this year in a newly blue state Capitol.



As the calendar flips to July, new laws will take effect around the Washington region, bumping up the minimum wage in the District, expanding community college tuition assistance in Maryland and, in Montgomery County, implementing a first-in-the-state ban on certain driveway sealants... Read More

June 30, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Supreme Court Strikes Down Montana Ban on State Aid to Church Schools WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states can’t exclude church schools from programs benefiting their private, nonsectarian counterparts, bolstering a conservative drive to expand public support for religious education.



“A State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by fellow conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Read More

July 1, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Kentucky’s Casey’s Law, involuntary treatment for the addicted, is challenged as unconstitutional The constitutionality of a Kentucky law that allows families and friends of people with addiction to ask a court to order their loved one into involuntary treatment is being challenged.



The Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention, a Kentucky law since 2004, better known as Casey's Law, is facing the challenge in a sealed court case in the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is defending the law... Read More

June 29, 2020 | Citizen Juries Jury trials can resume in West Virginia’s court system CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Jury trials can resume in West Virginia's court system.



The state Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for trials to resume starting Monday. Guidance given to judicial officers on Friday outlined ways that judges and circuit clerks can protect health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic, the court said in a news release... Read More

June 29, 2020 | Individual Liberties ASU professor says public health protection trumps civil liberties PHOENIX — In a legal battle between protecting public health and free speech, one Arizona State University professor thinks the former would win.



Some have argued and protested against mandates enforcing masks in public, that they violate the First Amendment and civil liberties... Read More

June 26, 2020 | Student Rights University of Michigan doesn’t owe students refunds for semester affected by coronavirus, lawyers argue ANN ARBOR, MI — The University of Michigan said in a court filing this month that it doesn’t have to give refunds to students for switching to online classes in March because universities can choose how classes are taught.



In April, two UM students — Kliment Milanov and Trenten Ingell — filed a class-action lawsuit against the university seeking restitution for everyone who paid tuition for the winter 2020 semester, everyone who paid the costs of room and board for the winter semester and everyone who paid unspecified fees for or on behalf of students enrolled for the winter semester... Read More

June 29, 2020 | Separation of Powers Supreme Court leaves consumer regulator standing but backs president’s ability to fire director The Supreme Court in a ruling Monday allowed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to continue operating, but said that the director of the watchdog can be removed by the president of the United States “at will.”



The decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, agreed with a California-based law firm’s argument that the CFPB’s leadership by a sole director who was removable “only for cause” violated the separation of powers rule under the U.S. Constitution... Read More

June 23, 2020 | Gun Rights Gun rights activists sue to block Virginia’s universal background checks law Gun rights activists have filed another lawsuit challenging Virginia’s soon-to-become-law gun control measures, this time challenging expanded background checks.



The lawsuit from the Virginia Citizens Defense League and five other plaintiffs was filed late Monday afternoon in Lynchburg Circuit Court. It argues that the law, which is set to take effect July 1, violates residents’ constitutional rights by making them subject to background checks. Read More

June 24, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Afghan Media Ask Government to Scrap New Rules They Say Could Hurt Press Freedom KABUL — Afghan media companies complained on Wednesday that changes to a media law would be a setback for independent journalism, ahead of a meeting with officials to press for the government to abandon the plans... Read More

June 16, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Google bans website ZeroHedge from its ad platform over comments on protest articles Google has banned ZeroHedge, a far-right website that often traffics in conspiracy theories, from its advertising platform over policy violations found in the comments section of stories about recent Black Lives Matter protests.



Google also issued a warning on Tuesday to The Federalist over comments on articles related to recent protests... Read More

June 22, 2020 | Freedom of Religion US religious freedom commission condemns Turkish operations in N. Iraq The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has condemned the air and ground operations of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) near civilian areas in northern Iraq, according to a press statement issued on June 19.



USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin said the commission had called on Turkey to immediately cease “its brutal airstrikes in Sinjar, Iraq and to withdraw any ground troops. … These actions are particularly threatening to hundreds of traumatized Yazidi families attempting to return to Sinjar and to other civilians in northern Iraq.”... Read More

June 22, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Protesters, police clash in Lafayette Square after trying to tear down Andrew Jackson statue WASHINGTON — Some protesters remained in the area of Black Lives Matter Plaza early Tuesday morning, deeming it an autonomous zone following the overnight attempt to remove the Andrew Jackson statue.



Protesters first gathered in Lafayette Square Monday evening outside the White House trying then to tear down the statue that was commissioned in 1847... Read More

June 21, 2020 | Federalism All eyes on Roberts ahead of Supreme Court’s abortion ruling Chief Justice John Roberts is under the microscope as the Supreme Court prepares to issue its first major ruling on abortion rights in the Trump era, which will give the clearest indication yet of the court’s willingness to revisit protections that were first granted in Roe v. Wade.



The tie-breaking vote may rest with Roberts, and the case stands to test his role as the court’s new ideological center as well as his allegiance to past rulings... Read More

June 18, 2020 | Individual Liberties An original ‘Juneteenth’ order found in the National Archives The National Archives on Thursday located what appears to be an original handwritten “Juneteenth” military order informing thousands of people held in bondage in Texas they were free.



The decree, in the ornate handwriting of a general’s aide, was found in a formal order book stored in the Archives headquarters building in Washington. It is dated June 19, 1865, and signed by Maj. F.W. Emery, on behalf of Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger... Read More

June 16, 2020 | Citizen Juries D.C. Residents With Felony Convictions Can Now Serve On Some Juries A Year After Release When the D.C. Superior Court fully reopens for trials once the coronavirus crisis has subsided, the court will have a broader pool of jurors to call on than in the past, thanks to new changes to its jury policies... Read More

June 15, 2020 | Student Rights Supreme Court Expansion of Transgender Rights Undercuts Trump Restrictions The Trump administration’s socially conservative agenda has included a broad-based effort to eliminate transgender rights across the government, in education, housing, the military and, as recently as Friday, health care.



The Supreme Court most likely upended it on Monday... Read More

June 18, 2020 | Separation of Powers Supreme Court rules against Trump administration bid to end DACA program The Supreme Court ruled Thursday against the Trump administration’s effort to end the Obama-era program that offers legal protections to young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.



The court ruled that the administration's decision to rescind the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which sets out rulemaking procedures for federal agencies... Read More

June 17, 2020 | Property Rights Coronavirus brings an outbreak of trademark applications The worst pandemic in modern memory has inspired a massive effort to harness intellectual property rights.



