Wednesday, January 29, 2025

SC law causes bans on lessons, books about Black history, lawsuit claims

By Skylar Laird   

Legislation that failed last June, would have nullified the most disputed part of the law


COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Education is discriminating against Black people’s viewpoints by enforcing a law that bars schools from teaching that any race is inherently superior or automatically racist, claims a federal lawsuit filed Monday.

Federal Workers Union Warns Trump Purge 'Will Cause Chaos'

By Jessica Corbett

"Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to."

A union that represents over 800,000 employees of the federal and District of Columbia governments on Tuesday responded with alarm to U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to pressure some workers to leave their jobs.

Monday, January 27, 2025

Police drones are flying over Maryland. Will state lawmakers regulate them?

 By Capital News Service

On an afternoon in mid-January, a Montgomery County police drone tracked a shoplifting suspect as he made his way from a Wheaton CVS to the entrance of a nearby Metro station, where a patrol unit intercepted and arrested him.

Police flight records show that the drone, piloted by officers at a command center in Rockville, then returned to its station on a nearby rooftop to await the next 911 call.

The drone is one of four operated by the Montgomery County Department of Police. The year-old drone response program is the first of its kind in Maryland, with drones stationed in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The drones have responded to nearly 2,000 calls since the program’s launch, often reaching the scene before police officers get there.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Trump wants to deport immigrants accused of crimes. California sheriffs could make that easy

By Nigel Duara and Tomas Apodaca

In summary

President Donald Trump wants to deport undocumented immigrants arrested on suspicion of various crimes. That could put sheriffs overseeing California jails in conflict with the state’s sanctuary law.

They can enforce a state sanctuary law that some of them personally oppose, or they can roll out the welcome mat to federal immigration enforcement authorities whom Trump has promised will carry out the largest deportation program in American history. 

Ohio families who lost loved ones after police incidents criticize new fees for body cam footage

By Nick Evans 

Former Columbus, Ohio police officer Adam Coy shot and killed Andre Hill shortly before Christmas in 2020. Last November Coy was found guilty of murder, felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty. As it is in many police involved shootings, body camera footage was crucial evidence establishing the how the incident unfolded.

Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law undergoes 5th Circuit judges’ scrutiny

 By Greg LaRose

NEW ORLEANS – Three judges on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals considered arguments Thursday over a state law that requires displays of the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public school classroom.

A group of nine parents, each on behalf of their children, sued to block the law shortly after the Louisiana Legislature and Gov. Jeff Landry approved it last spring. A lower court ruled in November the requirement violates the First Amendment’s prohibition against establishing a state-approved religion.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Trump’s words changed Springfield, Ohio. Its Haitian community is bracing for what’s next.

By Amanda Becker, The 19th News

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO — Several minutes into President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech on Monday, as he began talking about immigration, Yvena Jean François dug through a desk drawer for a notebook and pen.

“We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home … it fails to protect our magnificent law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world,” Trump said, repeating a frequent 2024 campaign claim for which he has not offered evidence.

Alarm Bells Sound as Trump Gets to Work on 'Extreme Authoritarian Agenda'

By Jessica Corbett

"Trump isn't king, but if Congress capitulates, he could be," warned the leaders of Popular Democracy.

Since U.S. President Trump's return to office on Monday—at an inauguration ceremony full of American oligarchs—as the Republican has issued a flurry of executive orders and other actions, progressive leaders and organizers have expressed alarm and vowed to fight against his "authoritarian" agenda.

LSU law professor removed from classes amid investigation into alleged political comments

By Piper Hutchinson 

An LSU law school professor has been removed from teaching classes for reportedly making political comments in the classroom, his attorney says. 

LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Dean Alena Allen told students in an online meeting Tuesday that tenured law professor Ken Levy is being replaced pending an investigation.  

Baton Rouge attorney Jill Craft, who is representing Levy, said he intends to fight the reprimand.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Progressives Say "Billionaires' Row" at Inauguration Ceremony Shows True Winners of Trump Agenda

By Jake Johnson 

"Trump's White House is government by the billionaires, for the billionaires," said the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus."

While President-elect Donald Trump is expected to hail the "start of a thrilling new era of national success" during his inaugural speech on Monday, progressives said the presence of some of the nation's most powerful billionaires at the event signals that the incoming administration's agenda will prioritize the success the country's wealthiest.