Candidate for Oklahoma Legislature Sues Over Sealed Mystery Libel
A libel lawsuit in which the alleged libel is sealed is like Hamlet without the Prince -- or maybe like Othello with Iago's slanders redacted.
Free Speech
What Does the Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision Say About the Free Speech Claim?
Four Justices opined on this issue, with Justices Thomas and Gorsuch saying that requiring bakers to make cakes for same-sex weddings is an unconstitutional speech compulsion, and Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor saying the opposite.
Supreme Court Rules for Baker in Gay Wedding Cake Case But Carefully Avoids Central Debate
This 7-2 ruling is more about Colorado's biased enforcement of discrimination law than freedom of expression.
Chelsea Manning Loses Wikileaks First Amendment Appeal
"[A] soldier who willfully communicates information relating to the national defense 'is not entitled to invoke the First Amendment as a shield to immunize his act of thievery.'"
Minister Has Sex with Married Parishioner -- Can Church Be Liable for Saying the Parishioner Committed Adultery?
No, says the Iowa Supreme Court, rejecting the claim that such statements (labeled "counterculture practices" by the plaintiffs) were libelous or negligent.
Samantha Bee Apologizes for Insulting Ivanka Trump After Right and Left Play 'We're Offended' Tit-for-Tat
Conservatives want to hold the left to the Roseanne standard.
How the Right Abandoned Free Speech in Europe
The center-right Danish government, whose members defended the Mohammed cartoons, has passed more laws restricting free speech than any government since World War II, says free-speech podcaster Jacob Mchangama.
Liberty Comes to Liberty High School -- "Trump Border Wall" T-Shirt Allowed
But it took a federal court order.
YouTube Won't Host Our Homemade Gun Video. So We Posted It on PornHub Instead.
Our video is awesome. But nothing in the First Amendment says YouTube has to run it.
When You're Done Reading This Issue of Reason, You Might Want to Burn It
We offer how-tos, personal stories, and guides for all kinds of activities that can and do happen right at the borders of legally permissible behavior.
U.K. Arrests Anti-Muslim Activist Tommy Robinson for Livestreaming Outside a Trial
The very fact that Robinson got 13 months in jail was also initially illegal to report.
Roseanne's Racist Tweet Leads Almost Immediately to Show's Cancellation
The show navigated a fascinating complicated world of ideological diversity. Its star was not so adept.
Why Can't Anyone Get Their Immigration Facts Straight?: Podcast
The president and his detractors both bungle scare stories in the outrage-politics contest that passes for our immigration policy debate.
At University of Virginia the White Supremacists Have Already Won
College limits protest, suppressing everybody's free expression.
Why Judy Gold Doesn't Play Colleges: 'You Don't Tell a Comic What Topics They Can Discuss on Stage'
A new Vice feature by Michael Moynihan highlights not just disillusioned comics but campus bookers ready to "pull the microphone" from performers who use language deemed intolerant.
4 Tips for Politicians With Social Media Accounts Who Don't Want to Be Sued
The ruling against Donald Trump's blocking of Twitter critics provides guidelines for staying on the right side of the First Amendment.
NFL's National Anthem Policy Exposes Free Speech Hypocrisy of Right, Left, and Trump
"You have to stand proudly for the national anthem," Trump says, "or you shouldn't be playing."
Is It Really Illegal for Trump to Block People on Twitter Now?
Federal judge rules that the First Amendment prohibits the president from blocking followers based on their political views.
Blocking of Twitter Users from @RealDonaldTrump Violates First Amendment
So holds a federal district court today, in Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump.
NFL Players WILL Respect the Flag's Authoritah, Says Commissioner
Teams will now be fined if their employees don't show sufficient on-field respect during the National Anthem, because we live in a very serious country.
SUNY Binghamton Tries to Suppress Students' Flyers Because They "Offended" Other Students
[UPDATE: The university is now reported (as of Friday, May 25) to be saying that no investigation is taking place, and that the original student newspaper account saying that there was such an investigation was mistaken; but the university hadn't responded to FIRE's earlier queries about the matter, and it hadn't responded to my query before I had to put up my post.]
