Civil Rights

College Swimmers, Volleyball Players Sue NCAA Over Transgender Policies

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit... Read More

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to... Read More

2024-03-06 16:39:21
by Natalie McCormick
Lawmaker Trying to End Missouri’s Ban on Divorce for Pregnant Women

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A state lawmaker from Kansas City is trying to overturn a longstanding law in Missouri that... Read More

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A state lawmaker from Kansas City is trying to overturn a longstanding law in Missouri that prevents pregnant women from getting a divorce. As it currently appears on the books, the law bars judges from finalizing... Read More

2024-01-29 17:47:48
by Dan McCue
HHS Civil Rights Office Issues Guidance on Religious Non-Discrimination

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance to U.S. hospital and... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance to U.S. hospital and long-term care facility administrators, reminding them of their facility’s obligation not to discriminate on the basis of religion. The warning... Read More

Florida Republicans Oust State Party Chairman Facing Rape Allegations

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican Party of Florida ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler in a special vote on Monday as... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican Party of Florida ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler in a special vote on Monday as police investigate a rape accusation against him, a vote that came the week before Gov. Ron DeSantis competes in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential... Read More

Ohio’s GOP Governor Vetoes Ban on Gender-Affirming Care and Transgender Athletes in Girls' Sports

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, casting... Read More

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, casting the action out of step with many in his own party as thoughtful, limited and “pro-life.” He simultaneously announced plans... Read More

2023-12-13 20:14:08
by Dan McCue
Supreme Court to Review Abortion Medication Dispute

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will review a dispute over the popular abortion medication mifepristone, a... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will review a dispute over the popular abortion medication mifepristone, a move that could have a sweeping impact not only on its use going forward, but also on the regulatory authority... Read More

2023-12-06 19:00:10
by Dan McCue
Antisemitism at US Universities Takes Center Stage on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON — The four students, each from an elite university, stood pensively beneath Gilbert Stuart’s iconic life-size portrait of George... Read More

WASHINGTON — The four students, each from an elite university, stood pensively beneath Gilbert Stuart’s iconic life-size portrait of George Washington, which hangs in the Rayburn room of the U.S. Capitol. Talia Khan, Bella Engberg, Eyal Yakoby and Jonathan Frieden... Read More

AP Exclusive: America's Black Attorneys General Talk Race, Politics and Justice System

BOSTON (AP) — The American legal system is facing a crisis of trust in communities around the country, with people... Read More

BOSTON (AP) — The American legal system is facing a crisis of trust in communities around the country, with people of all races and across the political spectrum. For many, recent protests against police brutality called attention to longstanding discrepancies in the... Read More

2023-11-14 21:58:49
by Tom Ramstack
Supporters of Israel Caution Against Rising Antisemitism

WASHINGTON — A backlash against the antisemitism that erupted since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel showed itself during... Read More

WASHINGTON — A backlash against the antisemitism that erupted since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel showed itself during a congressional hearing and a demonstration in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. During a House Education and the Workforce subcommittee hearing, lawmakers... Read More

Black Americans Express Concerns About Racist Depictions in News Media

NEW YORK (AP) — In a new study, Black Americans expressed broad concerns about how they are depicted in the news... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — In a new study, Black Americans expressed broad concerns about how they are depicted in the news media, with majorities saying they see racist or negative depictions and a lack of effort to cover broad segments of... Read More

2023-09-15 20:18:48
by Dan McCue
Calif. AG Blasts School District for Adopting Mandatory ‘Outing’ Measure

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday blasted a suburban school district near the state capital for... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday blasted a suburban school district near the state capital for adopting a mandatory gender identity disclosure policy he contends will threaten the safety and well-being of transgender and other nonconforming... Read More

2023-09-08 18:17:26
by Tom Ramstack
Appeals Court Revives Psychologists’ Lawsuit After They Were Accused of Helping in Torture

WASHINGTON — The Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals on Thursday revived a defamation lawsuit by retired military psychologists who claimed... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals on Thursday revived a defamation lawsuit by retired military psychologists who claimed they were inaccurately accused of encouraging torture during the U.S. war on terrorism. The ruling also represents a setback for... Read More

Kansas Reporter Files Federal Lawsuit Against Police Chief Who Raided Her Newspaper's office

One of the reporters who works at the small Kansas newspaper that was raided by authorities earlier this month filed a federal... Read More

One of the reporters who works at the small Kansas newspaper that was raided by authorities earlier this month filed a federal lawsuit against the police chief Wednesday. Deb Gruver believes Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody violated her constitutional rights when he... Read More

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Booed at Vigil as Hundreds Mourn More Racist Killings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at prayer vigils and in church, in frustration and exhaustion, to... Read More

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at prayer vigils and in church, in frustration and exhaustion, to mourn yet another racist attack in America: this one the killing of three Black people in Florida at the hands... Read More

2023-08-27 18:51:15
by Dan McCue
Thousands Brave Sweltering Temps For March on Washington’s 60th Anniversary

WASHINGTON — Six decades on, the decennial remembrance of the 1963 March on Washington may not draw hundreds of thousands... Read More