More than 1,500 trademark applications have been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for variations on the COVID-19 and coronavirus theme... Read More

June 15, 2020 | Individual Liberties Justices rule LGBT people protected from job discrimination WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.



The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against LGBT workers... Read More

June 15, 2020 | Gun Rights Supreme Court decides not to hear big gun-rights cases, dealing blow to Second Amendment activists The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not hear appeals of a slew of cases involving gun laws, dealing a blow to Second Amendment activists who seek to expand the rights of gun owners.



In an order released Monday morning, the court denied petitions for appeals of 10 cases. Read More

June 15, 2020 | Freedom of Speech ‘Facebook doesn’t care’: Activists say accounts removed despite Zuckerberg’s free-speech stance Mark Zuckerberg has championed Facebook’s commitment to free speech as a reason not to act on incendiary posts from President Donald Trump about the Black Lives Matter protests.



It's a standard that activists and journalists in the Middle East wish extended to their accounts... Read More

June 15, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Conservative Christians See ‘Seismic Implications’ in Supreme Court Ruling WASHINGTON — For conservative Christian groups, Monday’s Supreme Court ruling protecting the rights of gay and transgender workers was not only the latest sign that they are losing the American culture wars over sexuality. It also caused widespread concern that it could affect how they operate their own institutions... Read More

June 16, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Unrest at protests in 3 states leads to a shooting in Albuquerque and arrests elsewhere Protests against police brutality in the US remained mostly peaceful Monday night, though demonstrations in three states ended in chaos, with a shooting, arrests and the closure of one city's downtown... Read More

June 8, 2020 | Federalism Amidst budget concerns in Kansas, advocates push for medical marijuana legalization According to the Kansas Division of Budget, the state is expecting to face a $653 million shortfall in fiscal year 2021, including a projected $1.3 billion loss in tax revenue.



Proponents of legalizing marijuana in the state say marijuana sales tax revenue could help, KSNT reports.



“With a budget that’s just absolutely destroyed in the state of Kansas, it would be something that would very much help with multiple different things,” said J. Andrew Ericson Sr., president of the Kansas Cannabis Business Association. Read More

June 9, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Confederate Vance Monument debate reignited amid George Floyd protests A Confederate monument memorializing Zebulon Baird Vance towers 65 feet over Park Square in downtown Asheville.



The Buncombe County native it honors was North Carolina's governor during the Civil War, a slave owner and a documented racist. For years, people have debated whether a tribute to him should hold such a prominent place in Asheville. Several ideas have been floated, ranging from providing historic contextualization at the monument to outright removal. Read More

June 10, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Remote Court Proceedings Useful in Emergencies, Lawyers Say U.S. federal courts should loosen rules requiring live testimony and hearings in the event of another national emergency, attorneys told the federal judiciary in recently submitted comments.



Federal rules governing civil and criminal practice that restrict remote proceedings have been a hindrance for lawyers during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the event of another outbreak, attorneys said, there should be clearer language that trials and testimony in civil cases and certain criminal proceedings can be conducted through remote means. Read More

June 9, 2020 | Citizen Juries Does law enforcement need a citizen review board? As protest continues across the country, many are demanding reforms in law enforcement. Some are demanding the creation of Citizen Review Board.



Recently Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway told a group he was open for a discussion on a Citizens Review Board. He had heard it works well in some areas, but others in law enforcement are very suspicious of how such a board would work and operate.



People have taken to the streets in protests over the death of George Floyd in custody of a Minneapolis police officer. Review boards can work according to the Chairman of the UAB department of Criminal Justice. Read More

June 5, 2020 | Student Rights Blind student files federal discrimination lawsuit against Duke University Before Mary Fernandez enrolled at Duke University, she was assured she would be provided the accommodations for an equal education to her peers who aren’t blind.



Despite that assurance, Fernandez experienced barriers that permeated every aspect of her educational experience at Duke, according to a news release about a new federal lawsuit against the university... Read More

June 9, 2020 | Separation of Powers New bill would reopen gyms and bars, governor hints at a veto RALEIGH — The North Carolina Senate plans to vote Tuesday, June 9, on legislation that would reopen gyms, bars, and expand in-person dining at restaurants. Sen. Rick Gunn, R-Alamance, tweaked existing and vetoed legislation so that Gov. Roy Cooper would sign it.



Cooper on Friday vetoed H.B. 536, which would have reopened private bars and clubs, as well as expanded outdoor seating in restaurants and brewpubs. The governor hinted at a Monday news briefing he wouldn’t let the tweaked legislation become law... Read More

May 29, 2020 | Property Rights Tennessee House committee advances civil asset forfeiture reform (The Center Square) – A Tennessee House committee advanced legislation that would eliminate the requirement that someone post a $350 bond to appeal the seizure of assets seized via civil asset forfeiture.



Tennessee law permits police to seize money or assets if they have a preponderance of evidence that it was associated with criminal activity. Although money or assets can be taken without charging someone with a crime or giving that person a trial, current law requires a person post a $350 bond to appeal the seizure. Tennessee is one of three states with such a requirement. Read More

May 29, 2020 | Individual Liberties Missouri’s last abortion clinic will stay open after ruling ends contentious year-long legal battle Missouri has narrowly avoided a return to a time before Roe v. Wade after an independent arbiter ruled that its last operating abortion clinic can continue offering the procedure. Read More

June 1, 2020 | Gun Rights Gun Cases Could Prompt Supreme Court to Bolster Second Amendment The U.S. Supreme Court could act as soon as Monday on an array of calls to consider expanding gun rights, including appeals that seek a nationwide right to carry a handgun in public. Read More

June 1, 2020 | Freedom of the Press As U.S. Journalists Endure Assault And Arrests During Protests, Media Coalition Releases List Of ‘10 Most Urgent’ Press Freedom Cases Worldwide Law enforcement officials have arrested and deliberately targeted journalists with rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray during recent protests held across the United States. These members of the press have been reporting on the protests, unrest and violence following the death of George Floyd caused by a Minneapolis police officer and more generally racism and injustice exhibited against the African American community... Read More

May 27, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Twitter, other tech giants defeat free speech and censorship lawsuit by right-wing activist Twitter and several other social media giants defeated a lawsuit by right-wing activist Laura Loomer and the conservative group Freedom Watch in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, in a case that highlighted Republican frustrations with what they perceive as pervasive online censorship -- and the challenges they face in doing something about it... Read More

May 20, 2020 | Freedom of Religion DOJ To Governor Newsom: Closing Churches Violates Religious Freedom SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Department of Justice sent a letter to Governor Newsom, telling him to open up places of worship now. The letter says not doing so violates the First Amendment... Read More

May 28, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly ‘We have to arm ourselves’: Black Michigan demonstrators protest brutality Lansing — After a series of events where mostly white protesters carried guns at the Michigan Capitol and drew national attention, a group of armed black demonstrators hoped Thursday to send their own message.



