|
|
Latest Posts
-
|
|
|
|
Douglas W. Kmiec Chair and professor of Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University; the former Dean & St. Thomas More Professor of Law at The Catholic University of America and author of Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barrack Obama (Overlook Press), In his review of my new book entitled Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barrack Obama (Overlook... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
As I write this message during the Congressional August recess, I am more optimistic than ever that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act will be passed by this Congress and signed by President Bush. Many things can still happen that could derail passage, including simply running out of time in the Congressional calendar. But I have faith in the ability of the bipartisan congressional... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
Iraqi refugees in Syria in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Photo courtesy of the AP. This week on War News Radio , we compile the most compelling stories that we’ve heard over the past year in our series, A Day in the Life . First, we hear from Fuad Mufta, an Iraqi refugee in Syria, about his hopes for getting political asylum in the United States. Elise Garrity prepared... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Two Iraqi soldiers during a nighttime patrol in the city of Mousel in northern Iraq. Photo courtesy of Ayub Nuri. This week on War News Radio , we proudly present some of our favorite pieces from the summer. First, three Iraqis from Kurdistan tell us about the day-to-day problems they face when buying and selling food. Sonny Sidhu and Elizabeth Hipple prepared this report. Next, members of the US military... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
By Kevin Cathcart, Lambda Legal Executive Director Back-to-school time brings up mixed feelings for most students, but for some LGBTQ students, fear and anxiety are there in the mix. That’s harmful. It’s unfair. And it’s unacceptable. Joey Ramelli and Megan Donovan were forced to drop out of high school and complete their education at home after being harassed by their classmates during their sophomore... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Afghan women learning to make fruit preserves. Photo courtesy of Rosemary Stasek. This week on War News Radio , we examine just how closely Pakistan’s equivalent of the CIA is tied to Taliban attacks in Afghanistan. Sonny Sidhu prepared this report. Next, we check in on the current status of al-Qaeda with Bruce Riedell, a counter-terrorism expert at Brookings Institution, amid reports of of a recently... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
One thing I have learned after over 13 years of fighting to bring my nation closer to its promise of equal treatment for every American regardless of race, sex, color or ethnicity is that politicians can triangulate more about this issue – and get away with it – than almost any other issue in the public policy arena. A few days ago, Senator John McCain gave his support to our effort in Arizona to prohibit... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , an Iraqi journalist tells us the story of a suicide bombing, which exploded thirty meters away from him during a peaceful political demonstration. Ayub Nuri prepared this report. Next, we hear about a diverse group of Iraqi and American youth who assembled in Jordan to construct their own vision of what the war’s big players need to address. Kristin Caspar reports. We... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , we take a look at US-Iran diplomacy and what it means for the two countries to be engaging in talks. Asher Sered and Alex Imas prepared this report. We also hear from three Iranian-Americans about their views on US-Iran relations. Kristin Caspar reports. Next, we hear about a women’s boxing program in Afghanistan that is teaching young women how to roll with the punches,... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Note: Justice Talking ceased production on June 30 of 2008. Commenting on blog posts has been suspended. Listeners who still want to communicate with us may address emails to: " jtinfo@justicetalking.org ." Thank you from the JT Crew Today is the final day for the Justice Talking staff. I want to thank all of the talented people who have been part of our production team! I also want to thank everyone... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Loss of Status July 18th, 2008 An Iraqi army patrol at Kirkuk’s northern gate. Photo courtesy of Ayub Nuri. This week on War News Radio , we examine why the negotiations over the Status of Forces Agreement between the US and the Iraqi government have stalled. Asher Sered and Sonny Sidhu prepared this report. We also talk to two college professors who are sending help from America to Iraqi universities.... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Janice Langbehn and Lisa Pond were together almost 20 years. They had adopted foster children and created a good life for their family in Washington State. Last summer they decided to take three of their children on a family cruise — but they never left the port in Miami. Lisa, a healthy 39-year-old, had been cheerfully watching her children play basketball on the boat’s upper deck, when she suddenly... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Wide Awake July 11th, 2008 An insurgent in custody of the Iraqi army in Mousel. Photo courtesy of Ayub Nuri. This week on War News Radio , we consider the Awakening movement as a path to better security in Iraq. First, Iraqi civilians talk about how the Awakening Councils have affected their personal security. Elise Garrity reports. Then, members of the US military talk about the value of this movement... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Change of Scenery July 4th, 2008 A US humvee during a patrol in the city of Kirkuk. Photo courtesy of Ayub Nuri. This week on War News Radio , the mother of a young Iraq veteran tells us about how the war has affected his return home. Elise Garrity reports. Then, we hear about one soldier’s dissatisfaction with the media’s coverage of the war, and what he did about it. Elizabeth Hipple has the report.... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Changing Colors June 27th, 2008 A camp for displaced people in the southern Iraqi city of Kut. Photo courtesy of Ayub Nuri. This week on War News Radio , we look at how ethnic diversity is changing in Iraqi neighborhoods. First, hear from Iraqis who have left their homes for more homogeneous neighborhoods. Alex Imas and Ayub Nuri report. Then, we talk about the long term consequences of sectarian segregation.... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
