Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has claimed that the leak of the draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade earlier this year endangered the lives of justices by putting a target on their backs. What do you think?
“It’s true. Four have been murdered, and there’s only two left.”
Alejandro Kowalchuk, Unemployed
“No justice should know the fear of an abortion provider.”
Walker Bensen, Personal Fundraiser
“I could have sworn it had something to do with the actual decision.”
So instead of making a big deal about Welcoming Everyone Back, I’ll just be extending a regular welcome back. Welcome back! And adding that, after 2021’s extensive pandemic-related measures, the 2022 show was a lot looser on the rules, resulting in a huge boost in attendance, up from 42,000 people last year to around 65,000 in 2022.
Below you’ll find video and a gallery with some of our favourite cosplay from the weekend, which took place last month in Atlanta, during which there wasn’t just a convention but also Dragon Con’s trademark, a cosplay street parade.
As usual, all photos and video are by the talented Mineralblu, and you’ll find each cosplayer’s details, including their social media handles and which character they’re cosplaying, watermarked on the image.
Also, after some complaints about loading times and sluggishness from having so many huge images on the one page, I’m testing splitting the images up into a slideshow instead. Let me know how that goes though, if the annoyance of that outweighs the load time stuff, I’ll switch back next time!
THIS IS DRAGONCON ATLANTA COMIC CON 2022 DRAGON CON BEST COSPLAY MUSIC VIDEO BEST COSTUMES ANIME CMV
Steve Bannon, a one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to cooperate with lawmakers investigating last year’s U.S. Capitol attack. What do you think?
“I just hope prison doesn’t radicalize him.”
Juan Mejia, Event Security
“Will they grant his request for a special live-kitten diet?
Rex Smalls, Barista Recruiter
“I think he should take these four months to reflect on better ways to overthrow the government.”
The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot concluded its ninth and potentially final hearing last week with a subpoena of former President Donald Trump. The Onion polled all 330 million Americans for their predictions on what will be the most significant outcome of the Jan. 6 hearings.
The Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCEDSV) provides statewide advocacy, education, and support to the frontline organizations that help those impacted by domestic and sexual violence. This includes Nevada’s direct service organizations that serve victim-survivors and their families. The organization supports its member organizations by providing resources, assisting them in finding financial resources to maintain their operations, and providing educational opportunities for their staff, board members, and volunteers, ensuring they have access to best practices. Its purpose is to advocate for change at the state and federal level, educate Nevada communities and support organizations, and work with professionals who cross paths with victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence to ensure services are well-rounded and highly effective.
“Our Nevada communities are our home communities,” said Joey Orduña Hastings, CEO of the NCJFCJ. “The work we do in domestic violence education is some of the most important work we do. We resolve to continuously educate our judges, lawyers, parole and probation officers, social workers, law enforcement, domestic violence advocates, and other professionals to take steps to enhance awareness of the negative impact of domestic violence on children, families, and communities.”
NCEDSV’s mission and vision align with the NCJFCJ’s history of supporting judges, courts, and related agencies involved in juvenile, family, and domestic violence cases with the knowledge and skills to improve the lives of families and children who seek justice. Both Nevada-based organizations are committed to training and technical assistance to support domestic violence and sexual violence programs and providers.
“We are elated to join the ranks with such a well-established and respected national organization,” said Amanda Bullard, interim Executive Director of the NCEDSV. “This is a natural partnership to ensure that we work hand-in-hand to provide comprehensive and victim-centered responses to those experiencing domestic and sexual violence across Nevada. We look forward to the great work yet to be accomplished here.”
Since 1937, the NCJFCJ’s initiatives in family violence and domestic relations have enhanced the safety, well-being, and stability of domestic violence victims and their children by improving the responses of criminal, civil, and social justice systems. In 1994, the NCJFCJ promulgated the Model Code on Domestic and Family Violence to promote consistency across state lines on how domestic violence is handled in the criminal and civil legal systems. The Model Code is a comprehensive code on domestic violence that includes chapters on general provisions, criminal penalties and procedures, civil orders for protection, family and children, and prevention and treatment. The NCJFCJ also offers education through the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence, a partnership with Futures Without Violence and supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
For more information about the NCJFCJ or organizational membership opportunities, please visit ncjfcj.org. For more information about NCEDSV, visit ncedsv.org.
