A recent court ruling determined that Donald Trump cannot revoke a lawyer’s security clearance simply because he disapproves of their clients. The court found that such actions violate First Amendment rights, as the government failed to provide an individualized assessment of the lawyer’s eligibility for clearance and instead targeted him for his past legal work. The judge’s decision, based on the preliminary injunction record, also highlighted the lack of due process in the clearance revocation process. The ruling specifically stated that the government’s actions were retaliatory in nature.
Read More
Despite a faculty appeals panel’s finding of unjustified dismissal, Texas A&M University will not reinstate Melissa McCoul, a lecturer fired after a video of her teaching about gender identity went viral. The university system’s vice chancellor for academic affairs supported the termination, citing “good cause,” though the reasoning was not explained. McCoul’s lawyer plans to pursue First Amendment and breach of contract claims. McCoul was fired after a student recorded a classroom exchange and met with then-university president Mark Welsh III, who initially refused to fire McCoul. After the firing, the university system implemented new policies restricting how race, gender, and sexuality are taught.
Read More
Returning to Chicago, U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, along with federal agents and a film crew, faced criticism from local officials for aggressive tactics and allegedly indiscriminate arrests without warrants, turning immigration operations into a spectacle. The Department of Homeland Security has previously utilized filming for political gain, mirroring a trend under the Trump administration, where the Justice Department has encouraged domestic terrorism charges against those who “dox” law enforcement officers. This broad definition, which includes publishing information identifying officers, is seen as an attempt to intimidate those who record DHS operations, even though it is often protected by the First Amendment. This could potentially extend to the DHS’s own media teams, while also raising constitutional concerns about selective enforcement based on political alignment.
Read More
A Texas federal judge issued a temporary block on Senate Bill 2420, the App Store Accountability Act, which would have mandated age verification for app downloads and parental consent for minors’ in-app purchases. The plaintiffs, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) and two high school students, argued that the law imposed unconstitutional content-based restrictions on speech and parental rights. Judge Robert Pitman sided with the plaintiffs, citing the law’s likely unconstitutionality, while also acknowledging the importance of child safety online. This decision follows a similar ruling earlier in the year that blocked parts of the SCOPE Act, further highlighting ongoing legal challenges to Texas’ efforts to regulate minors’ access to online content.
Read More
President Trump suggested terminating broadcast licenses for networks with predominantly negative coverage of him, the GOP, and late-night hosts. This statement followed a Truth Social post criticizing Stephen Colbert and questioning the quality and ratings of all late-night shows. This is not the first time Trump has considered revoking broadcast licenses, as he previously expressed similar sentiments. The FCC, which issues these licenses and is not a completely independent agency, has not commented on the matter, and the networks in question have remained silent.
Read More
In a recent case, Judge Amul Thapar argued that the First Amendment’s protection of free speech may not definitively apply to non-citizens within the United States. This assertion contradicts the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bridges v. Wilson (1945), which explicitly recognized free speech rights for resident aliens. Thapar’s historical argument, citing the Alien and Sedition Acts, is also flawed as these acts were widely criticized and deemed unconstitutional due to their infringement on speech, and were meant to apply to both citizens and non-citizens. Furthermore, restricting the speech of non-citizens would inevitably harm the free speech rights of citizens who wish to hear from them.
Read More
A former Tennessee law enforcement officer is suing Perry County and its sheriff after being jailed for over a month for a Facebook meme referencing a comment by Donald Trump following a school shooting. The post was made in response to a vigil for conservative activist Charlie Kirk and was interpreted by the sheriff as a threat to a local high school, even though the meme referenced a different school in another state. Bushart was charged with “threatening mass violence at a school” and held on a $2 million bond. The lawsuit alleges violations of Bushart’s First and Fourth Amendment rights, seeks a jury trial, and claims he lost his post-retirement job due to the incarceration, while the county and officials have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Read More
A retired Tennessee law enforcement officer is suing after being arrested and held in jail for over a month following a Facebook post containing a meme referencing the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The lawsuit claims his First Amendment rights were violated and that he was unlawfully prosecuted for protected political speech. Bushart was arrested for “threatening mass violence at a school,” due to the meme’s reference to a school shooting, and held on a $2 million bond before the charge was dropped. The lawsuit names Perry County, its sheriff, and an investigator as defendants, seeking damages for the alleged violations.
Read More
The New Normal: Trump Decides Which Beliefs Are ‘Legal’: When dissent becomes an “indicator,” the First Amendment stops being a right and starts being a risk.
It’s a chilling prospect: a government actively seeking out and investigating its own citizens based on their beliefs. This isn’t the premise of a dystopian novel; it’s the reality unfolding under a directive that, frankly, sounds like something out of a satirical newspaper. National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7) orders the FBI and other agencies to target individuals and groups based on a list of “indicators” – markers of potential domestic terrorism. These indicators, however, aren’t about violent acts.… Continue reading
The maker of the ICEBlock app, Joshua Aaron, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, alleging violations of free speech after the app was removed from Apple’s app store. The lawsuit claims that then-Attorney General Pam Bondi used her influence to pressure Apple into removing the app, which tracked U.S. immigration agents, arguing it endangered law enforcement. Aaron argues that his app is protected by the First Amendment and that the government’s threats of criminal investigation against him are unlawful. The app, which had over 1 million users, was removed from Apple’s store in October after Bondi’s demands, with Apple citing that the app violated their policy by providing location information that could harm law enforcement.
Read More
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood