US Legal Issues
Fair Wayne Bryant, jailed for life for stealing hedge clippers, granted parole by Louisiana Pardon Board
By Helen Halyard, 21 October 2020
Imprisoned for life at the notorious Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana on one count of attempted simple burglary, he was granted parole by a 3-0 vote of the state Parole Board, after being denied parole on three previous occasions.
Democrats let Amy Coney Barrett sail through Supreme Court confirmation hearings
By Barry Grey, 17 October 2020
In the course of the hearings, the Democrats deliberately downplayed the connection between the rush to confirm and install Barrett on the Supreme Court and Trump’s conspiracy to carry out an election coup.
Democrats silent on Trump’s election coup plans as confirmation hearings begin on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett
By Barry Grey, 13 October 2020
Besides her potential role in an election coup d’etat, Barrett will shift the Supreme Court further to the right, gutting abortion rights, reversing protections for gays, attacking the separation of church and state, lifting restrictions on guns and blocking federal regulation of business.
Breonna Taylor police murder grand jury proceedings released by Kentucky court
By Matthew MacEgan, 3 October 2020
In an extraordinary development, over 20 hours of previously sealed audio recordings have been released after an unidentified juror disputed the explanation given for why no one was charged over Taylor’s killing.
Assange’s extradition hearing concludes at London’s Old Bailey, with decision due January 4
By Thomas Scripps, 2 October 2020
In a final affront to due process, Judge Vanessa Baraitser refused to admit into evidence a statement by veteran human rights campaigner and Assange’s instructing solicitor Gareth Peirce.
Federal district judge blocks President Trump’s TikTok download ban
By Kevin Reed, 29 September 2020
A US district court judge blocked Trump’s emergency ban of the video sharing app on Sunday, saying it violates the exchange of “information and informational materials” protected by the constitution.
Protests across the US against whitewash of Breonna Taylor murder met with police repression
By Jacob Crosse, 25 September 2020
Four months of largely peaceful protests against police violence have been answered with violent repression and judicial cover-ups.
Lessons from history: The 2000 elections and the new “irrepressible conflict”
By David North, 25 September 2020
This lecture was given by David North, chairman of the World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board, at a public meeting of the Socialist Equality Party of Australia on December 3, 2000 in Sydney.
Assange lawyers expose politically biased medical evidence
By Thomas Scripps and Laura Tiernan, 25 September 2020
Edward Fitzgerald QC told the court that Dr Blackwood had described the Truesdale correctional centre in “glowing” terms. Yet he had failed to acknowledge Chelsea Manning’s suicide attempt there.
Trump’s coup d’état election
By Joseph Kishore and David North, 24 September 2020
Trump has publicly declared that he will not transfer power peacefully if he loses the November 3 election.
Witnesses recall Collateral Murder attack: “Look at those dead bastards,” shooters said
By Thomas Scripps and Laura Tiernan, 19 September 2020
“The publication of that video and those words was the equivalent of the death of George Floyd and his words ‘I can’t breathe’. They had a profound effect on public opinion in the world.”
OSHA fines meatpacking industry $30,000 after 203 COVID-19 deaths and 18,000 infections
By Cordell Gascoigne, 18 September 2020
The two fines amount to less than $2,500 for each worker who died at the JBS and Smithfield plants in Colorado and South Dakota
Iraq Body Count co-founder: WikiLeaks exposed mass civilian casualties to a global audience
By Thomas Scripps and Laura Tiernan, 18 September 2020
John Sloboda said that the Iraq War Logs had been brought “to the largest global audience of any single release.” There have been no comparable revelations in the last decade.
Former CIA director Leon Panetta: We are prosecuting Assange to intimidate others
By Oscar Grenfell, 18 September 2020
Panetta’s comments confirmed the mafia-character of the US-pursuit of Assange, its politically-motivated nature and flagrant disregard for international laws.
Reactionary Massachusetts ruling paves way for Andover public schools to open in-person
By Mike Ingram, 16 September 2020
The state Department of Labor Relations board ruled that Andover teachers had engaged in an illegal strike by refusing to enter school buildings
Eyewitness testimony: Death of Portland protester Michael Reinoehl was targeted assassination
By Patrick Martin, 11 September 2020
Sought for the shooting of a fascist vigilante in Portland, Oregon, Reinoehl was walking to his car when four policemen opened fire on him without warning, riddling him with bullets.
