Join CRN in Celebration of Constitution Day 2014 [Civics Renewal Network, 8/21/14]: The Civics Renewal Network (CRN), a 26 partner organization alliance, is celebrating Constitution Day 2014 on September 17, with the Preamble Challenge and a host of activities and events. Schools around the nation have pledged to join in a reading of the Preamble to the Constitution. Get free games and ideas to help make Constitution Day memorable.

http://challenge.civicsrenewalnetwork.org/

See their activities and events:

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/law_matters/CivicsRenewalNetwork-director.authcheckdam.pdf

Law Day 2015 will focus on the Magna Carta:

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/initiatives_awards/law_day_2015.html

Justice Ginsburg Laments “Real Racial Problem” in U.S. [NLJ, 8/22/14]: She discusses some major rulings and law schools in a sweeping Q&A.

http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202667692557/?slreturn=20140722131433

The Twilight of Antonin Scalia [The Atlantic, 8/21/14]: The conservative hero's fiery 2012 dissent on same-sex marriage could be his most influential opinion -- but not in the way he intended.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/08/the-twilight-of-antonin-scalia/378884/

Compton latest district with assault rifles [EdSource, 8/21/14]: The decision of the Compton Unified School District board to allow campus police to keep semi-automatic rifles in the trunks of their cars has sparked controversy. But Compton is just the latest school district in California where school police are authorized to use assault-style weapons.

http://edsource.org/2014/compton-latest-district-with-assault-rifles/66582#.U_eBBSuxOAE

Obama Faces Options in Iraq and Syria AP, 8/22/14]: At the heart of President Barack Obama's quandary over the Islamic State militants is their haven in Syria.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_JOURNALIST_SLAIN_US_OPTIONS

Who Is Abusing Power: Rick Perry or Michael McCrum, His Special Prosecutor? [Justia, 8/22/14]: John Dean argues that only Perry, not the special prosecutor, may have abused his power.

http://verdict.justia.com/2014/08/22/abusing-power-rick-perry-michael-mccrum-special-prosecutor

The 5 Biggest Spenders in the 2014 Election [Ozy, 8/21/14]: In America’s campaign system, big political donors are a little bit like the Wizard of Oz, the faceless characters pulling the levers behind the curtain to make sure their favored candidates and causes get the exposure and airtime they need to win.

http://www.ozy.com/acumen/the-men-women-shelling-out-for-a-us-election-victory/32758.article

California AG Kamala Harris to appeal ruling against death penalty [AP, 8/22/14]: California's attorney general says she will appeal a federal court ruling that called the state's death penalty unconstitutional.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DEATH_PENALTY

California Prisons Invest in Rehabilitation for "Lifer" Inmates [KQED, 8/21/14]:  Now, driven by court rulings that make it harder to deny parole and Gov. Jerry Brown’s emphasis on inmate rehabilitation, a record number of lifers are getting out -- nearly 2,300 since 2009, or more than three times the number paroled in the previous 17 years combined.

http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/newsroom/watch/archive/277992

Police often provoke protest violence, UC researchers find [SF Chron, 8/22/14]: The violence that turns a small-town protest into a fiery national spectacle like the one that has played out this month in Missouri is often unwittingly provoked by police, according to researchers at UC Berkeley.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Police-often-provoke-protest-violence-UC-5704918.php

Freedom of the Press? [1^st Amend. Coalition, 8/22/14]: Journalist arrests during Missouri shooting protests raise questions about state of free press in America

http://firstamendmentcoalition.org/2014/08/journalist-arrests-missouri-shooting-protests-raise-questions-state-free-press-america/

Scott Olson shot both Businessweek’s and Time’s covers this week [Poynter, 8/21/14]: Olson was arrested and released in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday. He also took this iconic shot of the unrest there.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/264873/scott-olson-shot-both-businessweeks-and-times-covers-this-week/

The 1^st Amendment in the Era of ISIS [Concurring Opinion blog, 8/22/14]: “This is beyond anything we’ve seen.”—Chuck Hagel, 8/21/14.

http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2014/08/fan-28-1-first-amendment-news-the-first-amendment-in-the-era-of-isis.html

Harried Krishnas [Trial Insider, 8/21/14]: After battling for 20 years in court for the right to solicit funds at Los Angeles airport, the Krishna Society has lost its only remaining First Amendment challenge to a ban on repetitive solicitations.

http://www.trialinsider.com/?p=5117

The case, ISKCON v. City of Los Angeles, can be found at:

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2014/08/20/12-56621.pdf

Reading the Court's signals on same-sex marriage [SCOTUS blog, 8/22/14]: Since early this year, the Supreme Court has stepped back into the same-sex marriage controversy five times.  While it has done little to explain those actions, it has sent some signals about its thinking.  Its most important signals may have been those it appeared to have sent Wednesday, in putting off the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Virginia.

http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/08/reading-the-courts-signals-on-same-sex-marriage/

See a recent JURIST update on the Florida same-sex marriage ban:

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2014/08/federal-judge-rules-florida-same-sex-marriage-ban-unconstitutional.php

Gov. Brown, California Democrats seek $3 million to help migrant kids [Capital Public Radio, 8/21/14]: Seeking to address the swell of unaccompanied children from Central America who have immigrated to the U.S. illegally, Gov. Jerry Brown and California lawmakers announced Thursday a proposal to provide $3 million in legal aid to those minors.

http://www.capradio.org/30658