{"id":8012,"date":"2014-04-07T00:30:20","date_gmt":"2014-04-07T04:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/crcl\/?p=8012"},"modified":"2014-04-07T00:39:44","modified_gmt":"2014-04-07T04:39:44","slug":"april-7-weekly-news-roundup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/crcl\/april-7-weekly-news-roundup\/","title":{"rendered":"April 7: Weekly News Roundup"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"14641876-mmmain\"<\/a><\/a>\"Ohman_supremefinance\"<\/p>\n

Civil rights and civil liberties dominated the first week of April:<\/span><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0<\/span>McCutcheon v. FEC<\/em><\/p>\n

On Wednesday, April 2, the Supreme Court delivered a powerful blow<\/a> to campaign contribution limits in <\/span>McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission<\/i><\/a>. Chief Justice John Roberts stated that limits on aggregate contributions \u201cintrude without justification on a citizen\u2019s ability to exercise \u2018the most fundamental First Amendment activities,\u2019\u201d namely, the \u201cright of citizens to choose who shall govern them.\u201d Justice Breyer, dissenting<\/a>, took the unusual step of reading his entire 30-page dissent from the bench, emphasizing the enormous consequences the decision will have: \u201cBefore today\u2019s decision, the total size of Rich Donor\u2019s check to the Joint Party Committee was capped at $74,600\u2014the aggregate limit for donations to political parties over a 2-year election cycle. After today\u2019s decision, Rich Donor can write a single check to the Joint Party Committee in an amount of about $1.2 million.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Drone Strikes<\/p>\n

U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer dismissed a lawsuit<\/a> challenging the constitutionality of the targeted drone strikes in 2011 on three American citizens in Yemen. Attorneys representing Anwar Al-Aulaki, his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman, and Samir Khan argued that the U.S. deprived the individuals of their right to life without due process. Judge Collyer ruled<\/a> that the claim should not advance because the suit would require the court to recognize a new Bivens<\/i> remedy. She emphasized the judicary\u2019s \u201cexceedingly limited role\u201d in the \u201cdelicate area of warmaking, national security, and foreign relations.\u201d However, Judge Collyer rejected the Obama administration\u2019s argument that the court could not hear this case because it raises a \u201cpolitical question.\u201d (In Au-Aulaki v. Obama <\/i>(2010)<\/a>, D.C. District Court Judge John Bates dismissed a case brought by Nasser Au-Aulaki (Anwar Al-Aulaki\u2019s father) due to the \u201cpolitical question\u201d rationale.)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Torture Report<\/p>\n

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence voted to declassify<\/a> part of its own \u00a0report that details the CIA\u2019s post-9\/11 interrogation and detention methods. The report totals an astonishing 6300 pages and alleges that the CIA \u201cmisled the public about the severity and the success of the enhanced interrogation program.\u201d Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein has been instrumental in the battle to declassify the report. Also at issue in the controversy is the media\u2019s portrayal of Senator Feinstein, including remarks by a former CIA director about Senator Feinstein\u2019s \u201cdeep emotional feeling\u201d about the issue. The New Yorker<\/i><\/a> blasts the former director\u2019s comments as part of a \u201creflexive tendency to disparage or dismiss a woman in politics (or in business, or anywhere).\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Equal Pay<\/p>\n

On a positive note, President Obama will announce<\/a> two new executive actions designed to work toward closing the wage gap for women. One of the executive orders will ban \u201cretaliation against employees of federal contractors for disclosing or inquiring about their wages,\u201d and the other will \u201cinstruct the Department of Labor to establish new regulations requiring federal contractors to submit data on compensation paid to employees.\u201d The announcement comes on Equal Pay Day (April 8), the date that marks the amount of time a woman must work into 2014 to earn what men earned in 2013.<\/p>\n

[Cartoon on left – source<\/a>]<\/p>\n

[Cartoon on right – source<\/a>]<\/p>\n

[Cover image source<\/a>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Civil rights and civil liberties dominated the first week of April: 1.\u00a0McCutcheon v. FEC On Wednesday, April 2, the Supreme 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