Blog of Rights
Rekha
Arulanantham
05/21/2012
On the Agenda

On the Agenda: Week of May 21-25

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 3:45pm

This morning we received good news; the Supreme Court has just agreed to consider whether plaintiffs represented by the ACLU have the right to challenge the constitutionality of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, a controversial law that authorizes the National Security Agency to conduct dragnet surveillance of Americans’ international emails and phone calls. ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer said:  “The constitutionality of the government’s surveillance powers can and should be tested in court. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will agree.”

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05/18/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (5/18/12)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 3:22pm

Which law could be used to restrict the right to protest at next week’s NATO summit?

Which government watch list can you get on but are entirely at the government’s mercy if you want to get off?

A lawmaker from which state would rather women die than have abortion remain legal?

In which state did a grandmother get sentenced to life without parole for a nonviolent first-time drug offense?

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05/11/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (5/11/12)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:20pm

Which Internet company is in court protecting one of its user's right to free speech?

Which state voted to ban marriage for same-sex couples?

Which politician endorsed the freedom to marry for same-sex couples this week?

Which judicial body did ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero describe as a system is "set up to guarantee convictions and hand down death sentences, nothing more?"

What bill would be a good start to prohibiting employers from asking for employees' or job applicants' social networking passwords?

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05/07/2012
Voter ID

On the Agenda: Week of May 7-13, 2012

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 1:38pm

Congress is back, so we’re looking at a busy schedule this week.

As we mentioned last week, this Wednesday the House Armed Services Committee will mark up this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. We’re keeping a close eye on NDAA amendments, which could affect several diverse civil liberties issues, including LGBT rights, indefinite detention, reproductive rights, and military sexual trauma.

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05/04/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (5/4/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 4:41pm

What surveillance tool used by law enforcement could lead to nightmarish privacy infringement?

This week, the White House confirmed the existence of what program that has been kept secret by the CIA?

“Liking” on what social network is not protected by the First Amendment, according to a federal judge in Virginia?

Which state wants to replace one private prison contractor with another?

Which state is being sued by an ACLU affiliate for its discriminatory voter ID law?

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04/27/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (4/27/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:23pm

What law threatens the Occupy movement’s and other activists’ right to protest?

What bill recently passed by the House did the President threaten to veto because of its privacy problems?

Which court heard arguments this week regarding Arizona’s anti-immigrant bill, S.B. 1070?

In which state does U.S. citizen and ACLU plaintiff Jim Shee carry his passport at all times because the color of his skin makes him look suspicious?

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04/20/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (04/20/12)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 9:20pm

Which state saved no taxpayer money by implementing a law that requires drug testing of all of applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)?

What company fired an employee for using medical marijuana in accordance with state law?

In what decision did the Supreme Court rule that defendant cannot rely upon statistical evidence of systemic racial bias to prove his death sentence unconstitutional?

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04/13/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (04/13/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:48pm

Which state recently passed the first bill in the nation that bans employers from asking for social media passwords?

Which Michigan agency has ended the practice of sexually abusive searches of women prisoners?

What constitutionally-guaranteed freedom is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops trying to use as an excuse to discriminate?

How many states passed laws that threaten minority and low-income voters' rights?

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04/06/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (4/6/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 4:51pm

What do local law enforcement across the country use to track Americans' location?

Which part of the government doesn't recognize rape as sexual assault?

Which court ruled that you can be strip searched for a traffic violation?

How many members of Congress asked President Obama to protect LGBT employees from discrimination in the workplaces of federal contractors?

Which state refused a mandatory ultrasound bill this week?

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03/30/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (3/30/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 7:01pm

In which state did doctors try to force a pregnant woman to have a c-section against her wishes?

What group can no longer be held in solitary confinement in Mississippi?

How many cells compose a person according to Personhood USA's definition?

How many states oppose a national ID card?

Which federal agency illegally gathers intelligence on innocent American Muslims?

Your Body, Your Decisions — This Means You, Moms!
Recently, a mother in South Carolina reached out to the ACLU for help. She was pregnant, and although she had had two prior cesarean surgeries, she wished to attempt a "trial of labor," that is, to give birth naturally, rather than having a scheduled cesarean surgery. The mother's wish made sense in light of her medical history, and according to professional standards set by obstetricians.

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