"I want to present myself as an adult black man, fully armed and not a danger," said Stephen Alexander, 46, of Lansing, who carried a pistol outside the Capitol building during the event. "If you are not a danger to me, I am not dangerous... Read More

May 13, 2020 | Federalism Supreme Court Weighs Whether Electoral College Members Must Stick to State’s Popular Vote WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court set out to clarify the nation’s age-old rules for the Electoral College system of selecting U.S. presidents, considering whether presidential electors can go rogue and ignore the voter-chosen candidate... Read More

May 15, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process ACLU sues Betsy DeVos over new rules on campus sexual harassment and assault The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups are suing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over the department's new federal regulations on how sexual assault and harassment allegations should be handled on school campuses. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, claims the changes will result in fewer institutions "taking much-needed affirmative steps to prevent sexual harassment and assault before it happens."... Read More

May 18, 2020 | Citizen Juries A court in Texas is holding the first jury trial by Zoom A court in Texas is holding the first jury trial on Zoom. The news comes as court systems across the country face a choice between postponing trials until the pandemic ends or holding remote proceedings.



The case in Texas is an insurance dispute in the Collin County District, as reported by Reuters. Judge Emily Miskel live-streamed the jury selection process via her YouTube channel on Monday morning... Read More

May 2, 2020 | Student Rights UMN students sue the University over fee usage A group of University of Minnesota students filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Board of Regents on Thursday for using student service fees to provide spaces for certain student groups in Coffman Union.



The group Viewpoint Neutrality Now!, along with students Evan Smith and Isaac Smith, claim the use of student fees to provide nine student cultural centers on the second floor of the Coffman Union with subsidized space is unconstitutional according to the First Amendment, per their attorney, Erick Kaardal. Read More

May 4, 2020 | Separation of Powers NJ Gov. Murphy vetoes funding bills, warns of ‘fiscal disaster’ NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed on Monday a number of bills passed by the state Legislature as a “fiscal disaster” looms amid the coronavirus pandemic.



Among the eight bills vetoed was a measure to provide equipment and expand access to technology for students in certain districts as the state moves forward with remote learning for the remainder of the academic year... Read More

May 2, 2020 | Property Rights Report: Kansas Law Enforcement Seized $3.35M in Property BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas law enforcement agencies seized more than $3.35 million in property during a six-month period last year, disproportionately from young black and Hispanic male drivers... Read More

April 29, 2020 | Gun Rights After sidestepping ruling on gun rights, Supreme Court win for gun control groups could be temporary When the Supreme Court on Monday tossed out a dispute over since-changed New York City rules restricting the transport of handguns, it avoided issuing a major decision on the scope of the Second Amendment, handing a victory to gun control groups that advocate for stricter rules on firearms... Read More

April 28, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Authoritarian governments crack down on press freedoms amid COVID-19 pandemic: Report The novel coronavirus is compounding preexisting threats to press freedoms around the world, according to a new report by the international watchdog organization Reporters Without Borders.



“The coronavirus pandemic illustrates the negative factors threatening the right to reliable information, with the pandemic itself an exacerbating factor,” Christophe Deloire, the organization’s secretary-general, wrote in the report... Read More

April 29, 2020 | Freedom of Speech U.S. judge strikes down prohibitions on political speech for 1,100 federal court workers A U.S. judge Wednesday prohibited an administrative agency for the federal judiciary from barring its 1,100 employees from engaging in virtually all forms of partisan political activity outside the workplace. The judge called the ban an excessive effort to protect courts from “hyper-partisanship” and attacks from members of Congress. Read More

April 28, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Religious freedom watchdog pitches adding India to blacklist NEW YORK — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is urging that the State Department add India to its list of nations with uniquely poor records on protecting freedom to worship — while proposing to remove Sudan and Uzbekistan from that list. Read More

April 27, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Republican firefight kicks off as protesters target GOP govs over closures Republican governors are facing a new challenge as they fight to stop the spread of coronavirus: pressure from their own right flanks.



While the biggest protests calling for an end to stay-at-home orders and business restrictions have hit Democratic governors, conservative activists and groups are intensifying pressure on GOP governors they say are being too deliberative as their economies stagger and jobless rates spiral — part of a hyperaggressive effort on the right to reshape the debate over the financial ravages of Covid-19... Read More

April 25, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Coronavirus-related business closing debate takes on political overtones The mandatory closing of small businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic took on political overtones locally this past week, with a brouhaha over the shutdown, then reopening, of a Melbourne business called The Funky Mermaid Market.



The issue came to the public's attention with an April 17 Facebook post by Melbourne Vice Mayor and District 5 City Council Member Paul Alfrey. Read More

April 20, 2020 | Citizen Juries Supreme Court: Criminal juries must be unanimous to convict WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that juries in state criminal trials must be unanimous to convict a defendant, settling a quirk of constitutional law that had allowed divided votes to result in convictions in Louisiana and Oregon.



Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court that the practice is inconsistent with the Constitution's right to a jury trial and that it should be discarded as a vestige of Jim Crow laws in Louisiana and racial, ethnic and religious bigotry that led to its adoption in Oregon in the 1930s... Read More

April 23, 2020 | Student Rights Detroit students have the right to an education, federal appeals court rules American children have a fundamental right to at least a basic education, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.



In a ruling legal scholars said could affect disadvantaged children across the country, Sixth Circuit Court Judge Eric Clay wrote in an opinion siding with a group of Detroit students in their suit against the state of Michigan that education “is essential to nearly every interaction between a citizen and her government.”... Read More

April 24, 2020 | Separation of Powers Michigan Senate passes bills to curb Whitmer’s emergency powers; created government COVID-19 oversight committee (The Center Square) – The Senate passed two bills by a 22-15 vote Friday that would curb Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency powers, but she’s vowed a veto.



Tempers flared at the Capitol as parties traded partisan accusations... Read More

April 15, 2020 | Property Rights Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer’s new stay-at-home restrictions spark fierce backlash Michigan residents are calling Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) new restrictive stay-at-home measures into question as the state reckons with mounting coronavirus cases.



