2 more Indiana men face federal charges in Capitol riot
Two more central Indiana men face federal charges stemming from the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building, court documents say.
First Amendment
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Revamped bill would severely limit government’s ability to restrict business, church operations
A Republican lawmaker is seeking to severely limit the restrictions that state and local governments can impose on businesses and churches as COVID-19 continues to spread across Indiana.
SCOTUS won’t hear Nevada church’s COVID-19 case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused a rural Nevada church’s request to enter a legal battle over the government’s authority to limit the size of religious gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic after the church won an appeals court ruling last month that found Nevada’s restrictions unconstitutional.
House sending Trump impeachment to Senate, GOP opposes trial
As the US House of Representatives prepares to bring the impeachment charge against Donald Trump to the Senate for trial, a growing number of Republican senators say they are opposed to the proceeding, dimming the chances that former president will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol.
Democrats ask ethics panel to investigate Sens. Cruz, Hawley
Seven Democratic senators on Thursday asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the actions of Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley “to fully understand their role” in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Indiana prosecutor at Trump rally says she paid for her trip
After releasing a letter affirming she attended former President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., that preceded a violent assault on the nation’s Capitol, Lynn Deddens, prosecutor for Dearborn and Ohio counties, is not answering questions or responding to calls from some for her resignation.
Indiana prosecutor defends attending Jan. 6 Trump rally in Washington
Dearborn and Ohio Counties Prosecutor Lynn Deddens has posted a letter on social media, acknowledging she was at the rally for President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C. and saying she left before the assault began on the U.S. Capitol Building.
Records: Trump allies behind rally that ignited Capitol riot
Veterans of President Donald Trump’s failed reelection campaign had key roles in orchestrating the Washington rally that spawned a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to an Associated Press review of records, undercutting the grassroots image pushed by groups involved in the event.
Indiana Statehouse closed leading up to Biden inauguration
The Indiana Statehouse complex will be closed to the public through Wednesday and state legislative meetings this week are canceled because of possible protests related to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. The closure comes as law enforcement and National Guard forces have fortified security in the nation’s capital and in state capitals around the country amid threats of violence.
SCOTUS wrestles with $1 Georgia college free speech, religion case
The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with whether to revive a lawsuit brought by a Georgia college student who sued school officials after being prevented from distributing Christian literature on campus.
Trump’s Republican wall eroding ahead of impeachment vote
With a sudden force, the wall of Republican support that has enabled Donald Trump to weather a seemingly endless series of crises is beginning to erode as the House begins impeachment proceedings for an unprecedented second time against a sitting president.
FBI, pursuing sedition charges, says it warned about prospect of Capitol riot
The FBI warned law enforcement agencies ahead of last week’s breach of the US Capitol about the potential for extremist-driven violence, federal officials said, contradicting earlier statements that they were caught off guard by the assault by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Amid FBI warning, state police say they aren’t aware of any planned Statehouse protests
The Indiana State Police told Indianapolis Business Journal Tuesday the agency is not aware of any planned protests at the Statehouse in the coming week, amid a warning from the FBI to law enforcement about plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitols leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20.
Social media crackdown continues after siege of US Capitol
Twitter suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the far right QAnon conspiracy and Facebook is removing posts and content fraudulently claiming that the U.S. election was stolen as social media companies scramble to rein in harmful activity ahead of the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20.
FBI warns of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals
The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.
Academic analysis: Fired for storming the Capitol? Of course
Can you be fired for joining a violent mob that storms the Capitol? Of course you can. Based on my experience as a law professor and lawyer specializing in employment law, I doubt that most employers are losing sleep over whether such decisions are legally justified.
SCOTUS will hear Koch-linked group’s appeal over donor disclosure
The Supreme Court of the United States will decide whether California can collect the names and addresses of top donors to two conservative nonprofit groups, including one with links to billionaire Charles Koch.
Twitter, Facebook temporarily muzzle Trump after DC violence
All it took for social-media giants Twitter and Facebook to even temporarily bar President Donald Trump from addressing their vast audiences was a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, fueled by years of false statements, conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric from the president.
Indiana among 10 states suing Google for ‘anti-competitive’ online ad sales
Indiana is among 10 states that on Wednesday brought a lawsuit against Google, accusing the search giant of “anti-competitive conduct” in the online advertising industry, including a deal to manipulate sales with rival Facebook.
Trump loses Wisconsin case backed by Indiana lawyers; justice blasts state suit
President Donald Trump lost a federal lawsuit argued by Indianapolis attorneys while his attorney was arguing his case before a skeptical Wisconsin Supreme Court in another lawsuit that liberal justices said “smacks of racism” and would disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters only in the state’s most diverse counties.