Category Archives: History

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

Environmental Issues

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

July 1, 1905: the USDA Forest Service was created within the Department of Agriculture. The agency was given the mission to sustain healthy, diverse, and productive forests and grasslands for present and future generations. [site today] (see May 13, 1908)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

BLACK HISTORY

East St Louis, MO

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

July 1, 1917: a rumor spread claiming that a black man had killed a white man and tensions boiled over. [Smithsonian article] (see July 2)

CORE

July 1, 1942: James Farmer, Bernice Fisher, Joe Guinn, George Houser, Homer Jack and James Robinson established the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Its objective was to use nonviolent tactics to challenge racial injustice.  [site today] (see Oct 13)

Sheriff Padlocks Church

July 1, 1965:   in Camden, Alabama, white Sheriff P.C. Jenkins forced people to leave and then padlocked the doors of the Antioch Baptist Church—a Black church where leaders were discussing civil rights—even though he did not have the authority to do so.

Community members from the Summer Community Organization and Political Education (SCOPE) group had been meeting at the church for several months, working to promote Black voter registration in Alabama and the rest of the South.

Two days before Sheriff P.C. Jenkins evicted people in the church, a group of white men had broken into the church and severely beaten two Black teenagers, inflicting injuries so severe that they were both hospitalized. Rather than providing protection from this violence, on July 1, Sheriff Jenkins announced that the church had been the cause of “too much disturbance,” and gave people only a few hours to clear out their belongings before putting a padlock on the door. [EJI article] (next BH, see July 2)

William Zanzinger

July 1, 1991: William Zanzinger’s attorney filed the necessary papers for him, and consequently he didn’t have to appear until his trial. (see November)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

INDEPENDENCE DAYS

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

July 1, 1960: Somalia independent from Italy and United Kingdom.  [mtholyoke article]

July 1, 1962

July 1 Peace Love Activism

1) Burundi independent from Belgium [sahistory article], and

July 1 Peace Love Activism

2) Rwanda independent from Belgium. [UN article] (see ID for complete listing of 1960s Independence Days)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

Cultural Milestone

July 1, 1963: designed to help speed mail deliveries, the US Post Office put into effect its program to give every mailing address a number. The new system was called “zip code” (Zoning Improvement Plan).

The department mailed 72 million cards to every mailbox in the country. The card informed the addressee of their five-digit “zip code” number and provided a brief explanation of the system. (see Oct 12 – 16)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

DRAFT CARD BURNING

July 1, 1966: David O’Brien, 19 years old, convicted of burning his draft card, was sentenced to a Federal Youth Correctional Center for an indefinite term. [Case Briefs article] (Draft Card Burning, see October 13, 1966; Vietnam, see October)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

see July 1 Music et al for more

Fear of Rock

July 1, 1956,: Elvis was scheduled to appear on the Steve Allen Show, but Allen was nervous about Elvis’s controversial style. “We want to do a show the whole family can watch and enjoy and we always do.”

So Allen had Elvis dress in a tuxedo sing his hit song “Hound Dog” to an acutal basset hound. (see Sept 9)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMN-1nSQv3U

Windy

July 1 – 28, 1967: “Windy” by the Association #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sgt Pepper’s

July 1 – October 13, 1967: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band  Billboard #1 album. (see July 24)

Future Woodstock Performers

July 1, 1968:The Band released its first album, Music From Big Pink. Rick Danko, age 26; Robbie Robertson, age 25; Levon Helm, age 28; Richard Manuel, age 25; Garth Hudson, age 31) (see July 5)

Abbey Road

July 1, 1969, The Beatles began recording the Abbey Road album. (see August 20)

“Imagine”

July 1, 1971: John Lennon recorded “Imagine.” (see “in August“)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

Nuclear/Chemical News

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

July 1, 1968: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed. It was a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. [UN article] (see March 5, 1970)

Expansion of treaty

July 1, 1972: nuclear nonproliferation treaty signed by 61 nations. [DoS article] (see May 18, 1974)

Iran

July 1, 2019:  state media reported that Iran had exceeded a key limitation on how much nuclear fuel it can possess under the 2015 international pact curbing its nuclear program, effectively declaring that it would no longer respect an agreement that President Trump abandoned more than a year ago.

