As Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller Will Reinforce Trump's Worst Instincts
His elevation does not bode well for anyone who hoped that Trump would moderate the policies that alienated voters in the midterm elections.
First Amendment
Michigan's Energy Monopoly Won't Be Fixed by Restricting Everyone's Free Speech
Proposal 2 is about much more than DTE and Consumers Energy—and it’s unconstitutional.
Iowa's Capitol May Have a Very Krampus Christmas After the Satanic Temple's Latest Legal Win
Earlier this week, a federal judge ordered Iowa state officials to approve The Satanic Temple's application for a December holiday celebration.
Federal Judge Rules Houston Violated First Amendment Rights of Food Not Bombs Activists
Houston police issued over 100 tickets to Food Not Bombs activists for violating an anti–food sharing ordinance. That violated their First Amendment rights, a judge ruled.
Alabama Voters Put Pledge of Allegiance, School Prayer in the State Constitution
The amendment requires school boards to authorize student-led prayer in public schools, renewing questions about the separation of church and state.
Trump's Dismissed Epstein Letter Lawsuit Is the Latest Example of His Failure To State Cognizable Claims
The president's defamation case against The Wall Street Journal fits a pattern of frivolous litigation aimed at punishing speech that irks him.
Hasan Piker's Defamation Suit Against Scott Jennings Isn't As Simple as It Seems
Proving that Jennings acted with "actual malice" might be difficult.
Video Shows ICE Agents Slashing Portland Couple's Car Tire Then Driving Off
An ACLU complaint says the couple was recording ICE agents when they chased, boxed in, and vandalized the couple's car.
Government Officials Admit His Halloween Decorations Are Legal. Why Won't They Leave Him Alone?
Ever since a Pennsylvania man hung mannequins from a tree on his property, local officials have been haunting him.
Federal Police Don't Belong in Churches
A federal appellate court ruled that 27 religious organizations have standing to challenge the administration’s policy allowing immigration raids to happen in houses of worship.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr Echoes Trump, Threatens Broadcasters Over 'Fake Polls'
Once again, Carr is playing defense for his boss in a way that would clearly run afoul of the First Amendment.
The Swamp King
Plus: The internet nearly crashed, the White House keeps threatening media outlets for doing their jobs, and more...
A Texas Lawsuit Dubiously Accuses Students for Life of Violating the State's Abortion Pill Restrictions
The case, styled as a critique of the state's "vigilante" statute, aims to punish anti-abortion activists for constitutionally protected advocacy.
He Campaigned for the East Cleveland Mayor's Opponent. Then Police Came for His Truck.
A federal court recently revived William Fambrough's lawsuit, which alleges city officials—including then-Mayor Brandon King—retaliated against him for his speech.
A Trump Appointee Says the President Likely Violated the First Amendment by Banishing Disfavored Journalists
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted a preliminary injunction to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which Trump banned from the White House because of their "purposely negative stories."
Thinking of Sending a Nude Shrek Pic to an Ohio Official? You Could Be Found Guilty of Harassment.
D.J. Byrnes was found guilty of telecommunications harassment after sending a risqué ogre image to a public official.
TV Networks Protested Press Bans by Declining To Cover Trump. That Might Have Been Illegal, the DOJ Says.
The antitrust investigation adds another layer of bullying to Trump's vendetta against "Fake News Media Outlets."
Sixth Circuit Affirms Universal Injunction Against Tennessee "Abortion Trafficking" Law that Does Not Reach Plaintiffs' Conduct
This is a case in which Judge Sutton may agree that the decision is not merely wrong, but also en-banc-worthy.
Trump Has Been Trampling Free Speech for More Than 40 Years—and It Keeps Getting Worse
The president stands out from his modern predecessors by openly displaying his contempt for the First Amendment.
New York's Controversial Anti-Swastika Law Turns Prosecutors Into Speech Police
Graffiti vandals are now being investigated for hate crimes.
Trump's 'Free Speech Agenda: Siccing the FBI on Critics, Barring Reporters, and Threatening Broadcasters
GOP's new mantra: "Free speech for me, but not for thee."
North Carolina Woman Doesn't Have First Amendment Right to Publish Video of Cop Shooting Her Dogs, Court Rules
A North Carolina state trooper shot Lydia Nikac's two dogs, but an appeals court ruled she doesn't have a right to publish body camera footage of the shooting under the state's restrictive public records laws.
A Missouri School District Censored a Parent's Negative Facebook Emoji Because It Was 'Upsetting'
Annie Palmer was banned from the district's Facebook page for expressing her displeasure at the hiring of a new elementary school principal.
