First Amendment

Read the latest news stories on first amendment rights on Newser.com

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University Sued Over Canceled Oct. 7 Vigil

Students for Justice in Palestine group says First Amendment rights are being violated

(Newser) - A First Amendment lawsuit has been filed in federal court to challenge the University of Maryland's decision to cancel a vigil on Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. The Students for Justice in Palestine group planned the vigil to...

After Storm of Threats, Bragg's Office Makes an Ask

Prosecutors ask judge to keep much of Trump gag order in place in hush-money case till sentencing

(Newser) - Manhattan's district attorney has asked the judge who oversaw Donald Trump's hush-money trial to extend the former president's gag order, with modifications. The Guardian notes that the gag order, which Trump's circle has long pushed back on, was placed on Trump before his felony trial kicked...

Supreme Court Clears Way for NRA's Free-Speech Lawsuit

Gun-rights group sued a former New York state official, said she tried to get it blacklisted

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for a National Rifle Association lawsuit against a former New York state official over claims she violated its free-speech rights. As the AP reports, the unanimous opinion reverses a lower court's decision tossing out the gun rights group's lawsuit...

SCOTUS Has Bad News for Musk Over Tesla Tweets

High court rejects his appeal on mandate that he gets approval before posting online about his company

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Elon Musk over a settlement with securities regulators that requires him to get approval in advance of tweets related to Tesla. The justices didn't comment in leaving in place lower-court rulings against Musk, who complained that the requirement amounts to...

US Offers Assurances on Assange. His Wife Is Skeptical

'Blatant weasel words,' Stella Assange says of vow from US that's meant to jump-start extradition

(Newser) - The United States made its deadline Tuesday, providing London's High Court with the assurances needed to jump-start Julian Assange's extradition from the UK. The WikiLeaks founder's wife, however, isn't exactly buying it, reports Reuters .
  • Backstory: Last month, two judges said that Australia's Assange—who was
...

Who's Worse for Democracy, Biden or Trump? RFK Jr. Picks

Independent POTUS candidate claims Biden is first president to use feds 'to censor political speech'

(Newser) - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. obviously thinks he's a better man for the Oval Office than either of his two main competitors, President Biden and former President Trump, but he made it clear during an appearance this week on CNN that he thinks one of his political foes looms more...

SCOTUS Hears Arguments in NRA Free-Speech Lawsuit

Group is suing former NY state official who allegedly tried to have it blacklisted

(Newser) - Supreme Court justices appeared receptive Monday to National Rifle Association claims that a former New York state official violated its free-speech rights by pressuring banks and insurance companies to blacklist the group after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The NRA is suing former New York State Department of...

Texas' Crackdown on Porn Has Officially Begun

Pornhub disables its site in Lone Star State over new legislation regarding age verification

(Newser) - An appeals court has cleared the way for Texas to enforce a law requiring age verification before someone can surf porn sites, and, not surprisingly, the porn sites aren't happy about it. In a 2-1 ruling on March 7 by the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit...

She Says Car-Honking Is Free Speech. Appeals Court Says No
SCOTUS Won't Hear
Challenge to Honking Law
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 2, 2024 4:20 PM CST

SCOTUS Won't Hear Challenge to Honking Law

California woman argued that hitting the horn as 'personal expression' is protected free speech

(Newser) - The Supreme Court has declined to hear a case on whether honking a car horn is protected free speech, leaving in place a lower court's ruling upholding a California law that bans excessive honking. Lawyers for Susan Porter, who was ticketed in 2017 after honking in support of anti-Donald...

Court: Jan. 6 Civil Suits Against Trump Are a Go
Bad News Part II
for Trump on Legal Front
UPDATED
Dec 2, 2023 7:00 AM CST

Bad News Part II for Trump on Legal Front

After decision on claims of presidential immunity in civil case, judge in DC criminal case rules similarly

(Newser) - An appeals court on Friday rejected former President Donald Trump's request to dismiss a set of civil lawsuits against him due to what he claimed was presidential immunity on things he did and said after the 2020 election. Later that day, Judge Tanya Chutkan similarly rebuffed Trump's claims...

