Author: Dani Tietz

Federal

Supreme Court Upholds FCC’s Universal Service Fund Structure

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), rejecting arguments that the funding mechanism violates the Constitution’s nondelegation doctrine and affirming the FCC’s authority to collect and distribute billions of dollars annually to support communications services for underserved communities. The Universal […]

Federal

Supreme Court Orders Opt-Out for Parents Over LGBTQ+ Storybooks in Montgomery County Schools

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, must be allowed to excuse their children from elementary school lessons involving LGBTQ+-inclusive storybooks, citing constitutional protections for religious freedom and parental rights. The 6-3 ruling, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, reverses lower court decisions and orders the Montgomery […]

Federal

Supreme Court Bars Medicaid Patients from Suing States Over Provider Choice

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that individuals cannot sue state officials under federal civil rights law to challenge state decisions about which healthcare providers participate in Medicaid, even when those decisions may violate federal Medicaid requirements. The 6-3 ruling in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic reverses a lower court decision […]

Local

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Launches Annual Summer Food Service Program for Local Children

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is once again stepping up to address summer nutrition needs by hosting the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), beginning Friday, July 25, and running through Monday, August 11. This essential initiative provides free breakfast and lunch to children aged one to 18 during the […]

Federal

Study Links Abortion Bans to Rising Infant Mortality, Exacerbating Racial Disparities

A comprehensive study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that U.S. states implementing complete or six-week abortion bans experienced a 5.6% increase in infant mortality rates, resulting in an estimated 478 excess infant deaths across 14 states during the study period. The research, led by […]

Federal

NTSB Blames Boeing’s Lapses for Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Door Plug Blowout; FAA Oversight Also Faulted

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the dramatic in-flight blowout of a mid-exit door (MED) plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in January 2024 was caused by Boeing’s failure to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight to its manufacturing workforce. The NTSB also cited […]