Civil Liberties
President Biden Wants to Ban 'Semiautomatic Weapons'? Dream On.
It’s a bold and probably unconstitutional goal that’s bound to alienate millions of Americans.
Court Holds That Indiana RFRA Provides Religious Exemptions from Abortion Ban
Note that the decision is not inconsistent with the Supreme Court's holding in Dobbs, though it may of course still be overturned on appeal on other grounds.
Elon Musk and Matt Taibbi Reveal Why Twitter Censored the Hunter Biden Laptop Story
The Twitter Files are interesting but contain few true surprises. A mix of incompetence and partisanship got the site in trouble.
Elon Musk Enforces Twitter's Ban on 'Hateful Conduct' As Critics Predict a Flood of Bigotry
The "free speech absolutist" is maintaining some content restrictions while loosening others.
Challenge to California Fee-Shifting Statute That Targets Gun Lawsuit Plaintiffs (and Lawyers) Can Proceed
The case is not rendered moot or unripe, the court says, by the California AG's "commitment not to seek attorney's fees or costs under this provision 'unless and until a court ultimately holds that the fee-shifting provision in [a similar Texas law provision related to abortion] is constitutional and enforceable....'"
Wildlife Agents Placed a Camera on His Property Without a Warrant, Then Raided His Home After He Removed It
How a Prohibition-era legal precedent allows warrantless surveillance on private property.
David Lat on Hogan Lovells' Firing of Semi-Retired Equity Partner for Comments on Abortion and Race
"[T]here is increasingly no place for social conservatives in many large law firms."
Kanye's Suspension Shows Musk Twitter Might Look a Lot Like…Old Twitter
Plus: Freedom's Furies, SCOTUS to take up student loan forgiveness plan, and more...
Twitter Is More Like a Traveling Circus Than a Public Square
It's a private company. Its owner can do what he chooses, even if it seems crazy.
U.K.'s Awful Internet Bill Becomes a Bit Less Hostile to Free Speech
At a dangerous moment for the free exchange of ideas, civil libertarians can tally a win.
You Can Record Video of Police in Action. But Can You Livestream That Video?
Plus: Court rejects Biden plea on student loan plan, Ohio cops don't understand the First Amendment, and more...
Twitter Quits the Biden Administration's Ham-Handed Crusade Against COVID-19 'Misinformation'
Elon Musk's rescission of the platform's prior policy, which forbade dissent from official guidance, is consistent with his promise of lighter moderation.
Eric Adams' Plan To Involuntarily Hospitalize Mentally Ill Homeless People Will Face Legal Challenges
Civil liberties groups say Adams' plan violates constitutional rights protecting people with mental illness from being confined against their will simply for existing.
Kansas Judge Blocks Law Banning Telemedicine Prescriptions for Medication Abortions
Last week, a Kansas judge halted the enforcement of a law requiring a doctor to be in the same room as a patient taking abortion pills—a move hailed by abortion advocates as an important step to increase medication abortion access in the state.
Iran Attempted To Use the World Cup To Stoke Nationalist Pride
And their team wanted nothing to do with politics.
From Kansas S. Ct. Justice, About Univ. of Kansas Law School's Response to a Federalist Society Event
"Consider that—as reported in the local paper—several students were so distraught over this event and afraid for their 'physical and emotional safety' that they claimed they could not even be inside Green Hall at the same time as the speaker. Perhaps this should alert us to an institutional failure to cultivate the norms, habits, and skills necessary to the task of lawyering."
The Respect for Marriage Act Shows That Congress Can Still Do Its Job
Congress should not forget that they can legislate in response to Supreme Court rulings.
China's COVID Lockdowns Once Inspired Western Officials; They Should Listen to Protesters Instead
Given the harms caused, lessons should be learned from China’s people, not its government.
China's Lockdown Protests Show Why You Shouldn't Let Government Weaken Encryption, Anonymity
Too many Western governments want to follow in the footsteps of authoritarians when it comes to tech privacy.
Publius Publicola Must Make His Identity Public
to continue with his appeal, holds the Second Circuit; because he didn't do so, the appeal was dismissed.
Biden's Support for COVID Protests Hinges on What Country They're in
The president has urged the Chinese government to respect the rights of anti-lockdown demonstrators. He actively encouraged the Canadian government to end the trucker protests.
'The U.N. Is a Massive Club for Dictators'
The Human Rights Foundation is mobilizing a global band of activists to fight authoritarianism in China, Iran, Russia, and beyond.
Could Colorado's 'Red Flag' Law Have Prevented the Club Q Massacre?
If an order had been issued, it would have expired months before the attack unless police successfully sought an extension.
It's Bodies vs. the State
Plus: The editors ponder the lack of women’s pants pockets in the marketplace.
Abortion Rights Advocates Ask DOJ To Defend Section 230
While "the 26 words that created the internet" have been under fire from both sides, two groups argue that the 1996 law is essential to the future of abortion rights.
The Federal Government's Plan to Track Truckers' Every Movement Is a Privacy Nightmare
This surveillance would be unconstitutional—and there’s no reason to believe it will make anyone safer.
'We Want Freedom': Chinese Protests Reflect Frustration With Country's Continuing COVID Restrictions
Plus: Reason's holiday gift guide, a possible new antitrust suit against Microsoft, and more...
Slander Suit After "Two Wealthy … Men … Got Into a Fistfight While Trick or Treating with Their Families"
"Gimelstob and Kaplan were friends for a while, but their relationship soured when Kaplan got upset because Gimelstob did not show up to his birthday party."
Sick of the Pilgrims? Celebrate Roger Williams Instead
While we often spend Thanksgiving remembering a different set of Puritan settlers, the religious, freedom-loving Roger Williams is an apt hero for the more liberty-minded.
Two Federal Judges Say New York's Presumptive Prohibition of Guns on Private Property Is Unconstitutional
The state's ban applies unless the property owner posts a sign allowing firearms or otherwise gives "express consent."
The Best Ever Libertarian Gift Guide
Until next year's, because capitalism is always making things better.
Free Speech on Twitter? Not If Europe Has a Say
EU officials threaten to make their restrictive content rules a global standard.
California's COVID-19 'Misinformation' Law Chills Constitutionally Protected Speech
The state is threatening to punish doctors whose advice deviates from the "scientific consensus."
Oregon Governor Pardons 45,000 Marijuana Offenders
The ACLU of Oregon is calling on other state governors to follow suit.
