DHS Still Policing Disinformation Despite Dissolving Disinformation Governance Board
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI regularly report misinformation and disinformation to tech companies for potential removal.
Civil Liberties
Estimated Drop in Clinic Abortions Does Not Take Into Account Seasonal Variation or Self-Managed Abortions
The report highlights the power and limits of state bans as well as the difficulty of measuring their impact.
Woman Can Sue Alabama Cops for Towing Car as Part of Town's Profiteering Scheme
A federal judge denied qualified immunity for officers accused of making up charges to get money from fines.
Court Adopts Narrow Approach to Pseudonymity in Title IX Wrongful-Discipline Cases
A federal judge suggested that plaintiffs can sue as John Does only to the extent that identifying them would also identify nonparties who want to remain anonymous (such as the students who accused the plaintiffs of sexual misconduct).
Nearly Half of Voters Prefer Pro-Choice Candidates; 18 Percent Don't Care
Plus: Brazil's Bolsonaro loses, fact-checking Biden on the Inflation Reduction Act, and more...
ATF, Enforcer of Gun Laws, Lost 'Thousands of Firearms, Firearm Parts' to Thieves
The agency should be abolished and its employees sent to seek jobs in the private sector.
Right to Videorecord in Public Places Includes Right to Videorecord Voters at Dropboxes
An interesting echo, I think, of NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware (1982).
New Poll Shows Cratering Support for Total Abortion Bans Among Republicans
New data from the Public Religion Research Institute show a dramatic decline in Republican support for making abortion illegal in all cases. How this will effect voter behavior remains to be seen.
Babylon Bee Files Amicus Brief in Support of Parody Rights -- and Doesn't File an Amicus Brief Opposing It
[NOTE: There is nothing parodic or facetious about any item in this post; it is entirely accurate. No, seriously, it is. Really, I mean it, really.]
Michigan Court Allows Town To Use Drones To Snoop Without Warrants. One Couple Is Suing.
The Institute for Justice argues evidence from warrantless searches can’t be used for zoning enforcement.
Musk Says He Bought Twitter 'To Help Humanity,' Pledges Not To Let It Become a 'Free-for-All Hellscape'
Plus: Charlottesville cracks down on city employee speech, judge dismisses "blackout challenge" lawsuit against TikTok, and more...
Yes, You Can Yell 'Fire' in a Crowded Theater
On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito repeated the common myth that "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater" is unprotected speech.
Outside the White House, Protesters Urge Biden To Release Nonviolent Marijuana Offenders
While Biden's mass pardons for those with low-level marijuana possession convictions were greeted with cautious optimism, protesters expressed frustration over Biden's lack of action to actually release those imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes.
Blame Qatar's Illiberal Migrant Labor Laws for Its Mounting World Cup Death Toll
Thousands of people from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have died while working on enormous infrastructure projects in the lead-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Patent Law Opinion Can't Be Sealed to Avoid Hurting Plaintiff's Future Similar Lawsuits
[UPDATE: I've added comments from plaintiff's lawyer.]
Ninth Circuit Partly Affirms and Partly Reverses Judgment for Planned Parenthood Over Secret Recordings
"Journalism and investigative reporting have long served a critical role in our society. But journalism and investigative reporting do not require illegal conduct."
Court Upholds Removal of Child From Parents, Related to Child's Transgender Identity
The facts are complicated, and involve a good deal more than just disagreement as to gender identity; but it seems to me like an important controversy.
No First Amendment Right to Publish Videos of Depositions
A court may impose restrictions on redistribution of material obtained through court-ordered discovery (as opposed to obtained through other means)—though if the depositions are quoted in court filings or played in court, the material used would "become part of the public record, creating a presumption of public access."
A Federal Judge Says New York's Ban on Guns in Church Is Unconstitutional
The state made it a felony to carry handguns for self-defense in "any place of worship or religious observation."
Ex-Congressman Alan Grayson Loses Libel Claim Before Eleventh Circuit
"The defendants' [reliance] on ... source materials, including an official congressional report, articles in well-known newspapers and magazines, and police reports ... '... alone ... defeat[s] any claim of actual malice.'"
Ninth Circuit Reverses "Provisional" Sealing of Appellate Brief in Interesting Free Speech Case
Appellate briefs need to be treated as public documents, and (I argued) shouldn't be "provisionally" sealed for months or years without findings that such sealing (or, more often, redaction) is genuinely necessary.
You Do Not Need To Store Your Kids' DNA in Case of Emergencies
Fearmongering about mass school shootings leads to some dumb, privacy-threatening ideas.
Iran Tries To Coopt and Crush Feminists at the Same Time
After a month of tear gas and beatings and gunfire, Iranians may not be convinced to move on so easily.
Prison Slavery Up for a Vote in 5 States
Plus: Federal court dismisses state challenge to student loan debt forgiveness, not all independent contractors want to be employees, and more...
Lawsuit by SJSU Professor Who Opposes "Repatriation of Native American Remains" Can Go Forward
Prof. Elizabeth Weiss claims SJSU retaliated against her for her speech.
#TheyLied Libel Claims Can Go Forward with Sufficient Evidence of "Actual Malice"
"We ... recognize ... that allowing this case to move forward could embolden abusers ... and could discourage victims and their families from seeking help. But, at the same time, we must acknowledge the potential for false accusations and the right that someone who is falsely accused has to recover for the harm thereby caused."
Church's Standard Commercial Lease Forbids "Offensive" "Activity"; Does That Cover Offensive Sermons
when the sermons lead to protests? That question is pending in Texas court.
Can the Iran Protests Do Better Than Uprisings of the Past?
This time could really be different.
What Happens When a County Employee Acts Like a Police Officer?
A highway engineer got qualified immunity for detaining drivers—despite not being a cop.
A Texas Woman Claims That She Nearly Died of Sepsis After Being Denied an Abortion
"It was a waiting game, the most horrific version of a staring contest: Whose life would end first? Mine, or my daughter's?"
Chris Rufo's Battle To 'Stop Woke'
Livestream with Nick Gillespie, Chris Rufo, and Zach Weissmueller's about Rufo's "counterrevolution" against wokeness
[UPDATED] Is Sixth-Grader Telling Classmate His Hairstyle Makes Him Look Like Trump "Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying"?
UPDATE: But wait! It turns out the decision was overturned on appeal, see below. (I've changed the title to a question; it originally said such a statement was indeed "harassment, intimidation, or bullying," summarizing the initial decision.)
