“We are rapidly entering the age of no privacy, where everyone is open to surveillance at all times; where there are no secrets from government,” Supreme Court Justice William Douglass lamented over sixty years ago. Unfortunately, he was right, as former Sun Microsystems chief said in 1999: “You’ve got zero privacy . . . so get over it.” Well, nearly fifteen years later, I can’t get over it. There are many reasons we’re losing individual privacy in the United States. Many of the reasons have rational explanations. For example, the Supreme Court’s legal standard for
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OP ED:  As we come to the end of a contentious presidential campaign and at least 10% of likely voters still classify themselves as undecided, there is one vital piece of information  too many overlook. There is one decision the next president will make that will impact us for years to come – Supreme Court nominations. Three of the current nine justices on a U.S. Supreme Court that has decided numerous significant issues by 5-4 votes over the past decade will turn 80 years of age before the 2016 presidential election. Those justices are Antonin
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Remember that couch you bought in college that your spouse finally insisted had to be sold? You put it on Craigslist and sold it to a new generation of lowly college students. Unfortunately, it looks as if that may be a thing of the past. The government is working to pass new copyright laws that would prevent private citizens from being able to re-sell used items. The Case The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing a case that will help guide copyright policy in terms of selling used goods. For over a hundred years, our
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Editor’s Note: Way Off the Grid is a satire feature of Off the Grid News. While the articles in this section may deal with current events, they are meant to portray these topics in a satirical and humorous light. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision Monday to strike down a Montana law that
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WASHINGTON D.C.—On the last day of the Supreme Court’s term, the justices let stand the individual mandate in ObamaCare, with a stunning move by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., who sided with the liberal members of the court in declaring that the individual mandate was constitutional since the mandate can be construed as a tax and Congress has the ability to levy taxes. While supporters of the law and this administration are clearly celebrating the decision, most Americans (a clear majority) view it as encroachment of the federal government into private health care decisions.
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WASHINGTON, DC – With the Supreme Court hearing arguments today concerning Arizona’s immigration crackdown law, Democrats are busy seeking to pass legislation that would prevent states from enacting their own immigration rules. The legislation sponsored by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (Democrat—NY) would establish federal primacy in immigration by blocking states from taking any action. If passed, such a law would not only prohibit state law enforcement efforts like the Arizona model before the Court, but would also overturn earlier rulings by the Supreme Court that upheld another Arizona law that requires businesses to verify their
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—While two hours of arguments on the individual mandate provision of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have given no apparent indication how several of the Supreme Court justices might rule on the constitutionality of the mandate, what is apparent is the level of skepticism shown by the conservative members of the Court. Suggesting that the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act invoked a power “beyond what our cases” have indicated Congress possesses to regulate interstate commerce, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy asked government lawyers, “Can you create commerce in order to
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WASHINGTON DC – The stakes are high on a number of fronts as the U.S. Supreme Court hears what will be a near record number of hours of oral arguments this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Before the court are several challenges to the constitutionality of President Obama’s Healthcare Reform Act passed two years ago in a totally partisan Senate vote. If the Justices follow their recent patterns, a ruling will be handed down in late June. Their decision will not only shape the legacy of President Obama for years to come, but may set a
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With Federal Appellate Courts now split on the constitutionality of key aspects of Obamacare, focus is now shifting to the U.S. Supreme Court and how that body might rule. Some are also suggesting that the newest member of the court, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, shouldn’t be recused from the case due to statements she
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