ACLU Press Releases

• Published on January 17, 2019 - 23:31 GMT

  

  Steve King Isn’t the Only Elected Official Pursuing a White Supremacist Vision for America

  Last week, U.S. Rep. Steve King, Republican from Iowa, posed a question to a New York Times reporter that laid bare his racist ideology: “White nationalist, white supremacist, western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” He didn’t stop …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 16, 2019 - 23:41 GMT

  

  What We Learned From William Barr’s Confirmation Hearing

  On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned William Barr, President Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, on his views on the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference, the criminal justice system, and immigration. Senators also …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 16, 2019 - 19:15 GMT

  

  Chili’s Denied Meagan Hunter a Promotion Because She Needed to ‘Dress More Gender Appropriate’

  Meagan Hunter loved her job as a server at Chili’s Grill & Bar in Phoenix, Arizona — and she excelled at it. She was thrilled when her supervisors suggested that she apply for a new training program to become a manager. In order to learn more about the …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 16, 2019 - 19:15 GMT

  

  I’m Out of a Job Because My Boss Didn’t Think I Look Like a Woman

  I didn’t look the part, so I was forced to quit. Chili’s, where I worked for nearly two years, was starting a new management training program and my superiors encouraged me to apply. It was a great opportunity, and I was excited about the prospect of a …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 16, 2019 - 16:16 GMT

  

  In North Carolina, Domestic Violence Laws Still Discriminate Against LGBTQ People

  Same-sex couples in North Carolina won the freedom to marry in 2014, but LGBTQ people continue to be denied equal protection under the law in many other areas of life. North Carolina is currently the only state in the nation that prevents those in same-sex …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 16, 2019 - 16:16 GMT

  

  Court Blocks Trump’s Plan to Add a Citizenship Question to 2020 Census

  A federal court has blocked the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, stating that it constitutes an “egregious” violation of federal law. The ruling deals a serious blow to the administration’s plan to use the …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 16, 2019 - 16:16 GMT

  

  Can the Trump Administration Use Asset Forfeiture Funds to Build the Border Wall?

  Hawaiian vacation. Margarita machine. Sparkles the Clown. Are we going to add Trump’s border wall to the list of “ridiculous things” that civil asset forfeiture funds have been spent on? It seems so if left up to this administration. On Friday, two …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 14, 2019 - 22:21 GMT

  

  McDonald’s Is Serving Up Sexual Harassment

  McDonald’s isn’t just a fast-food restaurant. It’s an American institution, with sales of $37.6 billion in 2017. And we don’t just flock there as customers. The company employs more than 1 million people at its U.S. corporate offices and more than 14,000 …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 14, 2019 - 20:33 GMT

  

  William Barr Has a Long History of Abusing Civil Rights and Liberties in the Name of ‘National Security’

  On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on William Barr’s nomination to be the next attorney general of the United States, offering senators an opportunity to scrutinize his record and views. Such scrutiny is especially crucial in …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 11, 2019 - 22:00 GMT

  

  Deaths of Women in Custody During Hurricane Florence Could Have Been Prevented

  Amid rising floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in September, two women in the custody of the Horry County Sheriff’s Office were left to drown in the back of a transport van. The facts are as straightforward as they are damning. The two deputies, Joshua …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 11, 2019 - 21:30 GMT

  

  William Barr’s Unsolicited Memo to Trump About Obstruction of Justice

  Last month, news broke that in June 2018, President Trump’s current nominee for attorney general, William P. Barr, sent an unsolicited 20-page memo to the Justice Department critiquing special counsel Robert Mueller’s current investigation into Russian …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 11, 2019 - 19:00 GMT

  

  What the Government Shutdown Really Means for Federal Prisoners

  Last week, USA Today ran a hit piece on federal prisoners with the tabloid headline, “Government shutdown: Federal inmates feast on Cornish hens, steak as prison guards labor without pay.” Not to be outdone, The Washington Post followed this up with their …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 10, 2019 - 21:15 GMT

  

  What Are Federal Employees’ Rights to Protest the Government Shutdown?

  Standing up for your First Amendment right to protest can be challenging — especially if you’re a government employee. Since Dec. 22, nearly 800,000 government employees nationwide have been affected by the partial federal government shutdown, putting a …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 10, 2019 - 18:00 GMT

  

  William Barr Was an Ardent Champion of Mass Incarceration

  In 1992, a little less than a year into his new job, Attorney General William P. Barr added to the zeitgeist of “tough-on-crime” policies when he issued the Bush administration’s “24 Recommendations to Strengthen Criminal Justice.” Barr’s harsh approach, …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 10, 2019 - 17:00 GMT

  

  Pennsylvanians Should Know How the State Police Is Monitoring Social Media

  “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.” That’s a line that is used so much that it’s become almost trite. But it’s oft-repeated because it is so true. And here in the Keystone State, the Pennsylvania State Police is doing everything in its power to block …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 10, 2019 - 15:15 GMT

  

  Trump’s Labor Department Wants to Drug-Test Applicants for Unemployment Benefits

  What if you lost your job? It could happen to anyone, right? In 2016, 19.9 million people were laid off or discharged. What if you needed unemployment benefits to sustain you between jobs? That’s not unreasonable either. There were 1.83 million people …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 9, 2019 - 22:15 GMT

  

  Why Trump's Effort to Eliminate Disparate Impact Rules Is a Terrible Idea

  If no one tells you they’re discriminating, is it still discrimination? According to the Trump administration, the answer is no. In a memo reported by The Washington Post last week, the administration has placed in its cross hairs a civil rights …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 9, 2019 - 21:25 GMT

  

  William Barr Helped Build America’s Surveillance State

  William Barr, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, has a history of getting it wrong. From designing warrantless surveillance programs to justifying the president’s power to disregard acts of Congress, Barr has advanced dubious legal theories …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 9, 2019 - 21:15 GMT

  

  Marco Rubio and His Colleagues Need a Refresher on the First Amendment

  This week, amid a partial government shutdown, senators tried to sneak through a bill that would encourage states to suppress constitutionally protected political boycotts of Israel. Ultimately, the Combating BDS Act failed to make it to the Senate floor, …

  Distribution channels: Religion
• Published on January 9, 2019 - 19:31 GMT

  

  Court Rules Public Officials Can’t Block Critics on Facebook

  One of the core purposes of the First Amendment is to allow people, regardless of their views, to hold the government accountable through expression. So, if your elected representative has an official Facebook page where she invites comments, can she block …

  Distribution channels: Religion