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☆ France issues arrest warrant against Syria's President Assad - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 15 (Reuters) - French judges have issued arrest warrants for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and two other senior officials over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, a judicial source said on Wednesday. It is the first international arrest warrant that has been issued for the Syrian head of state, whose forces responded to protests that began in 2011 with a brutal crackdown that U.N. experts have said amount to war crimes. It is the first time international arrest warrants have been issued over the chemical weapons attack in Ghouta in 2013, says Mazen Darwish, lawyer and founder of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), which filed the case in France. In October, French judges issued warrants for two former defence ministers over a 2017 bomb that killed a French-Syrian man at his home in Daraa. Reporting by Layli Foroudi and Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Richard LoughOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Maher al, Mazen Darwish, Darwish, Layli Foroudi, Dominique Vidalon, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Richard Lough Organizations: Eastern Ghouta, Syrian Center for Media, United Nations, Organisation, Chemical Weapons, Thomson Locations: Syria, Douma, Eastern, Syrian, Ghouta, France, Daraa

Two of the laws were already put on hold by a district court judge. About a month later, the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion, which led to abortion bans in more than 20 states. The number of abortions performed in Oklahoma immediately dropped dramatically, falling from about 4,145 in 2021 to 898 in 2022, according to statistics from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. In at least 66 cases in 2022, the abortion was necessary to avert the death of the mother, the statistics show. Abortion statistics for 2023 are not yet available, a health department spokeswoman said.

Persons: The, Rabia Muqaddam, Gentner Drummond, ” Drummond, Phil Bacharach, Kevin Stitt Organizations: OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Senior, Center for Reproductive Rights, Oklahoma, Republican Gov, U.S, Supreme, Oklahoma State Department of Health Locations: The Oklahoma, Oklahoma, New York

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith urged a federal judge charged with overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal election interference case in Washington that allowing the trial to be broadcast live on television would “create a carnival atmosphere” that the former president desires. They also argued that live video coverage would help undermine conspiracy theories surrounding the case. Editorial Cartoons on Donald Trump View All 690 ImagesTrump initially took “no position” on televising the trial, according to a filing that cites his lawyers. But on Friday, the former president performed an about-face, filing a motion to Chutkan that asks her to permit his trial to be broadcast live. News organizations have sprouted around-the-clock coverage of the D.C. election interference case, along with Trump’s other indictments and criminal charges.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald, Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Donald Trump, Trump, “, Biden, ” Smith, ”, that’s, he’s Organizations: U.S, Donald Trump View Locations: Washington, Georgia’s Fulton County, New Hampshire, Manhattan

Since the end of October, citizens of 57 largely African countries and India have had to pay the fee, according to El Salvador’s aviation authority. Also, the U.S. has been pressuring Central American countries to curb migration flows to its border with Mexico. El Salvador’s aviation authority said most passengers who have to pay the fee are headed to Nicaragua on the commercial airline Avianca. Political Cartoons View All 1244 ImagesA flight itinerary of one Senegalese migrant seen by The Associated Press showed the migrant passing through Morocco, Spain and El Salvador before landing in Managua. “Part of me wonders ... we will not critique the Bukele administration as much because it’s supposedly reducing the levels of migrants?”___Associated Press writer Marcos Alemán in San Salvador, El Salvador, contributed to this report.

Persons: — El, El Salvador’s, Nayib Bukele, Donald Trump's, Bukele, Joe Biden, ”, Biden, Pamela Ruiz, ” —, Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A, Nichols, “, Ruiz, Marcos Alemán Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Aviation, Central, Associated Press, El Salvador, El, U.S . State Department, Central America, International Crisis, State, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Crisis Locations: MEXICO, India, U.S, Mexico . U.S, Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, Africa, Morocco, Spain, El Salvador, Managua, United States, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, San Salvador , El Salvador

“Namely, long-standing and well recognized fundamental rights of freedom of speech, expression, due process, and parental rights. Two advocacy groups and an attorney who works with sexual assault victims sued the state and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador over the law earlier this year. They also argued that the law infringes on the Fourth Amendment right to travel between states, as well as the right to travel within Idaho. “The state can, and Idaho does, criminalize certain conduct occurring within its own borders such as abortion, kidnapping, and human trafficking. The prosecutors did not invoke the so-called “abortion trafficking” law in that case.

Persons: Grasham, Raul Labrador, Lourdes Matsumoto, ”, wasn't Organizations: Debora, Fund, Indigenous Idaho Alliance, Prosecutors Locations: U.S, Idaho, Nampa, Northwest

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A judge in Michigan is expected to hear arguments Thursday on whether Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has the authority to keep Donald Trump’s name off state ballots for president. Activists are suing Benson in the Michigan Court of Claims to force her to keep Trump’s name off ballots and to assess Trump’s constitutional qualifications to serve a second term as president. Meanwhile, attorneys for the former president are demanding that Trump's name be allowed on the 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot. Arguments were scheduled to begin Thursday morning in Grand Rapids before Judge James Robert Redford. It's a “federal constitutional question of enormous consequence” whether Trump cannot appear as a presidential candidate on state ballots, Benson wrote.

Persons: —, Jocelyn Benson, Donald Trump’s, Benson, James Robert Redford, “, Trump, It's Organizations: Republican, U.S, Minnesota Supreme, Benson, Trump Locations: GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Constitution’s, Minnesota

☆ A top LGBTQ+ advocacy org is quitting X over safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Fellow civil rights organization the Human Rights Campaign in June declared a “state of emergency” for members of the LGBTQ+ community. “We have seen this rhetoric transcend politics and appear on social media platforms,” a representative for the Trevor Project told CNN. “The content we share on social media is intended to uplift and affirm LGBTQ young people, shedding light on stories to deepen the public understanding of their experiences. The company has also been attempting to convince many advertisers to resume or increase their spending on the platform despite concerns that ads could show up alongside hateful content or misinformation. CNN has reached out to X about the Trevor Project deleting its account.

Persons: Trevor, ”, Elon Musk, “, ” Musk, —, Musk, we’ve, Jack Dorsey, Linda Yaccarino Organizations: New, New York CNN, LinkedIn, Facebook, Center, Anti, Defamation League, ADL, Human, Trevor Project, CNN, Twitter Locations: New York, United States

☆ I.O.C. Says It Was Target of Elaborate ‘Fake News’ Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Tariq Panja | More About Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The International Olympic Committee issued an unusual statement on Thursday saying it had been targeted by “fake news posts” that it said contained “defamatory content, a fake narrative and false information.” The elaborate campaign included manufactured quotations from I.O.C. The film remains visible on other platforms, however, including the encrypted messaging and content platform Telegram. It was a separate post on Telegram that appears to have prompted the Olympic committee to issue its statement on Thursday. Text accompanying the fake news report said the I.O.C. included links to its website and all of its official social media channels in its statement on Thursday, and requested that news media members contact it to confirm the authenticity of information circulating about the organization on social media.

Persons: Tom Cruise, Israel —, Mark Adams, Thomas Bach, ” Mr, Bach, “ Organizations: Olympic, YouTube, Telegram, Olympic Committee, State Department, Palestinian Locations: Israel, Palestine, Paris, Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Iran, China, India, Munich

☆ Ohio just legalized cannabis. Now comes the hard part
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Ohio voters’ approval of a legalization measure on Tuesday comes just months after cannabis saw some of its most significant movements at the federal level. “I honestly think it will have massive reverberating effects on what Congress has to do about this.”More than two-thirds of US states have legalized cannabis in some capacity: 38 states have approved comprehensive medical cannabis programs, and Ohio brings the recreational total to 24 states. Joshua A. Bickel/APExisting medical cannabis dispensaries will have the opportunity to be grandfathered in and have first crack at licenses, but municipalities can decide whether to allow sales. “In 2018, Michigan fully legalized cannabis, set a relatively low tax rate and my perception is it’s been a fairly successful industry there.”Michigan’s cannabis sales hit a record $276 million in July, a time when industry members there and beyond have struggled. Marijuana buds ready for harvest rest on a plant at AT-CPC of Ohio, Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, in Akron, Ohio.

