Topic: U.S. Constitution

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In Pictures: Occupy Wall Street protests
Five reasons the S&P downgrade isn’t so bad – and one word of caution

Here are five reasons why Standard & Poors downgrade of US debt from AAA to AA+ isn’t as bad as it seems, and a reminder not to take it too lightly.
In Pictures: Who's who in the US debt crisis
Election 101: Ron Paul sets sights on 2012. Ten things to know about him.

The ‘intellectual grandfather’ of the tea party movement, Ron Paul is a dark horse pushing for an upset victory.
The 10 weirdest uses for a smartphone

If you're using your smartphone only to make calls, check your email, surf the Web, manage your schedule, take photos, shoot video, listen to music, watch movies, navigate via GPS, play video games, and update your Twitter and Facebook statuses, then you're really nothing more than a Luddite.

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John Edwards verdict could become part of Citizens United backlash

A diverse panel of North Carolinians is currently considering whether John Edwards committed campaign fraud in 2008, but the verdict could also reverberate nationally if it is at odds with the Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United ruling.
Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide.

The US Supreme Court agreed to examine whether a group of US-based lawyers, activists, and journalists can challenge a Bush-era law authorizing broad surveillance overseas.
Appeals court upholds key provision of Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court could loom

A federal court on Friday rejected an Alabama county's argument that a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights act is outdated. That could set the stage for a Supreme Court hearing.
Florida teacher, fired for premarital sex, has right to a trial, court rules

A teacher at a Christian school, fired in 2009 ostensibly for engaging in premarital sex, can proceed with her lawsuit against the school, a US appeals court ruled Wednesday. She says the real reason she lost her job was pregnancy.
Torture victim's family can't sue PLO for damages, Supreme Court says

US Supreme Court, in a narrow reading of a federal anti-torture law, ruled Wednesday against a son who sought redress from the PLO and Palestinian Authority for the death of his father, a US citizen, during a visit to the West Bank.
Secret Service scandal now involves US military, prompts investigations

Secret Service agents and US military members are being investigated for alleged involvement with prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia, site of the 33-nation Summit of the Americas conference.
Secret Service Colombia scandal: Agents working too hard, or not hard enough?

Twelve US Secret Service agents were sent back to the US from Cartagena, Colombia, after allegedly drinking heavily and consorting with prostitutes. Is the long-veiled agency struggling with an increasingly complex mission?
Misconduct alleged against Secret Service agents

The misconduct regarding Secret Service agents reportedly involved prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia, site of the Summit of the Americas. A Secret Service spokesman did not dispute that.
Holder answers judge, defending both judiciary and Obama health care remarks

Attorney General Eric Holder affirmed Thursday that the judiciary has power to review laws of the land, in reply to a US judge who had taken umbrage at an Obama comment questioning judicial review of his health care law. Obama's remark was consistent with that principle, Holder added.
Groundhog Day in court? California ban on affirmative action is upheld. Again.

A three-judge panel from the Ninth US Circuit cited a 1997 appeals court decision upholding the affirmative action ban, which led to a sharp decline in minority enrollment at California state universities.
How Founding Fathers helped argue the health-care case at the Supreme Court

The clash of ideas at the core of the Supreme Court debate over Obama’s health-care law is as old as the nation itself, and the spirit of the Founders was present before the assembled justices.
Supreme Court lets stand ruling that sides with transgender inmates

A Wisconsin law barring state funding for hormone treatments or sex-change operations for transgender prisoners was struck down, a ruling upheld on appeal. The Supreme Court declined the case.
Obama health care law at Supreme Court: mega case for the history books

US Supreme Court takes up the Obama health-care reform law starting Monday. The case puts the high court center stage in a constitutional showdown that could define the scope of congressional power for generations – and perhaps affect Obama's reelection prospects.
EPA wetlands order can be challenged by land owners, Supreme Court rules

The Idaho couple, saying the ‘EPA used bullying and threats of terrifying fines’ to halt building of their dream home, thanks Supreme Court justices for ‘affirming’ their right to a court hearing.
Do 14-year-old killers deserve life without parole? Supreme Court hears cases.

Supreme Court Justice Kennedy is seen as the potential swing vote in two cases questioning whether life without parole for 14-year-old killers is cruel and unusual punishment.
Does Supreme Court decision on sick leave hint at health-care law ruling?

The sick leave provision and health-care law rely on different sections of the Constitution, but Supreme Court-watchers noted with interest that the justices found Congress had overstepped its authority.
Trayvon Martin case draws celebrities, feds join investigation

Trayvon Martin's shooting death is attracting celebrity attention, including Spike Lee, Wyclef Jean, and Mia Farrow. The US Justice Department opened its own probe into the Trayvon Martin case in Florida.
Florida students rally to arrest white neighborhood watch leader

College students plan to rally Monday in Sanford, Fla., and on the campus of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Rev. Al Sharpton is also planning a rally on Thursday.
Supreme Court refuses church-state case involving child sex abuse by clergy

US Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an appeal by a man who says he was abused by a Roman Catholic priest decades ago. He sought to challenge the archdiocese's assertion that the First Amendment shields it from a lawsuit.
Rick Santorum vows to end 'pandemic of pornography.' Could he prevail?

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum says he would order his attorney general to begin a war on pornography. There are plenty of obscenity battles Santorum could win, but the mission could ultimately be quixotic.
Court backs Haley Barbour, rules governor has power to pardon at will

The Mississippi Supreme Court found Haley Barbour's pardon of 203 inmates upon leaving office in January constitutional, reaffirming a governor's unique power to override the justice system.
Those defending US Constitution from sharia must have failed high school civics

Those like Newt Gingrich who try to exploit sharia hysteria to foster fear of Muslims in the US not only fail to understand sharia, they also fail to understand the ideals of religious freedom upon which America was built.
Newark Muslims hold protest rally over NYPD spy operation

Newark Muslims plan to rally Friday in protest of a 2007 NYPD spying operation targeting Muslim groups in Newark, N.J. Mayor Bloomberg says the operation was 'constitutional.'
Is taking DNA a reasonable search? US judges uphold California law.

A 2004 California law permits DNA samples taken from adults arrested for felonies to be stored in a national database. Challengers said that violates Fourth Amendment privacy protections.
Stolen Valor Act at Supreme Court: Is lying about being a hero a right?

Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a military medal. Xavier Alvarez did that, but the claim harms no one, says his lawyer in his brief to the Supreme Court. The case is being argued Wednesday.