Article of amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as part of the Bill of Rights, placing limits on governmental restriction of freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press, and petition of government
POPULARITY
Categories
This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited to celebrate Alan's gradual physical and mental decline, and to talk over the week in national security news, including:“Fear of Flying.” President Biden finally greenlit the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine, despite Russia's warnings—just as the siege at Bakhmut signals a brutal new phase of the conflict. Is this the right move? Or is the risk of escalation too great?“Big Sky, Closed Borders.” Social media company TikTok is challenging a new Montana law barring its use in the state on a variety of constitutional grounds, including the First Amendment and foreign affairs preemption. Are there legal barriers to state efforts to regulate platforms like TikTok? Or does Montana have the better arguments?“Putting the ‘Err' in Durham.” Special Counsel John Durham has released the final report of his investigation into the original of the FBI investigation into possible links between the Trump campaign and Russia. And while the report has some celebrating, it's left many others scratching their heads.For object lessons, Alan shared his favorite birthday present: the brownie edge pan his wife got him. Quinta passed along a true D.C. story from a concert she saw the night before, involving The National and a former Deputy Solicitor General. And Scott recommended Patrick Weil's new book, “The Madman in the White House,” an eclectic biography of an eclectic biography: a psychoanalysis of Woodrow Wilson, written by Ambassador William Bullitt and Sigmund Freud, lost for more than seventy years and recently found.Here are links to some other pieces we mentioned in this episode:New York Times: "The Battle for Bakhmut"ClickHole: "Legal Bombshell: Mueller Flipped Trump's Confidant's Lawyer's Friend's Associate Gorpman (Who Could Testify Against Bleemer!) And It's Not Even Lunchtime" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Book bans, disinformation, the wild world of the internet. Free speech debates are all around us.What were the Founding Fathers were thinking when they created the First Amendment, and how have the words they wrote in the 18th century been stretched and shaped to fit a world they never could have imagined?It's a story that travels through world wars and culture wars. Through the highest courts and the Ku Klux Klan. What exactly is free speech, and how has the answer to that question changed in the history of the U.S.?
TikTok's potential risk to US national security is raising tough questions about how to address the challenge—legally. With 150 million Americans' personal data possibly falling into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and fears of election interference via a foreign-controlled algorithm, TikTok finds itself in the harsh glare of the U.S. government's scrutiny. Broad bipartisan support favors aggressive action to ban the platform, but is such action even constitutional? Join Joe Cohn, Director of Legislative and Policy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and Hagar Chemali, former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN. Together with host Ron Steslow, they dissect the potential impact of the RESTRICT Act that could not only ban TikTok but delegate sweeping power to the executive branch to go even further.Tune in to explore the delicate balance between national security and preserving free speech rights. (03:10) The tensions between national security and the First Amendment (10:39) How Edward Snowden's leak shows this tension (16:05) The national security risks that TikTok presents (20:52) What is the status quo for determining if national security concerns can trump free speech rights? (23:57 ) What the RESTRICT Act is and what it does (26:23) First Amendment concerns about the RESTRICT Act as it's currently written (32:03) How this legislation relates to speech codes (43:43) Changes that legislators could make to the RESTRICT Act to better protect free speech (1:05:40) The new Montana Law banning TikTok (1:07:00) How China might respond if the RESTRICT Act passes Check out Oh My World! with Hagar Chemali on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ohmyworldwithhagarchemali Follow Ron, Joe, and Hagar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/JoeatFIRE https://twitter.com/HagarChemali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
War, huh, yeah. What is it good for? Curtailing the First Amendment!If you're not a 5-4 Premium member, you're not hearing every episode! To get exclusive Premium-only episodes, discounts on merch, access to our Slack community, and more, join at fivefourpod.com/support.5 to 4 is presented by Prologue Projects. Rachel Ward is our producer. Leon Neyfakh and Andrew Parsons provide editorial support. Our production manager is Percia Verlin. Our researcher is Jonathan DeBruin, and our website was designed by Peter Murphy. Our artwork is by Teddy Blanks at Chips NY, and our theme song is by Spatial Relations.Follow Peter (@The_Law_Boy), Rhiannon (@AywaRhiannon) and Michael (@_FleerUltra) on Twitter. You can follow the show on Twitter and Instagram @fivefourpod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, I talk with Senator Josh Hawley about the crisis of manhood in America and how the right can regain the will to govern from a Christian moral framework. Josh Hawley, the author of the bestselling The Tyranny of Big Tech, represents Missouri in the U.S. Senate, where he is known for defending the unsung heroes in America who go to work, raise a family, and deserve a fair chance to get ahead. Before his election to the Senate in 2018, he worked as a First Amendment lawyer and law professor and served as the attorney general of Missouri. Hawley and his wife, Erin, met while clerking on the Supreme Court. They live in Ozark, Missouri, and have three children, Elijah, Blaise, and Abigail. Follow Senator Hawley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HawleyMO Buy his book “Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs ” here: https://amzn.to/3Mns6ST Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GreatAwokening --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/great-awokening/support
The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Legislature finally passes, sends to the governor, a ban on adults using medical procedures and therapies to change the sex of children. (Maybe now Texas Children's Hospital will actually stop this evil practice.) Also, the Save Women's Sport Act has passed barring men competing as women, and vice versa, in public college sports.Today the House debates a new version of its tax relief plan but will the Senate go along with appraisal caps?Media keeps on trying to stop the ban of bigoted and fully political D.E.I programs on Texas college campuses. Senator Creighton had it right with this: “if federally funded grants require a DEI statement, which would be compelled speech, I have serious concerns that they are in violation of the First Amendment.”Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.So much for media gaslighting on the border situation: U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz tweeted that during the final 72 hours of April, agents apprehended 22,220 migrants. It's over 182,000 by month's end! Also, why are their now so many Chinese nationals being caught at the border? The current fiscal year number of 9,753 is about the total number apprehended in the past seven fiscal years combined.RIP: Former Texas member of Congress Charlie Stenholm, Blue Dog Democrat, dead at 84.And, other news of Texas.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com
Host: Jess Piper @piper4missouri https://heartlandpod.com/JOIN PATREON FOR MORE!“Change The Conversation”#DirtRoadDemocrat Jess Piper walks through the modern GOP head on assault on the First Amendment with the use of sectarian religion for the political goals and a move by some of the most extreme members to replace our laws with their personal religion. Video Justin Sparks #1: https://www.facebook.com/100085296071574/posts/pfbid0NxKgtENeWS87JoV5acvMbQgLL7T3Eu2anWh48CKkjV7BYV1yypF6B4TURnCt2ALRl/?mibextid=cr9u03 Video Nick Schroer:https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRKG5LmL/?t=1 Video Justin Sparks #2: https://www.facebook.com/100085296071574/posts/pfbid0AaV5i6W2LSE5ywWaqG6FXsH3UVZghis4pELur1pdVDDmiFUbX6TE3DiCiQZLKx53l/?mibextid=cr9u03 PBS Article: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/missouri-senate-endorses-transgender-health-restrictions-sports-ban
Rebecca, Liz, and Alison discuss the state of state/church separation with Professor Caroline Corbin, constitutional law professor at the University of Miami. They review the history of Establishment Clause jurisprudence, remind listeners about what the Supreme Court did to the religion clauses in 2022, and discuss where we stand now in regards to rights under the First Amendment. TLDR: If you're a Christian, rest assured it's a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” court. Background Professor Caroline Corbin's bio The Remains of the Establishment Clause (Lupu & Tuttle, updated 2023) James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments Previous We Dissent episodes on Carson v. Makin The Sleeper Case: Carson v. Makin Bonus Episode! Carson v. Makin Update American Atheists Kennedy v. Bremerton amicus brief Cases Firewalker-Fields v. Lee (2023) Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014) Sambrano v. United Airlines (2022) County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union (1989) The American Legion v. American Humanist Association (2019) Stone v. Graham (1980) Check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.
