By Drew Rummel, Staff Writer Arguably, the hottest topic in political news in the past two weeks has been the executive order that President Donald Trump issued, which temporarily banned immigration into the United States from seven overseas countries. The ban, if allowed, would halt immigration from those countries […]
Juris Blog
Amazon Echo Voice Recordings: Potential Problems in Privacy
By Kady Enright, Staff Writer Law enforcement in Bentonville, Arkansas, served a warrant on Amazon requesting voice recordings from the Echo device of James Andrew Bates.[1] Bates is accused of murdering Victor Collins in November 2015.[2] Echo is a voice-activated, home personal assistant; it can perform various tasks — […]
The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary v. Katy Perry
By Matt DeSantis, Staff Writer Religious institutions enjoy a variety of privileges in the United States, guaranteed and defended by the First Amendment’s separation of church and state. These privileges range from their tax exempt status to the right to follow their own codes of law — to the […]
The New Protest
By Amber McGee, Staff Writer With several polarizing issues making headlines today, there seem to be protests everywhere. The right to free speech is something so central to what it means to be an American that, often, groups seeking to exercise it do not fully understand that there are limitations […]
State Senators Push to Preempt City Labor Laws
By Susan Pickup, Staff Writer A Pennsylvania bill proposed in the 2017-2018 legislative session would attempt to preempt cities and towns from enacting mandatory paid sick leave for employees.[1] This senate bill seems to have one city law in mind. It would preempt the city of Philadelphia’s “Promoting Healthy […]
President Trump’s Numerous Fiscal Allies in Pittsburgh
By Katherine Mannion, Staff Writer The actions taken in the early days of President Donald Trump’s administration already has numerous Pittsburgh connections. Pennsylvania residents have a unique knowledge of Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. DeVos, who worked for the American Federation for Children prior to her nomination, […]
Real ID Requirements Present Real Problems for PA Residents
By Phil Raymond, Staff Writer Pennsylvania residents may have to use another form of ID to enter a federal building or even fly domestically due to the Real ID law. The Real ID law, signed by Congress in 2005, requires states to develop driver’s licenses with certain security features […]
The Manhattan Project and the Rosenbergs
By Katherine Littlejohn, Staff Writer Los Alamos, New Mexico: The infamous location where America developed its first atomic bomb, known as “Project Y” or “The Manhattan Project.” Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were the parents of two children, Robby and Michael, ages 3 and 7, respectively.[1] The Rosenbergs, however, lived anything […]
Attorney Generals Protect Low-Wage Workers from Noncompete Agreements
By Natalie Tupta, Staff Writer Recently, lawsuits against Jimmy John’s by the attorney generals of Illinois and New York turned heads, as the popular fast food sandwich shop was forcing noncompete agreements onto its sandwich makers and delivery drivers through their employment contracts.[1] Noncompete clauses prohibited them from working for […]
The Fight on Arbitration in Nursing Homes
By Susan Pickup, Staff Writer The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), just enacted a provision forbidding nursing home facilities that receive federal funding to force potential patients to enter into pre-dispute arbitration agreements before receiving care.[1] […]