Today in the News, 2.25.09

  • “But these academics and the liberal Constitutional Accountability Center, which filed a brief in the case, have not suddenly taken up the Second Amendment cause, Charlton Heston-style. Rather, they joined the case to urge the court to adopt a new way of making the rights protected by the federal Constitution apply to the states (a process known as ‘incorporation’).” Tony Mauro of Legal Times discusses CAC’s brief in McDonald v. Chicago. (More coverage of our privileges or immunities work from Mother Jones blog, ACSBlog, and — from the conservative side — Reason Magazine.)
  • “Some Congressional Democrats plan to reintroduce soon legislation that would effectively nullify the Supreme Court decision.” NY Times covers the intensifying debate over whether the Supreme Court’s preemption ruling in Riegel v. Medtronic last term should be addressed by Congress, following a St. Paul judge’s recent decision to dismiss hundreds of lawsuits against the manufacturer of a faulty medical device.
  • “I think a judge should try to the greatest extent possible to separate constitutional interpretation from his or her own values and beliefs. In order to accomplish this result, the judge should look to constitutional text, history, structure, and precedent.” President Obama’s nominee for solicitor general, Harvard Law dean Elena Kagan, responds to written questions (pdf) regarding constitutional interpretation submitted by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). (More from BLT here.)
  • “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” Finally, on this day in 1913, Secretary of State Philander Knox officially proclaimed that the Sixteenth Amendment had become part of the Constitution, thereby allowing Congress to introduce the progressive income tax.

More from

Rule of Law
August 18, 2026

Not Above the Law Creator Call

CAC's Praveen Fernandes and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse spoke about what accountability looks like now that...
By: Praveen Fernandes, Sheldon Whitehouse
Rule of Law
August 29, 2026

Interview with Praveen Fernandes, Vice President at the Constitutional Accountability Center

AbbyTheAttorney
CAC Vice President Praveen Fernandes spoke to Abby Winters about the weaponization of the Department...
By: Praveen Fernandes, Abby Winters
Voting Rights and Democracy
Wisconsin Supreme Court

Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy v. Wisconsin Elections Commission

In Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is considering the legality of Wisconsin’s congressional redistricting map.
Rule of Law
September 1, 2026

Open Letter: A Network of 175+ Organizations Uniting to Defend the Rule of Law and Protect Vulnerable Communities

Nonprofits Together
CAC signed onto an open letter with a coalition of civil society, advocacy, and nonpartisan...
Rule of Law
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

In re Trump

In In re Trump, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is considering whether a district court can investigate whether the Trump administration defied its orders when it sent Venezuelan...
Rule of Law
August 21, 2026

Another Summer Building the Next Generation of Constitutional Progressives

This summer, CAC welcomed five incredible interns who all contributed to our work promoting the...