The White House Correspondents' Association states “We share the belief, held by our country's Founders and enshrined in the First Amendment, that an independent news media is vital to the health of the republic.” And yet today, the WHCA silences conservative colleagues and tailors coverage of the President to benefit political and corporate elites. ⭕️ Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV
Many concerns need to be tackled as we deal with the aftermath of the pandemic, including the state of our society and country. The Democratic Party has deviated from American values and has become the party of big pharma and censorship. In recent memory, America has never been more divided. Today, we are fortunate to have our special guest Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an American environmental lawyer, and 2024 Democratic Party Presidential Candidate. He uses his voice to inform the American people of the country's failings, and to reunite the nation back to its' foundational values. Please take a moment to listen to this episode as he discusses his plans as president, and the need to stop censorship and corruption in the government. Don't miss this episode! Quotes: “The government shouldn't practice censorship. It is a First Amendment violation. And I'll create an executive order that prohibits all government departments from influencing public opinion or suppressing the American people by sending a memo on the first day of my administration.” - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “When Pfizer gives you a million dollars, they're not doing it out of philanthropic impulses. They're doing it because they expect to get something in return.” - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “In a world where rewarding the rich and punishing the poor, this nation has evolved into a form of cushy socialism for wealthy people in this cruel, ruthless capitalism for the country's middle class and poor. And that needs to end.” - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Key Takeaways: When government officials order private entities to silence dissenting voices, they are in violation of the First Amendment because the government is engaging in censorship. They're not allowed to do that, which shouldn't be tolerated in the government. Big companies give money to the government not because they have any altruistic motives but because they want to purchase access, and they want to purchase action from the government that is often detrimental to the public interest. That's why it's important to keep corporate money out of the government. Wealthier people have more societal comfort and privileges than the middle class and the poor. They become entitled, believing they are superior to everyone else. But it must stop now because everyone deserves to be treated well, including those who are middle-class and poor. Highlights/Timeline: [05:35] Background of Robert's inspiration and what catalyzed him into a presidential candidacy [11:31] How does Robert aim to tackle censorship? [16:13] How Robert reclaims the public's trust in the government [38:32] Bobby's story of how he became interested in the environment [49:05] Bobby's first public live event in San Diego [51:00] Making a healthy generation of American Children Conclusion: As a nation, we must ensure that these large aggregations of power are not damaging our nation, our democracy, and the free flow of information. Despite being the richest nation in the world, the United States also has many people suffering from chronic diseases. No country in the world spends more on healthcare than we do, and yet we have the second largest population with the lowest health outcomes. This is unacceptable - we need to do better. America has never been more divided. The fundamental issue is how polarized both sides have become. A divided society cannot fend off exploitation or totalitarian takeover. The traditional American can-do spirit wears down in these never-ending battles. So let's bridge the gap and unite American citizens. Future Generations is proud to host a historic event for the city of San Diego during Memorial Day Weekend. Be a part of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s first public event since announcing his candidacy for President of the United States. The event will take place on Monday, May 29 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at Humphrey's By The Bay on Shelter Island. Buy your ticket here https://www.kennedy24.com/san-diego-future-gen Resources: Follow Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr Website: https://www.kennedy24.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rfkjr Learn more about Dr Stanton Hom on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanhomdc Twitter: https://twitter.com/drstantonhom Website: https://www.drstantonhom.com/
Sponsor special: Up to $2,500 of FREE silver AND a FREE safe on qualifying orders - Call 855-862-3377 or text “AMERICAN” to 6-5-5-3-2“Independent voters will look at some of these charges and say, gee, where there's smoke, there's fire. But of course, where there's smoke, sometimes there's arson,” says Alan Dershowitz, professor emeritus of law at Harvard Law School.“I think a lot of these fires have been set politically in order to get Trump,” Dershowitz says. He's the author of the new book, “Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process, and Our Constitutional Rule of Law.”We discuss the many cases being litigated against former President Donald Trump, what his vulnerabilities actually are, and the broader assault on civil liberties.“Justice Thurgood Marshall said the First Amendment has two sides: one, the right to speak, and two, the right to listen and the right to hear. And the right to hear is just as important as the right to speak. And so people who have been denied the right to hear have the power to bring lawsuits,” Dershowitz says.
Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are legislating a horrible abortion ban in the shadows that could eventually make its way up to the Supreme Court. And we know these justices just love to legislate on the shadow docket, so that's a bad sign. And the even bigger issue? The First Amendment violations. Join Jess and Imani this week as they break down what's going on in North Carolina.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that's exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.
In light of Linda Yaccarino being named CEO of Twitter, Liz and Andrew break down Trumpworld's never-ending lawsuits against social media, and yet another defamation suit against Fox News, this one by Nina Jankowicz. Happy Mother's Day! For the Patreon bonus, we discuss beer, the Superbowl, and Rule 62.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, because of course we do. Notes OA 551 https://openargs.com/oa551-trump-may-out-of-office-but-his-federal-judges-are-not/ Donato dismissal Trump v. Twitter https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.387133/gov.uscourts.cand.387133.165.0_6.pdf Trump v. Twitter, Motion for Indicative Ruling https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.387133/gov.uscourts.cand.387133.191.0.pdf FRCP 62.1 https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_62.1 Jankowicz federal docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67365497/jankowicz-v-fox-news-network-llc/ Jankowicz complaint https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23809394-jankowicz-v-fox-complaint -Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law -Follow us on Twitter: @Openargs -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openargs/ -For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed! @oawiki -And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com
On April 18, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit stemming from allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The historic settlement came just before the trial was set to begin in a case many saw as having significant First Amendment implications. In this exclusive conversation, attorneys for Fox and Dominion join First Amendment attorney Lee Levine to reflect on what led to the case, its outcome, and the arguments they would have made had the case gone to trial. Tom Clare is a founding partner of Clare Locke LLP and was counsel to Dominion. Dan Webb is co-executive chairman of Winston & Strawn and was counsel for Fox News. The conversation was organized and presented by The First Amendment Salon on Tuesday, May 9. Show notes: Transcript Video of the conversation www.sotospeakpodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freespeechtalk Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechtalk/ Email us: sotospeak@thefire.org
In this episode Cesie's trial has restarted so John and I discuss some of the events surrounding the Georgia RICO case being brought against Young Thug, AKA Jefferey Lamar Williams. I have a LOT of strong opinions about rap lyrics being used as evidence in a criminal case (spoiler alert - I'm against it) and we discuss the difficulties the court and parties have had in trying to select a jury for this high profile case, i.e. potential jurors being held in contempt for a variety of things including calling the judge "a bitch" in open court and failing to show up for jury duty. I also explain to John that our First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech doesn't mean that you can just say whatever you want at any time during court proceedings. This is just the beginning of this case (a jury hasn't even been selected yet) and the trial is expected to last almost a year when and if it starts - so let us know your questions as it goes. (This was supposed to be a mini-episode so we didn't even get to some of the other incidents such as an attorney using the word "cap" when speaking to the Judge and alleged drug possession by another attorney, but we will cover more as the case continues.) Here's a link to the book I mentioned: https://thenewpress.com/books/rap-on-trial Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/thebravodocket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are seeing tremendous attacks on First Amendment freedoms across the country right now, at all levels of government. Censorship is proliferating, and it’s deeply troubling
Led by Senator Jerry Cirino, statehouse Republicans are working to pass Senate Bill 83, known as the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act. It would lead to sweeping changes for the state's public universities and colleges if passed. While SB 83 mainly applies to public institutions, it could also affect private colleges and universities that receive state dollars. The bill was introduced last month and is currently in Senate committee.rnrnSupporters believe the bill will strengthen First Amendment rights and reshape Ohio's higher education system to meet the needs of the 21st century. In a news release, Senator Cirino said, "This bill will move us toward true academic freedom. We need students to be taught how to think not what to think.rnrnCritics of the bill include education groups and college faculty from across the state. The Ohio chapter of the American Association of University Professors accused the bill of attempting "to micromanage public-and to an extent, private-colleges and universities on a variety of issues, most of which are rooted in the culture wars."rnrnJoin us at the City Club as Glenn Forbes from Ideastream Public Media leads a conversation with both proponents and opponents of SB 83, and what it could mean for higher education in Ohio.
Full Hour | In today's second hour, Dom welcomes Colonel Allen B. West and Stan Casacio back onto the Dom Giordano Program live in studio as the Colonel comes to the Philadelphia region for an event tonight in Whitemarsh Township. Dom, Allen, and Stan run through multiple topics of the day, each offering their own thoughts and breakdown of both the border situation and Trump's Town Hall last night. Also, Stan tells more about the event, and Allen goes in-depth into his history as both a scubadiver and skydiver, something he learned to enjoy while in the service. Then, Dom Giordano welcomes in Lindsie Rank, Student Press Council at FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), to hear about a situation unfolding at Conestoga High School. Since the early 1960's, every year, the student newspaper, The SPOKE, would publish a ‘destination map,' that would show where graduates are going to college. This year, after a student complaint, the district has threatened to remove funding for the paper if they publish the map again. The district argues that this is in an effort to promote equity, but Rank explains the implications on the First Amendment that such a demand holds. Rank explains how students are pushing back, and explains how and why this is another case of censorship in schools in the guise of equity.
