Topic: American Civil Liberties Union
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Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal
How the tables have turned: The Internal Revenue Service is the one under the microscope now, as revelations emerged Friday that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
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3 views on whether US still needs affirmative action
This November, voters in Oklahoma will consider a ballot measure banning affirmative action in public-sector hiring. And in October, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Fisher v. University of Texas case – centered on the use of affirmative action in public-university admissions. As the second installment in our One Minute Debate series for election 2012, three writers give their brief take on whether the United States still needs affirmative action.
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CIA's harsh interrogation techniques: three key memos now online
The most detailed documents describing the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret interrogation, rendition, and detention program are now online in the American Civil Liberties Union’s new Torture Database. Here are three of the most important memos of the 5,000-plus that the ACLU obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and legal challenges going back to 2003, according to Alexander Abdo, staff attorney for the ACLU’s National Security Project.
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US Supreme Court: Big 21st century rulings
The past 12 years have seen significant US high court decisions with wide-ranging effects on personal freedoms and national politics. Another key ruling is expected this summer on President Obama's health-care reform law. Here are some recent top rulings, all decided by 5-to-4 votes.
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Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases
The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue.
All Content
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Why judge refused to block Pennsylvania voter ID law
The ruling means that the Republican-backed voter ID law remains in effect for now. Opponents fear the law will suppress turnout among key Democratic constituencies, and have vowed to appeal.
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Pennsylvania voter ID law: Key swing states tinker with Election 2012 rules
A Pennsylvania judge refused to block a state voter ID law Wednesday, but Pennsylvania is only one of the key swing states squabbling over rules for Election 2012.
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GOP-backed voter ID law will stand in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania judge upheld a law that will require voters to show a photo ID. Democrats say it may hurt turnout among Obama supporters.
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For Latinos, Anaheim gang sweep rubs riots' wounds. Should police have waited?
Anaheim police say the sweep couldn't wait, and getting gang members and guns off the street will make the city safer. But Latino residents, still bitter after police shootings that sparked riots, saw a power play.
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Could ‘liking’ something on Facebook get you fired?
That’s what six sheriff’s deputies say happened to them after they ‘liked’ the political opponent of their boss. A district judge ruled that Facebook likes aren't protected speech, but the case is being appealed.
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Opinion: Shootings in Sikh temple and Arizona: Which crime is worse?
Which is worse? The Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin by Wade Michael Page, or the shopping mall shooting in Arizona by Jared Lee Loughner? They both killed the same number of people. Yet one would be classified as a hate crime, with tougher penalties. Why distinguish?
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US appeals court agrees Quinnipiac violated Title IX: what it did wrong
Quinnipiac University violated Title IX by not offering enough varsity sports for women, the appeals court said. The judges rejected the argument that competitive cheerleading counts as a sport.
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Federal appeals panel blocks restrictive Arizona abortion law
The Arizona abortion law barring doctors from terminating pregnancies after 20 weeks was to take effect Thursday. The judges, from the Ninth US Circuit, granted an emergency injunction blocking the law.
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Defenders of Chick-fil-A fight back, from both right and left (+video)
Mayors of 'blue' cities come under attack – from a broad coalition – for saying they don't want Chick-fil-A outlets in their cities because the company's president opposes gay marriage.
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Arizona 20-week abortion ban upheld by US judge
A US judge upholds an Arizona abortion ban law that imposes a 20-week cutoff for women seeking the procedure, well before fetal viability. It's latest victory for abortion opponents.
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College rampage threat 5 days after the Colorado shooting leads to arrest
Five days after the Colorado shooting, a Kent State sophomore allegedly 'tweeted' profanities and threats at university president, threatening to 'shoot up' the school.
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Self-proclaimed 'toughest sheriff' faces racial profiling allegations
The plaintiffs say Arpaio's officers based some traffic stops on the race of Hispanics who were in vehicles, had no probable cause to pull them over and made the stops so they could inquire about their immigration status.
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Families sue US for killing three citizens in Yemen drone strikes
One of the three was Anwar al-Awlaki. The complaint, filed in federal court in Washington, deals with the practice of maintaining ‘kill lists’ that target suspected terrorists, including US citizens.
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Planned Parenthood sues Arizona for cut funding
Planned Parenthood sued the state of Arizona Monday in an effort to overturn a law that blocks funding for its health clinics because the organization also performs abortions. The new law is part of a national campaign against Planned Parenthood orchestrated by conservatives.
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Why single-sex education is spreading across the US
An estimated 500 public schools across the US now offer some all-boy and all-girl classrooms. But the American Civil Liberties Union is involved in a battle against single-sex learning.
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What will Twitter do in the case of the subpoenaed tweets?
Prosecutors want records of tweets from Malcolm Harris, who was at a disruptive Occupy protest, and a New York judge says Twitter must turn them over. The case may help define the line between privacy rights and prosecutorial authority in the online realm.
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The Monitor's View: The Internet needs its own ‘declaration of independence’
A new ‘Declaration of Internet Freedom’ should spark a much-needed discussion about online rights and privacy.
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CIA's harsh interrogation techniques: three key memos now online
The most detailed documents describing the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret interrogation, rendition, and detention program are now online in the American Civil Liberties Union’s new Torture Database. Here are three of the most important memos of the 5,000-plus that the ACLU obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and legal challenges going back to 2003, according to Alexander Abdo, staff attorney for the ACLU’s National Security Project.
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Girls in science: Gender gaps still persist in STEM subjects
Girls in science and other STEM subjects — technology, engineering, and mathematics — are underrepresented compared to boys despite the progress made in the 40 years since Title IX was signed into law.
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Drones over America. Are they spying on you?
Thousands of drones could be routinely flying over the United States within the next 10 years. They can help with law enforcement and border control, but they also raise questions about invasion of privacy.
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Town swears off swearing, passes $20 profanity fine
Town swears off swearing: Middleborough Mass. residents have voted to make the foul-mouthed among them pay a $20 fine for swearing in public. Locals say the decision for the town to swear off swearing was the result of public profanity hurting local businesses.
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War on religion? North Dakota Measure 3 aims to strike back.
Measure 3, a North Dakota ballot initiative set for Tuesday, would demand that the government have a 'compelling interest' before it puts a 'burden' on people following religious beliefs. Critics call it an answer to a nonexistent problem.
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Supreme Court declines case accusing Donald Rumsfeld of torture
The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal arguing the US government violated the constitutional rights of citizen José Padilla by detaining and subjecting him to harsh interrogation as an enemy combatant suspected of having links to Al Qaeda.
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Job interviewer asks for Facebook password. Should you give it?
Some companies now ask for Facebook and social media passwords so they can check out job applicants. One state is banning the practice, and at least 10 others are weighing similar bans.
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Wisconsin recall election: Why voters can't wait for it to end
The Wisconsin recall election is leaving many voters with a bitter taste, regardless of whom they supported. They see their state as tarnished, taxpayers' money as wasted, or divides as deepened.
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