Zombie laws don't end at Arizona's 1864 abortion ban

+ Israel-Iran conflict's new threshold; legality of homeless encampments US Edition - Today's top story: Other states, like Arizona, could resurrect laws on abortion, LGBTQ+ issues and more that have been lying dormant for more than 100 years [View in browser]( US Edition | 18 April 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Arizona’s supreme court recently ruled that an abortion ban from 1864 could be upheld – even though this law was created before Arizona was actually a state, and there is a second, contradictory state abortion law on the books. The decision has thrown the question of reproductive rights in Arizona up in the air, creating political chaos and uncertainty across the state. But there are other states that also have very, very old laws just sitting there – neither enforced nor repealed – generally because a state legislature simply didn’t remove them. Having old laws sitting around might not seem to matter – until it does, like when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that getting an abortion is not a federally protected right. [This issue doesn’t stop at abortion](, writes Dara E. Purvis, a legal scholar of constitutional rights at Penn State. If the Supreme Court were to rule against federal protection on rights like same-sex marriage or interracial marriage, other zombie laws in different states restricting these practices might pop up from the dead, too. “The confusion and controversy in Arizona shows the broader problems of zombie laws,” Purvis writes. “And each blockbuster Supreme Court decision runs the risk of setting more free in other states.” Also in this week’s politics news: - [Germany’s strategic turning point bolsters NATO]( - [O.J. Simpson, the Black community and the criminal justice system]( - [The motivations of tax objectors]( Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor Pro-abortion rights demonstrators rally in Scottsdale, Ariz., on April 15, 2024. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images [Other states, like Arizona, could resurrect laws on abortion, LGBTQ+ issues and more that have been lying dormant for more than 100 years]( Dara E. Purvis, Penn State There are many outdated laws that states keep on the books, even if they aren’t used. If the Supreme Court overturns legal precedents on rights like same-sex and interracial marriage, that can change. Israel’s air defense system intercepted nearly all missiles fired from Iran on April 13, 2024. AP Photo/Tomer Neuberg [Shadow war no more: Hostilities between Israel and Iran have strayed into direct warfare – is there any going back?]( Javed Ali, University of Michigan A long-running conflict between adversaries Israel and Iran fell short of open confrontation – until both countries took more direct aim at each other. A homeless person near an elementary school in Fruitdale Park in Grants Pass, Ore. AP Photo/Jenny Kane [Supreme Court to consider whether local governments can make it a crime to sleep outside if no inside space is available]( Clare Pastore, University of Southern California Legal precedents hold that criminalizing someone for their status, such as being homeless, is cruel and unusual punishment. But what if that status leads to actions like sleeping in public spaces? [Trump’s New York felony charges are going to trial – what the images might show when the business fraud case kicks off]( Mary Angela Bock, The University of Texas at Austin How will Trump act during his upcoming court appearance in Manhattan? Surprises are unlikely, but his body language and expressions can help tell a fuller story that will go down in history. [The unfinished business of John F. Kennedy’s vision for world peace]( Philip A. Goduti, Jr., Quinnipiac University With wealth, charm and tactful leadership, John F. Kennedy set the standard for working toward the common good and decency in public discourse [Germany’s turning point: 2 years into strategic pivot, progress made bodes well for the US, NATO and the world]( Michael F. Harsch, National Defense University German Chancellor Olaf Scholz outlined bold, long-term goals: Strengthen the country’s depleted military with extraordinary investments and adopt assertive foreign policy defending global norms. [A monumental case, unfolding in a court of law and a court of public opinion – Trump goes on trial]( Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University; Tim Bakken, United States Military Academy West Point Donald Trump stands trial – the first former president to do so – on April 15, 2024. - [5 years after the Mueller report into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election on behalf of Trump: 4 essential reads]( Howard Manly, The Conversation What Trump knew about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election remains an open question despite the nearly two-year investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. - [‘I’m not black, I’m O.J.’: What O.J. Simpson’s life showed about transcending race and being trapped by it]( Rodney Coates, Miami University The death of O.J. Simpson rekindled memories of the racial divisions of his domestic violence case involving the murder of his former wife and her friend. - [The US is losing access to its bases in Niger − here’s why that’s a big deal]( Michael A. Allen, Boise State University; Carla Martinez Machain, University at Buffalo; Michael E. Flynn, Kansas State University The disintegration of the United States’ relationship with Niger following its military coup in 2023 is giving way to stronger ties between the African country and Russia and China. - [Ireland at the crossroads: Can the ancient Brehon laws guide the republic away from anti-immigrant sentiment?]( Christine Kinealy, Quinnipiac University New Irish prime minister takes over as the republic faces challenges that include a wave of xenophobia. - [Oman serves as a crucial back channel between Iran and the US as tensions flare in the Middle East]( - [Cities with Black women police chiefs had less street violence during 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests]( - [Taxes are due even if you object to government policies or doubt the validity of the 16th Amendment’s ratification]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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