Commentaries by Cynthia Soohoo and Dana Sussman

The Threat of Murder Charges for Abortion Already Exists

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The Threat of Murder Charges for Abortion Already Exists

Cynthia Soohoo and Dana Sussman

May 14, 2022 09:00:08 am

Last week, Louisiana made headlines by proposing a bill that would make abortion a homicide and explicitly allow pregnant people to be charged with murder. While the bill ultimately failed to advance in the Louisiana House of Representatives, it’s important to know that many states already have laws on the books that could result in [...]

THIS DAY @ LAW

District of Columbia named seat of US government

On July 16, 1790, the District of Columbia was established as the permanent seat of the United States government by the Residence Act. Originally the district contained land on both sides of the Potomac, grants from Maryland and Virginia, but in the mid-19th century, when it was obvious that the major government buildings were being built on the Maryland side, Virginia asked for its land back and received it. Learn more about the District of Columbia.

Saddam Hussein becomes President of Iraq

On July 16, 1979, Hasan al-Bakr resigned as President of Iraq. He was replaced by Saddam Hussein, who held power until he was deposed by American forces in 2003. In 2006, Hussein was tried and convicted of crimes against humanity. He was executed by hanging later that year. Learn more about relations between the United States and Saddam Hussein from George Washington University.