Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has signed two police reform bills into law calling for police reform and an end to systemic racism in law enforcement. The measures were framed in response to national outcry in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of police. House Bill 1841, [...]
President Trump Wednesday announced his administration’s final rule in a multi-year “modernization” of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the nation’s foundational law for environmental protection. A press release from the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) stated that “the announcement comes after a multi-year review of its NEPA regulations, and after receiving over 1.1 [...]
A US District Court judge has rejected an $18.9M class-action settlement with Harvey Weinstein’s former studio, The Weinstein Company (TWC). Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York Tuesday dismissed the idea that the victims of Weinstein could be certified as a class, citing distinctions in the cases of [...]
The Shawnee County District Attorney filed criminal voter fraud charges against US Representative Steve Watkins (R-KA) on Tuesday, following an investigation by the county Sheriff’s Office. District Attorney Mike Kagay filed four separate charges against Watkins: (1) interference with law enforcement and providing false information; (2) voting without being qualified; (3) unlawful advance voting; and [...]
Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed an anti-BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) bill into law on Monday, preventing the state government from contracting with companies that boycott Israel. The bill, titled the “Anti-Discrimination Against Israel Act,” applies to companies that have at least 10 employees and make more than $100,000 annually. Missouri is the thirty-second state [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Tuesday that the Dakota Access Pipeline can continue operating amid legal proceedings. The order rejects a lower court’s decision last week to shut down the pipeline as owner Energy Transfer LP faces legal challenges from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Tuesday’s decision emphasizes [...]
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill on Monday banning the so-called “panic defense” in court, meaning that defendants can no longer blame victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity for their violent actions. Colorado will become the eleventh US state to ban the defense, following states such as Rhode Island, New Jersey, California and New [...]
A Pennsylvania-based environmental nonprofit filed suit Monday against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the agency’s interpretation of a section of the Clean Water Act. Established in 1988, the Deleware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) works to “protect and restore the Deleware River, its tributaries, habitats and resources” throughout Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Deleware. [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Monday that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot withhold federal grant money from California sanctuary cities. The DOJ has provided Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, which fund state and local criminal justice programs since 2006. This fund is the “primary provider” of federal [...]
US District Judge Steven Jones on Monday struck down Georgia’s latest anti-abortion law as unconstitutional. The Georgia General Assembly approved House Bill 481, also known as the Living Infant Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, in March 2019. HB 481 changed several aspects of already existing Georgia abortion law, including the definitions of “natural person” and [...]