High School Trump Fan Sues Over School Discipline for Border Wall T-Shirt
"If people are offended by his shirt-that's their right to be offended," said the student's attorney, state Rep. Mike McLane. "But it's also his right to have his opinion."
88% of Pomona Students Think the Campus Climate Silences Them
"'Very liberal' students are nearly four times more likely than moderate and conservative students to favor prohibiting some types of speech."
Will Lawyers Be Punishable for Using the "Wrong" Pronouns to Refer to Transgender People in "Social" or "Bar Association" Activities?
LAMBDA Legal suggests the answer would be "yes," under the American Bar Association's proposed rule 8.4, which they are supporting.
Crime in D.C. to Negligently Cause "Significant Mental Suffering" by Saying Two Non-Political Things About Someone
That's what D.C. stalking law, as interpreted by D.C. courts, calls for.
D.C. City Councilman Tried to Get Anti-Stalking Order Against Freelance Journalist
The councilman was Trayon "Rothschilds Control the Weather" White (or, if you prefer, Trayon "Nazi Stormtrooper Protectors" White).
Arkansas Prior Restraint Saga -- One Court Says Yes, One Says No
I'll grant Justice Courtney Goodson's request to block ads that allegedly libel her during her reelection campaign, says one trial judge. Unconstitutional prior restraint, says another.
Fight Hate Speech with More Speech, Not Censorship: ACLU's Nadine Strossen
Nick Gillespie talks to former president of the ACLU Nadine Strossen about the difficulties and importance of free speech.
Google Now Deindexing Some Web Pages Based on FDA's Administrative Agency Findings
A new Google policy calls for such deindexing based on administrative agency findings-without a court order-in cases where the agency is "charged with protecting consumers' physical safety from harm by products or services that they consume."
CNN's Mary Katharine Ham Loves Waffle House, Isn't So Sure About Twitter: Podcast
A conversation about social media, privacy, and the public-private, left-right free speech fight
Extra Twist in the Arkansas Prior Restraint Case
"A northwest Arkansas judge who ordered that attack ads critical of Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson be taken off the air this week reported receiving [over $12,500 of] income, through his wife, from the law firm of Goodson's husband."
Which Businesses (or Which Filter Manufacturers) Are Blocking Our Blog?
A customer reports that he was blocked from accessing us at a Nordstrom coffee shop; have you had similar experiences?
Arkansas Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order Against Allegedly Libelous Political Ad
The ad criticizes Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson; the TRO that she just got today is almost certainly an unconstitutional prior restraint.
Cops Have No Idea If Hate Crime Laws Stop Hate Crimes
..and other things I learned when I spoke at a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights briefing.
Libel and Antimatter
"[Defendant's] posts inspired viewers' comments, which read like a nerd's version of a fist fight." More substantively, "In this context, and considering the cutting-edge nature of [plaintiff's] research into antimatter's theoretical applications [which defendant was sharply criticizing], a reasonable reader would expect zealous debate."
Man Protests Police Department's Violation of Speech Rights, So Cops Arrest Him
Stamford, Connecticut, police chief objects to salty language on a sign. That's not a crime.
From Washington to Wisconsin, States Are Punishing Dissent
Faced with the possibility of fines or legal battles, many will choose not to speak at all.
'Working Washington' Calls for Prosecution of Amazon.com—for Amazon's Use of Ordinary Political Tactics
According to the group's theory, a vast range of political hardball is a crime.
Legal Group Sues University of Michigan Over Speech Code, Bias Response Team
"A bias response system has no place in America."
The Battle of Ideas Turns Coercive
Too many people (and governments) want to shut down and punish speech they disagree with.
"Gynecology … Is Obviously Far Removed from Music"
So concludes the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board, in rejecting rapper Dr. Dre's trademark claim against OB/GYN -- and OB/GYN-related writer and lecturer -- Draion M. Burch, who calls himself Dr. Drai.
Man Forbidden from Identifying Twitter Shaming Activist, Court Order Seems to Say
A First Amendment violation, I think, notwithstanding the court's concern about the anonymous Tweeter's privacy.