The breach of the limitation, which restricted Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium to about 660 pounds, did not by itself give the country enough to produce a nuclear weapon. But it is the strongest signal yet that Iran is moving to abandon the limits and restore the far larger stockpile that took the United States and five other nations years to persuade Tehran to send abroad.

The semiofficial Fars news agency first reported the news citing an “informed source.” Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister of Iran, was later quoted confirming the news, according to another semiofficial outlet, the Iranian Students’ New Agency, or ISNA. (NYT story) (next N/C N, & Iran, see July 3)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

CLINTON IMPEACHMENT

July 1, 1998: Linda Tripp makes her second appearance before the grand jury, during which the Lewinsky tapes may have been played. (see Clinton for expanded story)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

Sexual Abuse of Children

Paul Shanley

July 1, 2004: prosecutors dropped the key accuser of defrocked priest Paul Shanley, (see July 7)

Boy Scouts Settlement

July 1, 2021: the Boy Scouts of America reached an $850 million settlement with more than 60,000 men who sued the iconic institution over alleged sexual abuse by adults in scouting over several decades.

The agreement was the first legal settlement in a long list of lawsuits against the Boy Scouts, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020.  [NPR story] (next SAC, see; next BSA, see Dec 13)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

TERRORISM

July 1, 2007: victim David Ritcheson (see April 22, 2006)  committed suicide . (Article) (see January 22, 2008)

Cannabis

July 1, 2015: Oregon ended marijuana prohibition, joining Colorado, Washington state, Alaska, and the District of Columbia in legalizing recreational use of the drug. The new law meant Oregon would likely reap benefits that appear to have followed legalization elsewhere: Reduced crime, from a legal industry supplanting a black market; higher tax revenue, once weed is legal to sell; and police forces and courts unburdened by droves of misdemeanor pot offenders. [Guardian article] (next Cannabis, see Aug 11 or see CCC for expanded chronology)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

The Cold War

July 1, 2015: President Obama announced his plans to formally re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, declaring that the two nations were ready to reopen embassies in each other’s capitals and to start a “new chapter” of engagement after more than a half-century of estrangement.

Our nations are separated by only 90 miles, and there are deep bonds of family and friendship between our people, but there have been very real, profound differences between our governments, and sometimes we allow ourselves to be trapped by a certain way of doing things,” Mr. Obama said. [NYT article] (CW & Cuba, see July 15)

LGBTQ

July 1, 2015: U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade issued an order confirming that her injunction directing all Alabama probate judges to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples was in effect and required immediate compliance.

A violation of Judge Granade’s order would result in a county probate judge being held liable for contempt of court, attorneys’ fees, financial penalties and any other remedies the court deemed proper. Granade stated: “By the language set forth in the order, the preliminary injunction is now in effect and binding on all members of the Defendant Class.

In the May 21 preliminary-injunction order, Granade directed all Alabama probate judges to stop enforcing the state’s marriage ban – effective immediately – after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling affirming marriage equality. Since Supreme Court issued its decision on June 26, the injunction prohibiting enforcement of the ban went into effect that day. Although most of Alabama’s county probate judges were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a minority were not.

On Tuesday, Amyx removed the “No Gays allowed” sign and replaced it with a sign that says: “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who would violate our rights of freedom of speech & freedom of religion.” [NCLR article] (see July 13)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

DEATH PENALTY

July 1, 2021: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland imposed a moratorium on federal executions pending a review of the Justice Department’s policies and procedures, reversing the Trump administration’s decision to resume executions of federal death row inmates last year after a nearly two-decade hiatus.

“The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, but is also treated fairly and humanely,” Mr. Garland said in a memo to Justice Department leaders. “That obligation has special force in capital cases.”