The new stay-at-home mandate, which Whitmer signed last week, includes prohibiting state residents to travel to in-state vacation homes, closing store areas that sell goods like carpets, flooring, furniture, garden centers and paint, prohibiting the advertising of goods that “are not groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences,” among other restrictions... Read More

April 17, 2020 | Individual Liberties Not Every New Yorker is on Board with Cuomo’s Mask Mandate NEW YORK - For many New Yorkers, wearing a face mask when out in public is something they already do voluntarily.



But when they’re jogging it’s usually mask-less... Read More

April 10, 2020 | Gun Rights Gun-Rights Groups Sue Massachusetts Over Gun Store Shutdowns A collection of gun-rights groups filed a federal suit on Thursday against Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker (R.) challenging his order to close gun stores.



The gun-rights activists said the governor's shutdown order violates the Second Amendment by effectively banning the lawful purchase of guns and ammunition in the state. They asked the United States District Court for Massachusetts to strike down the order and allow gun stores to reopen... Read More

April 14, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Australian court says raid at heart of press freedom row unlawful Australia's High Court ruled on Wednesday that a warrant used by police to search a journalist's home was unlawful but declined to order seized material destroyed, in a decision that received qualified praise from press freedom advocates.



The seven-member bench unanimously ruled that the warrant to search the home of News Corp reporter Annika Smethurst in June 2019 was invalid and that the police search and seizure of data from her phone and laptop were unlawful... Read More

April 15, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Do coronavirus social distancing orders violate religious freedom? Local pastors say yes On Easter Sunday at a church in Fontana, a pastor delivered a fiery sermon to worshipers who crowded the pews in defiance of government orders prohibiting in-person services even on this holiest of days.



The next day, the pastor, Patrick Scales of the Shield of Faith Family Church, filed a lawsuit contesting the stay-at-home orders as a violation of 1st Amendment religious freedom... Read More

April 16, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly ‘You Have to Disobey’: Protesters Gather to Defy Stay-At-Home Orders As President Trump and some of his supporters push for a more rapid return to pre-coronavirus economic activity, protesters in several states took to the streets this week to urge governors to relax the strict rules on commerce, work and daily life that health officials have said are necessary to save lives... Read More

April 10, 2020 | Federalism The 115-year-old Supreme Court opinion that could determine rights during a pandemic When a US appeals court ruled this week that Texas could prevent physicians from performing abortions because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the judges leaned heavily on a 1905 Supreme Court decision against a Massachusetts man who had refused vaccination during a smallpox outbreak.



That case could be invoked more in the months ahead. It is the high court's touchstone for state power during public health crises. But it is a decision with limits. The 1905 court warned against "arbitrary" or "oppressive" regulation and expressly connected mandatory vaccination to ending the spread of smallpox... Read More

April 10, 2020 | Individual Liberties Apple, Google debut major effort to help people track if they’ve come in contact with coronavirus Apple and Google unveiled an ambitious effort Friday to help combat coronavirus, introducing new tools that could soon allow owners of smartphones to know if they have crossed paths with someone infected with the disease.



The changes the two companies announced targeting iPhone and Android devices could inject valuable new technological support into contact tracing, a strategy public-health officials say is essential to allowing people to return to work and normal life while containing the spread of the pandemic... Read More

April 9, 2020 | Citizen Juries Washington Supreme Court: No minimum wage for jurors OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Supreme Court says people are not entitled to make minimum wage for jury duty.



Three citizens who reported for jury duty or who served on juries filed a class-action lawsuit against King County, challenging their $10-a-day pay... Read More

April 8, 2020 | Separation of Powers Harris County judges, ACLU sue Greg Abbott over order limiting jail releases during pandemic Gov. Greg Abbott’s order restricting the release of some jail inmates during the new coronavirus pandemic is facing a second court challenge arguing his order violates the constitutional separation of powers and discriminates against poor criminal defendants.



Harris County’s misdemeanor judges, criminal defense organizations and the NAACP of Texas sued Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday in Travis County district court. The plaintiffs are represented in part by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Texas Fair Defense Project... Read More

April 7, 2020 | Property Rights Oceanfront landowners say Florida county’s beach ban violates property rights (The Center Square) – Oceanfront landowners are demanding a federal judge block a Walton County ordinance that made all beaches off-limits, claiming the restriction does not legally apply to private property.



Arguing they are being prevented from using their backyards, the property owners filed the lawsuit and a request for an injunction Monday in federal court in Pensacola.



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shut down beaches in three south Florida counties by executive order nearly two weeks ago, but his April 1 statewide stay-at-home directive did not shut down all state beaches, leaving that to local discretion... Read More

April 7, 2020 | Individual Liberties A ‘Liberty’ Rebellion in Idaho Threatens to Undermine Coronavirus Orders SANDPOINT, Idaho — Inside an old factory building north of Boise, a few dozen people gathered last week to hear from Ammon Bundy, the man who once led an armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge.



The meeting, which appeared to violate orders by Gov. Brad Little of Idaho to avoid group gatherings, was an assertion of what Mr. Bundy said was a constitutional right to peacefully assemble. But Mr. Bundy said he also hoped to create a network of people ready to come to the aid of those facing closure of their businesses or other interference from the government as a result of the coronavirus outbreak... Read More

April 7, 2020 | Gun Rights Buckling to pressure, many states deem gun stores ‘essential,’ allow them to remain open during pandemic What's considered "essential?" Food, prescription drugs, sometimes liquor — and, in most states, firearms.



To slow the spread of the coronavirus, 42 states have issued some form of a stay-at-home order, mandating that nearly all nonessential businesses close. Gun retailers in at least 30 of those states, however, have been allowed to stay open amid pushback from gun groups and the federal government... Read More

April 5, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Journalists threatened and detained as countries on multiple continents restrict coronavirus coverage When a flu-like virus tore through the world, killing tens of millions and infecting far more, the papers in Europe told readers of "Spanish flu." King Alfonso XIII of Spain was one of many stricken, they reported in 1918. What they didn't say was that their own populations were being decimated, too.



It was the largest pandemic in modern history, but due to wartime censorship in many European countries, few citizens would know it at first. Only Spain, a nation neutral in the fight, allowed its press to work largely uncensored, and so it was that stories of the contagion spread too... Read More

April 1, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Law banning public worker picketing violates free speech, Missouri Supreme Court says JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Supreme Court has dealt a blow to a controversial 2018 labor law restricting public employees’ right to picket.



