Posts in National
Biden Administration Reverses Trump-Era Changes to the Endangered Species Act

While the new guidelines are certainly an improvement from the Trump administration’s cuts, many activists still feel that they aren’t enough. By leaving some Trump-era rules in place, including one requiring agencies to prove “reasonable certainty” that a species would suffer unless listed, critics argue that today’s protections still fall short of what existed under the Obama administration.

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The Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Common Abortion Pill Mifepristone

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine is relying on a series of hypotheticals: that a woman might have serious complications from a medication abortion with mifepristone, that one of these women might end up in the emergency room, and that they might feel compelled to offer care to these women against their personal moral codes.

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SCOTUS Addresses the Role of Social Media and its Governance in 2024

Resolution of this issue will not be as straightforward as placing social media platforms into one of these two bins despite the appeal of such a settled doctrine. These cases are just one step in a continuing process of determining the bounds and limitations of the relationship between social media and the government. Their disposition will be of great importance in defining the nature of an integral part of our lives that informs our decisions, facilitates communication and expression, and catalyzes meaningful change.

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Republican Politicians Didn’t Kill Nex Benedict, but They Certainly Don’t Seem to Mind When Trans Kids Die.

When the highest levels of a school system not only fail to protect trans students but portray them as the opposing side of a civil war, is it any surprise that Nex “didn’t really see the point” of taking his bullying to school officials?


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How Might Federal Net Neutrality Regulations Affect Economic Inequality?

Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat access to all sites equally, regardless of content. While restoring net neutrality is well-intentioned, doing so could make internet access more expensive for consumers and cause investments into broadband to drop. These factors could make it harder to obtain Internet access, increasing economic inequality and unfairness.

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“Day of the Forest Defender:” Communities Gather to Remember Tortuguita, One Year Later

Dubbed “Day of the Forest Defender,” community and political groups in 30+ U.S. cities and beyond gathered to memorialize Tortuguita in a number of ways. Some took on a politically activist approach, taking the opportunity to discuss community organizing and how to get involved in the movement. Others hosted artistic events, vigils, and communal meals, all with a common theme: “bring what you can.”

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The Supreme Court Code of Conduct: A New Rulebook for Those Who Decide the Rules

As announced by the Supreme Court, the code, known as the Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, contains nine pages of written legal code and five additional pages of commentary. Within the code, five canons of conduct outline rules for ethical issues such as when justices should recuse themselves from cases.

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The Great American Political Circus: How Some Counties are Changing Abortion Regulation in a Post-Roe America

It has been 50 years since abortion was established as a constitutional right in Roe v. Wade. After the decision was overturned, questions and fears regarding new abortion regulations grip the country. For women in Lubbock County, this fear has become a reality. Several counties in Texas have issued ordinances banning people from assisting women traveling to receive abortions.

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Not Just Trans Kids: Rulings Allowing Bans on Gender-Affirming Care are Part of a Larger Trend

The current legislative siege on gender-affirming care for children is only a symptom of a larger upheaval of legal precedent in the wake of the Dobbs decision. Previously, abortion being protected by the 14th Amendment gave courts reason to put much more stock into this argument in similar cases. Now, however, legislatures are much more free to circumscribe what their constituents can do with their bodies; the question is, where do parents’ rights end and the state’s right to intervene in the interest of public health begin?

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A Tale as Old as Time: Post-Wildfire Policies Open Deep Wounds for Native Hawaiians

In early August, the country watched fearfully as the deadliest series of U.S. wildfires in over a century broke out across Maui. Now, nearly two months later, Hawaiian citizens not only continue to mourn their losses but are speaking out against the state government’s recovery efforts, which many say have prioritized big development companies in the wake of the disaster and could threaten local environmental and cultural rights to Maui’s resources.

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Analyzing the Supreme Court’s Decision to End Affirmative Action

“The Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority found The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Harvard’s race-conscious college admissions process to be unconstitutional, effectively ending affirmative action and overturning forty years of legal precedent. “

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