One of the least-kept secrets in higher education is the fact that many colleges and universities, especially the more select ones, consciously seek to suppress their “Asian” student enrollment. During the first year of my term as a regent of the University of California (UC), a prominent member of the staff at one of the UC campuses remarked to me that at least two of the UC campuses could become... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , personal stories of working in a post-invasion Iraq. First, we talk with Antonia Juhasz, from Oil Change International, and author of The Tyranny of Oil, about the involvement of foreign oil companies in Iraq. Kristin Caspar and Alex Imas report. Next, we learn what it is like to be an Iraqi working for an American company in Iraq. Listen now to Alex Ginsberg’s report.... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
I'm writing this blog from Washington, DC, where our Division will be hosting a summer teacher institute with the Federal Judicial Center. Now in its third year, the "Federal Trials and Great Debates in U.S. History" summer institute engages teachers in study of landmark trials from the lower federal courts. This year's cases include the Aaron Burr treason trial, In re Debs and the Pullman Strike,... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Apart from allowing same-sex couples to marry in California — which was itself momentous — the recent California Supreme Court ruling did something else important and notable: It reaffirmed the promise of Lambda Legal’s historic U.S. Supreme Court victory striking down all remaining state sodomy laws five years ago. This news is especially gratifying as we prepare to celebrate the fifth anniversary... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , we explore the current food crises gripping Iraq and Afghanistan. First, we talk about the state of agriculture in Iraq and why food production is coming up short. Listen now to Kristin Caspar’s report. Afghanistan is experiencing a shortage of its most important staple: wheat. Anxieties are rising along with food prices, as Afghans struggle to find solutions. Elise Garrity... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
I wrote this 18 months ago. We now have two candidates for the national parties. My hope is that as the blog goes out of circulation, all of us will actively involve ourselves in one party or the other and participate in the democracy. -- Bryan My name is Bryan Keith Fair. I would like to announce my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States, but, for myriad reasons, I cannot. First, I cannot... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
On May 9 th , Navy Captain Keith Allred, a military judge at the U.S. prison camp in GuantanamoBay, ruled that Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann must remove himself from any involvement in the prosecution of Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s former body guard and personal driver. The ruling against the Office of Military Commission’s top legal advisor came after another military commission judge, Judge Peter... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
On Monday June 2, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed into law a new statute that bans payday lending and caps the interest rate on loans at 28%. Last Fall, the U.S. Congress passed a statute that capped interest rates at 36% for certain loans for members of the military. (The statute that Congress passed was then gutted to a shocking extent by the Department of Defense. Under heavy pressure from banking... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
In my household, some helping occurs organically.... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , we salute this year’s alums with our “Best of 2008 Grads” show. First, we hear from Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan, and take a look at how their lives are changing as their resources dwindle. Listen now to Haley Loram’s report. Then, U.S. service members aren’t the only American forces in Iraq. Thousands of private military contractors are performing jobs once reserved... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Have you ever gone on a family vacation – husband, wife and maybe two kids – with everyone excited about the trip except for one of the kids? A suggestion is made to stop at McDonalds, but the disgruntled one wants to go to Wendy’s. How about a movie? All think it’s a great idea, except for the one who is pouting. Why don’t we see a comedy? “I want to see a thriller.” Let’s go to breakfast at 8:00... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
McCain says Obama is the candidate favored by Hamas , while President Bush has suggested that he's "delusional" for being willing to talk with Iran's president. And the guy even takes his flag pin off sometimes. So just where does Barack Hussein Obama stand when it comes to defending America against terrorists? We bring you this Capitol Steps exclusive: Obama Meets Osama From the album Campaign and... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , we explore the impact the war in Iraq has had on the country’s religious communities, both inside Iraq and elsewhere. First, we learn about the history of one of Iraq’s most threatened religious minorities - the Mandaens. Listen now to Hansi Lo Wang’s report. Then, we talk with an Iraqi Mandaen now living in the US to hear what the future may hold for his community. Listen... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
Against the backdrop of a high stakes, history-making, mega-media election cycle, the United States Supreme Court has been deciding important and noteworthy election law cases in areas as wide-ranging as voter identification requirements, judicial elections, and the regulation of political parties. The long-term impact of these decisions on the shape of American democracy has received relatively little... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
“ I would think they would pass legislation that would help them vote, rather than not vote .” (Saint Mary's College freshman Lauren McCallick) I can’t stop thinking about the twelve Sisters of Holy Cross , all in their 80s and 90s, many in wheelchairs or walkers or electric carts, who were not allowed to vote in the recent Indiana primary because they lacked valid Indiana drivers’ licenses or current... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
John McCain's economic policies this memorial day are definitely high-end. Are they out of reach for the average American?... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , we take a look at how war in Iraq has affected local artists and their work. We meet Mohamed al-Daradji, an Iraqi filmmaker who dared to shoot a movie on the streets of Baghdad. Listen now to Hansi Lo Wang’s report. Then, we hear from struggling musicians, trying to keep the music alive in the war zone. Listen now to Dan Symond’s report. Next, we take a look at how American... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
In United States v. Williams , a solid majority of the Court found that key provisions of the unfortunately named “ Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003” are a model of clarity when compared to past federal efforts to stop the proliferation of child pornography on the Internet. Unlike Congress’s previous attempts (including the ill-fated federal... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