About theNational Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ): Founded in 1937, the Reno, Nev.-based National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is the nation’s oldest judicial membership organization and focused on improving the effectiveness of our nation’s juvenile and family courts. A leader in continuing education opportunities, research, and policy development in the field of juvenile and family justice, the 2,000-member organization is unique in providing practice-based resources to jurisdictions and communities nationwide.
About NCEDSV The Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (previously The Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence), is the statewide coalition of domestic and sexual violence programs. NCEDSV provides statewide advocacy, education and support to the front-line organizations that help those impacted by domestic and sexual violence. To learn more about services provided by NCEDSV, visit ncedsv.org.
Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
The immigration law firm provides counsel to clients who want immediate and convenient access to legal services worldwide.
Press Release –
updated: Oct 19, 2022
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., October 19, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– KAMKHADZE PA, a law firm practicing U.S. Immigration and Nationality law, was launched in Hollywood Beach, Florida. The immigration law firm provides counsel to clients who want immediate and convenient access to legal services worldwide. Using the latest technology and the most efficient operational processes, Kamkhadze PA offers clients the ability to complete their immigration process entirely online, with seamless and prompt communication during the process.
The firm provides full legal services in the field of immigration law, including legal counsel, long-term strategy, case preparation and filing, and representation with U.S. Immigration agencies. The firm’s practice specializes in employment-based visa and green card petitions for foreign nationals of extraordinary ability, investors, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and scientists. The firm also provides legal services in family-based immigration matters and naturalization cases.
Kamkhadze PA Immigration Law Firm utilizes the Lean Six Sigma methodology to ensure consistency, provide clear communication, be flexible and responsive. By individually analyzing each case and tailoring strategies to the individual needs and qualifications of the client, Ana Kamkhadze, Esq., MBA, has developed a comprehensive approach to case development and has successfully represented a range of clients.
The firm is committed to excellence and its capabilities are differentiated through its innovative and extensive legal analysis. The case preparation at the firm reflects Mrs. Kamkhadze’s meticulous attention to detail as well as her in-depth knowledge of immigration law and the latest adjudication trends. Her firsthand knowledge of the complex U.S. immigration system allows her to empathize with clients on a personal level and handle each case as if it were her own.
Ana Kamkhadze, Esq., is a licensed Attorney in New York, and since immigration law is federal law, she represents clients in their immigration matters anywhere in the United States and abroad. Prior to opening her immigration practice, she acquired significant expertise in U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Law for almost a decade. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Mrs. Kamkhadze received legal education first in Georgia and later in the U.S., at Florida International University, where she obtained a master’s degree in law and a master’s degree in business management and administration. Her combined education in both business and law assists her clients in developing the most efficient business immigration strategies.
Before moving to the United States, Ana Kamkhadze, Esq., practiced business law in Georgia at one of the leading business law firms, where she has also been a contributor to the Doing Business Report published by the World Bank. She has been the author of several published articles and the winner of a few international conferences.
DALLAS—Releasing the appendages from its sides after two pink lines appeared in the results window, a positive pregnancy test was said to have immediately sprouted robotic legs Thursday before scanning local woman Trish Nehorai’s face with a laser. “Identity: Trish Nehorai,” confirmed the Clearblue stick, its once-concealed ‘transmission progress’ lights illuminating as the test leapt from one surface to another to avoid the terrified Nehorai, who attempted to swat at it with her hands.“Transferring biometrics to law enforcement. Transfer complete. Trish Nehorai: Your pregnancy has been successfully registered with the state. Congratulations.” At press time, the pregnancy test had reportedly reassembled itself into an ankle bracelet and clamped onto Nehorai, with the purpose of delivering a high-voltage shock if the woman attempted to go within 100 feet of an abortion clinic.
SIOUX CITY — A judge has vacated a jury verdict in which a Sioux City man was found guilty of offering a 14-year-old girl $600 for sex, ruling there was not enough evidence presented at trial to show the man knew the girl was underage.
