Thursday, July 31, 2008

Civil Rights Roundup: 07/31/08

Your daily dose of civil rights and related news

The Bush administration proposal to force hospitals and clinics to exempt employees who don't want to dispense birth control is gearing up to be a huge fight.

A report by the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies credits the drop in illegal immigration population to stepped up enforcement.

The WaPo urges that Texas hold off on executing a Mexican citizen until Congress has time to address the international treaty concerns that made his case controversial in the first place.

ICE has released more information about its can't miss self-deportation program.

A Colorado man has been arrested for killing a transgender woman. Look for the trans-panic defense coming soon.

The Boston Globe has an editorial urging Congress to dig deeper into what went wrong with the Bush administration's Justice Department.

Should we make the right to vote explicit in the constitution?

CNN quoting Steve Sailer in the "Black in America" series (for any other proposition other than "there are still White racists around") may not have been the wisest choice.

Activists protesting public housing demolitions in New Orleans are being held on criminal charges, including (originally) terrorism. That charge has been dropped, others are still pending.

The 11th Circuit holds that, notwithstanding its anti-discrimination rules, the University of Florida must recognize a fraternity that requires its members to be Christian.

Florida Hispanics continue to protest racial profiling in their communities.

Anti-affirmative action proposals are on the ballot in Colorado, Arizona, and Nebraska.

The Deseret News reports on a election reform hearing (the very one that made yesterday's roundup late, as it happens) that got good reviews from voter advocates and civil rights groups.

The SCLC: New Orleans is "one of the most racist communities in this country."

Finally, condolences to the family of Sammy Davis, Jr., who just died. DUH! He died in 1990. I don't know why it came up in my search of daily news sources. Bizarre. Way to make me look like expose me as a moron, Google News.

1 comment:

PG said...

Would have thought the 11th Circuit decision was slam-dunked by the Wide Awake precedent.