Melissa Chan

Recent Articles

A Year After the Spa Shootings, Asians Fear More Than Physical Attacks

Unfairly blamed for COVID-19, Asian Americans increasingly are subject to verbal harassment, but that's rarely considered a hate crime

By Melissa Chan

The Alternative to Burial or Cremation That Few Know Of

'Any other option would have caused more pain,' says John Garretson, whose son's body was dissolved via aquamation, a rarely used alternative to flame cremation or burial

By Melissa Chan

This Class Is a Near-Death Experience, and That's a Good Thing

At an age when most people feel invincible, young Americans are confronting their own mortality after losing friends and relatives to the pandemic

By Melissa Chan

How the Sandy Hook Case Showed That Gun Makers Aren't Invincible

Remington's agreement to pay a $73 million settlement to Sandy Hook families shattered the perception that gun makers are untouchable in court, but several factors made this case unusual

By Melissa Chan

Remington to Pay Sandy Hook Families to Settle Landmark Suit

An attorney for the families says the settlement is a historic victory that could lead to more lawsuits against gun makers whose products are used to commit crimes

By Melissa Chan

For These Doulas, Death Is a Way of Life

Death Doulas say demand for their services has soared during the pandemic as many people face end-of-life issues

By Melissa Chan

The Risk Every Defendant Weighs, From Ghislaine Maxwell to Kim Potter

Several high-profile defendants have opted to testify in their own defense lately, with mixed results. There are several factors to consider before putting a defendant on the witness stand

By Melissa Chan and Madeleine Carlisle

Parents of School Shooters Rarely Face Charges. This Case Is Different

James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, face multiple charges related to the fatal shooting of four teenagers at their son's high school in Oxford, Michigan

By Melissa Chan

In Kyle Rittenhouse Case, Self-Defense Was on Trial

Prosecutors said Kyle Rittenhouse provoked the violence that led to two deaths; the defense said he was only trying to defend himself

By Melissa Chan

There's a Travel Ban on Dogs, and You Can Blame COVID-19

The CDC announced tighter restrictions on bringing dogs into the U.S. amid fears that pandemic pups adopted from overseas could carry rabies

By Melissa Chan

Supreme Court Justices Appear Open to Expanding Gun Rights

The newly conservative court is considering a case that would overturn a New York state law that limits the carrying of concealed weapons outside of the home

By Melissa Chan and Madeleine Carlisle

Why The Supreme Court's Gun Case Matters So Much

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the biggest gun rights case in more than a decade, which could give new strength to the Second Amendment

By Melissa Chan and Madeleine Carlisle

Does Happy the Elephant Deserve the Same Rights as a Human?

Animal activists say Happy the elephant deserves more than the Bronx Zoo gives her, and the appellate court of New York state has agreed to hear the case

By Melissa Chan

Police Claim Witnesses Didn't Help Woman Being Raped on Train

Social isolation during the pandemic has made it less likely people will step in to help strangers, experts say, even as a prosecutor disputes the police version

By Melissa Chan

More People Than Ever Are Trying to Carry Guns Onto Planes

So far in 2021, the Transportation Security Administration has seized nearly 4,500 guns at airport security checkpoints, compared with about 4,400 in all of 2019 and 976 in 2009, despite the drop in air travel caused by the pandemic

By Melissa Chan

Racism in Medical Care Fuels Black Doubts in the System

Only about 5% of practicing doctors in the U.S. are Black, and more than 56% are white, a situation that enables racism in hospital care and fuels Black mistrust of the system as COVID-19 and gun violence take a disproportionate toll on communities of color

By Melissa Chan

Children and Teenagers Are Being Shot in Record Numbers

Already this year, at least 13,000 people have been killed by guns, according to one tally. More than 1,000 of them were children and teenagers.

By Melissa Chan

Gun Maker Seeks School Records of Sandy Hook Victims

Remington has filed subpoenas to obtain report cards, attendance lists and other academic records for five of the children who were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012.

By Melissa Chan

Why Asian Americans Are Helping Fuel a U.S. Gun Surge

Anti-Asian hate crimes fueled by false claims Asians brought the COVID-19 pandemic to the U.S. are spurring people who once shunned guns to become gun-owners

By Melissa Chan

Sandy Hook Family Lawyers Accuse Gunmaker of Delay Tactics

Attorneys say gunmaker Remington dumped pictures of Santa Claus, ice cream and other "random" images on plaintiffs to delay a wrongful death lawsuit arising from the Sandy Hook school shooting

By Melissa Chan
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