Biden Administration Overstepped Bounds on Social Media Pressure

The 5th Circuit upholds a lower court ruling but narrows its scope considerably.

Florida’s School Censorship Runs Into Roadblocks

The state has banned the teaching of science in science classes.

An Authoritarian Tale

Don’t offend the Lt. Governor in Texas.

Disinformation and Free Speech

How far should the government be able to go?

Yet Another Example of the Weakness of US Parties

The parties do not control their labels.

The Good Guys Do Propaganda, Too

Ukraine is heavily censoring foreign media.

The Limits of Academic Freedom

UPenn law professor Amy Wax as a test case.

Of Motes and Beams

The left and right are attacking basic rights. But not equally.

Fear and Censorship in Education

Teachers are frustrated over interference from outside.

Right-Wing Musical Chairs on Satellite TV

Weirdly, politicians who don’t understand the debt ceiling also don’t understand other things.

From the “You Can’t Make this Stuff Up” File

That time the Nazis made a movie about the Titanic.

Craziness, Disconnectedness, and a Toxic Political Climate Equals Violence

The attack at the Pelosi house should surprise no one.

A Spotify for News

Publishers and consumers want very different business models.

Mikhail Gorbachev, 1931-2022

The last Soviet leader is gone at 91.

The free high-resolution photo of board, game, play, number, color, business, yellow, competition, strategy, games, shape, pieces, win, indoor games and sports, tabletop game , taken with an SLT-A58 03/10 2017 The picture taken with 35.0mm, f/1.8s, 1/30s, ISO 100 The free high-resolution photo of board, game, play, number, color, business, yellow, competition, strategy, games, shape, pieces, win, indoor games and sports, tabletop game , taken with an SLT-A58 03/10 2017 The picture taken with 35.0mm, f/1.8s, 1/30s, ISO 100

Hard to Say I’m Sorry

Columnists write bad columns apologizing for bad columns.

Twitterless

Elon backs out.

Elon Musk Buys Twitter

It’s happened. What does it mean?

Russia’s Brain Drain

Intellectuals are fleeing as Soviet-style censorship returns.

Content Moderation, Free Speech, and Community

Unlimited dialog makes conversations harder.

A Key Aspect of the Ginni Thomas Story

Beyond who her spouse is, the texts to Meadows reveal a deeply concerning situation.

Ginni Thomas the Insurrectionist

A Supreme Court Justice’s wife urged the White House and Congressional Republicans to steal the 2020 election.

Some Thoughts on “Cancel Culture”

Thomas gets the ball rolling, and I take off from there.

[Maus & To Kill a Mocking Bird Books] [Maus & To Kill a Mocking Bird Books]

[Updated 1/31] Both Sides Are NOT the Same: “Banned” Book Edition

People, details do in fact matter!

The Children Must Be Protected!

But from what? Comparing two stories from Tennessee that show our society’s contradictory impulses when it comes to “protecting the children.”

Timeline Ripped Out of Arkansas Yearbook

When “the news” isn’t just “the news.”

“Why do Liberals Hate Orban?” is not the Right Question

The right questions are: 1) why do some some on the right like him, and 2) should this concern us all?

Natanz Sidelined by Another Israeli Attack

Iran’s top nuclear facility is offline again.

Glenn Greenwald Quits Intercept

The iconoclastic journalist is out at the publication he founded.

62% of Americans Afraid to Share Political Views

An interesting if frustrating new survey from Cato.

Trump Rally Flops Bigly

The President gave a delusional rant to a half-empty stadium thanks to some crazy kids.

Bolton and his Book

He is complaining that the White House is holding it up.

Twitter Stops Accepting Political Advertising

Twitter is banning all political advertising from its site. It is a largely meaningless decision, but it’s still a bad idea.

South Park Banned In China After Episode Mocking Chinese Censorship

South Park mocked Chinese censorship so, of course, they were censored in China.

Tulsi Gabbard Files Ridiculous Lawsuit Against Google

Tulsi Gabbard has filed a seemingly frivolous lawsuit against Google due to a temporary suspension of her advertising account.

On Foreign Policy, Biden Is The Anti-Trump

Joe Biden delivered his first major foreign policy address of the campaign. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what we have right now.

Naomi Wolf’s New Book a Complete Misunderstanding

An author’s greatest nightmare unfolded on live radio.

Florida Student Charged With Creating Disturbance Over Pledge Of Allegiance

A student in Florida has been charged with creating a disturbance after declining to recite the Pledge Of Allegiance in class.

Australia’s Top Cardinal Was Convicted Of Sex Abuse, The Australian Press Can’t Report It

A particularly appalling case of press censorship from Australia.

Joe Arpaio Files Defamation Suit Against The New York Times

Former Arizona Sheriff and Senate candidate Joe Arpaio is suing The New York Times for defamation. He doesn’t appear to have much of a case.

Jamal Khashoggi’s Final Words Should Carry Far Beyond The Arab World

Jamal Khashoggi’s final column includes a message that should resonate far beyond the Arab world it was addressed to.

Texas Trying To Force Students To Stand For Pledge Of Allegiance

The State of Texas is arguing in Court that a school district can force a student to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

Alex Jones Loses Access To Social Media

Facebook, Google, and several other companies have closed down accounts associated with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Conservatives Are On The Wrong Side Of The N.F.L. Anthem Debate

Conservatives claim to support freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but they’ve utterly failed that test when it comes to their reaction to players who peacefully and respectfully kneel during the National Anthem.

More Sandy Hook Families Sue Alex Jones

Alex Jones is finally being called on to answer for his irresponsible lying about events like the Sandy Hook shooting.

Germany Social Media Hate Speech Ban Having Global Impact

The Internet is a global platform. Should every country’s laws apply to everyone using it?

OTB Goes Secure

Overnight, we moved to content encryption. Here’s what that means for you.

Miguel Díaz-Canel Becomes New President Of Cuba

Cuba has a new President and he isn’t named Castro, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to see significant change in the near future.

Fresno State English Professor Calls Barbara Bush ‘Racist’ and Wishes Rest of Family Would Die Soon

Randa Jarrar was classless and contemptible, which is protected by the First Amendment. As a tenured state employee so is her job.

Sandy Hook Parents Sue Alex Jones For Defamation

The parents of two of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre are suing Alex Jones for falsely accusing them of lying about the deaths of their children.

House Committee Tougher On Mark Zuckerberg, But Regulation Seems Unlikely

Mark Zuckerberg’s second day before Congress was somewhat more contentious than the first, but at the end of the day it’s still unclear that more regulation is the answer to the issues raised by recent Facebook “scandals.”