This Week in Civil Liberties

This Week in Civil Liberties (06/14/2013)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 4:45pm

The ACLU filed a lawsuit this week challenging which agency's surveillance program that the government uses to spy on millions of ordinary Americans?

Which federal court invalidated patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 cancer genes?

The ACLU is suing the governor of which state for denying drivers licenses to young people who have been authorized to remain lawfully in the country??

How much does it cost per year to hold a detainee at Gitmo?

This Week in Civil Liberties (06/07/2013)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 4:36pm

Which federal court ruled that the police can seize the DNA of innocent Americans who have never been convicted of a serious crime, even without a search warrant?

Under what piece of legislation has the federal government been secretly surveilling the calls of every Verizon Business Network Services customer?

According to original ACLU analysis, arrests for what drug demonstrate staggering racial bias in drug law enforcement?

This Week in Civil Liberties (05/17/2013)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 4:39pm

 

In which state was a Heights High School senior class president suspended and banned from delivering his scheduled convocation speech because of a harmless tweet?

Which political group was unfairly targeted for aggressive enforcement by the IRS?

In which state was a transgender student humiliated by school administrators who misgendered him by placing his name on the ballot for prom queen?

This Week in Civil Liberties (05/24/2013)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 2:40pm

True or False? Overly severe discipline in school does not improve student behavior, but pushes them out of school and into the school-to-prison pipeline.

How much did law enforcement pay a witness in an Alabama capital punishment case for less-than-truthful testimony?

How many victims of human trafficking sued Signal International, LLC on Tuesday for forcing them to work in exploitive and abusive conditions?

This Week in Civil Liberties (05/31/2013)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:01pm

In which state did the ACLU file a lawsuit challenging dangerous and abusive conditions in a private prison?

Which house of the legislature will consider the immigration reform bill proposed last month?

Which social media platform is reviewing its hate speech policy in an effort to balance respect for free speech and pressure to censure misogynistic material?

Women of what ethnicities are unfairly targeted by an Arizona anti-abortion law?

This Week in Civil Liberties (8/12/2011)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:30pm

What military base, after initially pulling its support, is allowing an atheist concert on base?
How can states save some of your taxpayer dollars?
Which civil servant publicly indicated indifference towards separation between church and state? (Here’s a hint: His job has everything to do with church and state!)
How many senators have rethought their 1996 decisions to support DOMA?
In what state did a federal appeals court strike down a law that prohibited transgender prisoners from receiving medically necessary treatments?

This Week in Civil Liberties (9/21/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:05pm

What excuse did an Indiana public school use in order to fire a teacher for becoming pregnant through IVF treatment?

What device packed with private information like emails, photos and call history can be seized and searched without a court order? (Hint: It might be in your pocket or purse right now.)

Why do Americans know so little about the Constitution they claim to revere?

How do debt collectors and prosecutors use the criminal justice system to financially exploit vulnerable Americans?

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.

This Week in Civil Liberties (3/23/2012)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:39pm

Some employers are asking job applicants for their passwords to which social networking site?

Which court ruled that a law that protects pregnant workers is unenforceable?

Which country is the only one in the world that sentences children to life without parole?

What government agency continues to defend warrantless wiretapping?

How could a shooter claim self-defense after killing an unarmed teenager in Florida?

This Week in Civil Liberties (05/10/2013)

By Rekha Arulanantham, ACLU at 5:02pm

The Supreme Court of which state granted a stay of execution to Willie Manning, who may be innocent of the crime for which he was convicted?

True or false? Eye-tracking technology could pose a risk to privacy if inappropriately used to discover drug and alcohol use, mental and psychological illnesses, sexuality and other traits and behaviors.

Documents released this week suggest that which federal agencies read private emails without obtaining a warrant first?

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