Brief #33 – Elections and Politics
By Inijah Quadri
The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices. The newest justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, was appointed by President Biden on February 25, 2022. This brief discusses how the composition of the Supreme Court has changed over time, and what the implications of its new makeup are for the future of our democracy.
Brief #140 – Environmental Policy
By Stephen Thomas
The administration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Vice President Kamala D. Harris is attempting to hold public corporations accountable for their impacts on global warming, ensuring in the process that investors know whether the firms in which they have a financial stake are taking climate change seriously.
Brief #151 – Health and Gender
By Stephen Thomas
By a vote of 220-204, the U.S. House of Representatives Friday, April 1, passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act or the MORE Act aimed at decriminalizing the manufacture, distribution, and possession of marijuana. New York Democrat and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler introduced the legislation, an unsuccessful version of which the House passed in 2020.
Brief #36 – Social Justice
By Stephen Thomas
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will issue a proposed regulation later in 2022 to prohibit federal agencies from seeking or relying on an applicant’s salary history in the hiring process unless the applicant raises the issue of her or his own volition. The administration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Vice President Kamala D. Harris announced the upcoming rulemaking on Equal Pay Day, March 15.
Brief #181 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
In February 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell later issued a statement stating that there would be no hearing or vote on a nominee submitted by President Barack Obama and that the choice should be left to the next President after the upcoming 2016 presidential election.
Brief #64 – Education Policy
By Yelena Korshunov
“Is my child safe in school?” This is a question that millions of parents ask themselves today. Remote learning vs. in-person. In-person vs. remote. Multiple pros and cons, dipped in wordy discussions without being resolved, challenge students and their parents to solve this dilemma on their own. On Monday, January 10th, the New York City Department of Education reported 11,825 students and 2,298 staff COVID cases.
Brief #63 – Education Policy
By Stephen Thomas
Years ago, segregationists relied on the states to pass laws to exclude black students from their children’s schools. Today, their objective is to exclude blacks from the social studies curriculum. Either way, it is a movement centered on the debate about a crucial campaign issue that arose in the Virginia governor’s race and will rise again in the congressional mid-term elections and in state-level elections in 2022.
Brief #29 – Social Justice
By Erika Shannon
The House Select Committee on the January 6 riot has been making a lot of headway into their investigation. They have been issuing subpoenas, looking over documents and tips, questioning people, and trying to work around those who are unwilling to help with their investigation. The Committee is doing their best to piece together the day’s events in the hopes that situations like this can be avoided in the future.
Brief #28 – Social Justice
By Erika Shannon
The case that is being built against those who participated in the January 6 Capitol riots is a slow one due to the sheer number of videos, pictures, and evidence related to the events. The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack is doing their best to piece together the truth in the most non-partisan way possible.
U.S. RESIST OP-ED
Paul M. Collins and Artemis Ward
Pressure on Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to step down will likely grow now that the court’s session has ended. Breyer, 82, joined the court in 1994. His retirement would allow President Joe Biden to nominate his successor and give Democrats another liberal justice, if confirmed.