In a win for Second Amendment rights advocates and a blow to California gun control measures, a federal judge ordered the state accept concealed carry permit applications from out-of-state resident on Thursday, Aug. 22. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many states’ gun restrictions that did not align with the United States’ “historic tradition…

In one month, the oral arguments in TikTok versus the United States are set to begin. The social media company argues that a U.S. law is unconstitutional. The law bans the app from operating in the U.S. unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The U.S. government cites national security concerns as…

A federal judge in Chicago rejected a request by pro-Palestinian groups for more space to protest outside the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday, Aug. 12. The groups had claimed that the restrictive space designated for protests outside the DNC violated their First Amendment rights. The DNC announced it would have limited protest zones within…

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday, Aug. 9, the indictment of three current and former executives of Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing right-wing media outlets over 2020 election coverage. Prosecutors said executives used a slush fund to bribe the former top election official in the Philippines, Andy Bautista, in exchange for “obtaining…

Congressional Democrats reintroduced a bill that would block future executive orders that mirror what was known as former President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. The lawmaker’s bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to further regulate when and how presidents can restrict the entry of certain individuals into the United States.   “A hateful stain…

A federal judge told Harvard University it will have to face a lawsuit over claims it did not protect Jewish students against antisemitism. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns denied Harvard’s motion to dismiss the suit from six Jewish Harvard students. In the lawsuit, the students said the school was indifferent…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated activists’ First Amendment rights when it deleted comments on the NIH Facebook and Instagram pages, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Animal rights activists had been posting comments to the NIH’s social media posts to advocate against animal testing. The agency’s moderation policy prohibited “off-topic posts” and…

Harvard University must face a lawsuit after a U.S. judge ruled that Jewish students alleged antisemitism on campus. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns stated that claims of Harvard’s inadequate response to incidents are serious and noted doubts about First Amendment protections.The lawsuit accuses Harvard of selective enforcement of anti-discrimination policies and indifference towards Jewish students’…

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, R, is asking a federal court to dismiss a recent lawsuit against the new law requiring the 10 Commandments to be openly displayed in public school classrooms by Jan. 1. The lawsuit was filed by parents who contend that the law violates First Amendment rights about the establishment of religion.…

Americans’ average overall trust in U.S. government has declined sharply since 1964, and rebounded only slightly during the Biden administration. This prolonged slump corresponds with an era of increasing polarization and partisanship in U.S. national politics. In recent years, social media has helped bring people together remotely, but it has also widened political fault lines…