Back in the 1970’s, when baby boomers at college campuses across the nation were grooving to David Bowie’s “Young Americans,” communications majors were also captivated by the 70’s media guru Marshall McLuhan’s cult phrase “the medium is the message”. McLuhan’s said the medium is embedded in the message and “synergistically” alters its content, … [Read more...]
Delaware Fails to Pass Equal Rights Amendment
Delaware failed to pass an Equal Rights Amendment last month, when several legislators who pledged their support for the measure voted nay. The bill died in the Senate with a vote of 11-9, needing two-thirds of the total (or 14 votes) to pass. Sen. Margaret Rose Henry used a procedural mechanism to set the stage for potential revote later this … [Read more...]
The Many Faces of Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination may be more widespread than people think, and as two women have recently argued in a lawsuit against AT&T Mobility, this type of discrimination may be baked into seemingly neutral rules regarding lateness and absence. Katia Hills and Cynthia Allen filed a class action lawsuit this month, representing all low-level … [Read more...]
Darden Settles Age-Discrimination Lawsuit
After three years, Darden Restaurants finally reached a settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), bringing an end to the longstanding age-discrimination lawsuit. Darden, who runs a number of Season 52 Restaurants and the well-known Olive Garden chain, said at the beginning of May that it would divvy up $2.85 million … [Read more...]
Federal Court Considers the Statewide Election of Texas Judges
For the past 150 years, Texas has held statewide elections to appoint judges to the State Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals. A lawsuit filed by attorney Carmen Rodriguez and movement organizer Juanita Valdez-Cox could radically alter the way those elections are carried out. in February, plaintiffs – including Rodriquez, Valdez-Cox, … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Challenge to Mississippi’s anti-LGBT Law
The Constitution, we have come to find, is subject to interminable readings and re-readings; to contradictory impulses; to opportunisms of all persuasions (both liberal and conservative); and finally, to seemingly overt attempts to radically redefine the document’s intent. In our so-called “post-truth” age, this all seems par for the course. … [Read more...]
The Disproportionate Effects of Climate Change
Very often, the struggle against climate change is framed as preventative. Under this framework, the truly damaging effects of global warming are flung out into the future. Thus, we are told to do something now in order to stop future disasters from occurring. There is, however, cause to question this framework. All we need to do is observe the … [Read more...]
A Growing Trend of Voter Suppression
In 2013, the US Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, removing provisions requiring mostly southern states with histories of discriminatory voting practices to submit new election regulations to the federal government for approval. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the 5-4 majority, arguing that “things have changed … [Read more...]
Education Department Scraps 72 Documents Pertaining to Disabled Students
According to a newsletter released by The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the Education Department has rescinded 72 guidance documents relating to the interpretation and implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act. This move constitutes a major blow to education and … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Gutted Voting Rights Act Because of Faulty Data
A recent ProPublica article contends that the Supreme Court – the bastion of judiciary wisdom and purported neutrality – has rendered a number of decisions relying on falsified statistics and facts. In one 2013 decision, Justice Elena Kagan argued, in a unanimous opinion, that a signal from a drug-sniffing dog constitutes probable cause – meaning … [Read more...]
