Civil Liberties
China's Retribution
Plus: Homework liberation in Poland, Orthodox rabbi tells students to flee Columbia, toddler anarchy, and more...
House Passes REPO Act Giving President Authority to Confiscate Russian Government Assets in the US and Transfer them to Ukraine
It's a good idea that will hopefully be imitiated by our allies.
"Last Week, a … [UC Berkeley] Professor Confronted a Muslim Student During a Dinner for Graduating Law Students"
From NBC, what strikes me as a misleading characterization of Professor Catherine Fisk's confronting a student who pulled out a microphone to orate at a dinner organized at the professor's (and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky's) house.
Pennsylvania Court Lets Suit Over Removal of Columbus Statue Go Forward
Such a removal by the city from city property wouldn't violate the First Amendment, but that doesn't preclude claims that the removal violated other legal rules.
Second Amendment Roundup: ATF redefines "engaged in the business"
Agency pushes the envelope to require gun dealer licenses beyond the statute.
If They Ban TikTok, Is Apple Next?
Banning companies for doing business with China is a bad path to start down.
New Title IX Rules Erase Campus Due Process Protections
The new rules allow students to be found guilty of assaulting a classmate without ever seeing the full evidence against them.
Appeals Court Rules That Cops Can Physically Make You Unlock Your Phone
The 9th Circuit determined that forcibly mashing a suspect's thumb into his phone to unlock it was akin to fingerprinting him at the police station.
Oklahoma Prisoners Say They Were Locked In Filthy, Tiny Shower Stalls for Days
At least one inmate claims that the shower stalls, which were just 3 feet by 3 feet, were covered in human feces.
How the FISA Reauthorization Bill Could Force Maintenance Workers and Custodians To Become Government Spies
"This bill would basically allow the government to institute a spy draft," warns head of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
Revised Section 702 Surveillance Authority Poses More Danger Than Ever
New language could make almost anybody with access to a WiFi router help the government snoop.
Laws Requiring Social Media Firms to Host Content they Prefer to Exclude Violate the Takings Clause
Ethan Blevins of the Pacific Legal Foundation explains why. I myself have made similar arguments.
USC Cancels Valedictorian's Speech Over Bogus 'Safety Concerns'
The university has a history of suppressing speech from both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Upcoming Event on "Solving the Nation's Housing Shortage" [update]
Economist Bryan Caplan, former National Association of Home Builders Director Jerry Howard, and I will speak at event sponsored by the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
Google Fires 28
Plus: Europoor discourse, NPR's woke CEO, a forgotten tech panic, and more...
NPR's Uri Berliner Has Shown That DEI Is About Punishing Heresy
The long-time public radio editor's resignation proves he was right all along.
Biden Opposes Bill That Would Keep Cops and Feds From Buying Your Data
The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act would prevent law enforcement and intelligence agencies from purchasing data that they would otherwise need a warrant to obtain.
Adult Entertainment Group Asks Supreme Court To Block Texas Age-Verification Law
"Profound irreparable harm flows from the Act's chilling of adults' access to protected sexual expression," the filing reads.
Court Reaffirms Commentators' Standing to Intervene to Unseal Court Records
A couple of circuit court decisions noted that the intervenors had to have a concrete plan to write about the records; the court here makes clear that such a plan indeed suffices for standing.
The Kansas Legislature Unanimously Passed a Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill
Kansas had among the most lax civil asset forfeiture laws in the country, but a bill sent to the governor's desk would strengthen protections for property owners.
New Privacy Rights Act Exempts Government and Gives More Power to the FTC
An interview with Consumer Choice Center Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski.
SCOTUS Misses a Chance To Protect Peaceful Protesters
Under a legal theory endorsed by the 5th Circuit, Martin Luther King Jr. could have been liable for other people’s violence.
Most Justices Seem Skeptical of Charging Capitol Rioters With Obstructing an Official Proceeding
The Supreme Court's interpretation of the statute also could affect two charges against Donald Trump.
Brussels Mayor Attempts To Shut Down National Conservatism Conference by Force
It's a good thing opponents of the move can appeal to the liberal values of free speech, free association, and equal treatment under law.
Supreme Court Issues Narrow Takings Clause Ruling in DeVillier v. Texas [updated]
The Court allows takings suit against Texas to proceed under state law, but doesn't resolve question of whether the Takings Clause is "self-executing."
The Feds Will Close a Notorious California Prison Where Guards Abused Women with Impunity
In 2021, the Associated Press uncovered rampant sexual abuse at FCI Dublin. After three years of failing to fix the problem, the Bureau of Prisons is shutting it down.
Abortion and the Wayfair Case
How a use tax on mifepristone might scramble abortion debates.
No Sealing of Allegedly Defamatory Statements in Libel Lawsuit
"Dr. Morrison brought this lawsuit. He chose to challenge the accuracy of these statements in a public courtroom. If disclosing the allegedly-defamatory statements invades his privacy or causes him injury, it is solely the result of his own actions and decisions."
Social Media Platforms Have Property Rights Too
The push to regulate social media content infringes on rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
Defendant in Federal Case Alleging Long-Ago Sexual Assault of Minor Can't Get Materials Sealed …
based on state sealing law. The lawsuit is against a current Vermont legislator, and alleges the defendant had aided and abetted the sexual assault of the then-16-to-17-year-old plaintiff in 1968-70.
Congress Does Not Come Back With a Warrant
Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of tasks the government does well (yikes).
Donald Trump's Cowardice Over Warrantless Spying
"I told everybody, 'Do what you want,'" Trump said on Friday night, as he let the deep state win again.
What Leaving Abortion Up to the States Really Means
Reproductive freedom initiatives are advancing toward November ballots, putting the matter of abortion access in voters' hands.
Read the FCC's Crank Mail About Saturday Night Live
One viewer said it should be illegal to take the Lord's name in vain on TV—and that was one of the more coherent complaints.
