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Rekha
Arulanantham
01/06/2012
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (1/6/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 6:12pm

Which bill, signed into law by President Obama on New Year’s Eve, allows for indefinite military detention without charge or trial?

What comic book debuting this week features the same-sex marriage of two characters?

In which state is the ACLU challenging a law that bars LGBT public employees’ partners from healthcare benefits?

Which governor attempted to strike down a voter-approved medical marijuana law?

President Obama Signs Indefinite Detention Into Law
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last Saturday, allowing indefinite detention to be codified into law. As you know, the White House had threatened to veto an earlier version of the NDAA but reversed course shortly before Congress voted on the final bill. While President Obama issued a signing statement saying he had “serious reservations” about the provisions, the statement only applies to how his administration would use it and would not affect how the law is interpreted by subsequent administrations.

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12/02/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (12/2/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:50pm

Which amendment rejected by the Senate this week would have banned indefinite detention without charge or trial?

What can’t Siri help you find?

How does S-Comm violate U.S. citizens’ rights?

Which state repealed a law that allows death row prisoners the opportunity to try to commute their sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole based on racial bias?

Which agency uses “community outreach” programs to collect intelligence on innocent Americans?

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11/18/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (11/18/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:56pm

Guess who’s stalking you on the Internet?

Who is suing the Oakland Police Department to end violence against Occupy Oakland protesters?

Which amendment could the Stop Online Privacy Act impede?

Which presidential candidate thinks the ACLU is effectively running the CIA?

In which state does an anti-immigrant law put small businesses at risk?

The Social Network is Stalking You
A new web feature by USA Today details the ways Facebook stalks you around the Internet — even when you’re not logged in. Facebook’s tracking methods — in the guise of the innocent seeming “Like” button — record every web site its 800 million-plus members have visited during the previous 90 days, even if you never click on that button, or don’t have a Facebook account.

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10/14/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (10/14/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 6:04pm

In what state has an anti-immigrant law sent immigrants fleeing?

Which County Sheriff is running for cover after the ACLU exposed brutal conditions in his jail?

Which legislative body voted this week to allow hospitals to refuse emergency abortion care to women dying of pregnancy complications?

What can you get in exchange for giving up your privacy (and some urine)?

What new ACLU interactive tracks the legacy of the Patriot Act?

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10/07/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (10/7/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:38pm

What school, abiding by the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics, removed a student for refusing to counsel LGBT clients?

Who assaulted one of his students for wearing an LGBT t-shirt?

What list can you get on, but not off?

In which state is a law preventing kids from going to school, sick people from going to the hospital and victims from reporting crimes to the police?

What should the police have to do before attaching a GPS to your car?

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09/30/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (9/30/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 7:23pm

Which police department will stop wrongfully arresting people for misdemeanor marijuana possession charges after coercing or tricking them into revealing small amounts of pot they had concealed in their pockets or bags?

Where did a public school principal illegally try to convert students to Christianity during a mandatory assembly?

What is your mobile carrier’s data retention policy?

What is NYCLU doing at #OccupyWallStreet?

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09/16/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (9/16/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:48pm

What kind of information still remains vulnerable to government surveillance even 10 years after 9/11?

Who can you help save by sending a letter to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parole?

Which state is proposing an amendment that is intended to limit the religious freedoms of Muslim-Americans?

At what school did a judge temporarily stop the unconstitutional mandatory drug testing of students?

Which federal agency’s training materials teach religious discrimination and mistrust of the Muslim-American community?

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09/15/2011

Your Pledges to Fight for Freedom

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 11:33am

Last week, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we asked you to share your thoughts on defending the Constitution and American values in times of national crisis. So far, we've received over 3,000 messages pledging to fight for our freedoms that were rolled back in the wake of 9/11.

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09/09/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (9/9/11)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 4:26pm

Against whom did the ACLU win a major victory in the fight against warrantless cell phone location tracking?

Which amendment protects photographers' right to take pictures of things that are plainly visible in public spaces?

How much do you have to pay to visit a loved one in an Arizona prison?

What organization is appealing a decision that upholds a private citizen’s First Amendment right to free speech?

At what Missouri college will ALL new students have to take a mandatory drug test to attend classes?

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08/26/2011
This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (8/25/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:23pm

Which state enacted a drug testing welfare benefit application law that costs more than it saves?

What can you do to protect your private info on Facebook?

Who are the NYPD and FBI spying on?

Who spent over half his life on death row before he was released because he was wrongfully convicted?

Told You So: Florida's New Drug Testing Policy Already Costing Taxpayers More
We've said a few times about Florida's horrible new law that drug tests all families applying for cash benefits. The law, which went into effect July 1, makes applicants front the cost of the drug test and reimburses individuals if they test negative. The ACLU and others predicted this program would be a failure and cost the state of Florida much more money than they would save. Guess what? In just the few weeks that the program has been in effect, we have been proven right.

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