Civil rights | The Verge

How much can a city take?

2026-01-21T12:06:23-05:00

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I live in Minneapolis. I grew up not far from here, in a suburb of St. Paul; after stints on both coasts, my wife and I settled here to raise our daughters in a freezing state that had always welcomed us warmly. As the ongoing occupation by over 3,000 ICE agents stretches into its third week - with no clear end in sight - I've received a steady string of messages from increasingly concerned friends across the country. They all start the same way: Uh… is this really as bad as it looks from the outside?

My answer to th …

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The WSJ carelessly spread anti-trans misinformation

2025-09-12T18:34:50-04:00

Rupert Murdoch’s fortress. | Photo: Getty Images

While I generally respect The Wall Street Journal, every once in a while it sees fit to remind me that it is, in fact, owned by Rupert Murdoch. This time, it printed something dangerously close to anti-trans blood libel in the wake of Charlie Kirk's shooting.

In its live-update blog yesterday, the Journal wrote, "Ammunition engraved with transgender and antifascist ideology was found inside the rifle authorities believe was used in Kirk's shooting, according to an internal law enforcement bulletin and a source familiar with the investigation." That language was echoed in social media posts.

The right wing, including sitting members of Con …

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The American system of democracy has crashed

2025-07-07T12:58:28-04:00

Once upon a time in America, there was a tyrant. And Congress rejected him totally.

The tyrant, of course, was King George III, the target of the Declaration of Independence. We take it for granted now, but the declaration was an enormous political innovation - in it, the country that became the United States of America laid claim to certain "unalienable" rights, rights that took precedence over any king or crown.

To protect those rights, our founders declared that the People were allowed to "alter" or "abolish" the government - in this case, British rule over the American colonies.

The idea that "the People" have "unalienable rights" be …

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How to secure your phone before attending a protest

2025-06-11T16:39:22-04:00

Back in June 2020, when this article was first written, people were taking to the streets to organize for justice and protest against systemic racism and police brutality. There have been several other flashpoints for protests since then (for example, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade), but the recent activities of ICE, especially in Los Angeles, have now resulted in huge, nationwide demonstrations. As of this writing, the Trump administration has reacted by deploying the national guard and military forces, making conflict even more likely.

Because of this escalation, it is possible that, if you're a participant, you may find yo …

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How burning Waymos became the image of the LA protests

2025-06-09T13:09:11-04:00

Flames engulf an autonomous Waymo vehicle during an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. (Photo by BENJAMIN HANSON/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) | Photo: Benjamin Hanson / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Is there a more potent image from the current anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles than a row of driverless Waymo vehicles covered in anti-ICE slogans and engulfed in flames?

At least five Waymos were destroyed during the protests over the weekend, CNN reports. And the company tells us that it has suspended its service in certain parts of the city under direction from the Los Angeles Police Department.

As we've seen before, Waymo's autonomous vehicles have a way of turning into collateral damage during times of civil unrest. They are often sitting ducks, lacking an innate ability to avoid the scene or flee when surrounded by a group of people. …

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A ban on state AI laws could smash Big Tech’s legal guardrails

2025-06-06T15:30:54-04:00

Senate Commerce Republicans have kept a ten year moratorium on state AI laws in their latest version of President Donald Trump's massive budget package. And a growing number of lawmakers and civil society groups warn that its broad language could put consumer protections on the chopping block.

Republicans who support the provision, which the House cleared as part of its "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," say it will help ensure AI companies aren't bogged down by a complicated patchwork of regulations. But opponents warn that should it survive a vote and a congressional rule that might prohibit it, Big Tech companies could be exempted from state …

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Trump tries to ban Harvard from enrolling international students

2025-05-23T16:03:13-04:00

President Donald Trump's administration is trying to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students - an effort blocked by a federal judge on Friday, just hours after the university filed a lawsuit claiming Trump was violating its First Amendment rights.

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded Harvard's access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a government database of international students attending universities in the United States. The students' visas weren't canceled, but DHS's revocation of Harvard's SEVIS certification could, in theory, make nearly 6,800 internation …

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Trump’s proposed budget deals another big blow to science, clean energy, and the environment

2025-05-02T17:13:17-04:00

President Donald Trump proposed drastic budget cuts today that could stymie green energy projects, gut environmental protections, and further hobble health and climate research in the US.

Topline budget proposals released today for the 2026 fiscal year would ax $15 billion in federal funding for renewable energy and new technologies to capture carbon dioxide emissions. It would strip nearly $18 billion from the National Institutes of Health, while the Environmental Protection Agency would see its budget slashed in half.

All in all, it's yet another wrecking ball aimed at federal agencies after Trump and billionaire-crony Elon Musk swiftly …

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House Democrats: DOGE is building a ‘master database’ of Americans’ sensitive information

2025-04-21T18:59:20-04:00

Elon Musk with DOGE eyes.

In a letter to the Social Security Administration's Inspector General's office requesting an investigation into DOGE, Ranking Member Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) alleged that the government entity created by Elon Musk supposedly to reduce the size of the federal government is now constructing a "cross-agency master database" of sensitive personal information.

Wired appeared to back up Connolly's allegations on Friday, detailing an effort at DOGE to fold this database into the Department of Homeland Security, the counterterrorism agency founded after 9/11. Specifically, "mass amounts" of personal data harvested from the IRS, SSA, and voting …

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More than 1,300 rallies worldwide protest Trump and Musk

2025-04-06T12:29:05-04:00

“Hands Off” protesters in Manhattan.

People are gathering in cities all over the United States and globally to protest an "illegal, billionaire power grab" by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. They're being put on by over 150 different organizations, including civil rights groups, labor unions, and LGBTQ+ advocates, and span more than 1,300 locations.

Last weekend, "Tesla Takedown" protests targeted Tesla showrooms around the country to show disapproval for Musk, its CEO, who has spearheaded an effort to carry out mass federal workforce layoffs and hollow out government agencies. As Tesla's sales have plummeted this quarter, Musk has threatened to "go after" the company's …

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