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Law
Kermit Roosevelt on incitement of insurrection and the 14th Amendment
Penn Law’s Kermit Roosevelt explains the historical context behind Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, its relation to the current presidential crisis, and its constitutional limitations.
Capitol attack: Where does American democracy go from here?
As the nation processes the unprecedented mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, many are wondering what happens now for America. Legal scholar Claire Finkelstein shares her thoughts on the siege and its effects on democracy.
What you need to know about the antitrust suits against Facebook
Antitrust expert Herbert Hovenkamp breaks down the recent lawsuits against Facebook, why he thinks the arguments have merit and how big tech companies can adapt.
Presidential pardons, explained
Law expert Kermit Roosevelt discusses how the pardon process works and why it exists in the first place.
Whatever happened to the right to petition?
Maggie Blackhawk of the Law School discusses the First Amendment’s right to petition, how the right was exercised historically, what it looks like in its current form, and why it changed.
Law students spearhead pro bono projects for pandemic relief
From connecting small businesses with loans to helping Philadelphians navigate unemployment and housing insecurity, students at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School are working to get people the help they need.
Law expert Kermit Roosevelt on the Electoral College and why America uses it
As Americans await final vote tallies, who declares victory comes down to how many electoral votes each candidate receives. Roosevelt explains the Electoral College, and discusses Trump’s claim that he might take the election to the Supreme Court before all votes are counted.
Law students at the forefront of election protection efforts in Pennsylvania
As a long and contentious campaign season enters its final days, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School students are volunteering their time and skills to ensure the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.
Four things to know about violence erupting in Nigeria
Osagie Imasogie of the Law School, who earned his early legal education in Nigeria, shares his take on the escalating unrest in the country.
A post-pandemic path to solving the nursing home crisis
A collaboration of experts across Penn schools has created a detailed, long-term policy plan for nursing homes, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In the News
Democrats have a new tool to undo Trump's 'midnight rule-making.' But there's a catch
Cary Coglianese of the Law School spoke about the seldom-used Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn federal rules with a simple majority and prohibit federal agencies from reissuing similar rules without their approval. “If there’s a type of rule that the incoming administration would really like to ensure never gets adopted again, the CRA is a good way to do that,” Coglianese said.
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Parler sues Amazon, asks court to reinstate platform
David Hoffman of the Law School said Parler’s lawsuit against Amazon has been weakened because Amazon had warned the social media platform about violating the terms of their agreement prior to terminating the account. “There have been repeated warnings over time about Parler’s failure to comply with Amazon’s terms of use,” Hoffman said. “Given those repeated warnings over time, it’s sort of rich to say, ‘You didn’t give us enough time.’”
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Philadelphia police increases presence in parts of city again following storming of US Capitol
Claire Finkelstein of the Law School said President Trump may have committed a crime by encouraging his supporters to breach the U.S. Capitol building. “The question is whether or not the president was intentionally trying to interfere with the peaceful transition of power and trying to launch an attack using his supporters as weapons against the U.S. government,” Finkelstein said. “If we were to find out additional facts that suggested some intentionality on the part of the president, then I believe he could be guilty of sedition.”
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Congress expected to certify Biden’s win this week—despite GOP push to subvert the vote
Kermit Roosevelt of the Law School attributed efforts to call into question the results of the presidential election to longer term political objectives. “I’m afraid that it’s going to make the next four years a lot more difficult—not that they were going to be easy, anyway,” he said. “To the extent that we’re in an era of people living in different realities, this exacerbates that.”
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Stimulus checks are coming, but there are more parts of the bill that may be beneficial for you
Richard Prisinzano of the Penn Wharton Budget Model spoke about how the new pandemic relief package passed by Congress will affect unemployed people. "The extended benefits, I think people will be able to go back and see, under this new bill, retroactive checks," he said.
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Regulatory pressure on Facebook is likely to continue under Biden
PIK Professor Herbert Hovenkamp commented on new antitrust lawsuits filed against Facebook by the FTC and 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. “The loudest cries against the big platforms have come from Democrats historically, so the fact that these lawsuits are starting out in a Republican administration I think bodes poorly for them because they’re not going to get a lot of political relief from Congress,” he said.
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