Constitutional Law, Courts, Supreme Court

Supreme Court Lifts Injunctions On Trump Asylum Policy In Reversal Of Lower Courts

The Supreme Court handed The Trump Administration a major win yesterday by lifting all injunctions on the new Trump asylum policy being enforced. That policy could result in a drastic reduction of asylum claims along the Southern Border since anyone who passes through another country like Mexico would have to first seek asylum in that country. The ruling is also a strong rebuke to the lower courts, particularly United States District Court Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco who issued multiple orders to try to impose a national injunction.

Continue reading “Supreme Court Lifts Injunctions On Trump Asylum Policy In Reversal Of Lower Courts” →
Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion

Florida “Healer” Sentenced To Three Years Of Jail For Fraud

Sherry Tina Uwanawich, 29, has been sentenced to more than three years in jail in a novel case in Florida. Uwanawich was convicted of swindling a woman out of $1.6 million to lift a curse. A Gypsy healer, Uwanawich claimed to have a direct line to God. The case rekindles questions over the line between legitimate faith (and gifts to religious organizations) and faith-based fraud. Most of the major religions claim miracles as well as communications with God. Most receive large donations, including from people hoping to be healed or helped. The question is when such claims amount to fraud or just faith. We have previously discussed this issue over the liability of fortune telling and super-natural services (here and here).

Continue reading “Florida “Healer” Sentenced To Three Years Of Jail For Fraud” →
Academia, Supreme Court

GW Holds Annual Supreme Court Review

I will be again joining a distinguished panel of experts at George Washington University this morning to kick off the new Term of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court review will convene in the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room of the George Washington Law School at 9 am EDT (13:00 GMT/UTC)  We will be discussing a number of leading cases this term as well as the current Court make-up.

 A livestream will be available via the GW Law Facebook page. A link to more information is available here.

Continue reading “GW Holds Annual Supreme Court Review” →
Bizarre, Courts

“Do You Want Him To Bite You?”: Immigration Judge Accused Of Threatening Child With Dog Attack If He Did Not Keep Quiet

Judge V. Stuart Couch, an immigration judge, is under fire this week after he allegedly threatened a Guatemalan child that he would have a “very big dog” bite him if he did not keep quiet. Kathryn Coiner-Collier, a legal advocacy group coordinator, signed an affidavit accusing Couch of the repeated threat to the child.

Continue reading ““Do You Want Him To Bite You?”: Immigration Judge Accused Of Threatening Child With Dog Attack If He Did Not Keep Quiet” →
Bizarre, Military, Politics

Bolton Out: National Security Adviser Suggests Trump Is Lying About His Firing

President Donald Trump has tweeted that he has fired National Security Adviser John Bolton. Bolton however pointedly contradicted Trump and said that he resigned. What is clear is that another high-ranking Trump official is out — an astonishing turnover of such officials in a single Administration. However, few are likely to object on this one given the unpopularity of Bolton in Washington, which viewed him as someone who has long advocated the use of military interventions and wars. Update: President Trump responded by saying that Bolton was indeed fired and he did not resign as he has stated.

Continue reading “Bolton Out: National Security Adviser Suggests Trump Is Lying About His Firing” →
Free Speech, Politics, Torts

NRA Sues San Francisco Over Resolution Declaring It To Be A Domestic Terrorist Organization

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has filed a lawsuit against San Francisco over the resolution denouncing the organization as a “domestic terrorist organization.” I am cited in the brief, which can be read below. The NRA is correct that I have written in opposition to the resolution of the Board of Supervisors as a direct attack on free speech and “the very definition of demagoguery.” However, the quote that is attributed to me is in error. it was in fact from another column by Henry Olson. It is minor matter since the NRA correctly attributes my view that the resolution is an attack on first amendment rights of free speech and association.

Continue reading “NRA Sues San Francisco Over Resolution Declaring It To Be A Domestic Terrorist Organization” →
Media, Politics

CNN Denounced By CIA For Allegedly False Story On Russian Spy Being Pulled Due To Trump Disclosures

In a rare direct rebuke, the Central Intelligence Agency on Monday evening issued a statement calling CNN coverage of a spy story “simply false.” The CNN reported that the CIA pulled out a major Russian spy from Moscow because President Trump had “repeatedly mishandled classified intelligence and could contribute to exposing the covert source as a spy.” However, the CIA is not the only one effectively calling CNN out on the story. A New York Times piece on the story directly contradicts CNN. The Times says that the decision was made before Trump was even in office. If true, that would be a glaring contradiction for CNN and would reinforce criticism of the network as relentlessly anti-Trump.

Continue reading “CNN Denounced By CIA For Allegedly False Story On Russian Spy Being Pulled Due To Trump Disclosures” →
Academia, Bizarre, Politics

“Liberal Breeding Ground”: Tennessee Lawmaker Calls For The End Of Higher Education

Sen. Kerry Roberts of Springfield has called for the end of higher education, which he dismisses as a “liberal breeding ground.” It is a curious view for a politician from a state with world-class universities which fuel the state’s burgeoning high tech industry and bring huge amounts of revenue in the form of tuition, support contracts and tourism. That includes Vanderbilt University, which is viewed as one of the world’s greatest universities. There is also the much beloved University of Tennessee with its statewide supporters of the Volunteers football team.

