Category: Policy

Rural Sheriff Quits Following Illinois Criminal Justice Overhaul

CHICAGO—A recently enacted criminal justice overhaul in Illinois has led to an exodus of sheriffs, and among them is Scott Harvel, the Union County sheriff in the southern tip of the state. Harvel leads a typical small rural sheriff’s office with about 10 sworn officers, each stretched thin to cope with the mounting methamphetamine-related drug offenses…


New York City to Keep Requiring Masks in Schools, Despite CDC Guidance

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday that students and teachers will have to keep wearing masks when they return to school this fall, despite updated federal guidelines suggesting that vaccinated youth and adults can drop face coverings inside classrooms. Under the guidelines released last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and…


California to Require Masks for All Children in Schools, Despite CDC Guidance

California will force children to wear masks in schools in the fall, despite federal guidance released Friday that recommended against requiring face coverings for kids who are fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. “Masking is a simple and effective intervention that does not interfere with offering full in-person instruction,” said California Health and…


US Blacklists Over a Dozen Chinese Entities for Aiding Xinjiang Abuses and Military Modernization

The Biden administration on July 9 added a total of 19 Chinese entities to its economic blacklist over their role in furthering Beijing’s human rights abuses and supporting military aggression. The blacklist includes 15 concerning Russia or Iran, adding up to a total of 34. “The Department of Commerce remains firmly committed to taking strong,…


Vice President Announces a $25 Million Investment Into Voting Rights Campaign

Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is investing $25 million into expanding a voting rights initiative, “I Will Vote.” “We want to help to make sure your vote is counted, and that is because our democracy is strongest when everyone participates and … our democracy as a nation is weaker when…


Chief Judge Defends Bail Reform Amid Chicago Crime Wave

CHICAGO—Following Chicago’s most violent weekend of the year, Cook County’s chief judge Timothy Evans defended his bail reform against criticisms, saying it did not contribute to the continued crime wave. During the Fourth of July weekend (between Friday midnight and Tuesday early morning), 22 people were killed and 91 injured. So far, the city has…


US Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan More Than 90 Percent Complete

The U.S. military said on Tuesday that it completed approximately more than 90 percent of its withdrawal from Afghanistan. In a statement, U.S. Central Command said that United States had officially handed over seven facilities to the Afghan ministry of defense. The Pentagon said last Friday that a final withdrawal will be completed by the…


Biden’s Conservation Plan Hints at Land Grab, Governors Warn

LINCOLN, Neb.—Tucked away on page nine of one of President Joe Biden’s executive orders on climate change are two small paragraphs that have raised alarm among governors of more than a dozen states. The paragraphs task the administration to figure out a way “to achieve the goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our…


Mike Pompeo On Critical Race Theory, 1619 Project: ‘An Attempt to Divide the Country’

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has weighed in on the national debate over the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the New York Times’s “1619 Project,” warning of what he called an attack on the “central understandings” of a history shared by all Americans. Pompeo on July 4 made a radio appearance on “The…


Loudoun County Schools Continue Fight Against Teacher Suspended for Objecting to Transgender Policy

The legal battle persists between Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and a teacher who was suspended for opposing the school district’s policy about transgender pronouns, as opposing sides argue over whether the Virginia Supreme Court should revisit the case. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative legal group representing the teacher, Byron “Tanner” Cross, said it…