Mr. Garland said in his memo that the deputy attorney general, Lisa O. Monaco, would supervise a review of Justice Department policies related to federal executions that were implemented by former Attorney General William P. Barr. He asked that several of the department’s divisions, including the Bureau of Prisons, the criminal division and the civil rights division, participate, along with other federal agencies and outside advocacy groups. [NYT article] (next DP, see Oct 28)

July 1 Peace Love Art Activism

July Music et al

July Music et al

Fear of Rock

July 1957: ABC TV show “The Big Beat”  with Alan Freed began a short run. Though popular, in an early episode Frankie Lymon, a Black singer, was seen dancing with a white girl. Southern stations protested and ABC cancelled the show. A local NYC station, WNEW-TV, continued the show. (see In October) (NYT article)

The Rainbow Quest

July 1960: Pete Seeger released The Rainbow Quest album on which was the song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”

July Music et al

Sidewinder

July 1964: Lee Morgan’s Sidewinder album released. Recorded at the famous Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

July Music et al

 FCC adopted non-duplication rule

July 1964:  the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a non-duplication rule prohibiting FM radio stations in cities of more than 100,000 people from merely running a simulcast of the programming from their AM counterparts. Stations fought the rule and delayed implementation. (CM, see September 5, 1965; RR, see December 13, 1965)

Tim Hardin 1

July, 1966: Tim Hardin (age 25) released first album, Tim Hardin 1. (see Aug 15)

July Music et al

Bob Dylan

In July 1965:  Dylan and Sara Lownds purchased an eleven-room mansion in the Arts and Crafts Movement Colony of Byrdcliffe named Hi Lo Ha on Camelot Road one mile from Woodstock, NY. (next Dylan, see July 25; Lowands, see Nov 22)

Cultural Milestone

July 1967: the Summer of Love in San Francisco. (see Sept 3)

Future Woodstock Performers

In July, 1967: Canned Heat released first album, Canned Heat.

Sky Pilot/The War Is Over

July 1968: Eric Burdon and the Animals released “Sky Pilot” and Phil Ochs “The War Is Over.” (see August)

 The War is Over

Mind Games

July Music et alJuly – August, 1973: in New York’s Record Plant East studio, John Lennon began work on the Mind Games album. Mind Games was completed within a period lasting around two weeks, with Lennon producing it himself. The band was credited as the Plastic U.F.Ono Band.

By that summer John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s marriage was on the rocks. Ono suggested that Lennon embark on an affair with their assistant, May Pang. That decision led to Lennon’s “Lost Weekend,” the 18 months that he lived with Pang in her New York apartment and later a a rented home in Los Angeles. (see Oct 20)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

BLACK HISTORY

Cincinnati Prevents Black Residents

June 20, 1829: Cincinnati, Ohio officials issued a notice requiring Black residents to adhere to laws passed in 1804 and 1807 aimed at preventing “fugitive slaves” and freed Black people from settling in Ohio.

The 1804 law had required every Black person in Ohio to obtain proof of freedom and to register with the clerk’s office their county of residence. It also prohibited employers from hiring a Black person without proof of freedom, imposed a fine on those who hid “fugitive slaves,” and provided to any person asserting “a legal claim” to a Black person a procedure for “retaking and possessing his or her Black or mulatto servant.”

The 1807 amendments to the law required Black people seeking residence in Cincinnati to post $500 bond guaranteed by two white men. In addition to increasing fines for employing a Black person without proof of freedom and assisting “fugitive slaves,” the 1807 amendments prohibited Black people from testifying in court against white people. [EJI article] (next BH, see Aug 15)

Dred Scott

June 30, 1847: in a trial before the St. Louis Circuit Court Scott lost because of a technicality—he was suing Irene Emerson for his freedom but he had no witness who could prove she now owned him. (BH, see July 26; see Scott for expanded story)

Dyer Anti-Lynching bill

June 30, 1922: the Senate Judiciary Committee, to the surprise of the Senate, voted 8 to 6 to favorably report the Dyer Anti-Lynching bill, which would permit the Federal Government to assume prosecution of lynchings when States fall or neglect to prosecute. It was fully understood that the Senate would allow this bill to die because it stirred up so much feeling during its progress in the House. (see Aug 14)

