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U.S. Court of Appeals Rules DACA Unlawful
A federal US appeals court on Friday held that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) violated US immigration law. The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a district court’s decision to block the DACA program, finding it to be unlawfully created. The court emphasized that since Congress had deliberately excluded DACA recipients from […]
Cops Allegedly Assaulting Girlfriends, Shifting the Overtime Window, and Bullying Kids
Office of Police Accountability (OPA) Director Gino Betts resigned last week as head of the city’s police watchdog department following an unrelenting anti-Betts campaign from the Seattle Police Union, Interim Chief of Police Sue Rahr, and certain right-wing radio hosts. For those who don’t know, almost anyone you’ve ever read about in Bad Apples, Betts investigated and recommended […]
The future of misdemeanor prosecutions in Washington state
In recent years, there has been a push among some advocates and policymakers to handle certain types of offenses different in favor of diversion and “restorative” justice that differs from the current system. It’s a concept that might garner support among state lawmakers and lead to potential legislation, though some local prosecutors stress the need […]
WA agency seeks funding for new juvenile detention center as overcrowding persists
With overcrowding at Washington’s two juvenile detention centers, the Department of Children, Youth and Families is asking state lawmakers for money to open a new facility. The department wants to add a smaller, minimum and medium security site to help alleviate pressure on the other two centers, which had to pause admissions earlier this year because […]
Arizona and North Dakota Voters Reject Efforts to Curb Direct Democracy
Unlike in most democratic countries, United States citizens cannot weigh in on policy questions through a national referendum. But roughly half of American state constitutions do afford their citizens some version of this power, known as “direct democracy,” allowing citizens who collect enough signatures to place statutory or constitutional proposals on the ballot and pass […]
Supreme Court Declines To Hear ‘Natural Born Citizen’ Presidential Case
The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Monday declined to hear Shiva Ayyadurai’s challenge to the “natural born” citizen clause, after his effort to run for president was blocked. The “natural born citizen” clause in the Constitution says only someone born a U.S. citizen can become president or vice president. The rule has sparked a number of debates and legal […]
Over 800 IRS employees owe millions in back taxes after audits pushed by Ernst
Over 800 Internal Revenue Service employees still owe millions in back taxes despite heavy criticism from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who is hoping the level of tax waste will be squashed by billionaire Elon Musk, the newly tapped co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency. In a letter to the Iowa senator sent on Nov. 8 and shared exclusively with the […]
Norway to Increase Minimum Age Limit on Social Media to 15 to Protect Children
Norway is to enforce a strict minimum age limit on social media of 15 as the government ramped up its campaign against tech companies it says are “pitted against small children’s brains”. The Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, conceded it would be “an uphill battle” but said politicians must intervene to protect children from […]
U.S. judge strikes down overtime pay rule
Retail industry groups applauded a ruling by the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas that struck down the Department of Labor’s final overtime rule. The court found that the Biden-Harris Labor Department’s 2024 overtime rule’s July 1, 2024, increase was unlawful as well as the scheduled Jan. 1, 2025, increase. The rule […]