In a unanimous decision issued Tuesday, the high court upheld a lower court ruling that struck down the picketing restriction. The statute in question requires labor agreements between unions and public bodies to prohibit any kind of picketing... Read More

April 2, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Church vs. coronavirus: California pastor says stay-at-home orders violate freedom of religion LODI, Calif. - The pastor of a church in central California is holding services and has no plans to stop, despite a stay-at-home order issued by the governor and the fact that other religious leaders have gotten arrested for doing the same.



That's also despite a report in the Sacramento Bee that nearly one third of Sacramento County’s coronavirus cases are connected to churches, which has prompted alarmed county officials to issue a special plea for congregations to stop holding services and prayer groups as Easter is approaching next weekend... Read More

April 2, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Nurses in multiple states to protest over ‘lack of preparedness’ Nurses at hospitals in multiple states are protesting what they describe as one of the nation's largest hospital chains' "lack of preparedness" amid the coronavirus pandemic.



The National Nurses Union, which represents 10,000 registered nurses at 19 hospitals managed by HCA Healthcare in California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Texas, is demanding that the hospital chain provide optimal personal protective equipment (PPE) for nurses and other staff... Read More

March 30, 2020 | Federalism Right to travel across state lines under scrutiny due to coronavirus WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Streets are far emptier than normal in cities and towns across America. It’s the most visual example of how the coronavirus is impacting daily life.



At the root of that: orders to stay home.



“The authority lies with the governor and in a number of jurisdictions that authority can also be devolved down to mayors,” said Meryl Chertoff, executive director of Georgetown Law’s Project on State and Local Government Policy and Law... Read More

April 1, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Umatilla County Suspends Habeas Corpus Hearings Over Coronavirus Concerns Umatilla County has canceled all habeas corpus hearings and trials until June. It’s the latest step taken by government officials to limit coronavirus contagion by avoiding gatherings of people.



The right of “habeas corpus” – meaning “have the body” – allows inmates to challenge or modify their detention on certain bases... Read More

March 30, 2020 | Citizen Juries Court: Grand jury records from lynching can’t be released ATLANTA (AP) — The grand jury records from the 1946 lynching of two black couples in Georgia cannot be released despite their great historical significance, a federal appeals court said.



The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled 8-4 that federal judges don't have authority to disclose grand jury records for reasons other than those provided for in the rules governing grand jury secrecy... Read More

March 24, 2020 | Student Rights University of Michigan violated student’s ‘clearly established constitutional rights,’ judge says in ruling on sexual misconduct policy ANN ARBOR, MI - A federal judge has determined the University of Michigan’s former sexual misconduct policy was unconstitutional, ordering that a student accused of sexual misconduct is entitled to a live hearing with the opportunity to cross-examine his accuser... Read More

March 27, 2020 | Separation of Powers House rushes back to Washington to try to pass $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill House members are scrambling back to the Capitol on Friday morning as one member’s opposition to a $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package threatens to delay its passage.



With few representatives in Washington this week as the outbreak tears across the country, the House hoped to approve the legislation quickly Friday without a recorded vote. But after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., indicated he would oppose the bill, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s office advised members Thursday night “that it is possible this measure will not pass by voice vote.”... Read More

March 26, 2020 | Property Rights Can Philly use eminent domain to take over Hahnemann hospital for coronavirus patients? As Philadelphia officials negotiate to use the former Hahnemann University Hospital as quarantine or isolation space during the coronavirus pandemic, City Councilmember Helen Gym is calling for the city to consider seizing the property by eminent domain.



“My belief is that the city has the right to exercise some authority here and should be exploring all possible options,” Gym said Wednesday... Read More

March 26, 2020 | Individual Liberties Use of surveillance to fight coronavirus raises concerns about government power after pandemic ends From Israel to South Korea to China, governments around the world are using technology to track the coronavirus outbreak as they race to stem its spread. But how long will it last and is this an infringement of privacy, rights groups have asked.



In China, government-installed CCTV cameras point at the apartment door of those under a 14-day quarantine to ensure they don’t leave. Drones tell people to wear their masks. Digital barcodes on mobile apps highlight the health status of individuals... Read More

March 23, 2020 | Gun Rights Gun-rights coalition sues New Jersey governor for closing gun dealers during coronavirus pandemic A coalition of gun-rights activists Monday filed a lawsuit against New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy for closing gun stores and suspending legally required background checks amid the coronavirus pandemic.



The lawsuit charges that Mr. Murphy’s actions violate the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms... Read More

March 25, 2020 | Freedom of the Press COVID-19 is spawning a global press-freedom crackdown IN HIS REMARKS TO THE MEDIA and the public, World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom has regularly emphasized that accurate, timely information is essential to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet around the world, governments are cracking down on journalists and implementing sweeping restrictions under the guise of combating misinformation and “fake news.”... Read More

March 27, 2020 | Federalism COVID-19 Action Tracker AEI is committed to tracking state level mitigation strategies for COVID-19. Please see the map below to see individual state responses. Maps are updated daily. Read More

March 19, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Freedom-of-speech restrictions could worsen coronavirus crisis: Watchdog An independent democracy advocacy organization is warning that authoritarian regimes are using the global coronavirus outbreak to suppress freedoms of speech and restrict fundamental rights outside of the scope of public health needs.



The nonpartisan Washington-based Freedom House said in a statement Thursday that they have observed “concerning signs” of efforts to increase surveillance and downplay failing responses to contain the spread of COVID-19 that could worsen the spread of the virus... Read More

March 19, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Coronavirus gathering bans raise religious freedom questions NEW YORK (AP) — On the first Sunday after the coronavirus began upending American life, some religious institutions – including two churches whose pastors are close to President Donald Trump – held in-person services amid public health worries over the pandemic. That picture already looks different this week... Read More

March 20, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Hundreds of Israelis Protest Netanyahu’s Strict Measures JERUSALEM — Hundreds of Israelis mounted a protest convoy on a main highway into Jerusalem on Thursday, demonstrating against what they called antidemocratic measures by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies that they said were taking the country down a path to dictatorship... Read More

March 19, 2020 | Federalism ‘There have been a lot of tears’: Coronavirus threatens to shut schools until the fall Skyler Buie, 17, wasn't all that interested in going to the prom at his high school in Gardner, Kansas. But graduation?



"It's a special thing that only really happens once," the senior at Gardner Edgerton High School said, "and now we don't get to experience it."... Read More

March 17, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Coronavirus Latest: Philadelphia Police Department Modifying Arrest Procedures Amid COVID-19 Outbreak PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Police Department is changing its arresting procedures amid the coroanvirus outbreak. The department said Tuesday that officers will arrest people, process them and let them go for certain non-violent offenses... Read More

March 15, 2020 | Citizen Juries Delaware suspends all jury trials amid coronavirus fears WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — All civil and criminal jury trials in Delaware have been suspended until April 15 under an order aimed at protecting jurors, lawyer, judges and court staff from coronavirus.