I recently attended and presented at a day-long symposium hosted by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) called “Disability Law: From tenBroek to the Twenty-first Century.” The title refers to NFB founder and scholar Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, who wrote a seminal law review article in 1966 that laid the foundation for many of the advances in disability law and policy that have occurred in the last... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Iraqi police officers on the job in Basra. This week on War News Radio , we proudly present some of our favorite pieces from the spring. First, we find out about the slow progress that has been made towards assembling Iraq’s security forces. Listen now to Wren Elhai's report. Next, joblessness is taking a unique toll on women in Iraq. We hear about how the unemployment situation is changing the work... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Today thousands of people across the country are taking a stand against discrimination in the workplace. Some are signing the pledge for workplace equality. Some are encouraging others to sign in pledge-a-thons throughout the day. Some will wear buttons and stickers to work, put up posters in their communities or find a few minutes during the day to educate others about the discrimination lesbians,... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
Your Internet Service Provider may be offering up every click you make online and selling it to a company determined to know any thing and every thing about you, down to the fake name you use when logging on to the “Always ABBA” fan site. That’s a wiretap by any other name; I apologize for the subtly. The technique used in this ill-conceived information harvest is called “deep packet inspection” (DPI).... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Senator Barack Obama’s former pastor and former friend, has been much in the news recently. Indeed, throughout the United States, it is fair to say Wright is now a household name, thanks to extensive media and internet coverage of his old and new sermons and speeches. Many believe Wright has irreparably damaged Senator Obama’s chances of becoming president of the United States.... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
On April 16, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Kennedy v. Louisiana , a case challenging a Louisiana law making child rapists eligible for the death penalty, even when the crime did not also involve a homicide. Only five other states have similar laws. Patrick Kennedy, the defendant in Kennedy v. Louisiana , was sentenced to death for raping his eight-year old step daughter. Child rapists deserve... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Over forty years ago the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia struck down a law that banned marriage if the bride and groom were not of the same race. The death last week of Mildred Loving, the aptly named bride in that case, reminds us of how far we’ve come, and how far we have to go. Prejudice remains embedded in marriage laws that ban same sex marriage in every state except Massachusetts. It’s easy... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Men working in Baghdad. Photo courtesy of the Ayub Nuri. This week on War News Radio , the next of our series focusing in on some of the big unresolved questions about the war in Iraq. We consider Iraq’s unemployment crisis. First, we hear about the difficulties Iraqis face as they look for work. Listen now to Emily Hager’s report. Then, we hear form the owner of one garment factory that closed. Listen... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
The credit card industry has really been running wild lately. After a frenzy of acquisitions and consolidation in the last several decades, only a few major banks issue the vast majority of credit cards in the United States, and the industry has been able to get more and more Americans to take out heavier and heavier debt loads. Today, America’s credit card debt load is approaching one trillion dollars... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
In our town, Pride—commencing with Dykes on Bikes and sporting floats and people waving from pick-up truck beds—acts much like other towns’ Fourth of July celebrations do, the rainbow banner our flag of choice, friendly, cheering crowds lining Main Street, wafting street fair scents (grilled meat, fried food).... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
News came over the weekend of a state district court being overruled by a higher court. Ho hum, no news there, one would think, a routine occurrence…except this concerned stem cell research, and that is always newsworthy. The state was Missouri, and what was at issue was whether the description by the secretary of state of a ballot initiative (a description that would appear on the ballot, and hence,... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
Even before it ends, this 2008 presidential campaign will transform our democracy – in fact, it already has. Hundreds of thousands of new voters have registered and cast ballots, Sen. Barack Obama has drawn huge crowds previously reserved for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, and a surge in small donations has given the campaigns more money from more individuals than ever before at this stage – with... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
What if I said that I would not vote for Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States because he is black (or multiracial); or Senator Hillary Clinton because she is a woman; or that I would not have voted for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani because he is Italian; or former governor Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon? Any of those statements would most assuredly result in revocation of invitations... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
In the wake of the September 11 bombings, Congress established a Victims Compensation Fund and limited liability for a number of deep-pockets who were also victimized by the attacks . A number of academics questioned that it was even conceivable that innocent third parties could be held liable for a terrorist attack. Anthony J. Sebok, What's Law Got to Do With It? Designing Compensation Schemes in... [Read More]
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
This week on War News Radio , we take a look at how war has affected the youth of Iraq and Afghanistan. We hear about the new lives of two Afghan students studying in America. Listen now to Jess Engebretson’s report. Then, we find out about an Iraqi couple who use the Internet to sustain their relationship. Listen now to Wren Elhai’s report. And we take a look at No More Victims, an organization that’s... [Read More]
|
|
|
|