WASHINGTON — Six decades on, the decennial remembrance of the 1963 March on Washington may not draw hundreds of thousands of participants, but for the several thousand who did make their way to the National Mall on Saturday, the day... Read More

Reflecting on the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington

The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom provides an opportunity for us to reflect on... Read More

The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the hopes and promises advanced at the March, and the actions and accomplishments that followed. The 250,000 participants in the... Read More

Biden and Harris Will Meet With King Family on 60th Anniversary of March on Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe Monday's 60th anniversary of the March on Washington by... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe Monday's 60th anniversary of the March on Washington by meeting with organizers of the 1963 gathering and relatives of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered his “I Have... Read More

Central Kansas Police Force Comes Under Constitutional Criticism After Raiding Newspaper

MARION, Kan. (AP) — A small central Kansas police department is facing a torrent of criticism for raiding a local... Read More

MARION, Kan. (AP) — A small central Kansas police department is facing a torrent of criticism for raiding a local newspaper’s office and the home of its owner and publisher, seizing computers and cellphones, and, in the publisher’s view, stressing... Read More

2023-08-09 15:35:35
by Dan McCue
Ohio Voters Reject Legislature’s Effort to Stymie Abortion Rights Vote

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters rejected an attempt by the state Legislature on Tuesday to make it harder to amend... Read More

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters rejected an attempt by the state Legislature on Tuesday to make it harder to amend the state constitution, a vote seen as a clear victory for abortion-rights supporters trying to stop lawmakers from placing severe... Read More

DeSantis Defending New Slavery Teachings. Civil Rights Leaders See Pattern of 'Policy Violence'

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first actions as Florida's governor. But four years later, as DeSantis eyes the presidency, their hope that the Republican would be... Read More

Education Department Opens Investigation Into Harvard's Legacy Admissions

BOSTON (AP) — Opening a new front in legal battles over college admissions, the U.S. Department of Education has launched... Read More

BOSTON (AP) — Opening a new front in legal battles over college admissions, the U.S. Department of Education has launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard University's policies on legacy admissions. Top colleges' preferential treatment of children of alumni, who are... Read More

2023-07-25 13:04:18
by Dan McCue
President Biden to Honor Emmett Till With National Monument

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday will establish a national monument encompassing three sites in honor of Emmett Till,... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday will establish a national monument encompassing three sites in honor of Emmett Till, the Black teenager whose abduction and murder by White supremacists in 1955 became a defining moment in the Civil Rights... Read More

New York City Agrees to Pay $13M to 2020 Racial Injustice Protesters in Historic Class Action

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City has agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a civil rights... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City has agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought on behalf of roughly 1,300 people who were arrested or beaten by police during racial injustice demonstrations that swept through... Read More

2023-07-10 20:47:27
by Jacquelyn Burrer
6th Circuit Allows Tennessee’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

WASHINGTON — The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Saturday that a Tennessee law banning doctors from providing gender-affirming... Read More

WASHINGTON — The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Saturday that a Tennessee law banning doctors from providing gender-affirming care for minors could go into effect immediately. The 2-1 decision is considered groundbreaking because it marks the first time... Read More

Asian Americans Feel Particularly Targeted by Laws Criminalizing Those Who Assist Voters

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a century, the League of Women Voters in Florida formed bonds with marginalized residents by helping... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a century, the League of Women Voters in Florida formed bonds with marginalized residents by helping them register to vote — and, in recent years, those efforts have extended to the growing Asian American and Asian... Read More

Lawsuit Challenges Legacy Admissions at Harvard, Alleging Racial Discrimination

WASHINGTON (AP) — A civil rights legal group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — A civil rights legal group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the mostly white children of alumni. It’s the latest effort in a growing... Read More

2023-06-30 16:56:26
by Dan McCue
Justices Rule for Christian Designer in Gay Wedding Website Case

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the First Amendment bars the state of Colorado from forcing a designer... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the First Amendment bars the state of Colorado from forcing a designer to create websites conveying messages that go against her evangelical Christian beliefs. Writing for the majority in the 6-3 decision,... Read More

2023-06-29 17:46:25
by Kate Michael
USAID Admin Says Inclusive Development Is Fundamental

WASHINGTON — The United States Agency for International Development is a leading force for promoting global development and humanitarian assistance.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The United States Agency for International Development is a leading force for promoting global development and humanitarian assistance. In many parts of the world, however, providing services is challenging when inclusive development may run contrary to a nation’s... Read More

2023-06-23 21:20:52
by Kennedy Thomason
Indian Prime Minister Denies Discrimination During US Press Event

WASHINGTON — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied claims of discrimination in India during a news conference at the White... Read More

WASHINGTON — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied claims of discrimination in India during a news conference at the White House Thursday.  “There is absolutely no discrimination,” he said in Hindi. Modi has faced criticism around subduing the Indian press... Read More

2023-06-23 20:05:52
by Dan McCue
Biden Signs Executive Order Expanding Access to Birth Control

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order aimed at shoring up and expanding access to contraception... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order aimed at shoring up and expanding access to contraception in the face of the continued curtailment of abortion rights in several states. The White House announced the president’s intentions... Read More

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