The order was issued Sunday by Judge Jan Jurden, president judge of Superior Court in Delaware. It says anyone who has been summoned for jury duty is excused and should not report to court. The grand jury and other court proceedings that involve smaller groups of people will continue... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Student Rights When Should Schools Close For Coronavirus? The spread of coronavirus has compelled hundreds of K-12 schools in the U.S. to close, affecting more than 850,000 students, according to an analysis by Education Week. And those numbers are certain to increase in the coming days, as concerned parents call for more school closures.



The growing health crisis presents school leaders with a painful choice. Closing schools — as has been done, so far, in China, Japan, Italy and elsewhere — is a proven measure that has been shown to slow the spread of disease and, in turn, save lives. But it also causes huge economic and social disruption, especially for children, millions of whom depend on the free and reduced-cost meals they get at school... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Separation of Powers Sen. Mike Lee urges Trump to veto House FISA bill Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said Wednesday that he’ll do all he can to block the House's legislation to reform surveillance laws and is pushing President Donald Trump to veto it.



Lee’s move could sink efforts to renew provisions in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which are expiring March 15. Lee and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are pushing for several changes to the law not currently included in the House’s version... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Property Rights Trump Administration Presses Cities to Evict Homeowners From Flood Zones WASHINGTON — The federal government is giving local officials nationwide a painful choice: Agree to use eminent domain to force people out of flood-prone homes, or forfeit a shot at federal money they need to combat climate change... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Individual Liberties Your legal rights in a quarantine, explained New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced on Tuesday that the state would create a “containment area” in the city of New Rochelle, hoping to contain the spread of Covid-19, the coronavirus disease. The epicenter of this area is a synagogue believed to be connected to several cases of the disease. For now, the state plans to close gathering spaces near the synagogue.



It is unclear if New York or some other state will resort to more serious measures, such as mandatory quarantines. But can the government quarantine someone against their will? Read More

March 11, 2020 | Gun Rights Gun rights supporters sue Connecticut over 10-bullet max law HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gun rights supporters are suing Connecticut officials over the state’s 2013 ban on high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.



The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday cites the Second Amendment right to bear arms and the ability of people to better defend themselves with more bullets in their guns... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Freedom of Speech How much freedom of speech can your license plate have? New suit could decide After an honorable discharge following four oversea tours, Paul Ogilvie bought a car and wanted to combine two of his nicknames to create a personalized license plate.



He decided on “OGWOOLF,” a combination of his military nickname, using the first two letters of his last name and “woolf,” an online screen name he’s used since 1999... Read More

March 7, 2020 | Freedom of Religion A Quebec Ban on Religious Symbols Upends Lives and Careers MONTREAL — A Muslim lawyer who wears a head scarf has put aside her aspiration to become a public prosecutor.



A Sikh teacher with a turban moved about 2,800 miles from Quebec to Vancouver, calling herself a “refugee in her own country.”



And an Orthodox Jewish teacher who wears a head kerchief is worried that she could be blocked from a promotion... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Police shooting of 26-year-old man sparks protests in North Carolina An officer's shooting of a 26-year-old man in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday night sparked protests and a claim by police that misinformation about the incident was spreading online.



An officer shot Javier Torres in the abdomen by around 6:45 p.m. after police got a 911 call about a man with a gun, authorities said... Read More

March 12, 2020 | Federalism As Missouri Clinic Awaits Its Legal Fate, Abortions In State Have Virtually Halted Missouri could soon become the first state in the nation without a clinic providing abortions, but Planned Parenthood officials say the last remaining one there has already all-but ceased performing the procedure.



The clinic, Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, is at the center of a licensing dispute between the organization and Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson's administration. That clinic's future is in the hands of a state commission that is expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks or months... Read More

March 10, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Gabbard slams ‘the DNC and their corporate media partners’ for shutting her out of next debate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) slammed the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and "their corporate media partners" on Tuesday for not allowing her to participate in next week's debate that is slated to feature former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).



The pushback from Gabbard comes after the DNC announced new qualifying standards on Friday for the March 15 Arizona debate that will be broadcasted on CNN and Univision... Read More

March 11, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Harvey Weinstein breaks courtroom silence, claims “men are losing due process” as he is sentenced Harvey Weinstein pleaded for mercy and attempted to explain himself before he was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison, breaking the silence he maintained in the Manhattan courtroom throughout his trial. After two of his accusers confronted him again, arguing his punishment in the landmark #MeToo rape case was long overdue, the 67-year-old former Hollywood mogul had a chance to make his statement to the judge... Read More

March 10, 2020 | Citizen Juries House Can See Mueller’s Secret Grand Jury Evidence, Appeals Court Rules WASHINGTON — The House has a right to see secret grand-jury evidence gathered in the Russia investigation, an appeals court ruled on Tuesday in a victory for Congress’s power to gather information for an impeachment inquiry... Read More

March 2, 2020 | Student Rights Catholic school ‘blatantly’ violated fragile student’s rights by expelling instead of helping her, parents claim in lawsuit A Harrisburg-area Roman Catholic school violated the civil rights of a teenage student by expelling her over her mental health and emotional issues, the girl’s parents claim in a newly-filed federal lawsuit.



Leaders of the Saint Margaret Mary School “disenrolled” the girl after claiming the school lacked the programs to support her needs, the complaint filed in U.S. Middle District Court states... Read More

March 4, 2020 | Separation of Powers State tells high court Flint suit would violate ‘separation of powers’ Lansing — The state of Michigan argued Wednesday that a class action lawsuit filed by Flint residents should not continue because the state had no official policy or deliberate aim to contaminate the drinking water of residents with lead.



Assistant Attorney General Nathan Gambill told the state's Supreme Court justices that the remedy Flint residents are requesting — one that is decided by the judiciary — violates the separation of powers doctrine. It also ignores the various aid residents have received from the Legislature and are likely to receive from other litigation, he said... Read More

March 4, 2020 | Property Rights Bill Would Halt Civil Forfeiture Until Conviction in Georgia A bill proposed in the Georgia legislature would halt civil asset forfeiture proceedings until the conclusion of any criminal proceedings.



