The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 Friday that President Donald Trump lacked the constitutional authority to transfer Department of Defense (DOD) funds for use in the construction of a wall along the Mexican border. The court found that the transfer of $2.5 billion circumvented Congress, which had previously denied requests [...]

US District Court Judge Dolly Gee ruled on Friday that the federal government cannot keep migrant children detained during the COVID-19 pandemic. In its minutes, the court stated that while it “appreciates both ICE’s and ORR’s efforts to reduce the number of Class Members in their custody during the pandemic,” the plaintiffs challenging the ongoing [...]

The Supreme Court refused Friday to re-instate a federal district court order that extends Texas mail-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court released a brief statement announcing its denial. It also included a statement from Justice Sotomayor: This application raises weighty but seemingly novel questions regarding the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.  I do not disagree [...]

President Trump, on Friday, issued a new executive order to protect public monuments. Under the order, those who illegally remove or vandalize public monuments can face up to ten years in prison. The Attorney General was directed to collaborate with state officials to prosecute violators to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, the order provides [...]

A federal court judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction against attendance restrictions imposed on religious gatherings in New York state. Judge Gary Sharpe’s order affects the limits that both governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio placed upon religious gatherings in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Both officials had issued [...]

Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp signed the State’s first hate crime bill into law on Friday. The bill adds enhanced penalties against defendants who are motivated by race, sex, disability, or other similar categories. Kemp signed HB 426 in a signing ceremony in the state capital, affirming “a simple but powerful motto: Georgia is a state too [...]

The ACLU of Indiana on Friday submitted a lawsuit against the city of Fort Wayne and Allen County, citing the alleged abuse of tear gas and pepper spray by Fort Wayne police during the recent George Floyd demonstrations. The report states that “Numerous persons have come together to attempt to engage in peaceful protest in downtown [...]

Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order on Thursday directing Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate individuals involved with the death of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado. The incident between McClain and officers occurred on August 24, 2019, after officers responded to a 9/11 call about a “suspicious person.” After confronting McClain, one of [...]

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, on Wednesday released the findings and recommendations of the state’s 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Report. The report is the culmination of a two-year investigation into the fracking industry. The report details systematic failures by government agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to fulfill their responsibility to oversee [...]

The US House of Representatives approved a bill Friday to admit Washington, DC, as a state. This is the first time either chamber of Congress has approved such a bill. The vote followed strict partisan lines. Every House Republican voted against the bill, and all but one Democrat voted in favor. To sidestep constitutional issues, [...]