Tag Archives: U.S. Supreme Court

A Brief History of the Affordable Care Act

President Barack Obama signs the health insurance reform bill in the East Room of the White House, March 23, 2010.
President Obama signs the health insurance reform bill. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is the latest milestone in a century-long struggle to reform healthcare in America and the most significant achievement in that area since President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law in 1965. Its passage was a hard-won victory marred by compromise and sapped by a ceaseless campaign to block its passage, halt its implementation and gut its funding – a struggle that continues to this day. Already the ACA has overcome one Supreme Court challenge, with another appearance before the highest court in the land likely in 2015.

Amid all the wrangling and vitriol, it’s easy to lose track of what happened and when, but don’t worry. My latest article has you covered.

The History of the Affordable Care Act

Felon gun ownership: clause and effect

Twisted gun sculpture
“Non-Violence” by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. Photo by Francois Polito.

The idea that criminals should forfeit certain civil rights reaches back at least to the 19th-century concept of civiliter mortuus (“civil death”). Today, federal law bars convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition. Case closed, right? Wrong. Federal law works in mysterious ways, particularly when it bumps up against state interests and high court interpretations.

Can a Felon Own a Gun in the United States?

Money: It’s a crime

$20 billsThe economy being what it is, 99 percent of us are probably not in the position to light our $2 cigars with $50 bills – but could we? Is it within our legal rights to make a statement by tearing up a dollar, or could we be clapped in irons for crushing a zinc penny in a carnival souvenir machine? Reading the answer won’t cost you one red cent.

Is it Legal or Illegal to Destroy U.S. Coins and Paper Money?