In June, the EPA stated its intention to delay (by a year) the enforcement of an Obama-era rule requiring states and localities to maintain ozone levels no higher than 70 parts per billion, a reduction of the old standard of 75 parts per billion. The EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt made it clear the agency would not be seeking out problem-areas in … [Read more...]
California Illegal Marijuana Farms Produce Alarming Quantities of Pollution
Ecologist Mourad Gabriel told Reuters earlier this month that the illegal marijuana farms in California are producing significant amounts of pollution. Five police officers have reportedly been sent to the hospital after simply touching pot plants grown on federal land in the forests of California, according to the Reuters report. The officers and … [Read more...]
Chicago Files Lawsuit Against Justice Department Over Sanctuary Policies
In early August, Rahm Emanuel announced that the City of Chicago would be suing the Justice Department because of its recent decision to block the distribution of federal grant money to so-called sanctuary cities. According to the suit, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ refusal to offer federal money to sanctuary cities is unlawful, as it overrides … [Read more...]
Third Circuit Upholds First Amendment Right to Film Police Officers in Public
On July 7th, the Third Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled in favor of appellants who were prevented by Philadelphia Police officers from filming on-duty activities. The appeals court joined a slew of other federal court decisions that protected the First Amendment right to photograph or record the goings-on of public spaces. In his opinion, Circuit … [Read more...]
The Battle for the Rights of Nursing Home Residents
Earlier this month, in an attempt to fight for nursing home residents’ rights, a coalition of consumer and health advocacy groups sent a strongly-worded letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The coalition attempted to persuade the agency to abandon its plan to repeal an Obama-era rule prohibiting the inclusion of … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Will Consider Partisan Gerrymandering in October Session
Proponents and opponents of partisan gerrymandering wait with bated breath for the Supreme Court to commence its October term, as Justices are set to hear arguments regarding the 2010 redistricting map in Wisconsin. The lower court has already deemed the map an unmistakable case of politically motivated gerrymandering that defies the Constitution. … [Read more...]
The Effort to Reform the Monetary Bail System
The damaging effects (and obsolescence) of the monetary bail system are well documented. As observed by the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard University, the system of cash bail divides detainees into those who can afford to pay their way out of jail and those who cannot afford such a luxury. Thus, the imposition of such a condition … [Read more...]
Interior Department Repeals Obama-Era Coal and Oil Valuation Rule
Earlier this month, the Department of the Interior (DOI) decided to roll back a 2016 regulation that sought to protect the financial interests of tax-payers and American Indian lessors. The rule, known as the Consolidated Federal Oil & Gas and Federal & Indian Coal Valuation Reform Final Rule (hereafter, the Valuation Rule), attempted to … [Read more...]
Pollution Fines Decrease Under Trump
According to a recent report released by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), President Donald Trump’s administration has not been collecting nearly as many fines for breaches of environmental law. Whereas the previous three presidents (Obama, Bush Jr. and Clinton), received an average of $30 million in fines during their first six months in … [Read more...]
Trump Signs VA Accountability Act Facilitating the Firing of Employees
On June 23rd, President Donald Trumped signed what the AFL-CIO has called a "destructive piece of legislation," purportedly to reduce scandalous activities by VA employees. In 2014, VA personnel redacted patients’ files in order to cast the organization in a better light. Without the redactions, the fact that patients died while waiting for care … [Read more...]
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