Federal prosecutors request halt to “Jane Doe” civil lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein estate
By Kevin Reed, 11 September 2020
The US Justice Department—which has charged Ghislaine Maxwell with six offenses in connection with Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal sex-trafficking operation—is arguing in court that a parallel civil lawsuit against her must be halted.
SEP submits emergency application to the US Supreme Court in Michigan ballot access case
By Kevin Reed, 1 September 2020
The SEP 2020 presidential campaign has appealed to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court associate justice responsible for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a final effort to overturn the unconstitutional Michigan ballot access laws.
Court rules against Florida governor but schools to remain open
By Alex Johnson, 25 August 2020
The court decision, however, does not guarantee that schools will remain closed and in-person classroom learning will be halted until daily case rates for COVID-19 reach below 5 percent.
Feds propose 10-year oversight of UAW, Detroit News reports
By Jessica Goldstein and Marcus Day, 25 August 2020
The potential agreement would stop short of a full federal takeover of the UAW under the RICO Act, skirting the type of government trusteeship which the Teamsters union underwent following its prosecution in the late 1980s.
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denies SEP challenge to restrictive ballot access laws in Michigan
By Joseph Kishore—SEP Presidential Candidate, 25 August 2020
Joseph Kishore, Socialist Equality Party (SEP) candidate for US President, issued the following statement in response to the ruling on Monday by the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Judge blocks GM’s bid to reopen racketeering case against Fiat Chrysler
By Marcus Day, 17 August 2020
The judge made the ruling despite credible and explosive new allegations about the scale and scope of FCA's bribery of the United Auto Workers union.
US Supreme Court rules ballot access petitioning must proceed during coronavirus pandemic
By Kevin Reed, 13 August 2020
In a one paragraph order with no legal explanation provided, the US Supreme Court overturned a decision by a trial judge in Oregon relaxing ballot access requirements in consideration of the restrictions imposed on public interaction during the pandemic.
US Attorney General Barr gives fascistic tirade against Antifa, Black Lives Matter
By Patrick Martin, 11 August 2020
Barr made a political amalgam connecting the Democratic Party, Black Lives Matter, Antifa and terrorism.
The brutality of capitalist justice
Louisiana Supreme Court denies review of Fair Wayne Bryant’s life sentence for allegedly stealing a pair of hedge clippers
By Helen Halyard, 11 August 2020
This horrific experience demonstrates the true face of justice in America, with one set of rules for the poor and oppressed and another set of rules for the wealthy.
Deadly explosion in northwest Baltimore neighborhood injures dozens
By Nick Barrickman, 11 August 2020
The suspected gas explosion leveled three adjacent homes and severely damaged a fourth in a northwest Baltimore neighborhood Monday morning.
US Supreme Court defends deadly jail conditions in California
By Marc Wells, 10 August 2020
The high court decision denies inmates their right to safety during a deadly pandemic and at the same time shows contempt for the lives of the poor.
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to hear Socialist Equality Party candidates’ appeal in California voting rights case until after ballots are printed
By Shuvu Batta, 6 August 2020
The decision effectively deprives Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz of the right to have their appeal heard on the merits before the ballots are printed.
Fiat Chrysler bribed UAW with tens of millions, new GM court filing alleges
By Tom Hall, 5 August 2020
The new documents contain allegations of massive corruption on the part of the UAW, exceeding anything brought to light so far by the parallel criminal probe by the FBI.
Leaked bodycam footage shows George Floyd’s arrest and murder
By Kevin Martinez, 5 August 2020
The harrowing footage, not meant for public distribution, was leaked to the Daily Mail this week.
Federal judge unseals documents from 2015 case against Jeffrey Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell
By Kevin Reed, 1 August 2020
US District Judge Loretta Preska ruled late Thursday to release documents from a defamation lawsuit brought by one of Epstein’s sexual abuse victims against Maxwell in 2015.
New prosecutor refuses to press charges against cop that killed Michael Brown
By Isaac Finn, 1 August 2020
St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell has announced that no charges would be filed against Darren Wilson, the former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who shot Brown in 2014.
