Controversies

Federal Judge Orders Obama Administration to Stop Automatically Detaining Women and Children Seeking Asylum

Judge Boasberg ordered the administration to cease detaining immigrants solely “for the purpose of deterring future immigration.” “The court specifically rejected the government’s assertion that detention was necessary to protect national security,” said professor Benson. The lawsuit was brought “on behalf of mothers and children who have fled extreme violence, death threats, rape, and persecution...and come to the United States for safety." read more

Kansas Judge Sues Gov. Brownback over Alleged Violation of Separation of Powers

“Judges should be free of political pressures and decide cases impartially based on the facts and the law," said Ryan Wright. "They should not have to worry that their decisions could be used against them for political gain.” Chief Judge Larry Solomon agreed and filed a lawsuit to have the law thrown out. The law is “a direct encroachment on the Kansas Supreme Court’s constitutional authority to administer the judiciary of the State,” states the lawsuit. read more

Google Criticizes New FBI Surveillance Proposal

Google has come out against a new plan by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to authorize remote searches of computers by federal authorities, calling the effort legalized hacking. Google stated that the plan would raise “monumental and highly complex constitutional, legal and geopolitical concerns that should be left to Congress to decide.” read more

Georgians Sue for Right to Carry Guns into Police Stations

The “guns everywhere” law was enacted at the urging of the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights activists even though 70% of Georgia residents were against the legislation. It was also opposed by the state’s police chiefs association, the restaurant association, the Episcopal and Catholic churches, and the Transportation Security Administration. read more

58 California Cities Have Anti-Homeless Laws

Researchers gathered information from 58 California cities and found more than 500 anti-homeless laws between them. Ninety percent ban begging and panhandling and 20% ban food sharing. All but one of the 58 cities ban at least one nighttime activity, “like sleeping, camping, or lodging in public places, including in vehicles.” read more

Is Releasing 2,000 Animals from a Mink Farm an Act of Terrorism? Federal Law Says it is

A law enacted during the George W. Bush administration that calls protests against animal treatment “terrorism” is being used to prosecute two men who released about 2,000 minks from an Illinois breeding operation. Kevin Johnson, 27, and Tyler Lang, 25, face up to 10 years in prison for charges brought under the 2006 Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), which prohibits engaging in conduct “for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise.” read more

College Freshmen: Less Partying. Self-Rated Emotional Health Lowest Ever Recorded

The study showed that from 1987 to 2014, students in their senior year of high school who said they partied six hours or more per week declined from 34.5% to 8.6%. The report says 2014 incoming students’ self-rated emotional health dropped to 50.7%, its lowest level ever, a drop of 2.3% from the freshmen class of 2013. The number of students admitting to “frequently” feeling depressed also went up by 9.5%, which was 3.4% higher than in 2009. read more

Undocumented Immigrant Women with Children Rarely Allowed to Stay…Unless They have a Lawyer

Using federal documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, TRAC discovered that immigration courts under the Obama administration adopted rules last year that pushed cases involving women with children to the head of the line. TRAC’s analysis of 26,342 adults-with-children cases found that fewer than 30% of the families were able to find a lawyer to help them, and those immigrants were allowed to stay in the United States only 26.3% of the time. read more

For the First Time, USDA Approves Fruit Genetically Engineered for Aesthetic Reasons

The apples will now be sold in stores—without any labeling informing consumers that the apples’ DNA has been altered. The USDA decided to commercialize them despite receiving 73,000 comments in opposition. Apple industry officials and food-safety advocates criticized the decision. Some believe it could hurt the “wholesome image of the fruit that reputedly ‘keeps the doctor away,’” as well as damage exporting of apples to countries that reject genetically modified foods. read more

Should the Toy Industry be Blamed for Making Toy Guns Look too Realistic?

L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck has called on toy-gun makers to stop producing weapons that closely resemble deadly firearms that an officer can easily mistake for a threat. Slate's Peters says that in some cases the police officers involved in the shootings may be responsible for the deaths: “Jamar Nicholson was shot in the back. He wasn’t even holding the fake gun. Tamir Rice wasn’t pointing a gun at Officer Timothy Loehmann when Loehmann shot and killed him." read more

Wrongly Convicted Man Sues Professor Famed for Defending Wrongly Convicted

State Attorney Alvarez said that “terrifying” threats and false evidence were fabricated by Protess’s students at his direction. Private investigator Ciolino has admitted that a videotape was made featuring an actor posing as a witness who claimed to have seen Simon commit the murders. Additionally, Simon’s estranged wife was persuaded to falsely testify that she witnessed the killings. All of this was used against Simon to coerce him into confessing to the crime, he claims. read more

Eric Holder’s Last Chance to Prosecute Financial Meltdown Bankers

If the previous six years is any indication, it is unlikely any executives of financial institutions will be charged. The Obama administration has consistently opted for civil, not criminal, punishment of major banks for their alleged wrongdoing. Huge settlements have been reached between Holder’s department and Wall Street firms but there have been no admissions of guilt or executives facing criminal charges. Holder said that his prosecutors haven’t found any smoking guns. read more

Washington Town of 68,000 Sees 4th Police Shooting Death in 7 Months

The incidents have reminded some of Ferguson, Missouri, last summer, when a white officer shot and killed an unarmed African American, Michael Brown. However in the Pasco case, a special investigative unit, the county coroner and the FBI are looking into the shooting. Pasco’s population is 56% Hispanic, but only 14 of the 68 officers are Hispanic. The city council has one Latino member, and the five-member school board has no Latinos. read more

Percentage of Black FBI Agents has Declined over 15 Years

The agency’s diversity statistics show blacks made up only 4.7% of the special agents in 2012, down from 5.6% in 1997. FBI Director Comey says he has been trying to hire more persons of color for the FBI. He also has been requiring all new agents and analysts to study how the Bureau treated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover worked to destroy King’s credibility to help damage the civil rights movement. read more

Mercury Levels in Tuna are Growing

An analysis of mercury in tuna over the past half century revealed the heavy metal’s levels have increased 3.8% annually. The data reflects the increasing level of mercury in ocean fish, reaching the level—0.3 parts per million—the EPA considers unsafe for human consumption because of the neurotoxin’s effect on the brain and nervous system. Children can be born with elevated amounts of mercury in their blood, which can result in a “significant” I.Q. deficit, according to the report. read more

U.S. Waste Disposal in Afghanistan: Unused Incinerators and Open-Air Burn Pits

SIGAR found serious mechanical problems with the costly incinerators. One operating base received them from the contractor two years late and requiring $1 million in repairs. The inspectors also found the incinerators too expensive to use—some cost a million dollars a year to operate. So commanders decided to continue to use the burn pits to dispose of the 440 tons of waste produced each day, despite the health risks of doing so—and despite being told by Congress to stop the practice. read more