Johnson Cites 'Misunderstanding' on Separation of Church, State

Christian conservative speaker claims religious influence on public life was meant to be protected

(Newser) - The new House speaker has thrown his support behind former President Trump while aiming to correct what he claims is a "misunderstanding" about a core principle of US government. According to Mike Johnson, the Founding Fathers very much wanted faith to influence public life, despite the First Amendment prohibiting...

Coach Fired Over Praying Quits After Winning Job Back

Joe Kennedy was on the field again for one game

(Newser) - One game into his return to the football coaching staff at Washington's Bremerton High School, Joe Kennedy has resigned from the job the US Supreme Court allowed him to keep. "It is apparent that the reinstatement ordered by the Supreme Court will not be fully followed after a...

Teen Suspended for Mocking Principal Sues

Tennessee student says free speech rights were violated after Instagram posts made fun of school

(Newser) - It's not unusual for students to poke fun of teachers or administrators, but one high school principal who suspended a teen for doing so is now on the receiving end of a First Amendment lawsuit. The Washington Post reports on the complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court...

Document in SCOTUS LGBTQ+ Case Is Raising Eyebrows

'Gay' man whose inquiry is evidence tells 'New Republic' he never made that inquiry—and isn't gay

(Newser) - One of the Supreme Court's final rulings for this term is due out Friday regarding LGBTQ+ rights, but ahead of its release comes a report on a key document in the case. It appears that document may be phony, reports the Guardian , which notes that "[raises] the possibility...

'One of Most Sex-Ridden Books Around' Returned to School Shelves

Utah's Davis School District reverses decision

(Newser) - Bibles will return to the shelves in a northern Utah school district that provoked an outcry after it banned them from middle and elementary schools last month, the AP reports. Officials from the Davis School District said at a board meeting Tuesday that the district had determined the sacred text...

Graduate Honors Dual Heritage Despite Judge's Ruling

Court backed Colorado school district wanting to prohibit sash with Mexican, American flags

(Newser) - Although her school district told her not to, and a judge backed that decision up, a high school graduate wore a sash representing the flags of Mexico and the US to her commencement ceremony over the weekend. "Always stand up for what you believe in," Naomi Peña...

ACLU: 'After School Satan Club' Ruling a Free Speech 'Victory'

Judge decides against Pennsylvania school district's barring of group's meetings, calling it 1A violation

(Newser) - In Pennsylvania, the Saucon Valley School District backed down earlier this year from granting meeting space to the After School Satan Club after community outcry and even a shooting threat. Now, the club is celebrating what the ACLU is calling "a victory for free speech and religious freedom."...

Cop Detains, Handcuffs WSJ Reporter Outside Bank

Dion Rabouin was interviewing people outside bank branch in Phoenix

(Newser) - The Wall Street Journal says it is deeply concerned by the way one of its reporters was treated by police in Phoenix. New York-based reporter Dion Rabouin tells ABC15 he was working on a story about savings accounts and decided to do some man-on-the-street interviews outside a Chase Bank branch...

Trump Re-Ups Fight Against the 'Cat's Paws' of Twitter

Former president files lawsuit in appeals court regarding his ban on social media platform

(Newser) - Elon Musk has previously said he would lift former President Trump's Twitter ban, and now it looks as if it might be just a matter of time before that happens. Trump doesn't seem to want to wait for the social media platform's answer on that, however: On...

Lawsuit Over 'FCANCER' Vanity Plate to Go Forward
DMV Revoked Her Vanity
Plate. She's Fighting Back
in case you missed it
Aug 7, 2022 4:25 PM CDT

DMV Revoked Her Vanity Plate. She's Fighting Back

Federal judge rules that Kari Lynn Overington's suit on 'FCANCER' plate may proceed

(Newser) - Kari Lynn Overington was in a celebratory mood when she hit the milestone of being cancer-free for two years, so she treated herself to a new car and a vanity plate that said "FCANCER," a defiant message to the breast cancer she'd beat. The DMV issued the...

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