Persons: Andrew Freedman, ”, “ It’s, ” Freedman, “, pollster Gallup, ‘, Nick Lachey, Joshua A . Bickel, Mike DeWine, Freedman, Douglas Berman, ” Berman, It’s, Irina Dashevsky, Marder, Tony Dejak, Dashevsky, we’ve, hasn’t, Ariane Kirkpatrick, Amonica Davis, ” Kirkpatrick Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Buckeye, US Department of Health, Human Services, Forbes Tate, Coalition for Cannabis Policy, CNN, Republican, Drug Enforcement, Center, The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, Industry, Buckeyes, CPC, Ohio, AP Companies, Enforcement Locations: Minneapolis, Minneapolis CNN — Ohio, Ohio, As Ohio, Missouri, Cincinnati, Michigan, Akron , Ohio, United States

☆ Transsexuals Can Be Baptized Catholic, Serve as Godparents, Vatican Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Transsexuals can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves, the Vatican's doctrinal office said on Wednesday, responding to questions from a bishop. A person in a same-sex relationship could also be a witness at a Catholic wedding, the office said, citing current Church canonical legislation which contained no prohibition against it. The Brazilian bishop sought guidance on whether a same-sex couple who had adopted a child or obtained it from a surrogate mother could have that child baptized in a Catholic ceremony. The response said that for the child of a same-sex couple to be baptized, there had to be "a well-founded hope that it would be educated in the Catholic religion". There was a similarly nuanced response to a question whether a person in a same-sex relationship could be a godparent at a Church baptism.

Persons: Philip Pullella, Bishop Jose Negri, Santo, Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Pope Francis, Francis, David Gregorio Organizations: CITY, Argentine Locations: Santo Amaro, Brazil

☆ Transsexuals can be baptized Catholic, serve as godparents, Vatican says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Transsexuals can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves, the Vatican's doctrinal office said on Wednesday, responding to questions from a bishop. A person in a same-sex relationship could also be a witness at a Catholic wedding, the office said, citing current Church canonical legislation which contained no prohibition against it. The Brazilian bishop sought guidance on whether a same-sex couple who had adopted a child or obtained it from a surrogate mother could have that child baptized in a Catholic ceremony. The response said that for the child of a same-sex couple to be baptized, there had to be "a well-founded hope that it would be educated in the Catholic religion". There was a similarly nuanced response to a question whether a person in a same-sex relationship could be a godparent at a Church baptism.

Persons: Bishop Jose Negri, Santo, Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Pope Francis, Francis, Philip Pullella, David Gregorio Our Organizations: CITY, Argentine, Thomson Locations: Santo Amaro, Brazil

The bill follows more than a decade of debate over post-Sept. 11, 2001, surveillance powers that allow domestic law enforcement to warrantlessly scan the vast mountains of data gathered by America's foreign surveillance apparatus. Reforms in the proposed legislation include putting limits on searches of Americans' communications without judicial authorization and a prohibition of so-called "backdoor" searches which invoke foreign intelligence justifications to spy on Americans. "We're introducing a bill that protects both Americans' security and Americans' liberty," Senator Ron Wyden - a Democrat and a longtime critic of government surveillance - said at a press conference on Tuesday. The reforms introduced Tuesday reflect discomfort over the practice of warrantless scans, which are authorized under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Reporting by Raphael Satter; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ron Wyden, Amanda Andrade Rhoades, it's, Mike Lee, Representative Warren Davidson, Zoe Lofgren, Raphael Satter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democrat, FBI, Foreign Intelligence, National Intelligence, Republican, Republican U.S, Representative, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Washington , U.S

☆ Opinion: Biden needs to call for a ceasefire and restore respect for international law
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Mary Ellen O Connell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +45 min

Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images Palestinians inspect a destroyed area following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on October 21. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters A woman mourns over a dead man at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza City on October 18. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12. Samar Abu Elouf/The New York Times/Redux Children run for cover as bombs fall near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 9. Erik Marmor/AP Six-month-old Sama Alwadia is rescued from the rubble in Gaza City on October 9.