Dom Giordano welcomes in Lindsie Rank, Student Press Council at FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), to hear about a situation unfolding at Conestoga High School. Since the early 1960's, every year, the student newspaper, The SPOKE, would publish a ‘destination map,' that would show where graduates are going to college. This year, after a student complaint, the district has threatened to remove funding for the paper if they publish the map again. The district argues that this is in an effort to promote equity, but Rank explains the implications on the First Amendment that such a demand holds. Rank explains how students are pushing back, and explains how and why this is another case of censorship in schools in the guise of equity. (Photo by Getty Images)
After speaking out on the Montana House floor against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming health care, Rep. Zooey Zephyr was censured by the legislative body. Zephyr, the state's first openly transgender representative, will be barred from attending in-person debates and voting on legislation for the rest of the legislative session. That's because Zephyr's lawsuit against the Montana House, claiming her censorship violated her First Amendment rights, was denied by a Montana District judge. We speak with Rep. Zephyr about her censure, trans representation in the Montana state house, and anti-LGBTQ legislation currently on the docket.
Many legislators and policymakers want to ban TikTok from the United States. They claim that the wildly popular social media platform endangers American national security. Although the critics are making a lot of noise, their argument for a ban is surprisingly shaky. What concrete threat does TikTok pose? What First Amendment obstacles stand in the way of a ban? TechFreedom's Corbin Barthold and Ari Cohn discuss.
After speaking out on the Montana House floor against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming health care, Rep. Zooey Zephyr was censured by the legislative body. Zephyr, the state's first openly transgender representative, will be barred from attending in-person debates and voting on legislation for the rest of the legislative session. That's because Zephyr's lawsuit against the Montana House, claiming her censorship violated her First Amendment rights, was denied by a Montana District judge. We speak with Rep. Zephyr about her censure, trans representation in the Montana state house, and anti-LGBTQ legislation currently on the docket.
During the 2023 legislative session, South Dakota lawmakers introduced five different bills that sought to regulate the spread of obscenity, especially by limiting the access of minors to harmful materials. Despite a growing public awareness of the harms caused by obscene material and programs, not one of the anti-obscenity bills made it through the legislature. Michael Pauley is joined by Norman Woods of the South Dakota Family Heritage Alliance to discuss the debate surrounding obscenity laws, the role of the courts and their interpretation of the First Amendment, and the surprising involvement of South Dakota's public-school establishment in opposing anti-obscenity legislation.
Hour 3 - Happy Tuesday! Here's what Nick Reed covers this hour: Former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill claimed Monday that Jesus Christ “would be shocked” at America's lack of gun control following a Saturday shooting at a Texas mall. The federal government attempted to force the St. Francis Catholic hospital system Oklahoma to choose between losing its accreditation for Medicaid and Medicare or removing eternal flames from its chapels, which is central to their faith. The hospital system refused, citing their First Amendment rights and religious beliefs. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker appeared at Georgia Institute of Technology on Saturday and gave the commencement speech. "In the end— no matter how much money you attain— none of it will matter if you are alone and devoid of purpose... I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will have a lasting impact for generations to come: GET MARRIED AND START A FAMILY." Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, R., vetoed a bill last week that would have funded operations of the state's PBS station, Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA), through 2026, accusing the station of indoctrinating young children. The governor's office provided examples of OETA content that it considers objectionable, including a segment of "Let's Learn" in which a children's book titled "The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish" is read by someone called Lil Miss Hot Mess.
Mason and Zach catch up and giggle as they discuss Drag Race queens, no-fault divorce, and Zach's trip to Cambodia!Support the show
With John Nichols, associate editor of The Capital Times and national affairs correspondent for The Nation.
Nurses Out Loud with Jodi O'Malley MSN, RN – October 2021, as I was getting into my truck, a gentleman approached me on the street asking if I was Jodi O'Malley. After I confirmed, he responded, “You have been served.” Over the next few months, there were many strange-sounding knocks, calls from unknown numbers, and strangers popping out of the bushes...
We have to talk about the anti-bias bill in Minnesota. Then, a conversation with David Droll, Executive Director and Co-founder of Hope Beyond Bridges in Houston, which uses local church kitchens and congregations to provide a rotating schedule of care for people living under bridges. Then: AOC says Sen. Diane Feinstein should resign, and we decide on a possibly unethical hack to keep people in front of you from reclining their seat on a plane....! Follow The Common Good on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Hosted by Aubrey Sampson and Brian From Produced by Laura Finch and Keith ConradSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Doug Pierce is a the Nashville-based First Amendment attorney. He filed the lawsuit on National Police Association's behalf. Court date set on whether to release Nashville shooter's manifesto
Freedom of the Press is such an important pillar of a democracy that it's enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Here in the so-called land of the free, we pride ourselves on our freedoms. So would it surprise you to learn that the US came in at a barely respectable 45th place in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index?This year's rankings were released yesterday. I'm joined by Clayton Weimers, director of the US bureau of Reporters Without Border, RSF.org, who'll explain the findings and why a free press is such an important pillar in any democracy.Of course, we'll being with late breaking news. Today, the Proud Boys are convicted, more from the Clarence Thomas/Harlan Crow grift, and whatever else the day throws at us before showtime.
Through the grainy eye of a surveillance camera, a drone descends toward the heart of the Kremlin and explodes. Ukraine intended to kill President Vladimir Putin with American help, Russian authorities say. Nonsense, Ukrainians and Americans respond. So, what really happened? Also today's stories, including: Local officials in Ukraine are restoring vital services in liberated areas of Ukraine, where many had pro-Russian sympathies. At a critical juncture in their relationship, the United States and China distrust each other and talk little. Their ability to take responsibility for shaping a path forward matters deeply to the world. The ability to criticize the government without retaliation lies at the heart of the First Amendment. What happens when it's a corporation doing the criticizing? Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for the Monitor's Daily podcast.
First Amendment: Did Florida Governor DeSantis violate the First Amendment when he used his power to suspend an elected local prosecutor after a dispute over prosecutorial discretion? - Argued: Tue, 02 May 2023 10:7:38 EDT
Topics discussed on this week's episode include: Having a blind spot for disgraced celebrities Some in-depth First Amendment talk Kyle once again got banned from Twitter Some questions for Steve about the latest driveway situation And more! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please review the show wherever you download podcasts! Call or text your questions, comments or concerns at 424-30-SKPOD (424-307-5763). Wanna send something? The Steve and Kyle Podcast P.O. Box 371 Hudsonville, MI 49426 Opening music: ”Malt Shop Bop" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Closing music: "Pulse" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ TAGS: funny, friends, family, kids, comedy, talk radio, talk, radio, pop culture, music, food, garage, sports, relationships, viral videos, social media, politics, fbhw, free beer and hot wings
Leslie Kendrick, Director of the Center for the First Amendment at the University of Virginia Law School, discusses Disney suing Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming DeSantis retaliated against Disney for exercising its free speech rights. Elections law expert Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School, discusses how the North Carolina Supreme Court reversing itself, could scuttle a major US Supreme Court elections case. June Grasso hosts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Freedom of speech is under attack! Are you prepared to fight for your right to speak your mind? In this powerful episode of The Brian Nichols Show, host Brian Nichols is joined by guest Larry Ward from the Constitutional Rights PAC to discuss the chilling effects of censorship and cancel culture on our First Amendment rights. They delve into the recent example of Tucker Carlson on Fox News, whose voice was almost silenced by powerful interests seeking to control the narrative. But the most shocking revelation comes when they reveal the dangerous precedent set by Fox News' settlement with Dominion for a staggering $800 million in response to lawsuits. This is a chilling reminder of just how easily our freedom of speech can be silenced and how expensive it can be to fight for it. Don't let your voice be silenced! Join Brian Nichols and Larry Ward as they fight for our right to free speech and protect our First Amendment rights. Tune in now to The Brian Nichols Show for this dramatic and powerful discussion. Like and subscribe to stay informed on the latest episodes and be a part of the fight for freedom of speech! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