District Judge Jeffrey Neary granted a defense motion for a judgment of acquittal, found Danny Beard not guilty of the charge of enticing away a minor and dismissed the case.
Beard
Provided by Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office
A jury in August found Beard, 67, guilty at the conclusion of a two-day trial in Woodbury County District Court. He had faced a five-year prison sentence for the Class D felony.
Neary, who presided over the trial, focused his ruling on the fourth element of the crime: that at the time of the Nov. 14 incident, Beard “reasonably believed (the girl) was under 16.”
In his ruling, Neary said his review of the trial transcript and video exhibits and recollection of the evidence led him to conclude the prosecution presented no definitive evidence Beard knew the girl’s age prior to the incident.
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“It is clear to the court on this evidence that the age of (the girl) was not clear at the time of the incident and further that nothing in this evidence would indicate that (she) was under the age of 16 at the time of the incident,” Neary wrote.
Beard was accused of pulling up next to the girl in his pickup truck as she was walking in the parking lot of her grandmother’s apartment complex, asking what a “pretty girl” like her was doing out so late and then asking, “You want to come with me?” before saying, “I’ll give you 500 (dollars).”
Beard, who lived in the same apartment complex, parked his pickup and approached the girl as she was entering the apartment building and offered the girl $500 to come up to his apartment, then raised his offer to $600. The girl went to her grandmother’s apartment, and her grandmother filed a police report.
Beard later told an investigator he thought the girl was someone else and that his offer of money was for cleaning his apartment, not for sex. He told police he did not know the girl’s age until after the incident.
In his resistance to the defense’s motion for a new trial, Assistant Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis said the evidence should be taken together in context rather than singled out. Video surveillance, he said, showed not only what Beard said to the girl, but how he said it, leaving viewers to conclude he was offering money for sex. The girl also visited her grandmother several times a week and often encountered Beard, who was familiar with her and would have “reasonably known” she was under age 16.
Neary said in his ruling that in the video and during her trial testimony, the girl appeared mature for her age, and he himself would have guessed she was between age 16-18. Neary also said it was dark at the time Beard encountered the girl, who, the judge said, resembles her older sister who was living with their grandmother.
The prosecution’s evidence, Neary said, did little more than “raise suspicion, speculation and conjecture” that Beard would have reasonably known the girl was under age 16.
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LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – As President Vladimir Putin completed paperwork for the annexation of four regions of Ukraine on Wednesday, the Kremlin said there was no contradiction between Russian retreats and Putin’s vow that they would always be part of Russia.
In the biggest expansion of Russian territory in at least half a century, Putin signed laws admitting the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region into Russia.
The conclusion of the legalities of the annexation of up to 18% of Ukrainian territory came as Russian forces battled to halt Ukrainian counter-offensives within it, especially north of Kherson and west of Luhansk.
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Asked if there was a contradiction between Putin’s rhetoric and the reality of retreat on the ground, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There is no contradiction whatsoever. They will be with Russia forever and they will be returned.”
The wording of the laws is unclear about what exact borders Russia is claiming for the annexed territories and Peskov declined to give clear guidance.
“Certain territories will still be returned and we will continue to consult with the population that expresses a desire to live with Russia,” Peskov said.
The contrast between a set of defeats on the battlefield and lofty language from the Kremlin about Russia’s might have raised concerns within the Russian elite about the conduct of the war.
Such is the depth of feeling over the retreats that two Putin allies publicly scolded the military top brass about the failings.
ANNEXATION
Russia declared the annexations after holding what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.
More than seven months into a war that has killed tens of thousands and triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis, Russia’s most basic aims are still not achieved.
The areas that are being annexed are not all under control of Russian forces and Ukrainian forces have recently driven them back.
Together with Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, Putin’s total claim amounts to more than 22% of Ukrainian territory, though the exact borders of the four regions he is annexing are still yet to be finally clarified.
Moscow, which recognised Ukraine’s post-Soviet borders in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, will never give the regions back, Putin said on Friday at a grand Kremlin treaty-signing ceremony which brought the partially controlled regions into Russia.
Russia’s parliament said people living in the annexed regions would be granted Russian passports, the Russian Central Bank would oversee financial stability and the Russian rouble would be the official currency.
