Prior to the 2019 Timbs v Indiana Supreme Court decision, state and county courts were legally allowed to forfeit high priced property of the accused and hold them accountable to unnecessarily high fines before their trials.[1] In February of 2019, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution’s 8thAmendment ban on excessive fines applies to … Continue reading
Category Archives: Other
How much can policymakers rely on performance metrics?
Most of us nowadays use Yelp, Urbanspoon, or something like those platforms to explore a restaurant. When browsing the Yelp website to find a good restaurant, I first filter out the neighborhoods and category, and then pick several restaurants based on star ratings, dollar signs, and number of reviews. Then I put a little extra … Continue reading
Going for Broke: How the Olympics Affect Local Economies
Since the establishment of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, the Olympic Games have been a world stage for people of all countries to show off athletic prowess through competition. In that time, 41 different cities have hosted the games with some like Los Angeles hosting multiple. Leaders in these cities justify the expense … Continue reading
National Identity, Citizenship and Immigration Reform
Immigration reform has been a contested issue throughout the history of the United States. Both sides of the aisle have made efforts to draft effective legislation to reform the current immigration system. While Congress debates on how to reform the immigration system, the future of over 11,000,000 undocumented immigrants is at risk. While legislation is … Continue reading
What You Don’t Know About Physician Assisted Suicide
What would you say a physician does? Chances are, your response would have something to do with healing people who are sick. Would you think about describing doctors as people who readily expedite death for their patients? There are currently three states that have legalized physician assisted suicide (PAS), and there are at least twenty-two … Continue reading
The True Cost of Sick Days
In his State of the Union address, President Obama announced his proposal for mandatory paid sick leave. He is proposing that businesses be required to provide seven days of paid sick leave per year to each employee. Currently, many people are forced to choose between going to work sick and forgoing a much needed paycheck. … Continue reading
Choosing between Marriage and Welfare
You may have noticed that you seem to be receiving fewer wedding invitations in recent years. Before you panic about whether or not you are a good dancer or eat too much cake, there may be another explanation for the lack of invitations. It simply turns out that fewer people are getting married today. According … Continue reading
Retirement Preparation: To Save or Not to Save
Most experts would agree that a majority of people are not taking their retirement funds as seriously as they should. Data collected by the National Institute of Retirement Security (NIRS) shows that people today are not saving nearly enough to fund a long and healthy retirement. According to the NIRS, “92 percent of working households … Continue reading
There Are Two Sides to Every Story: The Minimum Wage Dilemma
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama requested that Congress raise the minimum wage and challenged his opponents within Congress to live off $15,000 a year. The current Federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour, and the president is asking that it be increased to $10.10 an hour as a way to … Continue reading
Privacy Advances or More Privacy Threats? What Might be Wrong with Eric Holder’s Statement
Attorney General Eric Holder said on September 30 that new forms of encryption that are now introduced by technology companies could thwart investigations of kidnappers and sexual predators, putting children at increased risk. In the wake of ongoing revelations of widespread surveillance of data and other electronic devices, Holder’s speech seems to be a well-coordinated campaign … Continue reading