State censorship and cancel culture, trigger warnings and safe spaces, pseudoscience, First Amendment hardball, as well as orthodoxy and groupthink: universities remain a site for important battles in the culture wars. What is the larger meaning of these debates? Are American universities at risk of conceding to mobs and cuddled “snowflake” students and sacrifice the hallowed values of free speech and academic inquiry? Bradford Vivian examines the heated debates over campus misinformation as a language unto itself that confirms existing notions and often provides simple explanations for complex shared problems. In his book, Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education (Oxford UP), he shows how the free speech crisis on US college campuses has been manufactured through misinformation, distortion, and political ideology, and how campus misinformation is a threat not only to academic freedom but also to civil liberties in US society writ large. In our conversation, Bradford explained how campus speech crises are used – and also how faculty, administrators, students and others can recognize recurring patterns and properly respond, for example to distinguish between abuses of scientific evidence and sound scientific claims in public argument. Bradford Vivian is a professor in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. His research and teaching focuses on theories of rhetoric (or the art of persuasion) and public controversies over memory, history, speech and other issues. Among his books are Commonplace Witnessing: Rhetorical Invention, Historical Remembrance, and Public Culture (Oxford University Press), Public Forgetting: The Rhetoric and Politics of Beginning Again (Penn State Press) and Being Made Strange: Rhetoric beyond Representation (SUNY Press). He is also co-editor, with Anne Teresa Demo, of Rhetoric, Remembrance, and Visual Form: Sighting Memory (Routledge). He has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend and, from the National Communication Association, the James A. Winans-Herbert A. Wichelns Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address, the Critical/Cultural Studies Division Book of the Year Award, and the Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award. Uli Baer teaches literature and photography as University Professor at New York University. A recipient of Guggenheim, Getty and Humboldt awards, in addition to hosting "Think About It” he hosts (with Caroline Weber) the podcast "The Proust Questionnaire” and is Editorial Director at Warbler Press. Email ucb1@nyu.edu; Twitter @UliBaer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
State censorship and cancel culture, trigger warnings and safe spaces, pseudoscience, First Amendment hardball, as well as orthodoxy and groupthink: universities remain a site for important battles in the culture wars. What is the larger meaning of these debates? Are American universities at risk of conceding to mobs and cuddled “snowflake” students and sacrifice the hallowed values of free speech and academic inquiry? Bradford Vivian examines the heated debates over campus misinformation as a language unto itself that confirms existing notions and often provides simple explanations for complex shared problems. In his book, Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education (Oxford UP), he shows how the free speech crisis on US college campuses has been manufactured through misinformation, distortion, and political ideology, and how campus misinformation is a threat not only to academic freedom but also to civil liberties in US society writ large. In our conversation, Bradford explained how campus speech crises are used – and also how faculty, administrators, students and others can recognize recurring patterns and properly respond, for example to distinguish between abuses of scientific evidence and sound scientific claims in public argument. Bradford Vivian is a professor in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. His research and teaching focuses on theories of rhetoric (or the art of persuasion) and public controversies over memory, history, speech and other issues. Among his books are Commonplace Witnessing: Rhetorical Invention, Historical Remembrance, and Public Culture (Oxford University Press), Public Forgetting: The Rhetoric and Politics of Beginning Again (Penn State Press) and Being Made Strange: Rhetoric beyond Representation (SUNY Press). He is also co-editor, with Anne Teresa Demo, of Rhetoric, Remembrance, and Visual Form: Sighting Memory (Routledge). He has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend and, from the National Communication Association, the James A. Winans-Herbert A. Wichelns Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address, the Critical/Cultural Studies Division Book of the Year Award, and the Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award. Uli Baer teaches literature and photography as University Professor at New York University. A recipient of Guggenheim, Getty and Humboldt awards, in addition to hosting "Think About It” he hosts (with Caroline Weber) the podcast "The Proust Questionnaire” and is Editorial Director at Warbler Press. Email ucb1@nyu.edu; Twitter @UliBaer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
State Sen. Wendy Rogers went to court to get a restraining order against a local journalist. Now that reporter's newspaper is fighting back. Plus, what a slowdown in autonomous truck development might mean for Arizona. That and more on The Show.
Larry Elder is a Republican Presidential Candidate. Elder is an American conservative talk radio host, author, attorney, and documentary filmmaker. He is a Former Candidate for Governor of California. Larry Elder joins Mike to discuss his platform for the 2024 presidential election. Go to Elderforpresident.com to support Larry's bid for the presidency! Also, the issue of free speech being under assault in America is still front and center, especially following Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox News Channel. AOC and the Democrats celebrated Tucker being fired. Joe Biden even celebrated Tucker's removal at the White House Correspondents Dinner over the weekend. Plus, Twitter CEO Elon Musk gave an interview to HBO's Bill Maher all about free speech. Mr. Musk explained why the First Amendment is so special and why we must protect our right to free speech in this country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Hillgrove High School and Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy has been drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals as the 28th pick of the first round in the NFL Draft. Murphy, a freshman All-American with the Tigers in 2020, earned All-ACC honors the last two seasons before becoming eligible for the 2023 draft. During his three-year college career, he had 139 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, and six forced fumbles. Murphy, who said his game emulates Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, becomes the fourth player from Cobb County to be drafted in the first round since 2017. He joins former Harrison standout, and current Chicago Bears quarterback, Justin Fields , and another pair of former Hillgrove standouts in Miami linebacker Bradley Chubb and Jacksonville tight end Evan Engram.Top of Form The Cobb Board of Commissioners has approved the establishment of a quiet zone railroad crossing at Nickajack Road near Heritage and Thompson Parks after nearly a decade of work. The vote was 4-0 in favor of the quiet zone, which cost $435,000 for specialized equipment. Train conductors are obligated by federal law to blare their horns as they approach an intersection that is not designated a quiet zone, but trains cannot routinely sound their horns in an area considered a quiet zone. In other business, commissioners decided to withdraw an item from the agenda that would have allocated $285,000 to consultant Accenture for continuing work on Cobb's strategic plan. Wheeler alum Jaylen Brown and his teammate Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a 128-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs. Brown scored 32 points and Tatum added 30 to help the Celtics clinch the series 4-2. They will now face the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. The Hawks were led by Trae Young with 30 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Celtics' strong shooting, including 18 3-pointers. The game featured nine lead changes and six ties before the Celtics pulled away in the final minutes. The Celtics will begin their next series against the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers on Monday. A judge has allowed a defamation lawsuit filed by an immigration activist against the Southern Poverty Law Center to proceed. D.A. King, the leader of the Dustin Inman Society, is suing the SPLC over its designation of his group as an “anti-immigrant hate group.” King argues that the SPLC added the hate group label to destroy his group's reputation and foil their attempts to influence legislation. The SPLC had asked the judge to dismiss the suit, arguing that its hate group designation is an opinion protected by the First Amendment. However, the judge disagreed and allowed the case to move forward to the discovery phase. Jamari Christmas, 21, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the December 2021 shooting of his former friend, Majik Broussard, near Kennesaw State University. The two had a falling out, and Christmas shot Broussard twice after pulling a handgun during their encounter. Christmas was sentenced to 25 years in total, including a 20-year prison sentence and five years of probation. Broussard's family spoke at the hearing, and Christmas offered his condolences Campbell lost to Denmark 1-0 in the semifinals of the Class AAAAAAA playoffs, ending their quest for their first girls soccer state championship. Elise Sturm's goal with 34:55 remaining in the game proved to be the difference for Denmark, which will now play Walton for the championship. Campbell advanced to the final four for the first time in program history and won the Region 2AAAAAAA championship for the second year in a row. Although disappointed by the loss, Coach James Crawley expressed pride for his seniors and the team's overall performance this season. The Walton girls soccer team defeated Forsyth Central 2-1 in the Class AAAAAAA state semifinals with a goal from Reagan Mulberry in the second overtime. This sends the Raiders to the state championship game against Denmark, scheduled for next week. The Raiders, who are looking to win their first title since 1993, will have a rematch of last year's quarterfinal against Denmark, which they won 2-1 in double overtime. Forsyth Central struck first in the game, but Walton quickly responded with a goal from Emma Graham. Neither team scored in the first half, and Walton controlled the pace in the second half. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Who is raising children? It's not really parents, it's not teachers, it's not coaches or clergymen. It's Twitter influencers. They're the ones that have the ears and souls of our children.”I sit down with Adam Candeub, professor of law at Michigan State University and a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing America. Candeub served as acting deputy and then acting assistant secretary of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) during Trump's presidency. He was outspoken in his criticism of what he sees as the abuse and expansion of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Law—a federal provision that grants social media companies protection from liability.“This rather limited protection that sort-of mimicked the telephone, the telegraph, and we've had for hundreds of years and we couldn't really survive without, has morphed into a protection of the platforms for anything they do,” Candeub says.Candeub currently advocates for the “common carrier” approach to social media, and is involved in a number of major First Amendment cases, both at the state and federal level, which will likely shape the future of Big Tech's impact on our society.“We have given power to these agencies—the gobbledygook alphabet soup of security agencies—that are not really accountable to anybody. And like any other agency, they tend to be co-opted by special interests,” says Candeub.
