Guns and the mentally ill, Padilla torture suit
President Bush this week signed legislation aimed at preventing gun sales to the mentally ill. The law was passed in the wake of last spring’s shootings at Virginia Tech. It authorizes up to $1.3 billion in grants to states. . .
Guns and the mentally ill
President Bush this week signed legislation aimed at preventing gun sales to the mentally ill. The law was passed in the wake of last spring’s shootings at Virginia Tech. It authorizes up to $1.3 billion in grants to states to improve their tracking of people who should be barred from buying guns, including those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution. Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho was able to buy two guns, despite being having been declared mentally ill by a Virginia court.
Padilla torture suit
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.
Jose Padilla, a former gang member once accused of plotting a “dirty bomb” attack, has filed suit against a former Bush administration lawyer who wrote opinions supporting the harsh treatment of terrorism suspects. Padilla contends that while he was being held for three years following his arrest in 2002, he was subjected to inhumane treatment. Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo provided the legal rationale for those policies, Padilla alleges. Padilla was convicted last year of participating in a terrorist conspiracy. Yoo, who now teaches law, had no comment.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great offices
Feature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts
-
How quarterly estimated tax payments work and when they are due
The Explainer Freelancers, small business owners and those with a side hustle may need to make more frequent tax payments
-
'Alligator Alcatraz will be a blight on the Everglades'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day