In justifying the Feb. 24 invasion, Putin said that Russian speakers in Ukraine had been persecuted by Ukraine which, he said, the West was trying to use to undermine Russian security.
Ukraine and its Western backers say that Putin has no justification for what they say is an imperial-style land grab. Kyiv denies Russian speakers were persecuted.
Now Putin casts the war as a battle for Russia’s survival against the United States and its allies, which he says want to destroy Russia and grab its vast natural resources.
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Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Philippa Fletcher
Five members of the Oath Keepers, including founder Stewart Rhodes, are being tried in federal court for their role in the riots of Jan. 6, 2021. The Onion tells you everything you need to know about the Oath Keepers and their trial.
Q: Who are the Oath Keepers? A: A group of patriotic citizens dedicated to defending the racist parts of the Constitution.
Q: What are the five members on trial for? A: Seditious conspiracy to overthrow the government of the United States and littering.
Q: What were they doing at the Jan. 6 riot? A: Peacefully attempting to hang Mike Pence.
Q: What do the Oath Keepers look for in a member? A: Previous experience as a law enforcement officer who served lots of time on administrative leave.
Q: Who is their founder? A: Stewart Rhodes, who believes citizens must stop government tyranny with citizen tyranny.
Q: Wait, that guy really went to Yale? A: Point to Harvard.
Q: What are membership dues? A: Five to 10 years in federal prison.
Q: Why are so many members former law enforcement? A: Once you get used to carrying guns and scaring people, it’s hard to stop.
Q: How are they connected to the 2014 Bundy ranch standoff? A: Many of Bundy’s cattle were early members of the Oath Keepers.
Q: What are the expected consequences for the group? A: Winning a dozen or so seats in Congress in 2024.
WHITE CREEK — A White Creek woman has been indicted for her alleged role in an incident where her husband is accused of firing multiple shots at police.
Jane Jenkins, 43, is facing felony charges including two counts of first-degree attempted murder and three counts of second-degree attempted murder for the incident that took place on July 7.
State police responded to 210 Jermain Hill Lane at about 10:43 p.m. for a report of a landlord-tenant dispute.
Police said 38-year-old Matthew Parant, who rents a home on the property, got into a dispute with the property owner and got a rifle from inside his home. He then is accused of firing shots at officers and the property owner.
Parant then barricaded himself in the home as numerous law enforcement agencies responded to the scene. The State Police Crisis Negotiations Unit responded and communicated with Parant for several hours to no avail. He left his residence just before 4:30 a.m. and attempted to flee the scene in a van when he was taken into custody.
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No one was injured in the incident.
Parant was arraigned in Washington County Court on Sept. 16 on felony charges including three counts of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree attempted murder and reckless endangerment. He also faces two counts of misdemeanor second-degree menacing and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
Authorities said previously that a woman on the property was not cooperative with the investigation.
Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said on Thursday that Jenkins is being charged as an accomplice to Parant. He would not discuss the specifics about her case.
The attempted murder counts allege that she intended to cause the death of a state police trooper, Washington County Sheriff’s deputy and the landlord, court documents showed.
Jenkins denied any involvement in shooting at officers in a court filing. She alleged that the property owners had driven by that morning to take photographs and/or record her and Parant. Jenkins said the landlord had indicated they wanted to move the couple to another home on the property, so they could rent it out as an Airbnb.
Jenkins also alleged that there were issues at the property such as a leaky roof, mice and bird infestation and problems with appliances.
Jenkins denied any wrongdoing.
“I stayed in the residence the entire time. I did not participate in my husband’s conduct, (or) condone his behavior,” she wrote in a statement.
In addition to the attempted murder counts, Jenkins was also charged with a felony count of first-degree reckless endangerment and misdemeanors of second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal mischief.
She was arraigned in Washington County Court on Sept. 23 and is free on bond.
Jenkins’ attorney, Brian Premo, did not return a message seeking comment.
Michael Goot is night and weekend editor of The Post-Star. Reach him at 518-742-3320.