Persons: Mary Ellen O’Connell, Robert, Marion Short, “, ”, Mary Ellen, Khan, Ahmad Hasaballah, Ariel Schalit, Abed Rahim Khatib, Ronen Zvulun, Mahmud Hams, Leo Correa, Mohammed Abed, Amir Cohen, Mohammed Alaloul, Majdi, Fatima Shbair, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Mustafa Hassona, Neil Hall, Saeed Jaras, Mohammad Abu Hattab, Mohammed Talatene, Ditza Heiman, Shir Torem, Salman Habaka, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Yuval Zilber, Hatem Ali, Jalaa Merey, Ahmad Salem, Ali Jadallah, Atef Safadi, Abed Zagout, Fadel Senna, Anas al, Yosef Vahav, Kiryat Shmona, Jalaa Marey, Albert Miles, Bernat, Ilan Rosenberg, Ashraf Amra, Manna, Tamar Chaya Torpiashvili, Abed Khaled, Tamir Kalifa, Khan Younis, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Ammar Awad, Jehad Al, Kafarnah, Teddy, Dan Kitwood, Dima Vazinovich, Jack Guez, Sagiv Ben Zvi, Evelyn Hockstein, Omar El, Mohammed Salem, Amir Levy, Yasser Qudih, Tsafrir, Francisco Seco, Mohammed Saber, Ali Mohmoud, Mai Yaghi, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Khaled Joudeh, Samar Abu, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Nir Oz, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Belal al Sabbagh, Rizek Abdeljawad, Ahmad Gharabli, Janis Laizans, Mohammed Dahman, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Belal Khaled, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, Biden, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Ilia Yefimovich, Mahmoud Khaled, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Sergey Ponomarev, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Agha, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Oded, Ahmad Hasballah, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, —, Ron Dermer, NPR’s Tom Bowman Organizations: Kroc, University of Notre Dame, Defense, CNN, Hamas, Mary Ellen O'Connell University of Notre Dame International, UN, UN Security Council, International Court of Justice, Nasser Medical, AP, Najjar, Reuters, Getty, Israel Defence Forces handout, Israel Defense Forces, Shutterstock, Reuters United Nations, Shifa, Palestine, Pictures, Bloomberg, Israeli Apache, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Palestinian, Al, IDF, EyePress, New York Times, Israeli, Getty Images, Nasser Medical Hospital, Deir Al, Tel Aviv University, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Ben Gurion International, Aris Messinis, Haim, Puma, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, West Bank, Rockets, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, ISIS, United States, Gaza, US, Criminal, Pentagon Locations: Gaza, Israel, Khan Younis, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, AFP, Jerusalem's, City, Rafah, Jerusalem's Old City, Deir Balah, Mahmud, Southern Israel, Anadolu, Ashkelon, Al, Gaza City, Haifa, Yanuh Jat, Netaim, Israeli, Golan Heights, Lebanon, Egypt, Sderot, Shareef, Beit Guvrin, Reuters Israeli, Kiryat, Al Aqsa, Deir Al, Balah, Kibbutz Be'eri, Ashdod, Holon, Najjar, Ichilov, Kibbutz Shefayim, Deir, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Deir al, Kibbutz Kissufim, Zahra City, Europe, Xinhua, East Jerusalem, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Aqsa, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Ahli, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Beit Kama, Cyprus, Kfar Saba, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Palestinian, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, United, Iraq, Syria, Geneva, Rome

