If the states will continue to define benefits for gay couples (which may include marital benefits), then why amend the constitution solely to define a term? Reuters.com: Proposed Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage Revised: "'The new language makes the intent of the legislation even clearer -- to protect marriage in this country as the union between a man and a woman, and to reinforce the

Supreme Court Hears Case of Man Who Withheld ID: "Supreme Court Hears Case of Man Who Withheld ID By LINDA GREENHOUSE Published: March 23, 2004 ASHINGTON, March 22 � A Nevada rancher's refusal four years ago to tell a deputy sheriff his name led to a Supreme Court argument on Monday on a question that, surprisingly, the justices have never resolved: whether people can be required to

Separating Church and State: "The Supreme Court ruled wisely yesterday when it said that states have leeway in choosing not to finance religious education. For a court that has allowed a weakening of separation between church and state, this was a significant clarification."

The state has no right to decide what grants recipients may or may not study. . . Court Says States Need Not Finance Divinity Studies: "ASHINGTON, Feb. 25 � The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that states that subsidize secular study at the college level may withhold the scholarships from students preparing for the ministry. The 7-to-2 decision, upholding the eligibility requirements of the

WSJ.com - U.S.-Born Taliban Detainee To Meet His Attorney: "A U.S.-born man captured in Afghanistan and held by the military for more than two years will meet with an attorney for the first time on Tuesday, a federal public defender said. Frank Dunham, the federal public defender in Alexandria, Va., said he would meet Yaser Hamdi at the military brig in Charleston, S.C., on 8 a.m. Tuesday.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Bombay plans cyber cafe controls: "Internet cafe owners in India's commercial and entertainment capital, Bombay, are angry at plans to regulate the city's cyber centres. They object to plans which would force them to keep records of people using their internet facilities. The proposals will be put to the state legislature next month. Police say they need new

Citing Free Speech, Judge Voids Part of Antiterror Act "The USA Patriot Act places no limitation on the type of expert advice and assistance which is prohibited, and instead bans the provision of all expert advice and assistance regardless of its nature," Judge Collins wrote in a ruling issued late Friday. As a result, the law could be construed to include "unequivocally pure speech and

Supreme Court to Review Using Execution in Juvenile Cases: "The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether the Constitution prohibits the death penalty for crimes committed at the age of 16 or 17."

The Politics of Security: "A federal judge has just struck down, as unconstitutionally vague, the act's ban on giving advice and assistance to groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations. But the act is not merely constitutionally suspect. There are better ways to make the country safe: inspect more of the shipping containers coming into United States ports, increase security around

WSJ.com - Justices Agree to Hear Case Of U.S.-Born Terror Suspect: "WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court expanded its review of government antiterrorism measures Friday, agreeing to hear the case of a U.S.-born man captured during the fighting in Afghanistan and held incommunicado and without charges. Justices also said Friday they will consider whether companies can be forced to pay to clean up

Guantanamo Bay Detainee Is First to Be Given a Lawyer (washingtonpost.com): "An Australian detainee at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba last night became the first prisoner there to be given a lawyer, a strong indication that he is on track to be the first alleged al Qaeda fighter in detention to go before a military tribunal, according to informed sources. "

"There is a windowless room on the seventh floor of the US Department of Justice building in Washington. Few people know what happens within its walls. This is the home of America's most secretive court: the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court (FISAC). We need to know about it because what it does or doesn't do has a great impact on the "war against terror" and American civil liberties.

Arab Waiter Ousted From Fundraiser Claims Bias (washingtonpost.com): "An Arab American waiter who has worked for seven years at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore said he was sent home yesterday prior to a presidential fundraiser by a manager who asked him just one question: 'Is your name Mohamad?' "

Yahoo! News - Two youths charged in beating death of Vancouver teen as mourners gather: "VANCOUVER (CP) - As mourners gathered for the funeral of a Filipino teenager, two Indo-Canadian teenagers were being charged Friday with second-degree murder in his death. The two friends, aged 16 and 17, were picked up hours apart Friday afternoon and police said they continued to search for three