Civil forfeiture is a court process that enables a government entity to seize property and other assets belonging to individuals suspected of committing a crime... Read More

March 3, 2020 | Gun Rights Joe Biden promises to put Beto O’Rourke in charge of gun control Moments after former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke — who promised in a September debate to take away legally purchased assault rifles if elected — endorsed Joe Biden’s White House run, the former vice president promised to name the Texan as his point man on gun control... Read More

March 2, 2020 | Freedom of the Press These Are the 10 ‘Most Urgent’ Threats to Press Freedom in March 2020 When Chinese authorities announced a lockdown on the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late January in an attempt to halt the spread of a deadly virus, millions of people fled the city, eager to escape before the enforced quarantine began... Read More

March 4, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Judge rejects Tulsi Gabbard’s ‘free speech’ lawsuit against Google Last July, Hawaii representative and longshot Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of violating her First Amendment rights to free speech when it briefly suspended her campaign's ad account. On Wednesday, California's Central District Court rejected the suit outright... Read More

March 5, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Kentucky High School Removes Bible Verse After Atheist Group Complains A school district in Whitesburg, Kentucky, removed several religious displays — including a Bible verse emblazoned on the wall of a high school locker room — after an atheist group complained. That group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, wrote about it in a blog post this week. According to the organization, they were contacted by a resident who voiced concerns about Letcher County Public Schools following "multiple instances of the district promoting and endorsing religious messages."... Read More

March 5, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Anti-protest bill wins Utah Senate OK Protesters repeatedly found guilty of disrupting public meetings would face stiffer penalties under a bill that passed the Utah Senate on Thursday.



The proposal cleared the Senate by a unanimous vote after a couple Democratic lawmakers questioned its sponsor, Sen. Don Ipson, about whether it would have a chilling effect on public expression or put officials at risk of being sued for restricting speech... Read More

March 3, 2020 | Federalism Supreme Court Gives States Greater Rights to Prosecute Undocumented Immigrants WASHINGTON—A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday boosted the ability of states to prosecute undocumented immigrants for identity theft when they provide false Social Security numbers or other information on job applications.



The court, in a 5-4 opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, reinstated convictions obtained by Kansas prosecutors against three restaurant workers for using other people’s Social Security numbers on forms given to their employers... Read More

March 4, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Here’s Why Health Experts Want to Stop Daylight-Saving Time Early Sunday morning, most people in America will spring forward and move their clocks one hour ahead to daylight-saving time.



It is good news for those who enjoy more daylight in the evening. But experts say a growing body of evidence shows that the annual time shift is bad for our health, disrupting our circadian rhythms and sleep and leading to a higher immediate risk of heart attacks, strokes, atrial fibrillation and potentially car accidents... Read More

March 2, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process Quandary for 2020 Democrats: Which Criminal Justice Changes Get Priority? The very premise of the questionnaire would have been nonsensical a few years ago: that a presidential candidate might propose criminal justice overhauls so sweeping that it would become reasonable to ask them to prioritize.



Welcome to 2020, featuring an entire Democratic field that wants to reduce or eliminate mandatory minimum sentences, divert low-level offenders from jail, end or at least modify the cash bail system, change drug laws and remove an array of legal barriers that restrict people’s lives after they have served their time... Read More

March 5, 2020 | Citizen Juries 2 Jurors Voted to Spare His Life. Alabama Is Set to Execute Him. ATLANTA — Nathaniel Woods never pulled the trigger, but prosecutors said he was just as guilty as the man who did. He had been a mastermind, prosecutors said, luring police officers in Birmingham, Ala., into a house where three of them were killed.



Now, condemned to death row, Mr. Woods is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, as his supporters argue that the case against him was deeply flawed, and that no evidence existed of a plot to ambush the officers... Read More

February 26, 2020 | Student Rights Justice Department argues Harvard’s use of race in admissions violates civil rights law The Trump administration is arguing that Harvard University discriminates unlawfully against Asian Americans when choosing an undergraduate class, siding this week with a group that challenged the Ivy League school’s admissions process through a lawsuit pending in a federal appellate court... Read More

February 25, 2020 | Separation of Powers Supreme Court Rules Border Patrol Agents Who Shoot Foreign Nationals Can’t Be Sued There's no dispute on whether Jesus Mesa Jr. killed 15-year-old Sergio Adrián Hernández Güereca.



He did. And there's a video of it.



In 2010 Mesa, an on-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent who was at the border in El Paso, Texas, shot Hernández at least twice — once in the face. At the time, the boy, a Mexican national, was on the southern side of the border in Ciudad Juarez... Read More

February 25, 2020 | Individual Liberties Vaccine debate ramps up one week before vote PORTLAND (WGME) – CBS 13 saw an incredible response from Monday night’s town hall debate on whether to keep or repeal Maine's new vaccination law.



It's a hot topic that voters will be deciding on in one week.



A "Yes" vote on Question 1 would repeal that new law, and keep religious and philosophical exemptions to vaccines. Read More

February 26, 2020 | Gun Rights Virginia Senate advances two proposed gun control measures The Virginia Senate has advanced two pieces of Gov. Ralph Northam's proposed gun-control measures after previously rejecting them.



The Senate voted Wednesday to advance legislation that would require gun owners to report to police any lost or stolen firearms and to toughen the penalty for leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm in a reckless manner that endangers a child... Read More

February 26, 2020 | Freedom of the Press AG William Barr laments ‘massively consolidated’ mainstream press; claims journalists now ‘less objective’ Attorney General William Barr, the focus of intense public scrutiny for revising a stiff sentencing recommendation for longtime GOP operative Roger Stone, took aim at the press Wednesday lamenting a "massively consolidated" media landscape in which journalists are increasingly abandoning objectivity.



In a speech before the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, the attorney general referred to the press as "remarkably monolithic in viewpoint," adding that journalists "see themselves less as objective reporters of the facts and more as agents of change."... Read More

February 21, 2020 | Freedom of Speech Federal judge orders city to cease enforcing free speech restrictions at Millennium Park People who want to pass out literature or evangelize in Millennium Park will now be able to do so after a federal judge has temporarily barred the city of Chicago from restricting free speech privileges there.



U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey granted a preliminary injunction Thursday that allows people to evangelize and campaign in the park... Read More

February 24, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Supreme Court to Hear Case on Gay Rights and Foster Care WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether Philadelphia may exclude a Catholic agency that does not work with same-sex couples from the city’s foster-care system.



