In the last four months, the Trump administration has used fear of the coronavirus pandemic to severely restrict most avenues for legal immigration, effectively making it impossible to legally migrate to the United States. In early March, the administration issued a public health order that mandates the immediate removal of migrants, including children and asylum […]
Supreme Court Protects Native American Reservation in Oklahoma
In a win for tribal rights, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision Thursday that a large part of Eastern Oklahoma is considered tribal land, meaning crimes committed by Native Americans can only be prosecuted by federal authorities. The court’s decision returned 19 million acres of tribal land, including much of Tulsa, the state’s […]
The BREATHE Act Calls for Sweeping Change to Criminal Justice System
The Movement for Black Lives has proposed a bill that calls for sweeping changes to the nation’s criminal justice system. Introduced on Tuesday, the BREATHE Act calls to divert federal resources from systemically racist institutions such as policing and incarceration. The Movement for Black Lives is a coalition of over 150 organizations fighting for racial […]
Trump Threatens to Cut Funding for Schools Unwilling or Unable to Reopen
As the United States faces a surge in reported COVID-19 cases, schools have recently been faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to reopen as the fall approaches. Given local, state, and federal guidelines, as well as those put in place by the CDC, returning to business as usual seems daunting, if not […]
Supreme Court Upholds Religious and Moral Exemptions for ACA Birth Control Coverage
In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court upheld a Trump Administration rule which expands the types of organizations that can claim religious or moral exemptions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The rule allows these organizations to refuse to cover birth control under their health insurance plans. Justice Thomas wrote the majority opinion, and was […]
Millions of Dollars of Federal COVID-19 Aid Goes to U.S. Anti-Abortion Groups
Numerous Christian anti-abortion groups received millions of dollars in forgivable loans from the federal coronavirus aid program the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Fortunately, money from this program also went to pro-choice, reproductive rights groups. Notably, Planned Parenthood received $80 million in PPP loans. This allocation of taxpayer-backed dollars comes in the context of a pandemic […]
Indigenous People Protest Trump’s Visit to Sioux Sacred Lands
On July 4, 21 people were arrested during a protest against President Trump’s visit to the Indigenous Sioux tribe’s sacred land, Mount Rushmore. Protestors, who were primarily Indigenous, placed “three large vans in the roadway to create a blockade to prevent access from Keystone to Mount Rushmore National Memorial” three hours before President Trump gave […]
Upcoming Elections May Jeopardize the Historic Number of GOP Women Senators
Since 2018, with the swearing-in of senators including Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Martha McSally (R-AZ), and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), the greatest number of Republican women have been serving in the U.S. Senate in the party’s history. However, this historic victory for gender representation in the Republican Party may be in jeopardy come November. A recent Politico […]
ICE Says International Students Must Take In-Person Class to Stay in U.S.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced a rule Monday that prohibits international students from staying in the U.S. on their student visas if their college opts to hold courses entirely online. The order will affect F-1 and M-1 visa-holders, forcing students to either take in-person classes or risk deportation. Students in colleges teaching entirely online […]
Ohio Left With Only Eight Abortion Clinics After Recent Closure
Ohio will have only eight abortion clinics after the closing of Founder’s Women’s Health Center in Columbus. The clinic is set to close this month, upon delivering final care to its existing patients. The owners of Founder’s Women’s Health Center say the clinic’s closure is due to their retirement. They declined to make a statement […]
Young Afghan Woman Activist Killed in Attack by Insurgent Groups
At just 24, Fatima Natasha Khalil, a young leader and employee of Afghanistan’s human rights commission, had her life brutally cut short following a series of explosions targeting civilians. An incredibly bright and intelligent leader who spoke six languages, Fatima is remembered by friends as a deeply confident yet sensitive spirit. Following increased violence in […]
Court Rules to Empty Dakota Access Pipeline
A court ruled this morning that the Dakota Access Pipeline must be emptied by Aug. 5. This decision comes after years of protesting by members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. In March, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg sided with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to strike down federal permits for the pipeline. The court […]
Dozens Killed by Gun Violence Over Independence Day Weekend
The United States experienced a wave of gun violence over the Fourth of July weekend in which dozens of people were killed and injured in both cities and rural communities. Amid national protests over police violence, the shootings have reignited calls for gun control from elected officials and activists. There were 63 shootings in New […]
Georgia Healthcare Workers Petition the Governor for Stronger COVID-19 Restrictions
Last Thursday, around 1,400 Georgia healthcare workers petitioned Brian Kemp, Georgia’s governor, asking for further restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. In the letter, healthcare workers told the governor that the state is “simply not prepared,” asking the governor to close “bars and nightclubs and prohibit indoor gatherings of more than 25 people, including […]
Brown University Faces Challenge for Unequal Elimination of Varsity Teams
Plaintiffs in a 1992 lawsuit are challenging Brown University in court for violating its settlement agreement, arguing that the school’s recent demotion of multiple varsity sports teams did not protect gender equity. The motion, filed by the ACLU of Rhode Island and advocacy organization Public Justice, argues that the recent cuts to varsity teams further […]
Los Angeles Unified School District Divests From School Police Force
Due to the work of local student activists, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted Tuesday to cut the L.A. Unified School District (LAUSD) police force budget by 35%. Following the decision, the chief of L.A. School Police Department (LASPD), Todd Chamberlain, resigned. This action comes after a month of protests across the country. Sparked […]
Latest Iowa Abortion Restriction Blocked by Judge
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 […]