Iowa’s latest abortion law, requiring an unnecessary waiting period before having an abortion, has been temporarily blocked by an Iowa judge. The law was set to go into effect on Wednesday. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law on Monday. It states that a patient must endure a 24-hour waiting period after an […]
Supreme Court Ruling Ends Religious Schools’ Exclusion From School Choice Programs
In a 5-4 decision yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting religious schools from receiving state funding in school choice programs violates the First Amendment right to freely exercise religion. The court’s decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue was split along ideological lines, with Chief Justice Roberts, along with Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Alito […]
Federal Judge Rules Against Trump Administration’s Strict Asylum Policy
On Tuesday night a federal judge ruled that the strictest asylum policy that the Trump administration created is illegal. This decision comes at the heels of the new Supreme Court decision, made on June 18, to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The “third-country asylum rule,” instituted in 2019, “prohibited immigrants from claiming […]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Abortions
Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that requires minors to have parental consent before having an abortion. This bill goes into effect today and could significantly obstruct abortion access in the state. The law states that a physician must “obtain written consent from a minor’s parent or legal guardian before performing or inducing […]
Recent Gallup Poll Suggests Support for Immigration Has Risen Significantly Among Americans
A recent Gallup Poll found that a larger margin of Americans are supportive of increased immigration to the United States than are unsupportive. Gallup has observed the trend in public opinion towards immigration since 1965, but its 2020 poll is the first time that more Americans prefer increased immigration than decreased immigration, and marks the […]
USAID Afghan Rug Project Aims to Empower Women and Bolster the Economy
A project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is putting Afghanistan’s traditional rug industry back into the hands of Afghan weavers. This project, based in Kabul, aims to grow Afghanistan’s economy and empower women. The nine-million-dollar project, run by Rob Leahy in South Carolina, acts as the ‘middle man’ between Afghan […]
Supreme Court Upholds Conditional Funding for Overseas Organizations
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that allows the federal government to distribute AIDS funding to foreign affiliates of U.S. groups on the condition they explicitly oppose prostitution and sex trafficking. The 5-3 decision split along ideological lines with Justice Brett Kavanaugh writing for the majority. Justice Elena Kagan recused herself from the case because […]
Women in Viral Video Sue Indianapolis Police for Excessive Use of Force
Two women have filed an excessive force lawsuit against four Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers who were captured on video using batons and pepper balls to subdue them at a protest against police violence on May 31. The federal lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana on behalf of Ivoré Westfield […]
Over 150 Major Advertisers Boycott Facebook During Stop Hate for Profit Campaign
On June 17th, a coalition of advocacy groups including the Anti-Defamation League and NAACP launched their newest campaign, Stop Hate for Profit, in an effort to respond to Facebook’s failure to handle the spread of disinformation and hate speech. Since announcing Stop Hate for Profit, the campaign has garnered significant momentum, with over 150 major […]
Supreme Court Rejects Louisiana TRAP Law
The Supreme Court voted Monday 5-4 to reject a restrictive Louisiana abortion law. The law would have required abortion clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Chief Justice John Roberts was the deciding vote, joining Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg in an act of precedent protection. […]
China Using Widespread Forced Birth Control on Uighurs to Suppress Population
The Chinese government is subjecting hundreds of thousands of women to forced birth control methods as part of its campaign to decrease birth rates among Uighurs and other ethnic minorities, according to a report by the Associated Press. This campaign is one part of the country’s far-reaching attack on its Muslim population. In the far […]
Judge Orders Release of Migrant Children from Family Detention Centers
This Friday, Judge Dolly M. Gee, a federal judge of the Central District of California, ordered the release of migrant children from family detention centers, primarily citing the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic as her reasoning. This order demands that the children must be released by July 17. The ruling applies to children who have […]
Department of Education Issues Rule Increasing CARES Act Funding For K-12 Private Schools
A rule issued by the Department of Education (DOE) will grant K-12 private schools a large share of the $13 billion of federal coronavirus aid provided by the CARES Act. The rule requires school districts to utilize one of two plans to distribute the funds. Districts must either only utilize the funds for low-income students, […]
After Legal Dispute, Missouri’s Only Abortion Clinic Gets License
On Thursday, Missouri’s only abortion clinic was issued a license to operate for another year. The license ensures that Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region can continue safely providing abortions until it must be renewed again in June 2021. The license comes after a year-long dispute with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior […]
Trump Administration Urges the Supreme Court to Scrap the Affordable Care Act
On Thursday evening, in a filing to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration asked the court to terminate the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. Asserting that the ACA is illegal, the filing states that “the entire ACA must fall.” This filing was met with immediate criticism from prominent Democrats, as well as the […]
House To Vote on D.C. Statehood Bill Friday
The U.S. House is expected to pass Washington D.C. statehood Friday, marking the first time either chamber of Congress will approve such legislation. The measure is unlikely to be taken up by the GOP-controlled Senate or the Trump administration, but the legislation represents a newfound momentum for the D.C. statehood movement among Democrats. The last […]
Missouri Court Rules Against Johnson & Johnson in Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit
An appeals court in Missouri ruled against Johnson & Johnson in a civil suit, ordering them to pay billions in damages. The plaintiffs are women who say they have contracted ovarian cancer from the use of the company’s famous baby powder. The women believe the talcum Johnson & Johnson baby powder contains asbestos and is […]
ACLU Secures the Release of 25 ICE Detainees in Rhode Island
The Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island has released 25 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees since a class-action lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Last month, the ACLU filed a federal class-action lawsuit asserting that it was not safe to keep detainees there amid the spread of COVID-19. […]
Pro-Choice Groups File Lawsuit Against Iowa’s 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period
Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed a lawsuit asserting that an amendment passed by the Iowa legislature requiring a 24-hour abortion waiting period violates due process and equal protection clauses of the Iowa Constitution. The amendment requires that all those seeking an abortion wait at least 24-hours after their initial appointment with an abortion provider […]
Protesters Remove Racist Monuments Across the United States
Protests over the epidemic of police killings of Black Americans have fueled a national movement to remove statues and monuments that symbolize white supremacy, anti-Black racism, colonialism, and oppression in the United States. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday that the statue of President Theodore Roosevelt in front of the American Museum […]