☆ El Salvador Electoral Tribunal Green Lights Bukele's Re-Election Bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador's electoral tribunal on Friday approved President Nayib Bukele's candidacy in next year's presidential election, where he will seek a second term that would keep him in office until 2029 if reelected. The decision comes a week after the 42-year-old president formally filed paperwork to run for re-election, despite concerns over his constitutional eligibility to seek a consecutive term. Members of the electoral tribunal are elected by Congress, which is controlled by the president's New Ideas party. While critics question Bukele's ability to seek a second term citing a constitutional prohibition, the country's top court ruled he could run in 2021. (Reporting by Gerardo Arbaiza; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel Woodford)

Persons: Nayib Bukele's, Gerardo Arbaiza, Brendan O'Boyle, Isabel Woodford Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, Congress

☆ US Supreme Court to decide legality of federal ban on gun 'bump stocks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Andrew Chung | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Bump stocks use a semiautomatic's recoil to allow it to slide back and forth while "bumping" the shooter's trigger finger, resulting in rapid fire. The Supreme Court previously had turned away some challenges to the bump stocks prohibition. Cargill sued to challenge the rule, which required him to surrender his two bump stocks. That decision "threatens significant harm to public safety," the Justice Department said in a filing to the Supreme Court. "Bump stocks allow a shooter to fire hundreds of bullets a minute by a single pull of the trigger.

Persons: George Frey, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Michael Cargill, Cargill, Richard Samp, Samp, Biden, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, Trump, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, U.S . Justice Department, National Firearms Act, New Civil Liberties Alliance, Cargill, ATF, U.S . Justice, Circuit, Justice Department, National Rifle Association, Thomson Locations: Orem , Utah, U.S, Austin , Texas, Las Vegas, New Orleans, United States, New York

The majority recognized a difference between firearms for personal use and those the state law reserves for “trained professionals,” semiautomatic weapons, including the popular AR-15. Sullivan said it's likely that plaintiffs in one or more of the multiple cases consolidated in Friday's opinion would seek a U.S. Supreme Court review, where he predicted victory. At least eight other states and the District of Columbia have some sort of prohibition on semiautomatic weapons. The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law on a 4-3 decision in August. And such semiautomatic weapons are the choice of many gun owners for sport shooting and hunting, they say.

Persons: Diane Wood, ” Ed Sullivan, Sullivan, it's, “, J.B, Pritzker, ” Wood, Bob Morgan, ” Morgan, ” Organizations: Ill, —, Illinois, 7th District U.S, Illinois State Rifle Association, Democratic, Supreme, District of Columbia, Illinois State Police, U.S, “, Highland, Pritzker Locations: SPRINGFIELD, Chicago, Highland, U.S, Illinois, Deerfield

Maine is the latest state to address foreign influence in elections. The Maine referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot would ban foreign governments, or companies with 5% or more foreign government ownership, from donating to future referendum races. The Maine proposal is straightforward by targeting foreign governments and companies owned by them, while leaving untouched foreign-based corporations with no government ownership. The idea of foreign influence in U.S. elections is something that unites people in an era of deep partisan divisions. “Of course we shouldn’t have foreign governments meddling in our elections.”___Follow David Sharp on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @David_Sharp_AP

Persons: Aaron McKean, McKean, Daniel Weiner, It’s, ” Weiner, “, Sen, Rick Bennett, —, Janet Mills, Maine’s, ”, Sarah Walker, Bennett, George Washington, David Sharp, @David_Sharp_AP Organizations: —, Hydro, Washington , D.C, Brennan Center for Justice, Hydro Quebec, Central Maine Power, CMP, Canadian, Republican, Democratic Gov, Maine Press Association, Maine Association of Broadcasters, Norges Bank, Qatar Investment Authority Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, — Maine, Hydro Quebec, Canadian, Washington ,, Minnesota, Florida, Idaho, Seattle, Portland , Maine, U.S, ” Maine, Spanish, In Montana, California, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Los Angeles, Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Qatar

☆ Opinion | The Laws of Campus Culture War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( David French | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

They represent the moral and philosophical foundations for the concrete constitutional rules of culture war that directly apply on campus. One of the most powerful and compelling arguments for free speech in American history was born out of mob suppression. In 1860, Frederick Douglass wrote his “Plea for Free Speech in Boston” after a violent mob shut down an antislavery event. Every college and university — public or private — that receives federal funds has an affirmative duty to protect students’ civil rights. In the recent past, schools have sometimes been too enthusiastic about stopping harassment, defining the term so broadly that university anti-harassment policies actually violate students’ free speech rights.

