Grad Student Wins Decade-Long No-Fly List Lawsuit

A federal appeals court has blasted the U.S. government for its poor handling of a longstanding lawsuit over a former graduate student’s placement on the no-fly list. POLITICO reports that Malaysian citizen Rahinah Ibrahim first launched her lawsuit ten years ago. She won, five years back, after U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup ruled that


Settlement Brings Healthcare Relief for Illinois Prisoners

Accused of enabling negligence and providing substandard care, Illinois has agreed to a series of reforms intended to improve health throughout its prison system. Under the agreements, writes the Chicago Tribune, a federal monitor will oversee adjustments to prison healthcare. Among the accepted changes are increased medical and dental staffing, ‘proper training and qualifications for


Appeals Court Scores a Win for Trump’s Transgender Ban

On Friday, an appeals court ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender persons serving in the U.S. military. The ruling lifted a lower court injunction against the policy. Bloomberg.com reports that the contested plan, crafted by recently-departed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, was ‘less restrictive’ than the all-out ban first proposed by Trump.




Mississippi Inmates Get More Books With Suit’s Settlement

Mississippi inmates will now have access to more books than ever. The Idaho Statesman reports that Big House Books recently dropped a suit against the state. The non-profit organization had accused the Mississippi Department of Corrections of limiting inmates’ access to free reading material. In an effort to end the litigation, Mississippi rewrote its policy