Iowa lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday that would make it a crime to enter the state after being deported or denied entry into the US. The passage puts the midwestern state on track to join Texas in enforcing state immigration laws that operate independently of the federal immigration system, meaning they are not directly [...]
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Georgia to go forward with first execution in more than 4 years after parole board denies clemency
The Georgia Parole Board denied clemency for inmate Willie James Pye on Tuesday, making him soon to be the first inmate executed in the state since 2020. Pye was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996 after the murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbough, with whom he was involved in a relationship. During the clemency meeting [...]
Brazil police accuse former President Jair Bolsonaro of falsifying COVID-19 vaccination data
The Federal Police of Brazil accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination record following investigations that began in January 2023. The Brazilian president was accused alongside 16 other people of forging his vaccination record and his daughter’s by inserting false information in the public health database in order to get false vaccination [...]
Spain Parliament approves bill granting amnesty to Catalan separatists
The lower house of the Spanish Parliament approved on Thursday a controversial legislative proposal granting amnesty for Catalan separatists involved in the 2017 independence bid. The proposed law seeks to “put an end to judicial processes and sentences” against anyone who took part in the Catalan independence campaign that took place between November 1, 2011 [...]
Federal judge denies Senator Bob Menendez motion to dismiss conspiracy charges
A federal judge in New York denied a motion to dismiss on Thursday from Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in his pending conspiracy case. In the order, Judge Sidney Stein found that the constitutional challenges Menendez raised in his motion did not cover the charges. Menendez pleaded not guilty to the four charges—which alleged that Menendez [...]
Mississippi House of Representatives passes bill seeking to define sex in binary terms
The Mississippi House of Representatives passed on Wednesday a bill that seeks to define sex in strictly binary terms, impacting the recognition of transgender individuals’ identities within the state. The Mississippi Women’s Bill of Rights reflects a broader trend among Republican-controlled legislatures in the US to address and restrict the legal acknowledgement of transgender and [...]
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) announced Tuesday a proposed emergency rule that would disallow the use of “X” as a substitute for male or female on state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. In its filing, the DRA asserted that the emergency rule is necessary for the Office of Driver Services (Office) to [...]
In the Halls of Brazil's Senate: Unpacking the Legacy of the US Constitution
To date, America’s greatest contribution to the world has been its Constitution. The importance of this document far surpasses such other cultural achievements as the Moon landing, the telephone, GPS, rubber vulcanization, and Henry Ford’s mass production lines. It is more important, even, than Gone With the Wind, and the hamburger — even though this [...]
AP and CNHI report finds US sunshine laws put transparency request burden on private citizens
An AP and CNHI News report published Sunday found that less than a third of US states have agencies to resolve citizen disputes regarding access to public records or open meetings. The only recourse for resolving transparency-related disputes in these states is for citizens to engage in expensive litigation. While some states like Arizona do [...]
Delaware House approves bill creating new permit requirements to purchase handguns
The Delaware House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday requiring individuals who are seeking to purchase a handgun to first obtain permission from the state, in addition to undergoing fingerprinting and firearms training. The bill now awaits approval from the Delaware Senate before it becomes law. The bill also includes provisions on firearms resale and [...]