Civil Liberties
SCOTUS Seems Skeptical of the Federal Ban on Gun Possession by Cannabis Consumers
Most of the justices seemed unsatisfied by the Trump administration's argument that the law is constitutional as applied to a Texas marijuana user.
Canadian Cops Questioned Dad About Human Trafficking After He Took His Daughter to a Coffee Shop
Plus: AI for mass surveillance, Alaskan lawsuit to decriminalize prostitution, "enhanced" British regulation of streaming services, and more…
What the ICE Crackdown and China's One-Child Policy Have in Common
Population control is technocratic hubris at its most intimate and brutal.
Trump Thinks Any Judge Who Rules Against Him Is in League With the 'Radical Left'
The president's wildly inaccurate ideological labels are no more meaningful than his other ad hominem attacks on people who disagree with him.
Blind Refugee Found Dead 5 Days After Release From Border Patrol Custody in Buffalo
The Department of Homeland Security claims that the refugee was dropped off at a “warm, safe location” in Buffalo, New York. But he never made it inside.
The Trump Administration Made Habeas Corpus Great Again
More habeas corpus petitions were filed over the last year than in the past three administrations combined because of the administration's mass detention policy.
First Amendment Protects Right to Use Nudity as Protest (There, a Pro-Trans Protest) in Public
So the Washington Supreme Court said yesterday, though other courts have disagreed.
Why Libertarians Should Be Wary About Releasing the Epstein Files
The federal government shouldn't use its police power to gather personal, embarrassing information on people and then blast it out on social media.
The Postal Service's Recent Supreme Court Win Is Bad News for Government Accountability
Federal officials enjoy too much immunity from being sued over their misconduct.
Thoughts on the Supreme Court Oral Argument in the Pung v. Isabella County Takings Case
Most of the discussion was focused on the wrong issue. What matters under the Takings Clause is not the "fairness" of the process by which the owner's house was taken, but whether he got adequate "just compensation."
The ACLU, Long Leery of the Second Amendment, Joins the NRA in Urging SCOTUS To Uphold Pot Users' Gun Rights
"We see this as an important civil liberties issue," says an ACLU lawyer.
Pentagon to Anthropic: If You Won't Let Us Use Your AI for Mass Surveillance or Autonomous Weapons, Expect Punishment
Pete Hegseth has threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act to force Anthropic to come around.
Can People in Frog Costumes Beat Fascism?
The "State of the Swamp" event highlights the power and limits of absurdity and whimsy in political protest.
Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
Panic over guns drives government officials to propose restricting popular technology.
Iowa Officials Arrested This Guy for Criticizing Them—Twice. A Federal Judge Says They Are Liable.
A mayor and a police chief "mistook their authority to maintain order for a license to suppress criticism," says U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose.
Court Rules Chicago Is Liable for $163 Million in Overcharged Parking and Sticker Fines
A 2018 class action lawsuit argued that Chicago was unlawfully overcharging residents for parking and sticker fines.
ICE Whistleblower Says Training Is 'Deficient, Defective, and Broken'
An attorney and former ICE training instructor testified before Congress that changes to the training program “can and will get people killed.”
Trump Replaces Old Illegal Tariffs With New Illegal Tariffs
Plus: The U.S. could be going to war with Iran, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and why AI surveillance is worrying civil libertarians
The Government Wants Your Posts Before It Grants You Papers
The Trump administration will start collecting social media account information on immigration forms.
Oklahoma Ends Indefinite Death Row Solitary Confinement
“These men have not been able to touch grass and feel the warmth of the sun for the first time in ten years.”
Can You Trust Wikipedia?
Wikipedia shapes our perception of reality today more than ever before because it informs the large language models like ChatGPT. But can we really trust it?
Judge Orders Takeover of Arizona Prison Health Care Following Years of Barbaric Medical Neglect
A federal judge ruled in 2022 that "no legitimate humane system would operate" like Arizona's prison health care system. Three years later, that same judge found the problems still hadn't been fixed.
Iran Is Trying To Silence Dissent. Western Media Are Breaking Through Anyway.
Satellite broadcasting is a strategic counter to state censorship.
Trump Administration May Grant Asylum to Turkish National Who Burned a Quran in the U.K.
Like free speech in the U.K., the White House’s interest in this case shows that free speech is for some, but not for all.
Teacher's First Amendment Claim Related to Sharing "What Is Privilege?" Post Can Go Forward
"Superintendent Hamlet testified that Defendants viewed the Privilege Post as a criticism of the Black Lives Matter ... movement. He did not think such criticism was valid and believed criticism of BLM was enough in itself to justify punishing a teacher."
Was It a Coincidental Traffic Stop or AI-Powered Surveillance?
When former LSD kingpin Seth Ferranti was pulled over in Nebraska, police claimed a traffic violation.
