Tag Archives: feds

Due to his ruling that student-led prayers are unconstitutional, Texas federal Judge Fred Biery is regularly the target of stump speeches by Newt Gingrich, who has vowed to arrest judges that rule to his disliking. Due to Gingrich’s fiery condemnation, God’s Gentle People have rained down abuse on Judge Beiry. And here’s how Biery has responded via a statement attached …

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld the dismissal of a Centers For Disease Control counselor who was fired after saying that her Christian faith did not allow her to see homosexual clients. Walden worked as a contractor for the CDC in 2007 when a woman came to her for advice involving a same-sex relationship. She was let go …

The Southern Poverty Law Center is suing the federal government on behalf of a disabled lesbian veteran and her partner. Tracey Cooper-Harris served her country for 12 years in the U.S. Army. She received more than two dozen medals and commendations. She was honorably discharged in 2003. In 2010, Cooper-Harris was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disabling disease that attacks …

The ACLU is suing the Obama administration to force the release of information regarding drone attacks that some argue have resulted in the defacto executions of American citizens without trial. The Justice Department contends that any American who joins a foreign terrorist organization has become an enemy combatant and therefore has surrendered rights as a U.S. citizen. Wednesday’s ACLU complaint …

Last month I bitched about undisclosed fees that I got slammed with the first (and last) time I flew Spirit Air. Now the carrier is demanding that customers side with them in the face of new federal regulations against such deception. Despite the fact that airline passengers clearly benefit from knowing the total cost of a fare up front, some …

Laurel Ramseyer reports at Pam’s House Blend: For the third time in two years a federal court has told Family Policy Institute of Washington that they can’t hide the identity of donors to their political action committee “Family PAC“. Yesterday a 3-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit released a 23-page opinion affirming an earlier …

New York state Sen. Carl Kruger will plead guilty to federal corruption charges that he took over $1 million in bribe offers to fund an extravagant lifestyle which included a garish waterfront mansion, a luxury yacht, and a Bentley. Kruger’s gynecologist boyfriend is also expected to plead guilty. The pair was effectively outed by the New York Times in March. …

Via press release from Freedom To Marry: “Anti-gay attacks and infusion of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act have no place in legislation designed to support all the brave men and women who fight to defend this nation. Gay and lesbian servicemembers risk their lives every day and Freedom to Marry is pleased that the conference committee agreed with us …

President Obama today issued an unprecedented directive that federal agencies should work to promote and protect LGBT rights in foreign countries. The Human Rights Campaign reacts: The presidential memorandum is the first ever U.S. government strategy to deal with human rights abuses against LGBT people abroad. It directs all government agencies that engage in foreign affairs to promote LGBT human …

Today an openly gay man will be sworn in to lead the Washington DC office of the U.S. Marshal Service. From the White House’s official website: Michael A. Hughes has spent his entire law enforcement career with the United States Marshals Service. He began his tenure in 1991, and has held various posts within the Marshals Service, including a stint …

Timed to coincide with tomorrow’s World AIDS Day, the Centers for Disease Control has launched a new national campaign urging gay and bisexual black men to get tested. You may already know that gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV in the U.S. Black gay and bisexual men are getting hit particularly hard by the epidemic. …

The Postal Service today announced a massive loss for the current fiscal year. The agency reported an annual loss of $5.1 billion, as declining mail volumes and mounting benefit costs take their toll. The Postal Service said its losses would have been roughly $10.6 billion if not for the passage of legislation postponing a $5.5 billion payment required to fund …

Even though a slim majority of Americans favor the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a similar number also believes health care coverage is the responsibility of the federal government.

The Federal Railroad Administration says to be patient: With the successful completion of the original phases of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Improvement Project offering Amtrak’s maximum 150 mph Acela train service between Washington, New York, and Boston, efforts to develop high-speed intercity passenger rail service have expanded beyond the NEC. However, just as the Interstate Highway System took 50 years …

A federal court has ordered New York to begin offering a pro-life vanity license plate. The Children First Foundation filed a lawsuit in 2004 after the New York Department of Motor Vehicles rejected its application for a plate design with a crayon drawing of a yellow sun behind the faces of two smiling children. The state claimed a significant segment …

“I do not believe that it is the responsibility of the federal government to help fund a college education because herein, our resources are limited and I believe that the best solution is the one closest to the problem. The people within the state, the people within the communities, ultimately, I believe, are the ones who have that responsibility. If …

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is throwing her weight behind a federal bill granting adoption rights to all LGBT couples nationwide. “This legislation would open thousands of new foster and adoptive homes to children ensuring they are raised in loving families,” Gillibrand said of her “Every Child Deserves a Family Act.” New York, particularly New York City, has led the nation …

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network will file a federal lawsuit on behalf of married gay military members impacted by DOMA. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network will argue that the federal Defense of Marriage Act violates the Fifth Amendment right to due process, in what the group says will be the first case of its kind. “That has never been done …

Much to the anguish of the anti-gay hate industry, today a federal judge ordered the release of the names on Referendum 71, the 2009 petition attempt to repeal Washington state’s domestic partners law. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle said in a ruling Monday that it was unlikely that signers would face threats or harassment. Opponents of the law that expanded …