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On Tuesday, May 10th, First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
of Canada (The Caring Society) will recognize Bear Witness Day. The goal of Bear Witness Day is to raise awareness of Jordan’s Principle, a child-first principle and legal rule that ensures First Nations children receive the services and supports they need when they need them, such as access to health care and education.
The day also marks the bearthday of Spirit Bear, a teddy bear and reconciliation bearrister who represents the 165,000 First Nations children and their families impacted by the human rights case that made Jordan’s Principle a legal rule, and the thousands of other children who stood with them for fairness.
Jordan’s Principle is named in loving memory of Jordan River Anderson, a First Nations child from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba who was born with complex medical needs. He died in the hospital at age five while the provincial and federal governments argued over who should pay for his at-home care – care that would have been paid for immediately had Jordan not been First Nations.
Following a nine-year case, the federal government was ordered by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to fully implement Jordan’s Principle by May 10, 2016. Although it has taken several more years and further non-compliance orders for significant progress, May 10th was chosen for Bear Witness Day as it is an important date in the history of Jordan’s Principle.
“Each year on May 10th we share Jordan’s story and encourage people in Canada to show their support and ‘bear witness’ to ensure Jordan’s Principle is fully implemented,” says Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director at the Caring Society, in the same release. “Bear Witness Day provides us with an opportunity to educate Canadians on the inequities experienced by First Nations children, and it helps us ensure that moving forward, these children have timely access to the public services they need. However, there is much work to be done by Canada to end ongoing inequities in services for First Nations children, youth, and families. There are solutions, and so public awareness and pressure are needed to ensure the federal government ends this discrimination.”
The Caring Society invites people in Canada to participate in Bear Witness Day 2022 by learning about Jordan’s Principle, sharing the information with family and friends, and posting a photo with their own teddy bear on social with the hashtag #JordansPrinciple and #BearWitnessDay.
To learn more about Jordan’s Principle and Bear Witness Day, visit The Caring Society.
Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities partnered with El Nido Family Centers and Play It Forward on the weekend for ‘Kids Helping Kids’
LOS ANGELES, March 24, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities (LATLC) was delighted to lend a helping hand to its partner charities El Nido Family Centers and Play It Forward at “Kids Helping Kids” on Saturday, March 12, 2022. The attorneys from Los Angeles County took time out from their busy schedules to join volunteers at El Nido’s Pacoima FamilySource Center and the Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program and filled gift bags containing items to inspire active and healthy lifestyles.
Over 200 LATLC duffel bags were filled with P.E. equipment for the families to use at home including balls, jump ropes, and other sporting equipment, as well as hand sanitizer, LATLC stress hearts, and other items to help promote health and well-being in the community. The P.E. equipment donated to these families in need by Play It Forward is the same P.E. equipment that it has donated to schools across Los Angeles County to motivate kids to stay fit and active.
“Kids Helping Kids was an incredible opportunity for LATLC volunteers to see firsthand the difference that they are making for the disadvantaged in the community,” says Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities 2022 President Steve Vartazarian. “We were honored to be part of this event and work with El Nido Family Centers and Play It Forward to help promote a healthier way of living.”
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – The White House on Friday offered a strong signal that it is preparing to seek changes soon to a long-standing Senate tradition that has allowed Republicans to block voting rights legislation and other major Democratic initiatives.
Democratic President Joe Biden, who spent 36 years in the Senate, has previously opposed any significant overhaul of a Senate rule known as the filibuster, which requires 60 of the 100 senators to agree on most legislation. read more
His opposition has angered Democrats and activists who say an arcane rule should not stand in the way of important issues such as voting rights and immigration.
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“I expect you’ll hear more from the president about it in the coming weeks,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday about the filibuster. Asked what more he would want to address with filibuster reform beyond voting rights, Psaki said to “stay tuned.”
During a televised town hall event on Thursday, Biden said the Senate should “fundamentally alter” the filibuster process, but did not offer specifics on how.
The White House’s potential shift on the issue comes after the latest successful effort by Republicans to block Democratic legislation aimed at thwarting restrictive new voting laws enacted in Republican-led states. On Wednesday, Republicans used the filibuster to block beginning a debate on the measure.
When Republicans control the White House and the Senate, Democrats have used the filibuster as well.