Jump Jim Crow

June 3, 1933: minstrel show creator Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice introduced the song, “Jump Jim Crow.” Decades later, the term “Jim Crow” came to describe racial discrimination against African Americans. (next BH, July 5)

NAACP v. Alabama

June 30, 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the NAACP was not required to release membership lists to continue operating in the state. For the NAACP, the ruling was a great victory, enabling them to continue operating in Alabama. [Oyez article] (see Jan 6)

George Whitmore, Jr.

June 30, 1966: on DA Aaron Koota’s motion, Kings County Supreme Court Justice Hyman Barshay dismissed the indictment against Whitmore in the Minnie Edmonds murder case. (see Whitmore for expanded story)

Alberta Williams King

June 30, 1974: six years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., his mother, Alberta Williams King, was shot to death as she played “The Lord’s Prayer” on the organ at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Her killer, a 43-year-old black man named Marcus Wayne Chenault, told a judge he acted out of his hatred for Christians.  [Atlantic article] (see July 25)

Miller v. Johnson

June 30, 1995: the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gerrymandering based on race was unconstitutional. [Oyez article] (BH, see Oct 12; Voting, see July 12, 2012)

Rainey Pool murder

June 30, 1999: a Humphreys County jury found Dennis Newton not guilty of murdering Rainey Pool (April 12, 1970). [Northeastern U article]  (see August 2)

137 SHOTS

June 30, 2015: Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty announced that the misdemeanor trial for five white Cleveland police supervisors accused of failing to control a high-speed car chase that led to two unarmed black people being killed in a 137-shot barrage of police gunfire would be held in a predominantly black suburb, not in county court.

McGinty said officials in East Cleveland, where the November 2012 car chase ended and the shooting occurred, contacted his office about trying the case in that suburban city after a judge acquitted a white Cleveland patrolman last month on felony manslaughter charges for his role in the shooting deaths of driver Timothy Russell and passenger Malissa Williams.

McGinty said the same misdemeanor charges against the supervisors will be filed in East Cleveland and county prosecutors will help try the case, which had been set for trial in county court on July 27. (see July 1)

Church Burning

June 30, 2015: a fire broke out at Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greeleyville, a town located about 65 miles north of Charleston, South Carolina. The church had previously been burned down by arsonists with ties to the KKK 20 years ago.  [follow-up article] (BH, see July 5; CB, see July 15)

Technological Milestone

June 30, 1948: Bell Laboratories demonstrated a prototype transistor radio. (next TM, see March 31, 1949; see Transistor for expanded story)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

June 30 Music et al

Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

June 30, 1956:  a concert by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers at the Asbury Park, NJ Convention Hall ended prematurely when a fistfight in the audience erupted into a full scale riot. Three people were stabbed and Mayor Roland J. Hines threatened a city-wide ban on rock and roll performances. The ban never came to pass. (see July 9)

The Beatles

June 30, 1966, The Beatles’ perform at Budokoan, Japan. (see July 9)

Setlist

  • Rock & Roll Music
  • She’s A Woman
  • If I Needed Someone
  • Day Tripper
  • Baby’s In Black
  • I Feel Fine
  • I Feel Fine
  • Yesterday
  • I Wanna Be Your Man
  • Nowhere Man
  • Paperback Writer
  • I’m Down
June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

INDEPENDENCE DAY

June 30, 1960:  Democratic Republic of Congo independent from Belgium. [BBC profile] (see July 1)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

Fair Housing

June 30, 1961: Title V of the Housing Act was amended to make nonfarm rural residents eligible for direct housing loans from the Farmers Home Administration. These changes extended the housing program to towns with a population of up to 2,500. [JFK Library article] (see November 20, 1962)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

