Our Latest Updates – Archive

The US Justice Department has quietly withdrawn the death penalty in seven cases over the past several months. In each case, prosecutors were directed by the Trump Justice Department to seek the death penalty.

UNC athletes will be able to earn money for NIL marketing including UNC trademarks and logos in groups of three or more athletes. For example, a student athlete will be compensated for the sale of a jersey featuring their name, or for a sponsorship deal in which they appear wearing a UNC jersey. Group licensing deals in theory can allow lesser-known players to reap the benefits of appearing alongside a well-known player.

A study published in Science Advances traced the origins of Cannabis sativa to northwest China and concluded that the plant likely emerged by Neolithic times (10,000-3,000 BC). The study also corroborates the widely-agreed upon conclusion that Cannabis indica is not a separate species from Cannabis sativa.

On July 16, 2021, US District Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas ruled DACA was illegal and put a hold on all new applications. Existing enrollees were allowed to remain in the program while the ruling allowed time for the government to consider changes to the program and continue litigation. President Biden has said the federal government will appeal the ruling, which is at odds with a Dec. 2020 federal ruling that required the federal government to process new applications.

Explore the debate with new quotes, resources, and information.

Statues of Confederate Army Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, which were at the center of an Aug. 12, 2017 violent and deadly white nationalist rally, were removed to storage on July 10, 2021.

Explore the debate with the top three pros and cons.

Japan announced a COVID-19 state of emergency and banned all spectators from Olympics venues.

Explore the debate surrounding Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL), or pit bull bans, in our new top 2 article.

Several states’ minimum wage hikes went into effect on July 1. Compare and contrast the rates for each state.

American Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson won the women’s 100-meter race at the US track and field trials in June 2021.

On July 1, 2021, 130 countries and jurisdictions representing more than 90% of the global GDP agreed to an international taxation plan that would include a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%.

Merrick Garland, JD, stated, “Serious concerns have been raised about the continued use of the death penalty across the country… Those weighty concerns deserve careful study and evaluation by lawmakers.”

On June 30, 2019, fewer than 12 hours before some states’ NIL laws went into effect, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors issued an interim ruling stating that Bylaw 12 (the rules that say athletes cannot receive payment) will not be enforced. Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021.