Civil Liberties
Mastodon's Content-Moderation Growing Pains
[I asked Prof. Alan Rozenshtein (University of Minnesota) to write a post about Mastodon and one particular recent controversy related to it, and he very kindly agreed. -EV]
The Qatar World Cup Is a Celebration of Authoritarianism
By consenting to Qatar's illiberal policies for residents and guests alike, FIFA has further besmirched its already tainted reputation.
Magistrate Judge "Openly Scoffed" at Former Press Secretary Jen Psaki's "Efforts to Escape a Deposition"
"in a suit over alleged pressure on social media firms to censor posts on topics like Covid-19 vaccines and election fraud."
Crime to Publicize Man's DUI (with Insults) as Part of "Feud," "Intended to Shame and Provoke"
So holds the Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court, rejecting a First Amendment defense.
See the Surveillance State at Work in Your Own Community
The Atlas of Surveillance lets us monitor the agencies that snoop on the public.
How to Fix the Dark Side of the World Cup
Like the Olympics, the World Cup is rife with human rights abuses and glorification of authoritarian host regimes. It doesn't have to be that way.
Bowie knife statutes 1837-1899
Bowies were regulated like other knives; knives were sometimes regulated like handguns
The Kids Online Safety Act Would Make It Less Safe Online
The bill would amp up surveillance while doing little to actually protect anyone.
A Federal Court Blocks Florida's Stop WOKE Act. Again.
On Thursday, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction against the portion of the law applying to higher education, with one judge describing the law as "positively dystopian."
The Adoption and Safe Families Act Takes Kids Away From Loving Parents
On its 25th anniversary, the ASFA is in bad need of reform.
Washington Town To Pay $1 Million to Family of Woman Who Died by Suicide in Jail After Being Harassed by Guard
That guard would later be convicted of sexually assaulting four other incarcerated women.
"Enforcing the First Amendment on Campus Won't, by Itself, Address the Problem of Academic Freedom"
"We also need to improve university culture."
Suburban Mom Handcuffed, Jailed for Making 8-Year-Old Son Walk Half a Mile Home
Heather Wallace plead guilty to child endangerment and can no longer work with kids.
Amusing Passage from Gateway Pundit's Motion for TRO to Get Press Credentials
"Meanwhile, if a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there to hear it, everyone will still tell the public what it sounded like and what it means."
Resistant Jurors Can Help Protect Abortion Rights (No Matter What the Law Says)
In the event of prosecution, jury nullification allows regular people to exercise a veto over the power of the state.
The ACLU Says California's Ban on COVID-19 'Misinformation' From Doctors Is Gratuitous and Unconstitutional
Two chapters of the organization say the law violates the First Amendment.
Texas AG Needn't Testify in Case Alleging Texas Intends to Punish Participation in Out-of-State Abortions
The panel relies on, among other things, "the Apex doctrine."
RFRA, Sharia, and Guns (Oh My)
A court rejects a claim of religious exemption from the ban on gun possession by felons and unlawful drug users.
Defendant's "Cyber Campaign" "Was Multi-Faceted, Intricate and Extensive, Sly, Anonymous, and Horrible"
A court grants summary judgment in a #TheyLied case, after the defendant had stopped defending it, concluding that "Ms. Abid's refusal to litigate is purposeful and consistent with her malign, manipulative character shown in this record."
Presidents Bush and Obama Mistakenly Think We Need Their Warnings About Disinformation
Thanks, but we lived through the lies of their administrations that they used to sell us war and intrusive government meddling in health care.
Mother Loses Custody of Daughters Partly Because She Talked to Them About Her Sex Life,
and because she left a sex toy where one of them could find it.
A Michigan Mayor Tried To Stop Constituents From Criticizing Her. Now, They're Suing.
Monique Owens shouted over critical speakers at a September city council meeting, claiming it was her "First Amendment right."
It's All About the Jimmy Hats
Rethinking the constitutional defense of reproductive rights after Dobbs via the Ninth Amendment
Watch Florida Cops Arrest a Legally Blind Man After Confusing His Walking Stick for a Gun
The two sheriff's deputies have been disciplined, and the sheriff called the arrest "unacceptable."
'A Pretty Scary Moment': Dissident Chinese Students Say George Washington University Is Failing Them
The CCP’s tyranny extends even to U.S. college campuses, where Chinese and Taiwanese students fear censorship.
Pseudonymity Allowed to Relatives Suing Grindr Over Minor's Suicide
The court cites the relatives' privacy interests, and in particular the risk of "harassment by the adults alleged to have committed sexual crimes against the decedent" (and who aren't named as defendants in the case).
The Election Betting Markets Fell Short. They're Still the Most Flexible Predictor.
People with money on the line try harder than pundits to be right, and they adjust quickly when they've made a mistake.
Data on Mass Murder by Government in the 20th Century
Communists killed the most, followed by fascists.