In congressional testimony
Attorney General Barr aggressively defends violent attacks on protesters in Portland
By Barry Grey, 29 July 2020
The White House remains the cockpit of a conspiracy to destroy democratic rights and establish authoritarian rule in the United States.
Trump deploys more federal agents in Portland crackdown
By Jacob Crosse, 28 July 2020
One hundred US Marshals and 50 Customs and Border Patrol agents specializing in “riot control” are en route or have already arrived as protests continue.
Ghislaine Maxwell attorneys submit motion to block release of documents from 2015 defamation case
By Kevin Reed, 28 July 2020
Lawyers for the former girlfriend and event organizer for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein filed a motion on Monday to keep “highly confidential” documents from the earlier case from being made public.
Judge orders former Trump enforcer Michael Cohen to be released from prison
By Jacob Crosse, 25 July 2020
In a slap at President Trump and Attorney General Barr, Federal District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein has ordered the release of former Trump confidant and disbarred lawyer Michael Cohen.
California judge rules that SEP candidates must collect physical signatures during pandemic or be excluded from ballot
By Kevin Reed, 22 July 2020
Federal District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee handed down a ruling on Tuesday against the lawsuit filed by the SEP, which argues that California’s ballot access laws are “effectively impossible” to satisfy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A grim week on federal death row: Three men sent to their deaths in Terre Haute, Indiana
By Kate Randall, 18 July 2020
Dustin Lee Honken was the third prisoner executed in five days after a 17-year de facto moratorium on the gruesome practice at the federal level.
Michigan teen sent to juvenile detention for failing to do her homework
By Will McCalliss and Nancy Hanover, 18 July 2020
Amid the chaotic transition to online learning during the pandemic, a teenage girl has been taken into criminal custody for “failure to submit any schoolwork.”
Second federal execution in a week goes forward with Supreme Court sanction
By Kate Randall, 17 July 2020
For the second time in as many days, the highest US court vacated a lower court’s order, allowing a federal execution to proceed.
Lawsuit claims Washington, DC police participated in June raid on Lafayette Square protest
By Ray Coleman, 16 July 2020
The latest amendments to the lawsuit filed by the ACLU implicate the Democratic administration of DC Mayor Bowser in the June 1 assault ordered by President Trump.
US government carries out first execution of federal prisoner in 17 years
By Kate Randall, 15 July 2020
In the modern history of the death penalty in the US, Daniel Lewis Lee’s execution stands out as a particularly egregious affront to due process and basic human rights.
Federal prosecutors argue against bail and home confinement for Epstein assistant Ghislaine Maxwell
By Kevin Reed, 14 July 2020
Government prosecutors have filed a motion in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell urging the court to deny her request for $5 million bail while she awaits trial on charges of assisting Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abusing underage girls in the 1990s.
Seventeen states and tens of universities file lawsuits against ICE attack on international students
By Sam Dalton, 14 July 2020
Even if the current set of lawsuits are successful, the immigration and educational rights of international students remain under threat.
Democratic California Governor Newsom argues that allowing SEP candidates on the ballot would cause “frustration of the democratic process”
By Isaac Finn, 14 July 2020
Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz are suing California for enforcing a 200,000-signature requirement. Yesterday, the candidates appealed a Michigan judge’s ruling against them to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Epstein assistant Ghislaine Maxwell requests $5 million bail
By Kevin Reed, 11 July 2020
Whatever the outcome of Maxwell’s arraignment on Tuesday, more revelations about the activities and relationships of Jeffrey Epstein and his confidante should be anticipated.
Supreme Court rules against Trump on releasing tax returns, but allows delay
By John Burton, 10 July 2020
While Trump failed in his effort to assert absolute presidential immunity, the court rulings will push back any release of his financial documents until after the election.
Michigan court rules that SEP must gather signatures despite pandemic
By Joseph Kishore—SEP candidate for US president, 10 July 2020
The district court’s decision is not a serious legal ruling grounded in jurisprudence or reasoned analysis. It is a political decision aimed at barring socialists from the ballot.
US Supreme Court decisions attack separation of church and state and workers’ rights
By Ed Hightower, 9 July 2020
The court’s assault on workers takes the form of an assault on secularism.