Psaki suggested Biden had lost patience with Republican resistance to Democrats’ ideas on voting rights, saying the president is “frustrated” and “disappointed.”
“When a hand has been extended by Democrats to work together to protect the fundamental right, Republicans have not only recoiled, they have blocked the … ability to make any semblance of progress,” Psaki said.
While Democrats are united on voting rights, they are not unified in whether to overhaul the filibuster. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, has publicly opposed eliminating the filibuster, even for specific issues.
With a 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats would need all of its members to support changes.
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Reporting by Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden does not have any new deadlines as the administration continues to negotiate with Democratic lawmakers on the framework of a massive spending bill aimed at social programs and tackling climate change, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday.
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Oct 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on Nov. 1 a challenge to a Texas law that imposes a near-total ban on the procedure and lets private citizens enforce it – a case that could dramatically curtail abortion access in the United States if the justices endorse the measure’s unique design.
The justices took up requests by President Joe Biden’s administration and abortion providers to immediately review their challenges to the law. The court, which on Sept. 1 allowed the law to go into effect, declined to act on the Justice Department’s request to immediately block enforcement of the measure.
The court will consider whether the law’s unusual private-enforcement structure prevents federal courts from intervening to strike it down and whether the federal government is even allowed to sue the state to try to block it.
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The measure bans abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, a point when many women do not yet realize they are pregnant. It makes an exception for a documented medical emergency but not for cases of rape or incest.
Liberal Justice Sotomayor dissented from the court’s deferral of a decision on whether to block enforcement of the law while the litigation continues. Sotomayor said the law’s novel design has suspended nearly all abortions in Texas, the second most populous U.S. state, with about 29 million people.
“The state’s gambit has worked. The impact is catastrophic,” Sotomayor wrote.
The Texas dispute is the second major abortion case that the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has scheduled for the coming months, with arguments set for Dec. 1 over the legality of a restrictive Mississippi abortion law.
The Texas and Mississippi measures are among a series of Republican-backed laws passed at the state level limiting abortion rights – coming at a time when abortion opponents are hoping that the Supreme Court will overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade that legalized the procedure nationwide.
Mississippi has asked the justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the Texas attorney general on Thursday signaled that he also would like to see that ruling fall.
A supporter of reproductive rights holds a sign outside the Texas State Capitol building during the nationwide Women’s March, held after Texas rolled out a near-total ban on abortion procedures and access to abortion-inducing medications, in Austin, Texas, U.S. October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Lower courts already have blocked Mississippi’s law banning abortions starting at 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The Texas measure takes enforcement out of the hands of state officials, instead enabling private citizens to sue anyone who performs or assists a woman in getting an abortion after cardiac activity is detected in the embryo. That feature has helped shield the law from being immediately blocked as it made it more difficult to directly sue the state.
Individual citizens can be awarded a minimum of $10,000 for bringing successful lawsuits under the law. Critics have said this provision lets people act as anti-abortion bounty hunters, a characterization its proponents reject.
Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing the abortion providers, said Friday’s decision to hear their case “brings us one step closer to the restoration of Texans’ constitutional rights and an end to the havoc and heartache of this ban.”
Alexis McGill Johnson, president of healthcare and abortion provider Planned Parenthood, said it is “devastating” that the justices did not immediately block a law that already has had a “catastrophic impact” after being in effect nearly two months.
“Patients who have the means have fled the state, traveling hundreds of miles to access basic care, and those without means have been forced to carry pregnancies against their will,” she added.
Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokesperson for the Texas Right to Life anti-abortion group, praised the court’s action, saying it “will continue to save an estimated 100 babies per day, and because the justices will actually discuss whether these lawsuits are valid in the first place.”
The Supreme Court only rarely decides to hear cases before lower courts have ruled, indicating that the justices have deemed the Texas matter of high public importance and requiring immediate review.
The Justice Department filed its lawsuit in September challenging the Texas law, arguing that it is unconstitutional and explicitly designed to evade judicial review.
Rulings in Texas and Mississippi cases are due by the end of next June, but could come sooner.
