Prison Replacing Study Hall
Politico explores a Department of Justice report that found Meridian, MS was incarcerating students “so arbitrarily and severely as to shock the conscience.” The article goes on to explore the school-to-prison pipeline that has led to mass incarceration in America. The rapid increase in incarceration of children disproportionately affects African-American children. Read the article for a compelling in-depth analysis.
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act passed through the Intelligence Committee on a 14-1 vote. The bill’s main purpose is to provide corporations protection for sharing data related to cybersecurity. Senator Ron Wyden, the lone vote against the bill, argued that it will “have a limited impact on U.S. cybersecurity” while lacking “adequate protections for the privacy rights of American consumers.” It is unclear if the White House will maintain its veto threat from a similar bill last year.
Eric Garner Grand Jury Testimony
A court denied The New York Civil Liberties Union’s request to release grand jury testimony from the death of Eric Garner. The NYCLU argued that the release would help the public reconcile the Garner video with the decision not to indict the police officer. The judge found that the NYCLU did not establish a “compelling and particularized need” as required by law.
University of Virginia Student Brutally Arrested
Thousands of students at the University of Virginia protested following the arrest of one of their fellow students at a nearby campus bar. Martese Johnson, an African-American student trying to gain entrance in to the bar, was beaten and bloodied by the bar’s security. Governor McAuliffe has called for an independent investigation.
Department of Education Sees Record High Civil Rights Complaints
The Department of Education saw a record number of civil rights complaints this past year. The agency is seeking to have an increased budget to account for the requests. Many attribute the increased requests because of the Obama Administration’s guidance on sexual harassment under Title IX.