Federal judge backs Democrats, rules against SEP challenge to Michigan ballot access requirements during pandemic
By Kevin Reed, 9 July 2020
A Republican-appointed federal judge sided with Michigan Democrats on Wednesday and ruled against the Socialist Equality Party in its lawsuit to block the state’s unconstitutional rules for ballot access in the 2020 presidential elections.
Supreme Court rules Electoral College members must follow state vote in presidential elections
By Alan Gilman, 7 July 2020
The 9-0 ruling was driven by mounting fears that the outcome of future presidential elections—including the 2020 election—will be seen as illegitimate and undemocratic.
An assault on separation of church and state as well as public education
US Supreme Court rules in favor of religious schools
By John Burton and Ed Hightower, 3 July 2020
Undermining the wall between church and state, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot deny funding to religious schools, sweeping aside dozens of state constitutional provisions enacted to protect public education.
SEP presidential candidates Kishore and Santa Cruz file federal lawsuit challenging ballot access restrictions in California
By Norissa Santa Cruz—SEP Vice Presidential Candidate, 2 July 2020
The Socialist Equality Party’s candidates argued in court filings Tuesday that the state’s requirement that the candidates gather 200,000 voter signatures is impossible to meet during the pandemic and a violation of basic democratic rights.
New US indictment of Julian Assange not served in UK courts
By Thomas Scripps, 30 June 2020
In yet another Kafkaesque turn, UK legal proceedings are continuing on the basis of an indictment which has been replaced and therefore has no legal force in the US.
US Supreme Court upholds abortion access, eliminates executive watchdog and opens federal death chambers
By John Burton, 30 June 2020
On Monday, the US Supreme Court issued a significant ruling protecting the right to abortion, but also strengthened the unitary executive and cleared the way for the first federal executions in 17 years.
US Supreme Court rejects environmental groups’ appeal to halt border wall construction
By Jacob Crosse, 30 June 2020
The appeal was rejected without comment by the justices.
As pandemic rages, Trump administration calls on Supreme Court to strike down Obamacare
By Kate Randall, 27 June 2020
An overturn of the Affordable Care Act would wipe out health care coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.
New York City police commissioner defends vehicular assault on protesters
By Erik Schreiber, 27 June 2020
Secure in the knowledge that city and state officials will support him, Commissioner Dermot Shea testified that officers who drove into a crowd of protesters last month did not violate department policy on the use of force.
US Supreme Court rules recent asylum seekers have no right to habeas corpus or due process
By Eric London, 26 June 2020
As in Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Supreme Court made the most sweeping anti-democratic ruling possible.
In letter to the Lancet, doctors condemn torture of Assange and demand his release
By Oscar Grenfell, 26 June 2020
The doctors note that since they last wrote to the prestigious medical journal in February, the abuse of the WikiLeaks founder’s rights has only intensified.
Ahmaud Arbery’s killers indicted on murder charges in Georgia
By Matthew MacEgan, 26 June 2020
A Georgia grand jury indicted all three men with nine counts each, including malice murder and four counts of felony murder.
Detroit nurses’ lawsuit exposes horrific conditions at Sinai-Grace Hospital as COVID-19 deaths spiked
By Kevin Reed, 25 June 2020
Four nurses who worked at Sinai-Grace Hospital have filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Tenet corporation that operates the facility where dozens of people died from COVID-19 due to management’s cost-cutting.
The fight to put the SEP on the ballot continues as Illinois court denies challenge to relaxed ballot access rules
By Kristina Betinis, 23 June 2020
An appeals court denied a challenge to an April ruling that the pandemic and social distancing presented a “nearly insurmountable hurdle” to the in-person collection of tens of thousands of signatures.
Socialist Equality Party challenges undemocratic ballot access laws in Michigan
By Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz—SEP candidates for president and vice president, 20 June 2020
The lawsuit is part of the SEP’s fight against an undemocratic electoral system that is designed to prevent any opposition to the two parties of the ruling class, the Democrats and Republicans.
Supreme Court blocks Trump administration’s plan to “immediately end” DACA
By Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 19 June 2020
A 5-4 majority cited the administration’s failure to provide a “reasoned explanation” as the basis for Trump’s decision to rescind an executive order issued by Obama in 2012.
