WASHINGTON DC (February 20, 2019) — In a unanimous ruling that is expected to curb attempts by local and state governments to increase their revenue by seizing private property using excessive, arbitrary asset forfeiture laws, a unanimous US Supreme Court has ruled in Timbs v State of Indiana that state governments must abide by the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on the imposition of “excessive fines” for criminal offenses.

US president Donald Trump recently declared a "national emergency" under which he intends to divert money from the US Department of Defense's budget and use it to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

No biggie, Trump said as he announced the "emergency." Happens all the time (59 other times since 1976, to be exact). Purely routine.

PRESS RELEASE (February 18, 2019) — The following statement can be attributed to ACLU of Iowa Executive Director Mark Stringer in response to Gov. Reynold’s announcement that the state will not pursue an appeal on a district court judge striking down the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill:

JOHNSTON, Iowa (February 18, 2019) — Special guests, new programs and viewer favorites will take center stage during Festival 2019, February 23-24, and March 2-11 and 16-17, on statewide Iowa Public Television. This programming celebration-the network's only extended pledge drive of the year-allows viewers to support the programming they enjoy.