Month: July 2020
Is the Senate Filibuster a 'Jim Crow Relic' That Should Be Abolished in the Name of Democracy?
Politicians' opinions about the maneuver depend on which party is in power.
Tom Cotton's Only Challenger Is a Black Libertarian Prison Chaplain
Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr., is running to keep Tom Cotton out of the White House.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Apple permits, laser beams, and Nazis in Skokie.
Detroit Police Department Settles Another Dog Shooting Lawsuit After Video Contradicts Cop's Account
A 2016 Reason investigation found Detroit police have a nasty habit of shooting dogs during drug raids.
As Electoral Reform Lands on More Ballots, Anti-Ranked-Choice Campaign Defends Status Quo
The Protect My Ballot campaign is out to stop ranked-choice voting.
Prominent Conservative Legal Scholar Steve Calabresi Calls for Trump's Impeachment
The reason is Trump's recent tweet calling for postponement of the election.
The Return of Sports Is Great. It's Also Deeply Weird.
Playing baseball in the uncanny valley
This Year, Summer Television Means Dragging in Shows from Canada, England
Coroner and Hitmen are only new to us Yanks.
When Joe Biden Tried To Paint Clarence Thomas as a Crazy Libertarian
The episode reflects poorly on Biden.
California's Top Court Rules Against Pension Spiking
The decision will make it harder for government employees to abuse and milk the state’s retirement systems.
Lots of Talk But Much Less Action on Police Reform
Getting government officials to put their packs of enforcers on shorter leashes is the definition of an uphill battle.
The Extremely Online Are Less Informed About Political News, More Informed About Conspiracy Theories
Plus: Congress moves forward on encryption backdoors, largest school districts aren't reopening, and more...
Writer-Activist Hit With Licensing Complaint for Calling Himself an Engineer
Licensing laws can be weaponized to chill speech.
Montana's Ban on Flavored Vaping Endangers Public Health
The debate over flavored vapes really is a debate about whether adult smokers will still have access to products that could save their lives.
COVID Concerts
As bans on mass gatherings persist, musicians are increasingly turning to livestreamed shows as a substitute for traditional performances.
Reminder: The Federalist Society Does Not Take Positions On Legal Questions.
That rule applies to Steve Calabresi, and Student Chapters.
Thursday Open Thread
Last week's open thread seemed fun and interesting (and drew >250 comments), so I thought I'd do it again.
Do Plaintiffs from Conservative Cultural/Religious Groups (e.g., Muslims) Have More Right to Proceed Pseudonymously in Sex Assault Lawsuits?
That's what an Eleventh Circuit opinion seems to suggest, in a case where a Trinidadian Muslim plaintiff said she "come[s] from a strict Muslim household where under [their] cultural beliefs and traditions such a sexual assault would have the tendency to bring shame and humiliation upon [her] family."
Did Justice Thomas quietly dissent in Little v. Reclaim Idaho in light of his dissent from Doe v. Reed?
Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh concurred in the grant of the stay. Sotomayor and Ginsburg dissented. What about Justices Thomas, Breyer, and Kagan?
Leaks from the Supreme Court, Part IV: The Tax Return Cases from Roberts's Perspective
Part IV is mostly a rehash of Part III, though we learn that RBG is only telling some of members about her health.
Homeland Security Seized $2 Billion in Cash From Travelers at U.S. Airports
In two-thirds of those cases, there were no accompanying arrests.
The D.C. Circuit Will Rehear the Flynn Case En Banc
Look for the full appellate court to send the case back to the trial court - which is where it belongs.
Linda Greenhouse Thinks COVID-19 Rules That Favor Casinos Over Churches Raise No Constitutional Issues Worth Considering
The former New York Times SCOTUS reporter does not seem to understand the arguments she is criticizing.
2 Pro-Democracy University Employees in Hong Kong Fired as Beijing-Imposed National Security Law Takes Effect
"Academic staff...are no longer free to make controversial statements to the general public about politically or socially controversial matters," one of them writes.
California Man's Gun Seized, Apparently Because He Was a Racist Group Leader
Could such "gun violence restraining orders" likewise be used against people who talk about violence and a "pig problem" or "fascist problem" as opposed to "n■■■, k■■■, and h■■■ problem" (expurgation in news video)?
No, Trump Can't Delay the Election
And no, mail-in voting is not more vulnerable to fraud than absentee voting. It's actually the exact same thing.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Tells Retailers To Call the Cops on Customers Who Don't Wear Masks
Armed agents of the state shouldn't be enforcing mask mandates.
Herman Cain, Former Presidential Candidate, Dies From Coronavirus Complications
His political claim to fame was his "9-9-9" tax plan.
Congress Wants To Regulate Big Tech. They Still Don't Understand It.
Plus: Trump suggests election delay, and more...
Should Elected Prosecutor Be Disqualified for Highlighting Pending Criminal Case in Election Fundraising?
That's what a motion in the St. Louis Mark & Patricia McCloskey case argues.
Predictions for Part IV of CNN Leak Series: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Little Sisters, of the Poor, and Espinoza
Justices Breyer and Kagan flex their moderate muscles to narrow Guadalupe and Little Sisters, but cannot persuade the stubborn Chief Justice on Espinoza
Don't Expand Coronavirus Unemployment Insurance
The negative impact of the program is well documented.
Release Condition: "Defendant May Not Attend any Other Protests … or Public Gatherings in … Oregon"
Some people arrested in Portland for misdemeanor failure to obey a lawful order have had these conditions imposed as a condition of being released before trial. But the law related to such conditions is surprisingly complex.
Leaks from the Supreme Court, Part III: Justice Kavanaugh's Weak and Ineffective Term
After two days of hero worship for Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Gorsuch, day three dumps on the Junior Justice.
Congress Used the Antitrust Hearing To Peddle Petty Grievances Against Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google
The scary monopoly power on display Wednesday was the federal government's.
It's Just Like Saying the N***** Word
The flag of those who supported the dissolution of the Union.