The city stopped placements with the agency, Catholic Social Services, after a 2018 article in The Philadelphia Inquirer described its policy against placing children with same-sex couples. The agency and several foster parents sued the city, saying the decision violated their First Amendment rights to religious freedom and free speech... Read More

February 27, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Duval school board member explores letting students have day off to protest JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After one of the biggest school districts in the country decided to allow students to have an excused absence to participate in protests, a school board member is exploring bringing the idea to Duval County.



Duval County School Board Vice Chairwoman Elizabeth Andersen broached the topic during a school board workshop last week... Read More

February 27, 2020 | Federalism Congress Makes Lynching a Federal Crime After 120 Years of Failure Since at least 1900, members of the House and Senate have tried to pass a law making lynching a federal crime. The bills were consistently blocked, shelved or ignored, and the passage of time has rendered anti-lynching legislation increasingly symbolic.



But on Wednesday, a measure to add lynching to the United States Criminal Code passed in the House. The Senate passed a version of the bill last year... Read More

February 25, 2020 | Criminal Procedure & Due Process New Mexico governor signs red-flag gun bill, tells sheriffs to enforce law or resign SANTA FE - New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a red-flag gun bill Tuesday that will allow state district courts to order the temporary surrender of firearms, and she urged sheriffs to resign if they still refuse to enforce it.



Flanked by advocates for stricter gun control and supportive law enforcement officials at a signing ceremony, Lujan Grisham said the legislation provides law enforcement authorities with an urgently needed tool to deter deadly violence by taking firearms from people who pose a threat to themselves or others... Read More

February 25, 2020 | Citizen Juries Federal judge rebukes Trump over Roger Stone jury comments A federal judge swung back at President Donald Trump on Tuesday over his heated criticism of the Roger Stone case, warning that the president’s commentary about his longtime associate’s conviction had helped fuel threats to the jury... Read More

February 20, 2020 | Student Rights California will pay millions to settle suit claiming it violated children’s rights by not teaching them to read The state of California today agreed to settle a years-long, high-profile lawsuit that accused the state of depriving low-income students of color of their constitutional right to a basic education — by failing to teach them reading skills.



Under an agreement reached with plaintiffs in the complaint, Ella T. v. State of California, the state will provide $50 million specifically to improve literacy in the 75 California elementary schools with the highest concentration of third-graders scoring in the bottom tier of the state’s standardized reading exam... Read More

February 14, 2020 | Separation of Powers Mayor Michael Hancock will veto the pit bull bill passed by Denver City Council Mayor Michael Hancock said on Friday evening that he will veto a bill ending the city’s pit bull ban passed by Denver City Council earlier this week.



Hancock’s decision comes after his office received more than 900 emails and dozens of phone calls over the bill, according to a video statement Hancock released Friday afternoon. A group of residents also delivered a petition on Thursday requesting he veto the bill, citing concerns over public safety... Read More

February 20, 2020 | Property Rights India, US ink pact on intellectual property rights NEW DELHI: India and the US have signed an agreement on intellectual property rights (IPR) ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit. The Cabinet Wednesday approved an MoU with the US on the issue of IPRs, information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar said... Read More

February 21, 2020 | Individual Liberties Florida House sends parental rights abortion bill to DeSantis TALLAHASSEE — Following emotional debate, a divided Florida House approved a parental consent requirement Thursday for minors seeking abortion — reviving a measure declared unconstitutional 30 years ago by the state Supreme Court.





The bill (SB 404) would force girls under age 18 to get notarized approval from a parent or guardian or, otherwise, seek a hearing and gain consent from a judge before terminating a pregnancy... Read More

February 18, 2020 | Gun Rights Virginia lawmakers reject Northam’s assault-weapons ban, as Dems balk A bill backed by Gov. Ralph Northam that would ban the sale of assault-style weapons in Virginia failed on a committee vote Monday morning, setting back one of the biggest priorities for the newly minted Democrat-controlled government in the state.



A crowd of gun-rights activists packed into the committee room cheered as the vote came in, with four moderate Democrats joining Republicans to shelve the bill until next year. Heated exchanges over guns have dominated this year's legislative session. They were also a key topic of last year's legislative elections – particularly after a mass shooting in Virginia Beach claimed a dozen lives – and gun control groups heavily funded Democratic candidates... Read More

February 21, 2020 | Freedom of the Press Assange’s fate hangs in balance as UK court considers U.S. extradition bid LONDON (Reuters) - Almost a decade after his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking secret U.S. documents, a London court will begin hearings on Monday to decide whether Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States... Read More

February 21, 2020 | Freedom of Speech How group led to ‘free speech booth’ at St. Louis airport ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (AP) - Tucked near a rarely used escalator in Terminal 1 at St. Louis Lambert International Airport is a blue sign that hangs over a nondescript stand announcing in all caps the spot’s purpose: FREE SPEECH BOOTH.



Underneath the sign on a recent morning sat Gregory Brown, 66, and Charles Ryskamp, 70, calling out to travelers and asking for donations in exchange for books about their Hare Krishna beliefs. Most passed without a second look... Read More

February 10, 2020 | Freedom of Religion Clark County school board meetings to no longer begin with prayer following complaint LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The Clark County School District is no longer beginning its Board of School Trustees meetings with an invocation, or a prayer asking for God’s help and blessing, after a complaint was filed by the Freedom of Religion Foundation.



The foundation said Monday, Feb. 10, that it learned the board began meetings with prayer in December, citing one meeting that month which it says started with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation... Read More

February 18, 2020 | Freedom of Assembly Catholic school facing protests for allegedly forcing gay teachers out of their jobs Students and parents were planning protests after a Catholic school outside of Seattle allegedly forced out two teachers for being gay. Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Washington, claims that both English teacher Paul Danforth and soccer coach Michelle Beattie "voluntarily resigned" shortly after they got engaged to same-sex partners.



In a statement to CBS News, Danforth's fiancé Sean Nyberg said his partner was "no longer employed specifically because he and I got engaged… This is not only personally painful, it also harms former students who looked up to them."... Read More

February 19, 2020 | Federalism Tucson Mayor Regina Romero speaks out against proposed sanctuary city ban in Arizona TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona lawmakers are debating legislation that would strengthen laws against sanctuary cities in the state, but Tucson's mayor calls it "entirely unnecessary."



Republican lawmakers at the state capitol are now seeking to add a "sanctuary city ban" via constitutional amendment to the 2020 ballot. They say it's in response to a ballot measure last November that tried to designate Tucson as a sanctuary city. Voters rejected that proposal... Read More

February 20, 2020 | Debates and Conversations Buttigieg calls on Bloomberg to drop out after debate Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign called on former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to drop out of the Democratic presidential 