News & Commentary
Congress Could Save Tens of Thousands of Americans Today. Here's How.
"Too many Americans go to too many prisons for too long for no good law enforcement reason."
By By Alex Berger, Legislative Assistant, ACLU
Where's the Suspicion in Government's "Suspicious Activity" Reports?
In 2008, the federal government launched programs to collect so-called "Suspicious Activity Reports" around the country. Government documents obtained by the ACLU show that these programs have operated without adequate privacy safeguards or guidance on the definition of "suspicious activity," resulting, as we feared, in violations of Americans' First Amendment and privacy rights, as well as racial and religious profiling.
By By Nusrat Choudhury, Staff Attorney, ACLU National Security Project
Comey's Hollow MLK Guidance to FBI Agents
Newly sworn in FBI Director James Comey has ordered all new FBI agent trainees to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, so they can reflect on the FBI's infamous history of hounding the civil rights leader and recognize "the dangers in becoming untethered to oversight and accountability."
By By Michael German, Senior Policy Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office
When Did "To Serve & Protect" Become "To Seize & Profit?"
This piece was originally published on The Nation's website.
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By By Jesse Lava, Campaign Director, Beyond Bars & Sarah Solon, Communications Strategist, ACLU
The USA FREEDOM Act is Real Spying Reform
Over the last several months, members of Congress have introduced at least two dozen spying reform and transparency bills. Today, a new proposal called the USA FREEDOM Act from Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was introduced to significantly limit the collection and use of Americans' information under our nation's spying laws. The ACLU strongly supports the legislation.
By By Michelle Richardson, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office
My 5-Year-Old's Seizures Were Finally Controlled by Medical Marijuana
My five-year-old son Zander has had two brain surgeries. During each, doctors removed portions of his brain. The second surgery had a long recovery time because of the muscle loss that he suffered after being bedridden for weeks. It caused an infection that caused him to be on IV antibiotics at home. It took months before he could walk again.
By By Jennifer Welton, Zander's Mom
Health Food Company Must Provide Employees Health Coverage
Last week the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to preliminarily block the federal contraceptive rule in a case brought by a health food company, Eden Foods. The company argued that the federal rule that requires the inclusion of contraceptive coverage in health plans violates its religious liberty.
By By Brigitte Amiri, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project
On the Agenda: October 28-November 1
Few things captivate Washington like a scandal, and this past week the "scandal" has been the dysfunction of the Obamacare website and anger among our allies about NSA spying.
By By Shawn Jain, ACLU
Is the Security State Mainly Looking Out For Us, Or For Itself? Two Paradigms Compared
Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing has generated much debate within the United States over whether his leaking of NSA documents was a heroic act or something deserving of punishment. And the NSA activities that he has revealed have similarly generated controversy. I know some very thoughtful people who I see eye-to-eye with on the vast majority of political issues, who nonetheless see this story completely differently from me. They think that the NSA scandal is overblown, and view Snowden with an extremely dubious eye.
By By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project
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