Vietnam

July 30, 1966
  • on Route 13, which links Vietnam to the Cambodian border, American forces are brutally assaulted by the Vietcong. Only American air and artillery support prevented a complete disaster.
  • 116 US military aircraft for the first time dropped bombs on the port at Hanoi. Virtually all of North Vietnam’s oil storage facilities were destroyed. (see July 1)
Troop strength

June 30, 1967: 448,400 US troops in Vietnam. (see July 2)

Cambodian Invasion

June 30, 1970: President Nixon announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Cambodia but warns that if necessary he will continue to bomb Vietnamese troops and supply lines there. He expresses hope that Hanoi will now agree to serious negotiations. (see Aug 24)

Pentagon Papers

June 30, 1971: in New York Times Co. v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Pentagon Papers may be published, rejecting government injunctions as unconstitutional prior restraint. (see DE/PP for expanded story; next Vietnam, see July 5)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

Feminism

National Organization for Women

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

June 30, 1966: Betty Friedan and a small group of her friends attending a women’s conference in Washington, D.C. became so disgusted at the lack of action on women’s rights that they decided to form a national advocacy organization for women. Thus was born NOW, the National Organization for Women. It was formally chartered on October 29. [NOW site]

Equal Rights Amendment

June 30, 1982: the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment passed with only thirty-five of the needed thirty-eight states approving the amendment. Opposition to the amendment is strongest in the South and Southwest. (see February 7, 1983)

MADSEN et al. v. WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER, INC., et al

June 30, 1994: the Supreme Court ruled that judges can bar even peaceful demonstrators from getting too close to abortion clinics.  [Oyez article] (see July 29)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

Native Americans

United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians

June 30, 1980: the US Supreme Court upheld an award of $15.5 million for the market value of the land guaranteed to the Sioux by the Treaty of Fort Laramie., along with 103 years worth of interest at 5 percent, for an additional $105 million. The Lakota Sioux, however, refused to accept payment and instead demanded the return of their territory from the United States. [Oyez article]

Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982

In 1982 The Act  provided Indian tribes with flexibility in the development and sale of mineral resources.  Foremost among the beneficial effects of IMDA was the opportunity for Indian tribes to enter into joint venture agreements with mineral developers. The contractual relationships permitted by IMDA were designed to meet two objectives: First, to further the policy of self-determination and second, to maximize the financial return tribes can expect for their valuable mineral resources. [text]

American Indian Movement

In 1985 AIM  established a security camp  on Navajo land near Big Mountain, Arizona, to support the traditional Dine elders in their resistance to forced relocation. (see Dec 14)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

AIDS

Ryan White

June 30, 1985:  though Ryan White felt strong enough to return to school, Superintendent James O. Smith denied White admittance for “everyone else’s own protection.” White’s parents challenge decision. see White for expanded story)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

LGBTQ

June 30, 1969: the NY Times reported that “a mob of some 20 local men [had] descended on the southern edge of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Using power saws and axes, they leveled a grove of trees that was known as a gay cruising spot… 15 dogwood trees, 11 London planes, a number of wild-cherry trees and other greenery” were felled. The parks department estimated the trees would cost $15,000 to replace — more than $100,000 today. All while police officers reportedly stood by. (see Aug 5)

Bowers v. Hardwick

June 30, 1986: the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4  that homosexual activity between consenting adults in the privacy of the home was not protected by the Constitution. [Cornell Law article] (LGBTQ, see Oct 1; LGBTQ Supreme Court, see June 26, 2003)

“No Gays Allowed”

June 30, 2015: Jeff Amyx removed the “No Gays allowed” sign (June 29) and replaced it with a sign that says: “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who would violate our rights of freedom of speech & freedom of religion.” [ABC article] (see July 1)

Transgender/Military

June 30, 2016: Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter removed one of the final barriers to military service by lifting the Pentagon’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the armed forces.

