Civil Liberties
Why Did Pandemic Authorities Treat Tattoo Shops Like Titty Bars?
"Government restrictions came in, which literally shut us down," says Paul Smith, who co-owns Red Stag Tattoo in Austin, Texas.
Boston Can't Exclude Christian Flag from City Hall Flagpole When It Allows Many Other Groups to Fly Flags
So the Supreme Court held this morning, though it made clear that a city could pick and choose which flags it flies, if it makes clear that the flags are its own speech.
Supreme Court Rules Boston Was Wrong To Bar Christian Flag From City Hall
The justices unanimously agree that the city was not endorsing the flags, and that therefore it couldn’t exclude religious organizations.
Homeland Security Chief Admits New Disinformation Board Already Did a Bad Job of Informing Public
Alejandro Mayorkas fails to inspire much confidence in the new group run by Nina Jankowicz.
The FBI Secretly Searched Americans' Digital Communications 3.4 Million Times Last Year
Plus: A questionable algorithm can sic state social workers on families, governments aren't the only entities that can expand contraceptive access, and more...
Rape Victim Asks Court to Retroactively Redact Name from 16-Year-Old Opinion
Court redacts the name from the court-hosted official record, but refuses to order private sites to remove it.
Jimmy Wales: What Wikipedia Got Right About Social Media
The co-founder of "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit" talks about the power of decentralization and the rise in subscription models for journalism.
New DHS Board Seeks To Counter What It Thinks Is Disinformation
The board's head says she is dedicated to "protecting free speech," but she has also expressed direct opposition to "free speech absolutists."
AOC Defends Due Process as Colleagues Greenlight Asset Seizure Bill
Plus: Homeland Security's new Disinformation Governance Board, the FDA's menthol ban, and more...
Europe Escalates the Threat to Online Free Speech
While Americans debate what should be allowed on social media, the EU wants government to decide.
Time Is Running Out for South Carolina's Over-the-Counter Birth Control Bill
The Pharmacy Access Act is good policy stuck in legislative limbo.
Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales Has Already Solved the Internet's Problems
The online encyclopedia's decentralized, Hayekian approach provides a model for Elon Musk as he assumes control of Twitter.
A Different Sort of "Don't Say Gay"
A public school banned a "homosexuality is a sin" T-shirt on the grounds that it mentions "sex."
Continuing to Send Unwanted Political Mailings to a Business Isn't "Harassment" Under Minnesota Law
So holds the Eighth Circuit, even though a state trial court had indeed enjoined the Christian Action League's mailings under that law.
City Council Furious at Cop Who Played Disney Songs To Keep from Being Recorded
There is some confusion over what the response should be, but there is broad agreement that the officer acted inappropriately.
Woman Calls Security on Dad Taking Pictures of His Own Kids, Then Pepper Sprays Him
"The suspect then intervened, deployed pepper spray and sprayed the victim, before fleeing the scene on foot," according to the police.
Florida Faces First Amendment, Contract, and Budget Issues in Dissolving Disney District
Plus: Russia accuses NATO of war by proxy, Elon Musk's confusing comments on free speech, Biden bans incandescent light bulbs, and more...
Anthony Fauci Thinks Scientific Expertise Trumps the Rule of Law
The president’s COVID-19 adviser embodies the arrogance of technocrats who are sure they know what’s best for us.
Law Requiring Sex Offenders to Report All New Online IDs to Government May Well Violate First Amendment
So holds a federal appellate court.
Elon Musk's Takeover Will Not Destroy Twitter or Democracy
"I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means," said Musk.
Virginia S. Ct. Declines to Unseal Allegations of Misconduct Against a Virginia Judge
The allegations had been filed in an appendix to a petition the judge filed in the state supreme court, challenging her suspension by the state Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; but the court concludes they are nonetheless not records open to the public.
Texas' Social Media Law Recycles Left-Wing Media Theory
Forcing private companies to host speech violates the First Amendment.
Jared Polis: The Most Libertarian Governor in America?
The Colorado Democrat supports abortion rights, school choice, letting kids play unsupervised, an end to COVID-19 overreach, and an income tax rate of "zero."
Elon Musk Buys Twitter, Twitter's Biggest Egos Melt Down
The SpaceX/Tesla founder and billionaire has articulated lofty free speech ideals. Can he make them reality?
My Washington Post Article on Gun Rights and Property Rights
It explains why laws requiring private property owners to allow guns on their land are an affront to property rights, and violate the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.
YouTube ISIS Videos Mean the Supreme Court Could Reconsider Section 230
Plus: A court rejects a "discriminatory harassment" ban at a Florida university, a private space mission heads back to earth, and more...
Viewpoint-Based Enforcement of "No Advertising Policy" as to Public Comments Likely Violates First Amendment
"As Plaintiffs point out, both Black Voices Matter and Francis Howell Families are organizations with viewpoints on board actions, and both organizations call for policy changes, but Defendants only ban references to Francis Howell Families during the patron comment period."
![book1 | Photo: Uncle Sam rounding up men labeled “Spy,” “Traitor,” “IWW,” “Germ[an] money,” and “Sinn Fein,” with the United States Capitol in the background](https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c331x186-w331-q60/uploads/2022/03/book1-331x186.jpg)
Speaking Freely Through the Ages
As long as there have been laws, there have been attempts to silence people.
Town Official Lies, Files Lawsuit When Someone Calls Him a Liar
A town attorney threatened a local activist with a frivolous lawsuit so she would stop criticizing him. She complied, and he sued her anyway.
American Journalism's Most Successful Politician To Step Down From Running The New York Times
Dean Baquet played a leading role in two of modern journalism's turns for the worse.
Business Tax on Freelance Writers Heads to Virginia Supreme Court
Plus: The roots of the housing crisis, the U.S. Supreme Court reconsiders Miranda warnings, a judge halts Kentucky's abortion law, and more...
Freedom Is a Victim of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
This war, like all wars, will invigorate the state and be deadly to liberty.
