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Frank S. Ravitch

Professor of Law & Walter H. Stowers Chair of Law and Religion, Michigan State University

Professor Ravitch's career has included experience in private practice and on Capitol Hill. Since joining Michigan State University's Law College he has authored several books, and a number of law review articles, essays, book reviews, and book chapters, as well as amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. He is the author of Freedom’s Edge: Religious Freedom, Sexual Freedom, and the Future of America (Cambridge University Press 2016); Marketing Creation: The Law and Intelligent Design (Cambridge University Press 2012), Masters of Illusion: The Supreme Court and the Religion Clauses (NYU Press 2007); Law and Religion: Cases, Materials, and Readings (West 2004)(2nd Ed. 2008) (3rd Ed. 2015 with Larry Cata Backer), School Prayer and Discrimination: The Civil Rights of Religious Minorities and Dissenters (Northeastern University Press, 1999 & paperback edition 2001). He is co-author, with the late Boris Bittker and with Scott Idleman, of the first comprehensive treatise on Law and Religion in more than one hundred years, Religion and the State in American Law (Cambridge University Press 2015) (this project was supported by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment). He is also co-author of, Employment Discrimination Law (Prentice Hall, 2005) (with Pamela Sumners and Janis McDonald).

Louisiana's 'In God We Trust' law tests limits of religion in public schools

Oct 30, 2023 10:55 am UTC| Life

When Louisiana passed a law in August 2023 requiring public schools to post In God We Trust in every classroom from elementary school to college the author of the bill claimed to be following a long-held tradition of...

A 147-year-old dispute between church and state spills onto a school playground

May 03, 2017 02:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a case from Missouri that could have a significant impact on state funding of religious schools. The case involved a church in Missouri, the Trinity...

Economy

U.S. Job Market Braces for Slow Recovery Amid Middle East Tensions and Economic Uncertainty

The U.S. labor market is expected to post modest gains in March, recovering from Februarys sharp drop of 92,000 jobs, but persistent headwinds are keeping economists cautious. A Reuters poll forecasts nonfarm payrolls...

Bank of Japan Eyes Further Rate Hikes Amid Middle East Tensions and Inflation Pressures

A senior Bank of Japan official reaffirmed the central banks commitment to continuing its interest rate hike cycle, while closely monitoring how the ongoing Middle East conflict is shaping Japans economic outlook and...

Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as Yen Weakens Toward 160 Per Dollar

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a stern warning to currency traders on Friday, signaling that Tokyo is prepared to take decisive action against what officials describe as speculative behavior driving...

China's Services Sector Maintains Growth Streak Despite March Slowdown

Chinas services industry continued to expand in March, though at a notably slower pace, as weakening demand and ongoing workforce reductions tempered activity across the sector. According to the latest RatingDog Services...

U.S. Stock Futures Stabilize Ahead of Good Friday as Investors Eye Jobs Report

U.S. stock index futures held steady Thursday evening as markets entered a cautious holding pattern before the Good Friday holiday closure, with traders weighing Middle East tensions and positioning ahead of a critical...

Politics

Iran-U.S. Military Tensions Escalate as Tehran Fortifies Key Energy Infrastructure

As geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, Tehran is ramping up its military readiness in anticipation of a potential ground operation on its soil. According to reports from the Wall Street...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

First Western Ship Transits Strait of Hormuz Since Iran War Began

A container vessel operated by French shipping giant CMA CGM has become the first Western-linked ship to successfully navigate the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, signaling a cautious...

Trump Fires Attorney General Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files and Slow Prosecutions

President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position on Thursday, ending a tenure marked by controversy and growing frustration from the White House. Sources familiar with the matter say Trump had...

Ukraine Frontline Holds Firm as Zelenskyy Claims March Offensive Successfully Repelled

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared this week that the countrys frontline situation is the strongest it has been in ten months, crediting the Ukrainian armed forces with successfully neutralizing a major...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Sparks Global Movement

Australias landmark social media ban for users under 16, which took effect in December, is reshaping digital policy conversations worldwide. Countries including Spain and Malaysia have signaled interest in adopting similar...

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Annie Altman Amends Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Annie Altman has filed an amended civil lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, accusing him of sexually abusing her over a span of nearly a decade. The amended complaint was submitted Wednesday in St. Louis...

TSMC Japan's Second Fab to Produce 3nm Chips by 2028

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has confirmed plans to begin equipment installation and mass production of 3-nanometre wafers at its second fabrication plant in...