This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 28th, 2023. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/04/27/argentina-shuns-u-s-dollar-will-pay-for-china-imports-in-yuan/ Argentina Shuns U.S. Dollar: Will Pay for China Imports in Yuan Argentina struck a deal with Beijing on Wednesday to stop using U.S. dollars to pay for Chinese imports and embrace the yuan instead. The measure, driven by Argentina’s leftist President Alberto Fernández, is designed to relieve the South American country’s dwindling dollar reserves, AP reports. The deal further enhances China’s rise on the world stage and the diminished role of the U.S. on a host of fronts under President Joe Biden. After reaching the agreement with various companies, Argentina will use the yuan for imports from China worth about U.S.$1.04 billion from next month, accelerating trade with China as Beijing seeks to gain a further foothold in South America. In November last year Argentina expanded a currency swap with China by $5 billion in an effort to increase its yuan reserves. That agreement allowed Argentina “to work on the possibility” of advancing the rate of imports with yuan-denominated import orders being authorized in 90 days rather than the standard 180 days. The decision comes as Argentina battles critical levels in its dollar reserves amid a sharp drop in agricultural exports caused by a historic drought, as well as political uncertainty ahead of elections this year. It has also been working hard to build a relationship with Beijing after having officially joined China’s infrastructure-building Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year. Argentina’s government finalized a deal with Beijing soon after to construct a nuclear plant based on Chinese technology near Buenos Aires, Argentina’s national capital, in the near future. The Chinese Communist Party will reportedly provide $8 billion in financing toward the project’s $12 billion total budget. As Breitbart News reported, Argentina currently owes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $44 billion. The international organization is in talks with Argentine authorities to finalize a fourth review of its program that includes a flexibilization of the proposed foreign exchange reserve accumulation as Argentina, whose foreign reserves are now at a $5 billion deficit, cannot comply with the current goals. https://www.foxnews.com/world/singapore-executes-man-conspired-traffic-2-pounds-cannabis Singapore executes man who allegedly conspired to traffic 2 pounds of cannabis Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the trafficking of 2.2 pounds of cannabis. Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty. Tangaraju was hanged Wednesday morning and his family was given the death certificate, according to a tweet from activist Kirsten Han of the Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for abolishing the death penalty in Singapore. Although Tangaraju was not caught with the cannabis, prosecutors said phone numbers traced him as the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs. Tangaraju had maintained that he was not the one communicating with the others connected to the case. At a United Nations Human Rights briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson called on the Singapore government to adopt a "formal moratorium" on executions for drug-related offenses. "Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with international norms and standards," said the spokesperson, who added that increasing evidence shows the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. Singapore authorities say there is a deterrent effect, citing studies that traffickers carry amounts below the threshold that would bring a death penalty. The island-state's imposition of the death penalty for drugs is in contrast with its neighbors. In Thailand, cannabis has essentially been legalized, and Malaysia has ended the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes. Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug offenses. One case that spurred international concern involved a Malaysian man whose lawyers said he was mentally disabled. https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/26/red-state-bill-religious-institutions-state-funding/ Red State Passes Bill Allowing Religious Institutions Access To State Funding The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday protecting religious institutions from being denied access to state funding. The Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act was introduced by Republican state Sen. Shane Jett and Republican state Sen. Julie Daniels to further reinforce the First Amendment by preventing the state from denying faith-based groups access to taxpayer dollars, according to the bill. The legislature passed the act Tuesday by a 64 to 27 vote, officially sending the act to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk to be signed into law. The bill makes way for religious institutions to access state funding by barring the state from denying applications for funding “based solely on the religious character or affiliation of the person or entity.” The act adds to religious protections the state passed in 2021 preventing the government from declaring church activities non-essential, as was often the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some Democrats argued that the bill was an unnecessary addition to the First Amendment, according to KFOR.com, a local media outlet. One Democratic state representative warned that the bill could lead to government funding of religious activities at religious schools. Republican state Rep. John Echols, who co-authored the bill, disagreed with his colleague’s assessment, according to KFOR.com. Oklahoma has been at the center of this discussion for some time. Earlier this month, Gov. Stitt and state Attorney General Gentner Drummond clashed over a Catholic charter school application that would have created the first state-funded religious charter school in the nation. The application was temporarily denied by the state’s virtual charter board but will be voted on again in the coming weeks. Stitt told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he was disappointed by the the attorney general’s response to the charter and continued to hope that Oklahoma would host the nation’s first state-funded religious charter school, providing more options for parents. Stitt, Jett, Daniels and Echols did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-ex-producer-suing-tucker-carlson-has-never-even-met-him?utm_campaign=64487 Ex-producer suing Tucker Carlson has never even met him Tucker Carlson Tonight producer Abby Grossberg is suing Carlson and the Fox Network over sexual behavior in the workplace, despite never having met Carlson in person. The Spectator reports that lawyers for Grossberg have confirmed that she never actually met Carlson. "Like many on the [Tucker Carlson Tonight] staff, Abby never met Tucker Carlson in person because he taped the show from his personal studios in Maine and Florida, and he did not visit Fox's NY HQ during her time there," said one of Grossberg's attorneys Kimberly A. Catala. Grossberg was the head of booking from July 2022 until she was recently placed on leave in March. She "alleges that Carlson encouraged a hostile and sexist workplace environment among his employees. Grossberg says she was subjected to bullying, antisemitic comments and sexism by staff while working out of Fox’s Manhattan office," Spectator reports. Despite never having met Carlson, Grossberg told rival network MSNBC that "Tucker and his executive producer Justin Wells, who was also fired, really were responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell." "Since Tucker did not come to the Fox office, he relied on Justin Wells, his executive producer, and others like Alexander McCaskill, senior producer, who were present in the office every day to be his eyes, ears and mouthpiece, and to convey his ‘tone,’ as they threateningly reminded Ms. Grossberg," Catala said. The allegation per Grossberg's attorneys is that Carlson directed the "sexist" environment from afar. Apparently, the attorneys posited that Carlson had staff work as his "eyes" and "ears" in the New York office while he worked away in Maine. Carlson and Fox parted ways on Monday morning, though promos for the evening's show were already airing as the press release from Fox went out. It is unclear as to why Fox dismissed the insanely popular news anchor, though speculation abounds, including that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch took issue with Carlson's Christian beliefs. Carlson has been seen in Florida enjoying time with his wife, and laughing about finally being able to dine together on weeknights. His show has been on the air for 7 years, and in that time he amassed a loyal following. In the hours following his departure from the network, "RIP Fox News" was trending on Twitter as many viewers found they had no reason to tune in once Carlson was no longer on the air. The end of the Tucker Carlson Tonight era was celebrated by AOC, who had called for federal regulation of Fox and Carlson, which routinely took aim at her and her shenanigans. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/us/colorado-rock-throwing-arrests.html 3 Teens Charged With Murder in Rock-Throwing Spree That Killed Colorado Driver Three teenagers have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a rock-throwing spree on Colorado roads last week that led to the death of one driver, the authorities said. The three suspects, all 18 and identified as Joseph Koenig, Nicholas Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, were arrested on Tuesday evening at their homes in Arvada, Colo., for taking part in a series of rock-throwing episodes on April 19 that fatally wounded Alexa Bartell, 20, who was killed when one of the rocks smashed through her windshield and struck her, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday. In addition to murder, the three men are charged with extreme indifference; other charges to be determined by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office are expected. It was not immediately clear if the three, who are seniors from different high schools, had lawyers on Wednesday. The rock-throwing spree began shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19 in Westminster, Colo., which is a city of about 114,000 residents north of Denver, the authorities said. During that hour, the authorities said, the three drove a pickup truck around the county and threw large landscaping rocks at six vehicles, including a minivan and an S.U.V., hitting their windshields and driver’s side windows. Those drivers had minor or no injuries. Around 10:45 p.m., Ms. Bartell was driving north on Indiana Street when her Chevrolet Spark, a subcompact, became the last vehicle struck during the spree, the authorities said. Moments before she was killed, Ms. Bartell was on her phone talking to a friend “when the phone went silent,” according to the sheriff’s office. Her friend tracked her phone and drove to the location on Indiana Street where she found Ms. Bartell “fatally wounded inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field.” It was unclear which of the men were driving but “all three are suspected of throwing rocks,” the sheriff’s office said. They were believed to be in a black 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. “Ultimately, mobile device forensics and supporting information from the public helped lead to the identification and arrest of the suspects,” according to the sheriff’s office, which did not release additional details. The men, who were booked into the jail at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Before we end today… how about some good news?! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/mom-wins-lottery-with-ticket-she-bought-celebrating-daughters-victory-over-cancer/ Mom Wins Lottery with Ticket She Bought Celebrating Daughter’s Victory Over Cancer After shelling out her life savings to pay for her daughter’s breast cancer treatment, a Florida grandmother got a nod from the universe. Buying the last available scratch-off from her preferred lottery game at the store, she landed a $2 million jackpot. Geraldine Gimblet of Lakeland was celebrating the moment that her daughter, Lawrencia Jackson, rang a bell at the local hospital signifying she had finished her breast cancer treatment. A long-time lottery player, Gimblet, 74, spent $10 on the last scratch-off card at the store, and it happened to be a winner. “I just didn’t know,” Gimblet told Good Morning America regarding her reaction,, ‘Are you sure, would you check this on your phone?’ And, I won!” Daughter Jackson, who accompanied Gimblet to the Tallahassee lottery offices to accept a lump sum of $1.6 million, described it as a “blessing.” Gimblet didn’t hesitate to finance the cancer treatment, saying she just “did what I had to do,” with Jackson adding that she would “just have to keep loving her,” as a means to try and repay the kindness. +-