New York Is Fining Amish Schools Over Vaccines, So the Amish Are Asking the Supreme Court for Help
After $118,000 in fines for allowing unvaccinated students to attend Amish schools, the plaintiffs are pursuing a case that could reshape how the courts protect religious exercise.
FCC Has 'Our Head on the Guillotine,' Disney Tells Federal Judge
Disney asked a federal court to end the FCC's investigation of its ABC broadcast licenses, which it has called "pretextual" and "retaliatory."
Trump Keeps Contradicting the 'National Security' Rationale for Banishing Disfavored Journalists
Attorney General Todd Blanche, who complains that CNN's coverage is "almost 100 percent negative towards the president," also has trouble keeping the story straight.
These Minnesota Parents Were Censored at a Public Meeting for Saying School Employees' Job Titles
"You can't talk about the superintendent," a Foley Public School Board official told Blake and Katy DeMarais when they tried to advocate for their disabled and nonverbal son.
Trump Criticizes Fox News for Daring To Show Clips of Democrats
The president sees even straight news coverage as an act of betrayal.
Miami Beach Can't Dodge First Amendment Lawsuit After Police Questioned Woman Over Anti-Israel Facebook Post
Miami Beach detectives questioned Raquel Pacheco at her house over her pro-Palestine Facebook comments. A judge ruled several key claims in her First Amendment lawsuit against the city can proceed.
NFL Player's Penis Size Is a 'Matter of Legitimate Public Concern,' Says Court
That means his ex-wife can talk about it on a podcast if she wants to. But you probably shouldn’t follow suit.
Whatever Happened to Trump's Housing Affordability Executive Order?
The Trump administration revises wonky federal regulations to reduce home construction costs.
The 5th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for Cops Who Searched a Driver After a Bogus Traffic Stop
"It is clearly established that an officer cannot pull someone over without reasonable suspicion and thereafter concoct a fabricated traffic violation," the appeals court says.
You Can 'Recruit' a Minor for an Abortion in Tennessee
A federal appeals court has permanently blocked the recruitment provision of Tennessee's "abortion trafficking" law.
College Founded by 'Christian Nationalist' Pastor Claims Religious Discrimination by Zoning Officials
New Saint Andrews College says Moscow, Idaho, officials are imposing special restrictions out of animus against the college's founder, Doug Wilson.
Aaron Sorkin Accidentally Made Mark Zuckerberg the Hero of His Anti-Facebook Movie
In the latest trailer for The Social Reckoning, the Zuck character stridently rebuts pro-censorship arguments.
An Iowa Judge Rejects Trump's Unconstitutional Attempt To Recover Damages for 'Fake News'
The dismissal of the president's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register is a victory for freedom of the press.
A Tennessee 1st Amendment Auditor Is Suing After Videos of Police Led to a Predawn Arrest Raid
Joshua Gibbons says his embarrassing videos of police officers in Kingsport, Tennessee, were a motivating factor in their decision to arrest him on minor charges that were thrown out of court.
A Trump Appointee Blocks the President's Banishment of Disfavored News Outlets
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly is skeptical of the belated "national security" rationale for banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.
Journalists Still Barred From White House
Plus: Manhole climbers, Beshear mulling 2028 run, God bless the commenters, and more...
After Banishing Journalists for Writing 'Purposely Negative' Stories, Trump Invokes 'National Security'
The president hopes that post-hoc rationalization will override due process and freedom of the press.
Trump's Banishment of Disfavored News Outlets Reflects His Contempt for Freedom of the Press
The president has a long history of retaliating against journalists who offend him.
3 Leading News Outlets Say Their Sudden Banishment From the White House Is Unconstitutional
In a federal lawsuit, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico argue that Trump's bans violate due process and freedom of the press.
D.C. Circuit Rejects Limits on Capitol Steps Demonstrations
Regulations limiting demonstrations on the Eastern Steps to those sponsored by members of Congress are unreasonable.
Free Speech Groups Say the FCC's Disney/ABC Investigation 'Reeks of Political Pretext'
FIRE, Cato, PEN America, and others take on the broadcasting police.
Does CNN Deserve To Be Banned From the White House?
Plus: why parents are abandoning public schools, whether AI requires government intervention, and what happened to fusionism in the conservative movement.
Purposely Negative
Plus: School segregation, ICE shooting, Cuban Americans envision the future, and more...
Montana's Anti-Deepfakes Law Just Hit a First Amendment Roadblock
A federal judge found that the state's restrictions on AI-generated political speech likely violate the First Amendment.
Memphis Task Force Caught on Video Arresting Activist Already Suing It for First Amendment Retaliation
The ACLU says Hunter Demster's arrest shows a continuing campaign of intimidation and retaliation by the Memphis Safe Task Force.
