De Blasio Says Pro-Immigrant Cities Must Define ‘Good, New Normal’

Mayor Bill de Blasio proclaimed that cities like New York City that are inclusive of immigrant communities have the opportunity to define a "good, new normal" that demonstrates why inclusive cities succeed and thrive. On Monday, de Blasio gave the keynote address at his New York City Global Mayors Summit at the Grand Hyatt on how cities can and are executing policies that encourage migrant and refugee integration, protection of their rights and civic engagement.

Evidence of spills at toxic site during Harvey floods

The U.S. government received reports of three spills at one of Houston's dirtiest Superfund toxic waste sites in the days after the drenching rains from Hurricane Harvey finally stopped. Aerial photos reviewed by The Associated Press show dark-colored water surrounding the site as the floods receded, flowing through Vince Bayou and into the city's ship channel.

Congressman Garamendi Honored by Navy League

Today, Congressman John Garamendi , Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, received the Vincent T. Hirsch Maritime Award for Outstanding Leadership from the Navy League of the United States. The ceremony occurred at the California State University Maritime Academy.

Irving: No cares about LeBron’s feelings when leaving Cavs

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that six of 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration be reduced in size, along with management changes to several other sites. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is recommending that six of 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration be reduced in size, along with management changes to several other sites.

How the government can steal your stuff: 6 questions about civil asset forfeiture answered

Editor's note: Should someone wearing a badge have the power to relieve a suspected drug dealer of his Maserati on the spot without giving him an opportunity to flee or liquidate and launder his assets? Known as civil asset forfeiture, this practice might sound like a wise policy. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Congress are challenging the Trump administration's embrace of the arrangement, which strips billions of dollars a year from Americans - who often have not been charged with a crime.

Why you should care about the NDAA

The Senate is set to move forward with its version of the annual defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act -- marking the latest step for a key piece of legislation that has been passed by Congress for 55 straight years. At a time where passing bills is often challenged by the deep partisan divide and competing political factions on Capitol Hill, it can be difficult to understand why the NDAA would be any different.

Instead of a meaningless “hero’s welcome home” in KLIA last…

Instead of a meaningless "hero's welcome home" in KLIA last night, is Najib prepared to convene a special Parliament on 1MDB scandal to clear and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy and ignominy of a global kleptocracy? The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak returned to "a hero's welcome" at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last night after his recent visit to White House and meeting with US President Trump.

Federal Judge rules Justice Department can’t withhold funds from sanctuary cities

A Federal judge on Friday block the Justice Department from withholding funds from public-safety programs to deter the sanctuary city policies aimed at protecting immigrants. U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled that the Justice Department could not impose those requirements, addressing that if the city was forced to carry them out before settling the lawsuit, there would be irreparable damage to the immigrant community.

Judge: Sessions can’t deny grant money for sanctuary cities

Attorney General Jeff Sessions can't follow through - at least for now - with his threat to withhold public safety grant money to Chicago and other so-called sanctuary cities for refusing to impose new tough immigration policies, a judge ruled Friday in a legal defeat for the Trump administration. In what is at least a temporary victory for cities that have defied Sessions, U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber ruled that the Justice Department could not impose the requirements.

Associated Press Seaford man sentenced for heroin distribution, gun charges

A Seaford man was sentenced on Thursday to over five years in prison for having a gun and distributing heroin in Seaford. According to the Department of Justice, Bob Bennett pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Trump’s DACA deal is a slap in the face for Sessions

Photographers caught a giddy Jeff Sessions cracking a satisfied smile last week as he prepared to announce that 690,000 undocumented immigrants who had been brought into the United States as minors would no longer be shielded from deportation. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program "is being rescinded," the attorney general declared in the first line of his statement.

Ending DACA Could Have Dire Public Health Consequences

President Obama signed an executive order in 2012 protecting undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, and studies suggest that this order, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , markedly improved measures of mental health among its beneficiaries and their families. The pending termination of DACA may reverse these mental health benefits for the 800,000 DACA beneficiaries, and trigger a public health crisis, according to an essay in the New England Journal of Medicine , co-authored by Atheendar.

Free Speech for the Right? A Primer on Key Legal Questions and Principles

The rise in national attention to the "alt-right" and fascist-white supremacist protesters has raised questions about the parameters of free speech in America. When can free speech be limited, if ever? What are the implications of attempting to limit controversial speech? And what precedents has the Supreme Court set regarding free speech? I address these questions below via an exploration of historical Supreme Court cases, which show that there's no legal pretext for a blanket ban on far-right protests.