The early 2000’s crime and politics drama “The Wire” arguably was the first to expose the public to the concept of what “legalizing” drugs would look like when put into practice. Desperate to contain a growing heroin problem and the gang violence that came with it, an enterprising police major in Baltimore created “Hamsterdam.” In a few square blocks of […]
Are Supervised Drug-Use Sites Legal?
Is It Legal to Join Ukraine’s Military Defense?
Ukraine’s courageous fight against an invading foe eight times its size has captured many hearts. It has prompted many of us to pray for peace or to contribute to refugee relief efforts. But for some of us, including many Americans, it’s stirred a desire to join the fight. Following Russia’s invasion in late February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky created the […]
What Is ‘Shed Hunting,’ and Is It Legal?
The first thing to know about shed hunting is that it has nothing to do with searching for small storage buildings. The term shed hunting refers to a different kind of shed: deer antlers. (And yes, “shed” is indeed a noun. The American Heritage Dictionary defines this kind of shed as “something, such as exoskeleton or outer skin, that has been […]
Federal Spending Bill Allocates $705 Million to Security for Federal Judges
The federal judiciary is getting an extra $41 million to beef up security as part of the $1.5 trillion measure recently passed by Congress. Part of the latest omnibus spending bill (H.R. 2471), the budget sets aside $704.8 million for court security. That’s an increase of around 6% from last year’s budget dedicated to addressing heightened concerns about judges’ safety. […]
Biden Administration Can Measure “Social Cost of Carbon” for Economically Significant Regulations
Last year, a federal district court prevented the Biden administration from requiring federal agencies to use the “social cost of carbon” (SCC) when conducting cost-benefit analyses during the rulemaking process. In simplest terms, the social cost of carbon is a dollar estimate of the economic damages that result from one additional ton of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. This […]
How Ginni Thomas’s Texts About the 2020 Election Could Impact the Supreme Court
All judges are supposed to be impartial and unbiased; this is all the more important when your job is on the highest court in the land. But Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has repeatedly been in the spotlight for perceived partisanship, often linked to the activism of his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas. Last week, The Washington Post obtained 29 text messages exchanged between Ginni Thomas […]