Continue reading ““Liberal Breeding Ground”: Tennessee Lawmaker Calls For The End Of Higher Education” →
Academia, Media, Politics, Science

“Not Based On Science”: Chief NOAA Rebukes Trump As IG Investigates Allegations Of Political Pressure To Reverse Forecast That Contradicted Trump

I have previously written about the controversy over President Donald Trump’s comments on Hurricane Dorian and the latest self-inflected wound in what is being called “Sharpiegate.” The name however masks something more serious. It is not the bizarre decision to mark up a hurricane map with a Sharpie to extend the path to Alabama. It is not even the bizarre refusal to just acknowledge an honest mistake in not acknowledging that path predictions on that day showed the hurricane avoiding Alabama. The more serious problem is what the statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) effectively rebuking the forecast of its Birmingham office contradicting the President. There are now reports that the Commerce Secretary threatened firings if NOAA did not issue a statement supporting Trump’s untrue statement. When Trump issued his statement no one was predicting that the hurricane would hit Alabama (days earlier there was a possibility that Alabama could be effected). Various scientists and experts denounced NOAA’s statement and the politicalization of NOAA. Now the Inspector General is investigating and Craig McLean, NOAA’s acting chief scientist, has called the unprecedented NOAA statement “political” and a “danger to public health and safety.”

Continue reading ““Not Based On Science”: Chief NOAA Rebukes Trump As IG Investigates Allegations Of Political Pressure To Reverse Forecast That Contradicted Trump” →
Columns, Congress, Media, Military, Politics

Biden’s Lying About Iraq Shows Why Our Nation Has So Many Wars

Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on a week of disturbing false statements from the two leading presidential candidates for 2020. Both stories should give voters pause. Indeed, this week has also seen candidates like Kamala Harris challenged on not one but two statements on her record and, in a way, her selective hearing. Yet, despite Donald Trump’s bizarre conduct in the Hurricane Dorian controversy, the more serious (and less covered) falsehood was Joe Biden’s statement about his claimed opposition to the Iraq War. As someone who opposed the Iraq War, it is frustrating to see former and current senators falsely claiming to have been duped or being opposed to the war. At the time, neither Democratic nor Republicans senators wanted to even hear from those of us who opposed the resolution. Indeed, the key hearing held was absurd with neither party calling opponents to the war. What is striking however is how little press was given to Biden’s false claim in comparison to the Hurricane controversy.

Here is the column:

Continue reading “Biden’s Lying About Iraq Shows Why Our Nation Has So Many Wars” →
Constitutional Law, Society

Bosnia Holds First Gay Pride Parade

Gay pride parades are hardly news in the United States, but there is one that is worth noting abroad. This week thousands of people, including some of the country’s most famous artists and figures, marched in the first gay pride parade in Bosnia. Despite counter demonstrations from Muslim groups, the government created a safe space with a large police deployment and snipers. Americans can take particular pride in the fact that our ambassador, who is gay, joined the parade.

Continue reading “Bosnia Holds First Gay Pride Parade” →
Academia, Constitutional Law, International, Media, Politics, Society

U.N. Documents Thousands Of Extrajudicial Killings After Chicago Teacher Union Members Went To Venezuela In Sign Of Solidarity

Do you recall the delegation of Chicago Teacher Union members going to Venezuela in a demonstration of support? Many of us were highly critical of Richard Berg (Organizer), strike captains Sarah Chambers (Special Education Educator), Valeria Vargas (Math Educator) and Fabiana Casas (English Educator) for the trip to show solidarity with a blood-soaked regime that has denied free speech, free press and other fundamental rights to Venezuelans. Chambers even expressed approval in a tweet saying “While staying in #Venezuela, we didn’t see a single homeless person.” Another thing Chambers probably did not see were the thousands of murdered Venezuelans just documented by the United Nations in a report of the extrajudicial killings ordered by the Maduro regime. Actually, between the millions that have fled, the thousands murdered, the thousands in jail, and the thousand in hiding, I am surprised Chambers saw many people at all on the streets of Venezuela.

Continue reading “U.N. Documents Thousands Of Extrajudicial Killings After Chicago Teacher Union Members Went To Venezuela In Sign Of Solidarity” →
Columns, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Politics

Terror Nation: How Millions Are Being Declared Terrorists For Their Political Views

Below is my column in The Hill on a growing tendency to label opposing views as terrorism in our age of rage. Democratic activists have labeled ICE as a “terrorist organization” while Republicans use that term for Antifa. It is also a way to dismiss opposing views as extremism with no need to listen, let alone respond. With the escalation of such rhetoric, millions of Americans are being portrayed as terrorists – a trend that robs the term of any real meaning. Yet, numerous officials, including the Board of Supervisors, in San Francisco supported the ridiculous resolution declaring the NRA to be a “domestic terrorist organization” and, by extension, its five million members domestic terrorists. It is not enough to disagree over the meaning of an individual right, the other side must now be little better than ISIS for disagreeing with you.

Here is the column:

Continue reading “Terror Nation: How Millions Are Being Declared Terrorists For Their Political Views” →