Supreme Court rules that employers cannot fire workers because of sexual orientation or self-identity
Denies review on cases regarding qualified immunity for police
By John Burton, 16 June 2020
A 6–3 majority ruled that the federal civil rights in employment statute prohibits employers from terminating workers because of sexual orientation or gender self-identification.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich reviews life, crimes and death of financier
By Kevin Reed, 16 June 2020
The Netflix series paints a picture of the life and times of the late billionaire hedge fund manager and convicted sex offender in the style of a true-crime documentary.
140 Trump admin sanctions ICC officials
15 June 2020
Inmate dies after being pepper sprayed by guards at Brooklyn federal detention center
By Sam Dalton, 5 June 2020
Jamel Floyd was declared dead shortly after guards responded to an incident in his cell and subdued him with a noxious chemical agent.
New details emerge in hearing for three charged in murder of Ahmaud Arbery
By Matthew MacEgan, 5 June 2020
The judge in the Arbery case found probable cause against all three defendants and declared that all of their cases would move forward to trial.
After more than a week of nationwide protests, new charges announced against George Floyd’s murderers
By Jacob Crosse, 4 June 2020
Attorney General Keith Ellison tempered any expectations of justice as thousands continued to defy police and military repression in marches across the country
US Federal Bureau of Prisons implements full lockdown amid mass protests across the country
By Sam Dalton, 4 June 2020
Amidst a worsening COVID-19 outbreak and protests over police violence, fears of brewing rebellions lead to the rapid lockdown of federal prisons this week.
Disgraced former UAW President Gary Jones pleads guilty to corruption charges
By Tom Hall, 4 June 2020
Jones’ guilty plea brings the UAW corruption scandal to a new stage.
Attorney Lee Merritt speaks on conspiracy to cover-up Ahmaud Arbery’s murder
By Matthew MacEgan, 29 May 2020
Merritt spoke to the WSWS Wednesday about developments in the Arbery case and what has been exposed about the efforts of the police and prosecutors to whitewash the killing.
Canadian court rules extradition trial of top Huawei executive can proceed
By Roger Jordan, 28 May 2020
Yesterday’s ruling strengthens Washington and Ottawa in their virulent anti-China campaign, which has been ratcheted up still further with mendacious claims that Beijing is responsible for the coronavirus pandemic.
Detroit literacy case enters legal quagmire
By J. Cooper, 23 May 2020
In a highly unusual and partisan move, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has decided to rehear the case that has been settled between the plaintiffs and the state of Michigan.
NY Governor Cuomo shields nursing homes from prosecutions related to 5,600 COVID-19 deaths
By Erik Schreiber, 22 May 2020
The Democratic governor simultaneously praised his administration’s response to the pandemic and asserted that “nobody” should be held accountable for the tremendous number of needless deaths.
After the New York Times’ critique: Former NBC “Today” show host Matt Lauer takes Ronan Farrow to task
By David Walsh, 22 May 2020
Lauer was abruptly fired in late 2017 following complaints by an NBC employee, with whom he was having an affair, about his alleged sexual misbehavior.
Almost no US prisoners have been released since the beginning of the pandemic
By Sam Dalton, 21 May 2020
Despite highly publicized executive orders, only a handful of inmates have been released from jails and prisons across the US even as 100,000 inmates are projected to die from COVID-19.
Missouri executes 64-year-old man convicted on flimsy evidence
By Warren Duzak, 21 May 2020
Walter Barton was executed Tuesday by lethal injection despite new evidence that had made jurors question his murder conviction.
US courts revoke emergency protections in coronavirus pandemic
By Trévon Austin, 19 May 2020
Over the past week, the US Supreme Court and the Texas Supreme Court have issued a series of antidemocratic decisions that place countless lives at risk and increase the hardships faced by workers in the coronavirus pandemic.
Striking sanitation workers in New Orleans replaced by prison laborers
By Aaron Murch, 13 May 2020
A private waste management company in New Orleans has used inmates to replace striking workers demanding hazard pay and safer working conditions.
The killing of Ahmaud Arbery
By Joseph Kishore—SEP candidate for US president, 12 May 2020
The killing of Arbery by a former police officer and public investigator must be seen in the context of the unending wave of police killings in the US, which claim more than 1,000 lives every year.
US appeals court rules literacy is “a fundamental right” in Detroit case
By J. Cooper, 1 May 2020
The decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is being hailed as a major victory. The working class deserves far more.
