Top news stories and must-read articles from the week.

Headlines

Congress renews warrantless spying

Bipartisan majorities in both the House and the Senate renewed Section 702 in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This piece of the law allows the NSA to collect troves of sensitive data on Americans without a warrant. The ACLU is currently challenging this attack on our civil liberties in court.

THE ACLU’S TAKE

New fears of discrimination

This week the Trump Administration announced the creation of a federal Conscience and Religious Freedom Division of the Department of Health and Human Services. This change may allow for medical professionals to deny care to LGBTQ people based on personal moral objections. This new division could dangerously distort religious freedom and turn it into a tool for discrimination.

Transgender students vulnerable under Trump Administration

The Department of Education under Trump is failing to protect transgender students. Numerous transgender students have been barred from using the bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. The administration should intervene to help these students, but has failed to do so.

THE ACLU’S TAKE