Rittenhouse Verdict Flies in the Face of Legal Standards for Self-Defense

Rittenhouse Verdict Flies in the Face of Legal Standards for Self-Defense

 The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial has found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts. Demonstrators have gathered throughout the trial at the courthouse. – Kenosha, Wisconsin – November 19, 2021 (Shutterstock) By Ronald Sullivan, The Conversation In a two-week trial that reignited debate over self-defense laws across the nation, a Wisconsin jury acquitted […]

A Crucial Boost for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

The Senate has a stark choice: voting rights or obstruction.

A Crucial Boost for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

By Michael Waldman, Brennan Center With the addition of Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) as co-sponsors, a majority of the Senate now supports the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.   Similarly, a majority supports, and has voted for, the Freedom to Vote Act, which would establish national standards on voting, redistricting, […]

Hurricane Ida’s Destruction was the Result of Years of Systemic Racism

Even after a racial justice awakening, the effects of climate change and natural disaster reflect deep inequality.

Hurricane Ida’s Destruction was the Result of Years of Systemic Racism

By Rashad Robinson, Salon With nearly two months left of this year’s turbulent hurricane season, thousands of Louisianans are entering their sixth straight week without power following Hurricane Ida. Meanwhile, displaced residents in search of adequate shelter for their families are piling into any neighbors’ homes that are still intact, some with up to 10 […]

A 6-Week Abortion Ban is Taking Effect in Texas and Upending Decades of Protections for Abortion Rights

The law, which bans abortions after 6weeks of pregnancy and empowers private citizens to sue to enforce it, went into effect Wednesday in a monumental shift on abortion rights.

A 6-Week Abortion Ban is Taking Effect in Texas and Upending Decades of Protections for Abortion Rights

Protesters against Texas Bans Abortion Laws, who gather and demonstrate in Times Square on Saturday afternoon on September 4, 2021 in New York City. (Shutterstock) By Zoe Tillman and Nicole Fallert, BuzzFeed News WASHINGTON — A Texas law banning abortions in the state at 6 weeks of pregnancy — and leaving it up to private […]

City Council Passes CM Rosenthal’s Legislation Mandating Free, Comprehensive Doula Services for Incarcerated People on Rikers Island

Legislation is part of an ongoing, multi-pronged effort by the City Council to combat maternal mortality and morbidity in NYC, especially among communities of color

City Council Passes CM Rosenthal’s Legislation Mandating Free, Comprehensive Doula Services for Incarcerated People on Rikers Island

Conversation on Police Violence. What needs to change? Council Member Helen Rosenthal, NY State Senator Robert Jackson, Edafe Okporo, Crystal Walthall – New York, New York / USA – June 16th 2020 (Shutterstock) Today the City Council overwhelmingly passed legislation introduced by Council Member Helen Rosenthal to increase critical maternal health services for people incarcerated on Rikers […]

Why the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is Already Doomed in the Senate

Why the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is Already Doomed in the Senate

By Chris Cillizza, CNN The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that would strengthen the federal government’s role in overseeing election law changes that could disenfranchise minority groups, passed the House on Tuesday — a victory for Democrats who believe it is a necessary response to the erosion of election protections by the Supreme […]

Biden Administration says Long Covid can be Considered a Disability Under Law

The White House released new guidance on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Biden Administration says Long Covid can be Considered a Disability Under Law

By Maeve Sheehey and Rebecca Rainey, Politico The Biden administration announced Monday that long Covid, a condition where people experience long-term Covid-19 symptoms long after clearing the actual virus from their system, could be considered a disability under civil rights laws. The White House announced the new long Covid guidance on the 31st anniversary of […]

Congress Must act to Correct Flaws in the First Step Act

Congress Must act to Correct Flaws in the First Step Act

By Eric Gonzalez and Kassandra Frederique, The Hill A unanimous Supreme Court last week held that people convicted of certain low-level crack cocaine offenses are not eligible for resentencing under the First Step Act, a sentencing reform bill passed in 2018 with bipartisan support that was meant to provide retroactive relief to those serving sentences […]