“Back to work” campaign extends to 21 US states as working-class opposition grows
By Kevin Reed, 30 April 2020
Democratic and Republican governors across the country are moving forward with back-to-work initiatives regardless of the deadly dangers to workers.
Six-year statute of limitations elapses with no criminal indictments by Flint Water Prosecution Team
By James Brewer, 28 April 2020
The six-year statute of limitations has passed for filing criminal charges against officials responsible for the Flint water disaster that poisoned a city of 100,000.
Chelsea Manning released from jail after grand jury is dismissed by US federal court
By Kevin Reed, 13 March 2020
Manning, who had been in prison for a year for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury empaneled as part of the conspiracy against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, was released following her attempted suicide on Wednesday.
Federal appeals court rules Congress cannot enforce White House subpoena
By John Burton, 4 March 2020
The DC Circuit ruling, if it stands, is expected to affect a number of other congressional inquiries, including ongoing House efforts to obtain Trump’s tax returns.
US federal appeals court rules that private technology conglomerates are not bound by First Amendment
By Kevin Reed, 2 March 2020
A federal appeals court in California upheld the dismissal of a 2017 lawsuit brought by the right-wing video publisher PragerU based on claims that YouTube was biased and was violating First Amendment freedoms.
New York Times posts anti-Semitic caricature of Harvey Weinstein
By David North and Andre Damon, 26 February 2020
The illustration, which has multiple characteristics associated with anti-Semitic depictions of Jewish people by the Nazis, strikingly resembles an image published in October 1936 in the Nazi propaganda magazine Der Stürmer.
The New York Times gloats over the destruction of “the Monster” Weinstein
By Eric London, 26 February 2020
Weinstein’s conviction has established the “breakthrough” principle that a criminal conviction can be secured without reliable and verifiable evidence. The working class and poor will suffer the consequences.
The show trial of Julian Assange begins
By James Cogan, 25 February 2020
The first day of the British court hearing yesterday to determine if WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange will be extradited to the United States left no doubt that what is taking place is a legal travesty that threatens both Assange’s life and fundamental democratic rights.
Real estate broker fees remain in place in New York City after judge issues restraining order
By Erik Schreiber and Fred Mazelis, 24 February 2020
The latest maneuvers over supposed pro-tenant reforms reveal the impossibility of winning decent affordable housing through support for the big business Democratic Party.
New York City police in open revolt against Mayor de Blasio
By Philip Guelpa, 13 February 2020
Two shooting incidents by a single individual against New York officers have been used as a pretext to conduct a vicious, right-wing campaign against democratic rights.
Justice Department sues New Jersey and Washington state county over “sanctuary” policies
By Erik Schreiber, 13 February 2020
The lawsuits are a new stage in President Trump’s campaign of anti-immigrant bigotry. In their public responses to the lawsuits, Democratic officials from New Jersey and Washington state revealed their own willingness to trade away immigrants’ rights.
Accuser Jessica Mann’s testimony in the Weinstein trial: A Journey to the End of the Night
By David Walsh, 7 February 2020
In the course of three days of lurid testimony describing the warped, emotionally pathological and mutually destructive relationship between Weinstein and his accuser Jessica Mann, the trial degenerated into a degrading and horrifying spectacle.
Staff, students and freedom of expression at Nashville art school threatened in takeover by religious university
By Warren Duzak, 6 February 2020
Watkins College of Art, long known for its artistic freedom, is being absorbed by Belmont University, where art and the teaching of art are censored.
Pennsylvania cancer patient sentenced to 10 months in prison for shoplifting $109.63 in groceries
By Kate Randall, 4 February 2020
Ashley Menser, 36, and her family were hoping that the fact that she was being treated for cancer would persuade the judge to either delay or defer her sentencing. They were wrong.
US Supreme Court approves public charge rule directed against legal immigrants
By Jill Lux and Meenakshi Jagadeesan, 29 January 2020
The highly contested rule, which was announced last August, altered existing immigration law to allow the administration to deny visas to legal immigrants who it claims would rely on the government’s assistance.
Eleven inmates dead in a month of violence at Mississippi state prisons
By Aaron Murch, 27 January 2020
The majority of deaths have come at the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary, known as Parchman Farm.
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