Click here for the full interview with Matt Taibbi: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/matt-taibbi-reacts-to-dems-prison?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web For $5 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and chat live with Katie and Aaron in the Absurd Arena at http://usefulidiots.substack.com Or find us on Locals at http://usefulidiots.locals.com Join the Absurd Arena live chat with Katie and Aaron every Tuesday at 12pm est at https://usefulidiots.substack.com/chat Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: "Arm Taiwan to the teeth (for peace)" https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/arm-taiwan-to-the-teeth-for-peace?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web If you thought beef with Elon Musk and threats of imprisonment from Congress would stop Matt Taibbi from breaking more of “the biggest story” of his career, you underestimate the power of a Useful Idiot: Matt returned to the show this week to drop an explosive new Twitter Files. What he and journalists Matt Orfalea and Andrew Lowenthal uncovered was Project Osprey, Twitter's secretive method of categorizing threats to the establishment as Russian agents. Twitter had two different algorithmic lists of Russians: “A Priori Russians” and “Inferred Russians,” the latter including presidential candidate Jill Stein and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. “It's another example,” Matt explains, “of how there's lots of stuff in the Twitter Files that if the quote unquote “left” cared, there's stuff pertaining to them.” The reports consistently show collaboration between media companies, private corporations, and the US government to control a narrative of information and censor whatever doesn't fit into it. As Collusion author (and “Buzzsaw” victim) Luke Harding wrote in his Orwellian view of the future of journalism: “Rivalry between media titles is a thing of the past. The future is collaboration, the hunt for evidence a shared endeavor.” Matt translates: “What these people are really talking about when they're making decisions about content, it's not just a First Amendment violation, it's not just an antitrust violation, it's a complete demolition of the whole model of how democracy is supposed to work.” And this, not Hunter Biden's penis, is the underlying theme of all the Twitter Files: “It's this collaboration between a tightly-knit group of insiders who have decided that they're gonna do this thing together without the input of the public.” For all the unprecedented revelations of government censorship and control, Matt can't understand why no one in the mainstream media seems to care about the story: “In American history there's never been a story like this.” Watch the full interview with Matt Taibbi where he responds to the infamous Mehdi Hasan interview, spills some Elon gossip, and reports on a story you won't hear in corporate media: the indictment of four U.S. citizens accused of being Russian agents for speaking out against the US government. It makes us wonder who's next. Plus, watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: "Arm Taiwan to the teeth (for peace)" And join the Absurd Arena live discussion board with Katie and Aaron every Tuesday at 12pm est in the Substack app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 28th, 2023. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/04/27/argentina-shuns-u-s-dollar-will-pay-for-china-imports-in-yuan/ Argentina Shuns U.S. Dollar: Will Pay for China Imports in Yuan Argentina struck a deal with Beijing on Wednesday to stop using U.S. dollars to pay for Chinese imports and embrace the yuan instead. The measure, driven by Argentina’s leftist President Alberto Fernández, is designed to relieve the South American country’s dwindling dollar reserves, AP reports. The deal further enhances China’s rise on the world stage and the diminished role of the U.S. on a host of fronts under President Joe Biden. After reaching the agreement with various companies, Argentina will use the yuan for imports from China worth about U.S.$1.04 billion from next month, accelerating trade with China as Beijing seeks to gain a further foothold in South America. In November last year Argentina expanded a currency swap with China by $5 billion in an effort to increase its yuan reserves. That agreement allowed Argentina “to work on the possibility” of advancing the rate of imports with yuan-denominated import orders being authorized in 90 days rather than the standard 180 days. The decision comes as Argentina battles critical levels in its dollar reserves amid a sharp drop in agricultural exports caused by a historic drought, as well as political uncertainty ahead of elections this year. It has also been working hard to build a relationship with Beijing after having officially joined China’s infrastructure-building Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last year. Argentina’s government finalized a deal with Beijing soon after to construct a nuclear plant based on Chinese technology near Buenos Aires, Argentina’s national capital, in the near future. The Chinese Communist Party will reportedly provide $8 billion in financing toward the project’s $12 billion total budget. As Breitbart News reported, Argentina currently owes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $44 billion. The international organization is in talks with Argentine authorities to finalize a fourth review of its program that includes a flexibilization of the proposed foreign exchange reserve accumulation as Argentina, whose foreign reserves are now at a $5 billion deficit, cannot comply with the current goals. https://www.foxnews.com/world/singapore-executes-man-conspired-traffic-2-pounds-cannabis Singapore executes man who allegedly conspired to traffic 2 pounds of cannabis Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence. Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the trafficking of 2.2 pounds of cannabis. Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty. Tangaraju was hanged Wednesday morning and his family was given the death certificate, according to a tweet from activist Kirsten Han of the Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for abolishing the death penalty in Singapore. Although Tangaraju was not caught with the cannabis, prosecutors said phone numbers traced him as the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs. Tangaraju had maintained that he was not the one communicating with the others connected to the case. At a United Nations Human Rights briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson called on the Singapore government to adopt a "formal moratorium" on executions for drug-related offenses. "Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with international norms and standards," said the spokesperson, who added that increasing evidence shows the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. Singapore authorities say there is a deterrent effect, citing studies that traffickers carry amounts below the threshold that would bring a death penalty. The island-state's imposition of the death penalty for drugs is in contrast with its neighbors. In Thailand, cannabis has essentially been legalized, and Malaysia has ended the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes. Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug offenses. One case that spurred international concern involved a Malaysian man whose lawyers said he was mentally disabled. https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/26/red-state-bill-religious-institutions-state-funding/ Red State Passes Bill Allowing Religious Institutions Access To State Funding The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday protecting religious institutions from being denied access to state funding. The Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act was introduced by Republican state Sen. Shane Jett and Republican state Sen. Julie Daniels to further reinforce the First Amendment by preventing the state from denying faith-based groups access to taxpayer dollars, according to the bill. The legislature passed the act Tuesday by a 64 to 27 vote, officially sending the act to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk to be signed into law. The bill makes way for religious institutions to access state funding by barring the state from denying applications for funding “based solely on the religious character or affiliation of the person or entity.” The act adds to religious protections the state passed in 2021 preventing the government from declaring church activities non-essential, as was often the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some Democrats argued that the bill was an unnecessary addition to the First Amendment, according to KFOR.com, a local media outlet. One Democratic state representative warned that the bill could lead to government funding of religious activities at religious schools. Republican state Rep. John Echols, who co-authored the bill, disagreed with his colleague’s assessment, according to KFOR.com. Oklahoma has been at the center of this discussion for some time. Earlier this month, Gov. Stitt and state Attorney General Gentner Drummond clashed over a Catholic charter school application that would have created the first state-funded religious charter school in the nation. The application was temporarily denied by the state’s virtual charter board but will be voted on again in the coming weeks. Stitt told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he was disappointed by the the attorney general’s response to the charter and continued to hope that Oklahoma would host the nation’s first state-funded religious charter school, providing more options for parents. Stitt, Jett, Daniels and Echols did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-ex-producer-suing-tucker-carlson-has-never-even-met-him?utm_campaign=64487 Ex-producer suing Tucker Carlson has never even met him Tucker Carlson Tonight producer Abby Grossberg is suing Carlson and the Fox Network over sexual behavior in the workplace, despite never having met Carlson in person. The Spectator reports that lawyers for Grossberg have confirmed that she never actually met Carlson. "Like many on the [Tucker Carlson Tonight] staff, Abby never met Tucker Carlson in person because he taped the show from his personal studios in Maine and Florida, and he did not visit Fox's NY HQ during her time there," said one of Grossberg's attorneys Kimberly