Topic: American Civil Liberties Union
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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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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Report reveals inmates suffer high levels of sexual abuse from guards
A new report by the Justice Department found prison inmates in Indianapolis, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Philadelphia suffered a higher-than-average rate of sexual abuse at the hands of guards.
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Federal judge blocks Arkansas law banning abortions after 12 weeks
On Friday, a federal judge granted an injunction against a law that would have banned most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The judge said the law was likely unconstitutional.
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Drones are cheaper and more powerful. In US, that's a problem, lawmakers told
Police departments are increasingly interested in deploying drones, a House subcommittee is told. As drones proliferate, so too does the 'specter of routine aerial surveillance in American life.'
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IRS report shows why tea party scandal was almost inevitable (+video)
When all the shouting about the IRS targeting of tea party groups dies down, Congress or the IRS will realize that the relevant tax law is devilishly hard to enforce fairly.
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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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Officials seize AP's phone logs: What are they looking for?
The Associated Press is now in the news as well as covering it: Justice Department officials secretly obtained two months of telephone records from AP reporters and editors.
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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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