“Effective immediately, transgender Americans may serve openly,” Mr. Carter said. “They can no longer be discharged or otherwise separated from the military just for being transgender.” (see July 21; military, see January 22, 2019)

Texas Supreme Court

June 30, 2017: the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the right to a marriage license did not entitle same-sex couples to spousal benefits under employee insurance plans. [Texas Tribune article] (LGBTQ, see July 21; Texas, see Dec 4)

Freedom of Speech

June 30, 2023: the Supreme Court sided with a web designer in Colorado who said she had a First Amendment right to refuse to design wedding websites for same-sex couples despite a state law that forbids discrimination against gay people.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, writing for the majority in a 6-3 vote, said that the First Amendment protected the designer, Lorie Smith, from being compelled to express views she opposed.

“A hundred years ago, Ms. Smith might have furnished her services using pen and paper,” he wrote. “Those services are no less protected speech today because they are conveyed with a ‘voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox.’”

The case, though framed as a clash between free speech and gay rights, was the latest in a series of decisions in favor of religious people and groups, notably conservative Christians. (next LGBTQ+, see Sept 25)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

CLINTON IMPEACHMENT

Linda Tripp

June 30, 1998: Linda Tripp appears before the grand jury for her first day of testimony, accompanied by her children. She says that she did not trick Monica Lewinsky when she taped conversations with her former friend.

Law license

June 30, 2000: an Arkansas Supreme Court panel filed suit to strip Bill Clinton of his license to practice law. The Arkansas State Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct recommended in May that Clinton’s Arkansas law license be withdrawn, in the wake of accusations he gave misleading testimony under oath in the Paula Jones case. Clinton has 30 days to respond. (see Clinton for expanded story)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

Judicial Milestone

Affordable Care Act

 

June 30, 2014: The Supreme Court issued its opinion, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which declared one section of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) in violation of the religious liberty of privately held corporations, and created a potentially serious civil liberties problem with respect to the free exercise of religion. The Court ruled that Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., was exempt from the ACA because its owner objected on religious grounds to the law’s requirements regarding some Women’s Health devices.

The decision marked the first time that the Court had ruled that private corporations had religious rights. The ruling was limited to “privately held” corporations, excluding publicly held ones that are owned by stockholders. Hobby Lobby is owned entirely by the founder and his family. The Court did not base its ruling on the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, but rather on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). [Oyez article] (JM, see June 18, 2015; ACA, see March 9, 2015)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Ten Commandments monument

June 30, 2015: the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that a Ten Commandments monument placed on State Capitol grounds must be removed because the Oklahoma Constitution bans the use of state property for the benefit of a religion.

The 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) stone monument, paid for with private money and supported by lawmakers in the socially conservative state, was installed in 2012, prompting complaints that it violated the U.S. Constitution’s provisions against government establishment of religion, as well as local laws.

In a 7-2 decision, the court said the placement of the monument violated a section in the state’s constitution, which says no public money or property can be used either directly or indirectly for the “benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion.” [Washington Post article] (next Separation, see July 27)

ESPINOZA  v. MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE 

June 30, 2020: the NY Times reported that the Supreme Court ruled  that states must allow religious schools to participate in programs that provide scholarships to students attending private schools.

The decision was the latest in a series of Supreme Court rulings that the free exercise of religion bars the government from treating religious groups differently from secular ones. It opened the door to more public funding of religious education.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the majority opinion in the 5-to-4 ruling. The court’s four more liberal members dissented.

“A state need not subsidize private education,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.” (next Separation, see  July 8)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

The Cold War & Nuclear/Chemical News

June 30, 2019:  President Trump became the first sitting American commander in chief to set foot in North Korea as he met Kim Jong-un, the country’s leader, at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, and the two agreed to restart negotiations on a long-elusive nuclear agreement. [NYT article] (next CW, see Aug 2; next N/C, see July 1)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism

Immigration History

June 30, 2023:  the Supreme Court rejected a Republican-led challenge to a Biden administration policy that prioritizes the deportation of immigrants who are deemed to pose the greatest risk to public safety or were picked up at the border.

The justices voted 8-1 to allow the long-blocked policy to take effect, recognizing there is not enough money or manpower to deport all 11 million or so people who are in the United States illegally. [AP article] (next IH, see Sept 13)

June 30 Peace Love Art Activism