A. Catala. Grossberg was the head of booking from July 2022 until she was recently placed on leave in March. She "alleges that Carlson encouraged a hostile and sexist workplace environment among his employees. Grossberg says she was subjected to bullying, antisemitic comments and sexism by staff while working out of Fox’s Manhattan office," Spectator reports. Despite never having met Carlson, Grossberg told rival network MSNBC that "Tucker and his executive producer Justin Wells, who was also fired, really were responsible for breaking me and making my life a living hell." "Since Tucker did not come to the Fox office, he relied on Justin Wells, his executive producer, and others like Alexander McCaskill, senior producer, who were present in the office every day to be his eyes, ears and mouthpiece, and to convey his ‘tone,’ as they threateningly reminded Ms. Grossberg," Catala said. The allegation per Grossberg's attorneys is that Carlson directed the "sexist" environment from afar. Apparently, the attorneys posited that Carlson had staff work as his "eyes" and "ears" in the New York office while he worked away in Maine. Carlson and Fox parted ways on Monday morning, though promos for the evening's show were already airing as the press release from Fox went out. It is unclear as to why Fox dismissed the insanely popular news anchor, though speculation abounds, including that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch took issue with Carlson's Christian beliefs. Carlson has been seen in Florida enjoying time with his wife, and laughing about finally being able to dine together on weeknights. His show has been on the air for 7 years, and in that time he amassed a loyal following. In the hours following his departure from the network, "RIP Fox News" was trending on Twitter as many viewers found they had no reason to tune in once Carlson was no longer on the air. The end of the Tucker Carlson Tonight era was celebrated by AOC, who had called for federal regulation of Fox and Carlson, which routinely took aim at her and her shenanigans. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/us/colorado-rock-throwing-arrests.html 3 Teens Charged With Murder in Rock-Throwing Spree That Killed Colorado Driver Three teenagers have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a rock-throwing spree on Colorado roads last week that led to the death of one driver, the authorities said. The three suspects, all 18 and identified as Joseph Koenig, Nicholas Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, were arrested on Tuesday evening at their homes in Arvada, Colo., for taking part in a series of rock-throwing episodes on April 19 that fatally wounded Alexa Bartell, 20, who was killed when one of the rocks smashed through her windshield and struck her, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday. In addition to murder, the three men are charged with extreme indifference; other charges to be determined by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office are expected. It was not immediately clear if the three, who are seniors from different high schools, had lawyers on Wednesday. The rock-throwing spree began shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19 in Westminster, Colo., which is a city of about 114,000 residents north of Denver, the authorities said. During that hour, the authorities said, the three drove a pickup truck around the county and threw large landscaping rocks at six vehicles, including a minivan and an S.U.V., hitting their windshields and driver’s side windows. Those drivers had minor or no injuries. Around 10:45 p.m., Ms. Bartell was driving north on Indiana Street when her Chevrolet Spark, a subcompact, became the last vehicle struck during the spree, the authorities said. Moments before she was killed, Ms. Bartell was on her phone talking to a friend “when the phone went silent,” according to the sheriff’s office. Her friend tracked her phone and drove to the location on Indiana Street where she found Ms. Bartell “fatally wounded inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field.” It was unclear which of the men were driving but “all three are suspected of throwing rocks,” the sheriff’s office said. They were believed to be in a black 2016 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. “Ultimately, mobile device forensics and supporting information from the public helped lead to the identification and arrest of the suspects,” according to the sheriff’s office, which did not release additional details. The men, who were booked into the jail at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Before we end today… how about some good news?! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/mom-wins-lottery-with-ticket-she-bought-celebrating-daughters-victory-over-cancer/ Mom Wins Lottery with Ticket She Bought Celebrating Daughter’s Victory Over Cancer After shelling out her life savings to pay for her daughter’s breast cancer treatment, a Florida grandmother got a nod from the universe. Buying the last available scratch-off from her preferred lottery game at the store, she landed a $2 million jackpot. Geraldine Gimblet of Lakeland was celebrating the moment that her daughter, Lawrencia Jackson, rang a bell at the local hospital signifying she had finished her breast cancer treatment. A long-time lottery player, Gimblet, 74, spent $10 on the last scratch-off card at the store, and it happened to be a winner. “I just didn’t know,” Gimblet told Good Morning America regarding her reaction,, ‘Are you sure, would you check this on your phone?’ And, I won!” Daughter Jackson, who accompanied Gimblet to the Tallahassee lottery offices to accept a lump sum of $1.6 million, described it as a “blessing.” Gimblet didn’t hesitate to finance the cancer treatment, saying she just “did what I had to do,” with Jackson adding that she would “just have to keep loving her,” as a means to try and repay the kindness. +-
Last week, the Supreme Court heard a case about a Colorado man, Billy Ray Counterman, who was sentenced to over four years in prison for stalking due to threatening Facebook messages that he sent to a singer named C.W. Counterman argued that the charges violated his speech rights and that his messages were not “true threats,” which is a kind of speech not protected under the First Amendment. The issue in the case is whether or not his messages actually constituted under “true threats” (or if conduct like stalking should be distinguished); and if so, how should courts determine what a “true threat” is? In this episode, we dive into the facts and issues in the Counterman v. Colorado case, the history of “true threats” doctrine under the First Amendment, and recap the oral arguments, including whether the justices might decide that “true threats” should be determined by an objective test, such as if a reasonable person would regard the statement as a threat of violence; or whether they might find that it depends on the speaker's specific intent. Genevieve Lakier of the University of Chicago and Gabe Walters of FIRE join host Jeffrey Rosen to discuss. Resources: Brief of Amicus Curiae Foundation for Individuals Rights and Expression in Support of Petitioner and Reversal, Counterman v. Colorado Brief of First Amendment Scholars Evelyn Douek, Genevieve Lakier, and Eugene Volokh in Support of Respondent, Counterman v. Colorado Oral argument in Counterman v. Colorado, April 19, 2023 (Audio by C-SPAN; transcript) Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org. Continue today's conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr. Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly. You can find transcripts for each episode on the podcast pages in our Media Library.
"Banks are highly regulated public-private partnerships in an environment where new charters are excruciatingly hard to obtain, and as such remain de facto arms of the state. It has been and remains trivial to deputize them to carry out political objectives. If there was any doubt, it's now evident that the Obama administration and its successor in Biden's regime are comfortable circumventing the First Amendment by engaging nominally private companies to do their dirty work." — Nic Carter Today we take a look at the extra-judicial attack happening to the Bitcoin and Crypto space, an attempt to use the controlling, centralized financial system to remove the rights of the politically unfavorable. Operation Choke Point is back in full swing, and now has its crosshairs on crypto. What does this mean, where might things be heading, and what can we do about it? All this and more in today's episode, with a lengthy "Guy's Rant" to follow," enjoy! XD Check out the original article at PirateWires.com: https://www.piratewires.com/p/crypto-choke-point#footnote-anchor-1-101709817 Guy's Nostr Pubkey: npub1h8nk2346qezka5cpm8jjh3yl5j88pf4ly2ptu7s6uu55wcfqy0wq36rpev Code BITCOINAUDIBLE gets 10% off your Bitcoin2023 tickets! Don't forget to check out our amazing sponsors: • The Swan IRA is live! Follow the link to find out how to get your tax free retirement funds, securely allocated to Bitcoin! The best place to onboard a true Bitcoiner - Stack sats automatically, withdraw automatically, and learn or get help from the best team of Bitcoiners out there with Swan Bitcoin. (https://swanbitcoin.com/guy) • Gets sats back every time you dump fiat at a store, to pay your bills, everything in your fiat life pays you sats with the Fold Debit Card and FoldApp. 20,000 FREE SATS! at (https://bitcoinaudible.com/fold) • Dive into the Bitcoin only wallet, the cypherpunk calculator, with the NEW Coldcard Q1! A company that has built secure Bitcoin products for nearly a decade. Code BITCOINAUDIBLE gets 9% off the ColdCard! (https://bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard) ------------------------------------ "We are fast approaching the stage…where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission." — Ayn Rand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, April 27th, 2023. https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-pentagon-leaks-paint-gloomy-picture-of-long-war-that-cant-be-won-but-must-not-be-lost-203698 Ukraine war: Pentagon leaks paint gloomy picture of long war that can’t be won but must not be lost Classified Pentagon documents leaked last week paint a grim picture of the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. While it may well be the most significant national security breach since the Snowden leaks of US National Security Agency material a decade ago, the fact that the leak occurred is almost certainly more significant than what was revealed about Ukraine. The leak reveals how apparently easy it was for a low-level employee on a US military base to obtain and then share highly sensitive US government information. By comparison, the contents of the documents on Ukraine leaked are far less explosive in nature – they mostly confirm existing battlefield assessments that cast doubt, in the eyes of US intelligence officials, on any major breakthroughs in a widely expected Ukrainian spring offensive. The key shortfalls on the Ukrainian side – artillery pieces and munitions, as well as air defences – have been well known for some time. What has also been obvious for some time, and was reconfirmed in some of the leaked documents, is that Ukraine has been mostly relying on Soviet-era artillery equipment and stocks of ammunition have begun to run dry. At the same time, western equipment has been slow to be delivered and training of Ukrainian forces has taken time. And the western capacity to produce shells in excess of current Ukrainian consumption has yet to be built. Add to that delays in training and equipping the troops needed for a counter-offensive and the likelihood of well-entrenched Russian defences. The low