News & Commentary

This morning, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Young v. UPS, a case that asks whether or not pregnant employees must be granted the same work limitations as those granted to disabled and injured workers. The plaintiff in the case is Peggy Young, a woman who worked for UPS delivering letters and packages. She became pregnant while working for UPS and, based on her doctor’s recommendation, requested a light-duty position so that she wouldn’t have to lift packages weighing more than 20 pounds. UPS denied Young's request and forced her to take unpaid leave. While on unpaid leave, she lost both her salary and her health benefits – crucial support she needed as she prepared for the birth of her child.

Last week, the United Nations Committee Against Torture issued a report in which it took the United States to task on a wide range of issues, from lack of accountability for torture and overuse of immigration detention to criminal justice practices and police accountability. This report came after a month spent reviewing U.S. compliance with a major human rights treaty, the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which the U.S. ratified in 1994. The last compliance review was in 2006.

So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we'll be called a democracy.

In June of last year, a treasure trove of documents detailing the vast scope of government surveillance were unexpectedly released and immediately took the world by storm. Nearly simultaneously, through an iconic interview at an undisclosed location in Hong Kong, we met the young, soft-spoken contractor who had left behind a stable life in order to make those revelations come to light.

On Monday, Bangor station WLBZ featured a segment called “The Difficult Journey” – a news story about the increased numbers of Canadian women coming to Maine for their abortions. The segment featured Ruth Lockhart, Executive Director of the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center. The Mabel Wadsworth Center has seen the largest influx of patients, most of whom are traveling from New Brunswick. The increase in patients is due to a couple of issues. New Brunswick’s sole abortion clinic, the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton, closed its doors at the end of July 2014. Limited abortion services are available at two hospitals in the province, but because of the strict abortion regulations the province enforces, a person must have prior written permission from two doctors stating that the abortion is “medically necessary” before even scheduling an appointment at one of the hospitals. And, even if a woman is able to get written permission from two different doctors, the hospital waiting lists are excessively long. Because the two hospitals in New Brunswick only perform abortions up to 12 weeks, the extended wait time leaves many women unable to access abortion. Women who are able to get into the hospital to have their procedures end up paying exorbitant hospital fees on top of the cost of the procedure. 

Yesterday the grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., declined to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson on charges in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown.

The ACLU released the following comment on the grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson:

As we wait to hear the decision from a grand jury in Missouri about whether or not charges will be brought against Officer Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown, ACLU staff is in Ferguson to support the work of our local affiliate there, to educate protesters about their rights, and to react immediately should there be any civil liberties violations.

The 1 in 3 Campaign has organized an online abortion speakout forthis Thursday, November 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST. The event will feature over 100 people sharing stories about their experiences with abortion. The speakout brings together movement leaders, celebrities, politicians and abortion advocates from across the country to share their experiences during this premiere event. Some notable participants include Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Jessica Valenti, author of The Purity Myth; Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; and Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley. You can tune in to the livestreamed event here.