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Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham
NEW YORK, February 17, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– During the coronavirus pandemic, everyone felt helpless. There was no basic information regarding safety and security, no clear rules to follow, and significant uncertainty about the future. But as successful New York City immigration attorneys, Min Chan and Sumaiya Khalique also know that immigrants feel that same helplessness every day. That’s why they created Immigration Map (IM), a simple way for immigrants and employers to navigate the dense bureaucracy that is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). IM assists and empowers its members to navigate the complex immigration process with confidence.
IM knows where its members want to go and how to get them there.
IM’s founders are both immigrants, and children of Asian immigrants, who remember their own parents being frightened of a system they didn’t understand. While moving to America remains a powerful draw for many seeking legal and economic stability, one false move and immigrants can lose everything. “The best advice we can give immigrants is to carefully analyze, build and complete your visa or Green Card application before you file with USCIS,” says Min Chan. And IM can help.
Analyze, Build, and Complete an Immigration Petition
IM takes an individual from start to finish and turns their American Dream into reality. The three-step Analyze, Build, and Complete process is as simple as ABC. Immigrants can analyze their situation, build their case, and then complete and submit their petition to USCIS confidently.
How is IM different from LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer? With 30 years of combined experience, two attorneys provide more than downloadable forms members can struggle through; IM gives its members complete control over their immigration journey. IM is transparent with its services, where its information comes from, and what it offers in the monthly subscription and its legal help with attorneys. The DIY technology and three-step Analyze, Build, and Complete process with IM will clearly outline what its members need, what its member should prepare for, and what its members never even considered.
Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin Take Listeners Inside the Interrogation Room to Investigate True Stories of False Confessions
Press Release –
updated: Feb 19, 2020
NEW YORK, February 19, 2020 (Newswire.com)
– Why do innocent people confess to crimes they did not commit? On Feb. 19, Lava for Good Podcasts, the team behind the hugely popular podcast Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom, debuts a powerful new audio series that explores – and answers – this question, which lies at the heart of hundreds of wrongful convictions.
Hosted by Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin, co-directors at Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions and central figures in the smash-hit Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer, the Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions podcast reveals 12 true stories of false confessions. Using real interrogation audio, Nirider and Drizin chronicle stories of everyday people who falsely confessed to crimes they did not commit – placing listeners as close to the nightmare of being wrongly accused as anyone would ever wish to be. And then, Nirider adds, “We bring you inside the fight to exonerate these innocent people.”
Each episode starts with a tragic crime – and the misguided investigation that followed. Nirider and Drizin recount stories ranging from a Brooklyn teen who falsely confessed to killing his own mother to an innocent New Zealander who was wrongly imprisoned for rape and murder while the actual rapist continued his serial crime spree. Listeners will hear interrogators use mind-bending techniques – death threats, lies about the evidence, and fact-feeding – to extract false confessions from innocents. In many cases, interrogators even ignored crystal-clear recantations, as when Virginia teen Robert Davis told police: “I am lying to you, full front to your face.”
In each case, investigators used confessions to obtain wrongful convictions despite compelling evidence of innocence, like DNA evidence that conclusively identified the real perpetrator. Nirider and Drizin bring listeners inside each person’s fight for freedom, spotlighting the sometimes unlikely heroes – from dissident police officers to victims’ family members – who helped right these wrongs against all odds. “You won’t be able to forget these captivating stories,” Drizin said, “and we hope you’ll join our shared fight for justice.”
The series comes from Lava for Good Podcasts, the team behind Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom, which features the tragic stories of men and women who have spent decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Jason Flom, the executive producer of the False Confessions podcast, is the founder of Lava Media, which includes Lava Music as well as Lava for Good Podcasts. As a longtime supporter and board member of numerous respected criminal justice reform organizations, Flom has spent over 25 years seeking justice for the wrongfully convicted.
Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions is available through the same feed and platforms where fans already listen and subscribe to the Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom series. Both series are now in a single feed named Wrongful Conviction Podcasts. Find Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions at www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com.
Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions, Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom, and an upcoming slate of Wrongful Conviction Presents podcasts are produced by Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1 and PRX.
For Media Inquiries: Dawn Kamerling The Press House dawn@thepresshouse.com
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