"Life Without Buckley v. Valeo," by John Samples
"How the decision did and did not change the world."
Civil Liberties
The Second Shooting
Plus: Kristi Noem's transformation of DHS, Stanley Kubrick's Gigolo Joe, and more...
Embarrassed by Leaks, Feds Raid Washington Post Journalist's Home
Agents seized devices and data but already had what they needed to prosecute the leaker.
DHS Again Promises a Thorough Investigation of a Fatal Shooting After Prejudging the Outcome
"The victims are the Border Patrol agents" who killed Alex Pretti, says one DHS official, who previously claimed Pretti wanted to "massacre law enforcement."
The Trump Administration Is Lying About Gun Rights and the Death of Alex Pretti
"Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it's a Constitutionally protected God-given right," writes Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.).
ICE Tells Legal Observer, 'We Have a Nice Little Database, and Now You're Considered a Domestic Terrorist'
The video is the latest example of federal immigration authorities labeling anyone who opposes them a "domestic terrorist."
"Buckley and the Appearance of Corruption Standard," by David M. Primo
"What social science can tell us."
"American Democracy and the Actuality of Corruption," by Jeff Milyo
"Buckley v. Valeo confines campaign finance regulation to actual corruption, rather than amorphous claims about 'undue influence.'"
ICE Demonstrates Why We Need the Second Amendment
The right to keep and bear arms is about resisting tyranny.
ICE Turns Lawyers Away at Minneapolis Detention Facility
As arrests surge under “Operation Metro Surge,” attorneys say the Trump administration is again denying detainees meaningful access to counsel.
Executive Order Banning Flag-Burning Jeopardizes Flag-Burner's Prosecution for Illegal Fire Lighting in National Park
The Order raises the inference that his actions were targeted for their message; without the Order, there would have been a much stronger inference that he was prosecuted just for the illegal fire lighting (in violation of valid park safety regulations).
Border Patrol Seized Her $40,000—Without Charging Her With a Crime
"We created a monster," says Brad Cates, who helped write civil forfeiture laws as director of the Justice Department's Asset Forfeiture office.
Lawsuit Alleges New York Holds Juveniles in Solitary Cells Without Toilets
"Youth must ask to be released from their cells to use the bathroom or be forced to use garbage pails, water bottles, food containers, or buckets to relieve themselves," the lawsuit says.
Rand Paul Turns Against Section 230, Citing YouTube Video Accusing Him of Taking Money From Maduro
After Google refused to take down a video of him, the Kentucky senator suggested upending the legal framework undergirding the internet for three decades.
"The Enduring Legacy of Buckley v. Valeo," by Floyd Abrams
"Despite sustained criticism from all sides, Buckley's core principle persists: government cannot ration political speech."
Local Official Sues for Libel over Allegations That He Has "Severe Mental Health Issues"; Court Says …
"truth is an absolute defense."
The Insurrection Act, Which Trump Keeps Threatening To Invoke, Is Alarmingly Vague and Broad
The antiquated statute arguably allows the president to deploy the military in response to nearly any form of domestic disorder.
SCOTUS Seems Inclined To Reject Hawaii's Default Rule Against Guns on Private Property Open to the Public
The state requires carry permit holders to obtain advance permission before bringing firearms into businesses.
Video Shows Miami Beach Detectives Questioning Woman Over Facebook Post Criticizing Mayor
FIRE condemned the police visit: "This blatant overreach is offensive to the First Amendment."
"The Buckley Principles," by Lee E. Goodman
"The core First Amendment principles of Buckley v. Valeo endure after fifty years."
Buckley v. Valeo: A Retrospective Series
The introduction to an Institute for Free Speech symposium, which I'll be cross-posting over the next couple of weeks.
'We Are Not Investigating' the Shooting of Renee Good, the Deputy Attorney General Says
Todd Blanche joins other top administration officials in declaring that ICE agent Jonathan Ross was justified in killing Good. Most Americans disagree.
This 1996 Law Protects Free Speech Online. Does It Apply to AI Too?
Excluding generative AI from Section 230 could stymie innovation and cut off consumers from useful tools.
How the FCC Became the Speech Police
The constitutionally anomalous status of broadcasting invites government meddling.
ICE vs. Wine Moms, Rogan on Fauci's Crimes, and the Star Wars Prequels
A delightfully chaotic episode of Freed Up where the hosts discuss how Minnesota wine moms have taken to the streets and the Star Wars prequels somehow end up on trial—again
Video Shows Feds Shooting ICE Protester With Nonlethal Round at Point-Blank Range, Blinding Him in One Eye
The incident raises more questions about federal agents' use-of-force policies and training.
She Let Her 6-Year-Old Ride to the Park Alone. Georgia Called It Neglect.
Despite a new state law protecting childhood independence, child welfare officials accused these Atlanta parents of neglect—and put their family under surveillance.
Renee Good Was a Casualty of Trump's Order Against 'Political Violence'
The administration's written policies make it likely that more people like Renee Good will be targets, and victims, of ICE.
'We Cannot Be Afraid To Do Something Because the Left Might Do It in the Future'
Vice President J.D. Vance on the nature of power
Ohio State Student's Posts Urging "Resistance and Escalation" in Response to Israel's Actions in Gaza Protected by First Amendment
So holds a court, reversing student Guy Christensen's "disenrollment." The student also wrote, responding to the murder of two Israeli embassy employees in D.C. outside the Capital Jewish Museum, "I do not condemn the elimination of those two Zionist officials."
Federal Agents Used a Battering Ram to Enter a Minneapolis Home Without Valid Warrant, Video Shows
“Any American should be terrified by…such an egregious violation of the Fourth Amendment,” said the arrestee’s attorney.
The FBI Thinks Renee Good's Anti-ICE Activism Is Relevant in Deciding Whether Killing Her Was Justified
It is hard to see how, since that question hinges on what happened the morning that an ICE agent shot her.