Persons: George Washington, ”, “, Abraham, ” Washington, Johnson, Watts, they’re, Deactivating, Frederick Douglass, ” Douglass, Biden, Davis, VI, Scott Alexander’s, it’s, — Organizations: State University System of, Justice, Cooper Union, Cornell University, Trees School, . Ohio, Klan, Hamas, Civil, of Education, Cornell, Democratic Locations: State University System of Florida, Palestine, New York City, Ithaca, N.Y, ”, United States, America, Newport, R.I, Texas, Terminiello, Chicago, Brandenburg, ., Ohio, “, Gaza, Florida, Boston, Monroe County

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran is carrying out executions “at an alarming rate,” putting to death at least 419 people in the first seven months of the year, the United Nations chief said in a new report. That's a 30% increase from the same period in 2022. In all seven cases, information received by the U.N. human rights office “consistently indicated that the judicial proceedings did not fulfil the requirements for due process and a fair trial under international human rights law,” Guterres said. The government said “a minimum of” 22,000 people arrested during the protests were pardoned, but the secretary-general said it was difficult to verify the arrest and release numbers. Guterres expressed concern that a number of individuals who were pardoned then received summonses on new charges or were rearrested, including women activists, journalists and members of minority groups.

Persons: That's, Antonio Guterres, Amini, “, ” Guterres, ”, Guterres, Afsaneh Bayegan, Leila Bolukat —, Nahid Taghavi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, General Assembly, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Human Rights Locations: Iran

The justices are set to hear arguments in the agency's appeal of a lower court's decision that reversed its denial of attorney Steve Elster's trademark application for "Trump Too Small" - an irreverent criticism of former President Donald Trump - to use on T-shirts. Elster applied for the trademark in 2018, invoking an exchange between Trump and U.S. Elster said that "Trump Too Small" expressed his opinion about "the smallness of Donald Trump's overall approach to governing." The trademark office rejected Elster's application based on a 1946 federal law that bans the use of a person's name in a trademark without their permission. The Supreme Court in recent years has struck down two trademark laws, citing free speech concerns.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott Morgan, Steve Elster's, Elster, Marco Rubio, Trump, Rubio, Marco, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Erik Brunetti, Joe, Hillary, Blake Brittain, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Rights, Supreme, U.S . Patent, Trump, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Sioux City , Iowa, U.S, California, America, Washington

☆ Wildfires Erupt in Southern Lebanon, Civil Defence Blames Israeli Shells
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The fires started around 1700 GMT and were caused by Israeli shells containing white phosphorous being launched across the border, Abdalla Mousawae, head of the Tyre Regional Center of Lebanese civil defence, told Reuters. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, the Israeli military said an accusation by Human Rights Watch that it had used white phosphorus munitions in Gaza was "unequivocally false." White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens, generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers and buildings. White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.

Persons: Mousawae, Israel, Abdallah Bou Habib, Aya Majzoub, Riham Alkousaa, Henriette Chacar, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Firefighters, Tyre Regional Center of, Reuters, Hamas, United Nations, UN Security, National News Agency, Amnesty, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanon, Tyre, Israel, Iran, Lebanese, Labbouneh, East, North Africa, Gaza, Jerusalem

☆ Wildfires erupt in southern Lebanon, civil defense blames Israeli shells
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fires started around 1700 GMT and were caused by Israeli shells containing white phosphorous being launched across the border, Abdalla Mousawae, head of the Tyre Regional Center of Lebanese civil defense, told Reuters. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, the Israeli military said an accusation by Human Rights Watch that it had used white phosphorus munitions in Gaza was "unequivocally false." White phosphorus munitions can legally be used on battlefields to make smoke screens, generate illumination, mark targets or burn bunkers and buildings. White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Mousawae, Israel, Abdallah Bou Habib, Aya Majzoub, Riham Alkousaa, Henriette Chacar, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Firefighters, Tyre Regional Center of, Reuters, Hamas, United Nations, UN Security, National News Agency, Amnesty, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Nahariya, Rights BEIRUT, Tyre, Iran, Lebanese, Labbouneh, East, North Africa, Gaza, Jerusalem

☆ US appeals court keeps California assault weapons ban in force
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Courtesy LBPD/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court ruled on Saturday that California's assault weapons ban will remain in force while the state attorney general appeals a lower court decision declaring the 30-year-old measure unconstitutional. Bonta, a Democrat who called Benitez' decision "dangerous and misguided," welcomed Saturday's 9th Circuit order. California in 1989 became the first U.S. state to ban assault weapons, acting in the wake of a school shooting that killed five children and toughening the law the following year. Since then, California has restricted the manufacture, distribution, transportation, importation, sale or possession of firearms that qualify under the law as "assault weapons." But the 9th Circuit subsequently allowed that statute to remain in effect while the state appeals.

Persons: Roger Benitez, Rob Bonta's, Benitez, Saturday's, Bonta, Steve Gorman, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Long Beach Police Department, REUTERS Acquire, U.S, Circuit, District, Thomson Locations: Long Beach, Long Beach , California, U.S, Handout, San Diego, California, Lewiston , Maine, San Francisco, Los Angeles

The Supreme Court in recent years has struck down two trademark laws based on free speech concerns. Elster applied for the "Trump Too Small" trademark to use on T-shirts, inspired by an exchange between Trump and U.S. Elster told the Supreme Court that his trademark uses a double meaning to criticize Trump while expressing his views about "the smallness of Donald Trump's overall approach to governing." Ernst also said the law at issue does not further the overarching trademark law goal of preventing marketplace confusion. "Nobody would be confused into believing that Donald Trump is selling T-shirts accusing him of being too small," Ernst said.

Persons: Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Jim Young, Foley, Lardner, Trump, Steve Elster's, Joe Biden's, Elster, Erik Brunetti, denigrate Rubio, Marco, " Rubio, Donald Trump's, Elizabeth Prelogar, Biden, Obama, Kate, Jonathan Moskin, Moskin, Jack Daniel's, Joe, Hillary, Samuel Ernst, Ernst, Blake Brittain, Will Dunham Organizations: Republican U.S, U.S, Republican, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Supreme, U.S . Patent, Trump, Appeals, Federal Circuit, TRUMP, International Trademark Association, Golden Gate University School of Law, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, California, U.S, Virginia, America, Washington

☆ US Appeals Court Tosses Lawsuit Over Texas Migrant Transportation Bar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Ted Hesson and Daniel WiessnerWASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. federal appeals on Friday sided with Texas Governor Greg Abbott on technical grounds over a 2021 executive order that restricted transport of migrants through the state, saying a lower court should dismiss a related legal challenge. Circuit Court of Appeals found that immigration advocates lacked the legal authority to sue Abbott over the transportation prohibition. The 5th Circuit found that Abbott's authority as governor barred the immigration advocates from challenging the executive order. A U.S. district court judge in September ordered Texas to move the barriers, but the 5th Circuit stayed that ruling pending an appeal by Texas. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and Dan Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

Persons: Ted Hesson, Daniel Wiessner WASHINGTON, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Joe Biden's, Biden, Dan Wiessner, David Gregorio Organizations: U.S, Texas, Circuit, Appeals, Republican Locations: New Orleans, Rio, U.S, Texas, Washington, Albany , New York

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