Topic: American Civil Liberties Union
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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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.
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Election 101: 11 questions about Rick Perry and his White House bid
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20,000 students sue Calif. educators for not teaching English
20,000 students sue the state of California and its eductators for failing to give adequate language instruction to non-native English speakers. According the the ACLU, the state education system's lack of English instruction could be holding the 20,000 students back in school.
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How long does Apple keep Siri user data? Two years.
But Apple says that six months after a Siri request or command is made, the phone number of the user is 'disassociated' with the audio clip in question.
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USA Update Florist sued again for refusing to provide flowers for gay wedding
The ACLU has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a florist in Washington State who says she would not sell flowers for a gay couple's wedding because of her religious beliefs. The state is already prosecuting her under a consumer protection law.
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Can medical companies patent human genes? Supreme Court hears key case. (+video)
The US Supreme Court on Monday takes up a case with widespread implications for scientific innovation and health care in the US. The question: Are human genes patentable?
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Immigration reform: What about those who arrive legally but never leave? (+video)
An estimated 40 percent of the more than 10 million undocumented people in the US today came legally but stayed after their visa expired. It's a major issue in the immigration debate.
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New cybersecurity bill: Privacy threat or crucial band-aid?
The cybersecurity bill was a flash point for privacy advocates a year ago. Now, changes have been made to the bill, which was the focus of a closed hearing Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee.
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Debtors' prisons: Thrive or serve jail time?
Debtors' prisons thrive in some states, despite being illegal. In Ohio, several courts have been imprisoning poor people who cannot pay their debts.
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Jesus portrait taken down at Ohio school due to lawsuit fears
Jesus portrait taken down: The superintendent of Jackson City Schools said the decision was made after the district's insurance company declined to cover litigation expenses.
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Rivals prepare to go head to head over abortion bans
Abortion-rights activists plan to challenge laws in Arkansas and North Dakota. The Arkansas law bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, while the North Dakota measure bans them after six weeks.
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ACLU sues North Carolina county over Christian invocations at meetings
Rowan County commission meetings typically open with a pro-Christian invocation. In Lund v. Rowan County, some residents say the practice is offensive and makes them uncomfortable.
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Focus
Drones over America: public safety benefit or 'creepy' privacy threat?Drones are not just for tracking terrorists abroad. Some 327 are authorized to fly in US airspace – most for military training. But as their numbers grow, so is domestic scrutiny.
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Cheerleading not a sport, according to US judge
Cheerleading not a sport? Several volleyball players and their coach successfully sued the university in 2009 after it announced it would eliminate volleyball for budgetary reasons and replace it with a competitive cheer squad.
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12-week abortion ban vetoed: Will the legislature override the veto?
A 12-week abortion ban passed both houses of the Arkansas state legislature before being vetoed by Gov. Mike Beebe, who called the law unconstitutional.
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Surveillance law: US group can't challenge it, Supreme Court rules
A 2008 surveillance law allows the US government to detect and track the messages of would-be foreign terrorists. Critics say it is overly broad, but on Tuesday the Supreme Court blocked a challenge to it.
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Will John Brennan get hit hard for drone policies in Senate hearing? (+video)
John Brennan, President Obama's pick for CIA director, is sure to get an earful from some senators about the administration’s rationale for drone strikes against terror suspects, including US citizens.
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Can drone strikes target US citizens? Critics say rules are vague.
Criticism of the leaked Justice Department document – which allows for drone strikes against top level terrorists who are US citizens – is piling up from both the right and left, with critics charging that its language is too permissive.
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Challenges to Obama birth control mandate could go to Supreme Court
A requirement in the Affordable Care Act mandating most employers to provide contraception for free with health care coverage, has sparked dozens of lawsuits from both religious organizations, and business owners. The Department of Health and Human Service is working to accommodate faith-based groups.
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Aaron Swartz death fuels computer-crime debate
Swartz was only the latest face of a decades-old movement in the computer science world to push more information into the public domain.
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Judge rules Texas school can force student to wear RIFD locator chip
A federal judge says a Texas high school can require a student to wear an RIFD locator chip during school hours, or expel her. Privacy rights advocates had argued it's an invasion of privacy; the school needs it to count students on the premises for funding reasons.
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Drunk driving: Supreme Court considers whether forced blood tests are OK
The case, which the Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday, pits the requirements of the Fourth Amendment against the need for effective enforcement of drunk-driving laws nationwide.
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Drunk driving: Can blood-alcohol test be forced? Case reaches Supreme Court.
The justices will hear arguments Wednesday in the case of a drunk driver forced to submit to a blood test. State supreme courts are divided on whether that violates the Fourth Amendment.
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Judge dismisses case involving targeted killing of Americans overseas
The ACLU and New York Times had sought access to government documents explaining the legal justification for a US drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen and suspected Al Qaeda operative in Yemen.
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CIA rendition case: European court holds Macedonia partly responsible
The decision is important because it suggests that US allies that helped the CIA undertake its secret detention and interrogation program may face liability for their role supporting such operations.
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European court rules that terror suspect was abused while in CIA custody
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor today of Khaled El-Masri, who was mistaken as a terrorism suspect in Macedonia in 2003 and handed over to the CIA for interrogation.
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9/11 trial: Any mention of torture is classified, military judge rules
The military judge in the 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others granted a government request to make all mention of alleged torture in the court classified. The defense called the ruling 'shameful.'
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