expectations of at best modest territorial gains in a Ukrainian spring offensive do not come as a surprise. The equally limited gains that Russia has made over the past several months of its offensive, including around the still contested city of Bakhmut should serve as an indication of what is and is not possible after more than a year of war. Similarly, the protracted battle over Soledar back in January this year already gave a glimpse at how costly even minimal and strategically insignificant gains in this war have become. The flipside of the US assessment that any Ukrainian counter-offensive is unlikely to constitute a turning point in the war is that the fighting is likely to continue beyond this year. In some estimates it could last well beyond that. There are no signs that either side is willing to give up. US estimates of casualties – among the leaks from the Pentagon – indicate more than 40,000 Russian soldiers killed in action over the past year and an additional 180,000 wounded. On the Ukrainian side, the figures are lower – with 17,500 likely dead and 113,500 wounded troops – but still significant. Both countries now have tightened conscription rules and procedures in another sign that they are readying themselves for intensifying battles. Equally important from a Ukrainian perspective is continuing support from its western partners. Despite the logistical difficulties of ramping up defence industry outputs and deliveries to Ukraine, there is no indication that supplies will fall critically short and expose Ukraine to the risk of major battlefield defeats. This is partly because Moscow also cannot muster the superior military capabilities that would be needed for inflicting such defeats on Kyiv. Ultimately, both sides are likely to match each other’s increases in capability over time and the current stalemate will continue, albeit at a higher level of mutual attrition. And each increase in capability, however slight, will boost the conviction that this war remains winnable. The Pentagon leaks have cast doubt on such assumptions, but also confirmed that neither Washington nor Kyiv are contemplating losing the war on the battlefield or the negotiation table. Time will tell whether this is a sustainable objective – and at what cost. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/disney-sues-desantis-alleged-campaign-weaponize-government-power-against-company Disney sues DeSantis over alleged 'campaign to weaponize government power' against company Disney has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and members of the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District alleging government power has been weaponized against them. In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, the company alleges a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials." Disney argues the state and DeSantis have violated its First Amendment right to speech by working to strip control of the special taxing district encompassing the Walt Disney World Resort from the company after Disney spoke out against Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill. The lawsuit was filed shortly after the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District unanimously approved a resolution to declare an agreement designed to undercut the new board's power as void. Disney cites the action as the "latest strike" in the state's string of "retaliatory" and "unconstitutional" actions. The lawsuit also argues the state violated the contract clause in the U.S. Constitution by working to void an agreement Disney made with the previous board, which undercut the power of the new DeSantis-appointed district board. Lawyers for Disney also say the state violated the takings clause in the U.S. Constitution by allegedly taking property rights from the company "without payment of just compensation." The fifth cause of action Disney makes in the lawsuit accuses the state of violating the due process clause of the 14th Amendment by arbitrating "the Contracts without any rational basis and for only impermissible reasons." The board had cited violations of necessary procedures outlined in the state's sunshine laws as reason to declare the agreement as void. Disney is seeking to have the two laws restructuring the former Reedy Creek Improvement District declared as "unlawful and unenforceable," along with legally upholding the agreement between Disney and the former district made on Feb. 8, which stripped the new district of most of its power. The entertainment giant had maintained full autonomy over the district since its creation in 1967, but legislation signed into law in February gave the state power over the district. https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/nebraska-becomes-27th-state-pass-constitutional-carry Nebraska becomes 27th state to pass constitutional carry Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed constitutional carry into law on Tuesday, making it the 27th state to add to the constitutional carry majority. The law allows law-abiding Nebraskans who are 21 and up to be able to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. It will go into effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session, which is scheduled for June 9. The bill is backed by the NRA. "Today, Nebraska joined 26 other states whose constituents and leaders recognize that law-abiding Americans should not have to ask for special government permission and pay additional fees in order to exercise their rights outside of the home," Randy Kozuch, executive director of the NRA's legislative lobby arm told Fox News in a statement. https://www.dailyfetched.com/satanic-church-founder-sentenced-to-18-months-in-prison-for-operating-unlicensed-money-transmitting-business/ Satanic Church Founder Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Operating Unlicensed Money-Transmitting Business Self-described satanist Aria DiMezzo, 35, was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and to forfeit more than $14,000 along with 1.93 bitcoins. According to investigators, between June 2020 and January 2021, DiMezzo charged a fee to exchange mostly U.S. dollars for Bitcoin, recruiting customers on websites. Customers sent DiMezzo money through bank accounts to the Reformed Satanic Church. DiMezzo sold more than $3 million worth of virtual currency but did not register the operation as a money-transmitting business, failing to comply with mandatory regulations. According to investigators, DiMezzo failed to file currency transaction reports for exchanges of over $10,000 or suspicious activity reports for transactions over $2,000. Prosecutors said DiMezzo worked with a man named Ian Freeman to sell virtual currency to customers, paying Freeman a percentage of the profits. Freeman was found guilty of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, laundering over $10 million in proceeds of romance scams, and tax evasion. In 2020, Republicans in one New Hampshire county nominated DiMezzo for sheriff, whose campaign slogan disparaged the police. At the time, DiMezzo said, as law enforcement, any of his deputies “would be fired on the spot, and perhaps charged with crimes, for any brutality or misconduct.” DiMezzo serves as the high priest and founder of the Reformed Satanic Church. The church doesn’t believe Satan exists, DiMezzo claimed, but instead “stands for individualism and voluntarism, and opposes the god of the day,” which he described as the state. https://www.theblaze.com/news/let-s-go-lawsuit-students-sue-after-school-forces-them-to-remove-let-s-go-brandon-sweatshirts 'Let's go, lawsuit': Students sue after school forces them to remove 'Let's Go Brandon' sweatshirts Two students are suing a Michigan school district for viewpoint discrimination after school employees forbade them wearing sweatshirts opposing President Biden, the students' legal team announced in a statement Tuesday. "These students should not only be allowed to express their political beliefs, but should be encouraged to do so," FIRE attorney Harrison Rosenthal said in the statement. "America’s students must be free to exercise their constitutional rights, not just learn about them." The case stems from multiple incidents in February 2022 and May 2022 at Tri County Middle School in Howard City, Michigan. School employees ordered two students to "remove 'Let's Go Brandon' sweatshirts despite allowing students to wear apparel with other political and social messages," the complaint alleges. FIRE attorneys representing the students say the incidents are "part of a pattern of political favoritism by the school district." They add that during a field day, an administrator ordered a student to stop wearing a Trump flag as a cape, but permitted students to wear gay pride flags in the same manner. Though the phrase originated as a means for mimicking a "f*** Joe Biden" chant, the phrase "let's go Brandon" contains no profane language. Therefore, FIRE attorneys reason, the school's dress code barring profane clothing does not apply. Howard City is in west central Michigan about 35 miles from Grand Rapids. It has a population of approximately 1,967.
Thursday, April 27th, 2023Today, in the Hot Notes; E. Jean Carroll takes the stand in her rape and defamation suit against Donald Trump; Disney sues Ron DeSantis for First Amendment violations; transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr is barred from the Montana House Chamber; Fox News execs have an oppo file on Tucker Carlson; Steve Bannon's co-conspirators in the We Build the Wall scheme are sentenced; founding member of the Fugees Pras Michele is convicted on all counts; Trump's lawyers rail against the DOJ in a letter to Congress; plus AG delivers your Good News.Follow our Guest:Jesse Freidinhttps://twitter.com/jessefreidinAre You OK?https://www.areyouokportraits.com/about Want some sweet Daily Beans Merchhttps://shop.dailybeanspod.com/Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Follow AG and Dana on Twitter:Dr. Allison Gill https://twitter.com/allisongillhttps://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrotehttps://twitter.com/dailybeanspodDana Goldberghttps://twitter.com/DGComedy Promo Codes:Get 20% off all mattress orders plus 2 free pillows at HelixSleep.com/dailybeans with code HELIXPARTNER.FACTORMEALS.com/dailybeans50 and use code dailybeans50 to get 50% off your first box. Google Doc of current legislation threatening trans people and their families:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fTxHLjBa86GA7WCT-V6AbEMGRFPMJndnaVGoZZX4PMw/edit?usp=sharingHave some good news; a confession; or a correction?https://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://dailybeans.supercast.techOrhttps://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcastshttps://apple.co/3UKzKt0
If someone lies about you, you can usually sue them for defamation. But what if that someone is ChatGPT? Already in Australia, the mayor of a town outside Melbourne has threatened to sue OpenAI because ChatGPT falsely named him a guilty party in a bribery scandal. Could that happen in America? Does our libel law allow that? What does it even mean for a large language model to act with "malice"? Does the First Amendment put any limits on the ability to hold these models, and the companies that make them, accountable for false statements they make? And what's the best way to deal with this problem: private lawsuits or government regulation?On this episode of Arbiters of Truth, our series on the information ecosystem, Alan Rozenshtein, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and Senior Editor at Lawfare, discussed these questions with First Amendment expert Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA and the author of a draft paper entitled "Large Libel Models.”Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.