The week at a glance...United States
United States
Morgan Hill, Calif.
Flag T-shirt ruling: An appeals court dismayed conservatives and free speech advocates last week when it ruled that a California school acted properly in barring students from wearing American flag T-shirts on the Mexican-American holiday Cinco de Mayo. The case dates back to May 5, 2010, when the principal of Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill told students wearing the T-shirts to turn them inside out or take them off. A panel of judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that the school’s decision was correct given the “ongoing racial tension and gang violence within the school,” and that school officials had “presciently avoided an altercation.” William Becker, a lawyer for one of the students, lambasted the decision, saying it “upheld the rights of Mexican students celebrating a holiday of another country over U.S. students proudly supporting this country.” He said he would seek a rehearing of the case.
Austin
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Primary results: Establishment Republicans dealt a blow to some of their Tea Party challengers in a series of Texan primaries this week. Sen. John Cornyn routed right-wing fringe candidate Steve Stockman, a Texas representative whose campaign bumper stickers read, “If babies had guns they wouldn’t be aborted,” while Rep. Pete Sessions defeated challenger Katrina Pierson, winning more than two thirds of the vote. But the Tea Party did score some state victories, with incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst—who was knocked out of the 2012 Senate race by Ted Cruz—forced into a May runoff by conservative talk show host Dan Patrick. In another race, George P. Bush, the 37-year-old nephew of former President George W. Bush and son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, won his debut election for land commissioner. Gubernatorial candidates Wendy Davis, a Democrat, and Republican Greg Abbott easily won their primaries, setting up a November face-off.
Louisville
Gay marriage: Democratic Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear this week said that he would hire outside attorneys to defend the state’s ban on recognizing same-sex marriages, after the state attorney general refused to do so. Attorney General Jack Conway said he wouldn’t appeal a federal judge’s February decision to overturn Kentucky’s voter-imposed ban on recognizing the unions. “I would be defending discrimination,” he said. “That I will not do.” After opponents of same-sex marriage accused Conway of “spiking the case,” Beshear said he had acted so that the Supreme Court would ultimately decide the issue. Plaintiff Michael Deleon, who married Gregory Bourke in Canada, said he was “dumbfounded” by Beshear’s decision.
Washington, D.C.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Unlawful executions?: The Supreme Court this week implied that Florida was unconstitutionally executing “mentally retarded” inmates through its use of a controversial IQ test. The state currently uses a rigid IQ standard of 71 to determine whether a death row inmate is eligible for execution. Lawyers for death row inmate Freddie Lee Hall, who was convicted of beating, raping, and killing a 21-year-old pregnant newlywed in 1978 and has an IQ score of 71, told the court that Florida’s criterion fails to take into account the margin of error endemic in all IQ testing, and excludes other assessments that found Hall to be “mentally retarded” since childhood. Justice Anthony Kennedy appeared to agree, accusing Florida of failing “to follow the standards that are set by the people that designed and administer and interpret the tests.” A ruling is expected by June.
Morristown, N.J.
Daughter loses against parents: A New Jersey judge refused this week to order a couple sued by their estranged teen daughter to give her $650 week in expenses and pay her private high school tuition. Rachel Canning, 18, claims her parents kicked her out of their house and then refused to pay for her Morris Catholic High School education after they demanded she stop seeing her boyfriend. But Sean and Elizabeth Canning say Rachel left voluntarily after refusing to follow their house rules concerning curfew and chores. The student and her parents met in court this week for the first time in five months, days after Rachel filed a lawsuit for expenses, private school fees, and future college tuition. The family court judge denied the girl’s initial request for support, but will rule on the lawsuit after a second hearing in April.
New York City
Terror trial: Jury selection began this week in the terrorism trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, the highest-ranking al Qaida figure to face trial on U.S. soil since the 9/11 attacks. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was captured in Jordan last year and flown to New York City, where he faces federal charges of conspiring to kill Americans and supporting terrorists in his role as al Qaida’s spokesman. Government prosecutors reportedly intend to open the trial by showing jurors a picture of Abu Ghaith with bin Laden on Sept. 12, 2001, as well as videos of subsequent speeches promising more attacks on the U.S. “The Americans must know that the storm of airplanes will not stop, God willing, and there are thousands of young people who are as keen about death as Americans are about life,” Abu Ghaith said in an October 2001 speech.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Silk Roads at The British Museum: a 'mesmerising' exhibition
The Week Recommends 'Epic' show explores the many routes connecting East and West, through a collection of 'beautiful, unusual, intricate' treasures
By The Week UK Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A hurricane's aftermath, a marching parade, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
Sarah Moss picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The author shares works by Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Wordsworth and Ross Gay
By The Week UK Published
-
The news at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated