Vladimir Putin on Wednesday banned all imports of agricultural products from the US and fruit and vegetables from Europe. The ban, which could last up to one year, was a tactical response to countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia for its support of Ukrainian rebels. The ban will have widespread consequences, affecting both Russian [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit heard oral arguments on Wednesday for six lawsuits challenging same-sex marriage bans in four states. The panel heard arguments on Kentucky’s ban in the consolidated cases of Bourke v. Beshear and Love v. Beshear; Michigan’s ban in DeBoer v. Snyder ; Ohio’s ban in the consolidated [...]

JURIST Columnist Adam Banner of the Oklahoma Legal Group discusses the Fourth Amendment implications of warrantless cell phone searches in the context of two recent Supreme Court decisions on the issue… Two cases recently decided by the US Supreme Court will likely have a tremendous impact on our Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and [...]

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) proposed new policies Friday for use of force against mentally ill inmates. The new regulations would require prison guards to consider the mental health status of inmates and their ability to understand commands before resorting to force. The changes have been proposed in the wake of a [...]

Voters on Tuesday voted on a statewide referendum in Missouri to decide an amendment to the state constitution that would provide a “right to farm.” If enacted, Amendment 1 will guarantee the rights of Missourians to “engage in farming and ranching practices,” potentially invalidating local and state laws to restrict or regulate agriculture. Both the [...]

Amnesty International (AI) announced Monday that it has obtained video footage, images and testimonies showing evidence of “gruesome” war crimes committed by Nigerian Military personnel. The alleged atrocities are occurring in northeastern Nigeria and are the result of a protracted conflict between the country’s military and Boko Haram , a group that rejects Western concepts [...]

In a briefing before the UN Security Council , Assistant Secretary-General for UN Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, describing it as a “man-made crisis,” putting South Sudan on the “brink of a humanitarian catastrophe and a protracted internal conflict.” The briefing covers a report issued by the UN [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report Monday finding that the New York City Department of Correction has routinely violated the constitutional rights of male teenagers at the Rikers Island jail complex. The report was released after a multi-year investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) was completed, which [...]

The new Russian discount airline Dobrolet on Monday suspended all flights as a result of tightening EU sanctions against Dobrolet and Russia. The EU on Wednesday stated that the airline’s service from Moscow to Crimea “facilitates the integration of the illegally annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation and undermines Ukrainian sovereignty and [...]

An education advocacy group on Monday filed suit in New York to challenge the state’s teacher tenure laws, becoming the second group in the state to do so. The challenges, brought by the New York City Parents Union and the Partnership for Educational Justice , claim that existing laws protecting teacher employment violate the civil [...]