Patriot Act under fire
The week's news at a glance.
Los Angeles
A federal judge in California this week struck down part of the USA Patriot Act, marking the first time a section of the law had been ruled unconstitutional. District Judge Audrey Collins said that a rule against giving expert advice or assistance to terrorist groups was so vague that it could violate the First Amendment right to free speech. The lawsuit was filed by human-rights activists trying to provide aid to Kurdish refugees in Turkey and to the Tamil people of Sri Lanka; they said they feared being prosecuted as terrorists. A Justice Department spokesman said the controversial law, which gives the government expanded snooping powers, would remain “an essential tool in the war on terror.”
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
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.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff