Students Sue the Harvard Corporation to Compel Divestment from Fossil Fuels
After two years of urging Harvard to publicly discuss divestment from fossil fuels, a group of Harvard students has sued the Harvard Corporation, “alleging that the threat of global warming is so serious and so immediate that Harvard’s investments in fossil fuel companies constitute a breach of its duties as a non-profit corporation.”
President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration Policies
On November 20, President Obama took one of the most significant actions to date in his presidency: he announced his plan to take executive action on immigration. He intends to prioritize deportation of criminals and recent arrivals, while granting a temporary reprieve from deportation to those undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for at least five years, have children in the country, pass a criminal background check, and are “willing to pay [their] fair share of taxes.” Supporters rejoiced, but backlash to the announced policy was swift, from those opposing the new policy, from those opposing such wide-sweeping executive action, and also from groups who believe Obama’s policy leaves vulnerable millions more immigrants.
See also this highly entertaining SNL skit on the news story.
“Will Texas Kill an Insane Man?”
Texas is preparing to execute schizophrenic inmate Scott Panetti by lethal injection on December 3rd. His case has traveled through the judicial system for almost 20 years. Just one example of the many egregious errors throughout his trials: in 1994, Panetti’s lawyer was unable to communicate with his client for two years due to Panetti’s delusional thinking, and several psychiatrists reported that Panetti was unfit to stand trial. One doctor found that Panetti did not know the year or the current president, and still Panetti was declared competent to stand trial. Advocates are rightly infuriated that Texas would execute someone who does not have the capacity to understand the implications of his actions.
Ferguson Grand Jury Decision Imminent
At 5pm CT on November 24, 2014, the prosecutor presiding over the Ferguson grand jury plans to announce whether police officer Darren Wilson will face charges for fatally shooting unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of protests and unrest that may follow the announcement.
