69 h. ago Tufts student had asthma attack after ICE arrest designed to ‘punish’ speech, attorneys say

Lawyers for Tufts University doctoral student demand her release after ‘shocking, cruel and unconstitutional’ arrest

Events

3 d. ago Judge says heat in Texas prisons unconstitutional as states face mounting lawsuits

A federal judge’s finding that extreme heat in Texas prisons is unconstitutional could lead to the state being ordered to spend billions to install air conditioning to cool them off

Events

4 d. ago US judge calls heat in Texas prisons ‘unconstitutional’ but does not order AC

Lawsuit from advocates argues brutal heat routinely rising above 100F amounts to cruel and unusual punishmentA federal judge on Wednesday found the extreme heat in Texas prisons was “plainly unconstitutional” but declined to order the state to immediately start installing air conditioning, which could cost billions.The ruling affirmed claims brought by advocates of people incarcerated in Texas, where summer heat routinely soars above 100F (38C) for weeks. But they will have to continue pressing their lawsuit later in a trial. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Extreme heat without AC in Texas prisons is unconstitutionally cruel punishment, judge rules

A federal judge has found the extreme heat in Texas prisons that don’t have air conditioning is “plainly unconstitutional.”

Events

2 w. ago Michigan judge wanted Walmart shoplifters to wash cars. His boss stepped on the hose.

A Michigan judge came up with a creative way to punish Walmart shoplifters: wash cars for free in the community when spring arrives

Economics

2 w. ago Woman who's been on death row for 27 years has conviction quashed after new information

Bombshell new evidence has given Brittany Holberg, 52, a reprieve - a case which a judge in Texas, US, says serves as a reminder capital punishment is still a "work in progress"

Events

2 w. ago Trampolined to death: Girl, eight, killed by her parents in horrific 'punishment'

A father has finally learned his fate after he and his wife ordered their eight-year-old daughter to jump on the trampoline in extreme heat without food or water, eventually leading to her tragic death.

Events

2 w. ago Shabana Mahmood to hold crisis talks with sentencing chiefs over 'two

The new guidance for judges to consider a criminal's ethnicity before deciding their punishment prompted Shabana Mahmood to write to the independent body to make clear her 'displeasure'.

Events

3 w. ago Tree loss from hurricane leaves Asheville vulnerable to new climate shocks

Damage to trees in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene was ‘extraordinary and humbling’ but urban areas face particular problemsThe city of Asheville and its surrounding areas have been left vulnerable to floods, fires and extreme heat after Hurricane Helene uprooted thousands of trees that provided shade and protection from storms.Helene was catastrophic for the region’s trees – in part due to the heavy precursor rainstorm that pounded southern Appalachia for two days straight, drenching the soil before Helene hit, bringing yet more heavy rain and 60-100mph winds. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Privately run immigration detention center that previously held families in Texas will reopen

A private prison company says it will reopen an immigrant detention facility in Texas that previously held families with children for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement CoreCivic announced the contract with ICE and the city of Dilley on Wednesday

Politics

3 w. ago How Texas’s bankruptcy courts are used to shield a prison healthcare provider

Wellpath filed for bankruptcy in ‘debtor-friendly court’ as it faced avalanche of wrongful death lawsuits from families of inmatesWhen late last year the largest provider of healthcare to inmates in jails and prisons in the US found itself facing an avalanche of medical malpractice lawsuits, its path forward was seemingly obvious.By filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas’s increasingly popular bankruptcy courts, Wellpath Holdings could restructure itself, in the process staying the 1,500 lawsuits it had been facing and limiting its exposure to more than $100m in potential liabilities. Continue reading...

Events