A lawsuit in San Francisco federal court seeks documents showing that the FBI has conducted secret surveillance on an antiwar website operated by two Bay Area men. The suit asserts that the FBI began targeting antiwar.com a decade ago and has documents indicating it considered the site a threat to national security. While the suit [...]
Court upholds paper’s right to publish minor’s name
A California appellate court has ruled that newspapers have a constitutional right to publish the names of children who suffer abuse, as long as the name is newsworthy. According to the Sacramento Bee, the decision in favor of the Redding Record Searchlight upheld a ruling in Shasta County Superior Court. Full story
Furor over naming reporter as co-conspirator in leak case
On the heels of news that the Justice Department seized phone records of Associated Press reporters, the Obama administration has further roiled the press with the revelation that a Fox News reporter was named in a court affidavit as a co-conspirator in the leak of classified information on North Korean missile activity. The case centered [...]
Federal appeals court hears case on Facebook ‘like’ as protected speech
The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments on whether a Facebook “like” should enjoy protection as free speech under the First Amendment. An employee of the Hampton, Virginia sheriff’s department was fired after clicking the “like” button on the sheriff’s political opponent’s Facebook page. (Bloomberg News, May 16, 2013, by Tom Schoenberg) A [...]
Administration dives for cover in AP phone record incident
Attorney General Eric Holder defended the seizure of Associated Press phone records in an investigation of leaks involving the CIA, saying that it was necessary to uphold national security. (The New York Times, May 14, 2013, by Charlie Savage and Scott Shane) But to insure that everyone believed their statements about the importance of free [...]
Appeal in free speech case over graphic abortion images
The Thomas Moore Society has filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Colorado Supreme Court decision in a case in which an anti-abortion protester was ruled disruptive for displaying large photos of aborted fetuses near a Palm Sunday procession with about 200 children present. Some of the children were upset by [...]
Scandal over Bloomberg use of client data
Bloomberg News reporters were using the company’s financial data terminals to monitor login activity to gain an edge in covering market and trading news. Bloomberg editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler admitted the practice was long standing and apologized saying it was an inexcusable error. (The New York Times, May 13, 2013, by Amy Chozick) After JKMorganChase complained [...]
Justice Department seizes AP phone records
The Justice Department authorized a confiscation of phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors that many feel is an egregious attack on freedom of the press. The government’s action is thought to be part of an investigation into the leaking of information a year ago about a foiled Yemen-based plot to bomb an airliner. [...]
Dating imperiled by government speech mandate
The Departments of Justice and Education are ordering every U.S. college and university to enact speech codes that include restrictions on expression on sexual topics that offend any person; sexually themed jokes that are considered offensive; and requests for dates or flirtation not welcomed by the recipient.”…the Departments of Justice and Education have mandated a [...]
Feds request removal from Internet of 3D handgun designs
The State Department prevailed on Defense Distributed, a Texas nonprofit, to remove from the Internet designs for a pistol. State said the act of distributing these designs online violated federal law restricting transfer and access of data for designated weapons. (Courthouse News Service, May 13, 2013, by David Lee) The incident inspired a detailed blog [...]
