donal brown

In receiving her silver medal in the shot-put, Raven Saunders of the U.S. brought to focus the disparity in the rules of the international committee and the U.S. Olympic leaders when she crossed her arms above her head, she said, in solidarity with oppressed people. The U.S. allows gestures so long as they are not hateful. The international committee bars all political demonstrations at the Games. (The New York Times, August 1, 2021, by Matthew

Roselle Park, New Jersey made the right call in abandoning their fight to force a town resident to move signs with words, F— Biden from her mother’s fence, writes the Star Ledger Editorial Board, NJ.com, July 28, 2021. Their editorial cite the U.S. Supreme Court 1971 ruling that supported the use of the F-word in political banners. An Oxnard citizen Aaron Starr filed a federal lawsuit charging that the state law AB 5 classified campaign

The Biden administration unsuccessfully pressured Facebook to share information about how it is combating lies on the vaccines then lit into the social media for not removing the lies quickly enough thus contributing to loss of life. (Ars Technica, July 19, 2021, by Tim De Chant) Law professor Eugene Volokh of the Volokh Conspiracy, writes that it is constitutional for Biden administration officials to pressure the social media so long as they don’t coerce with

Labor unions using an inflated rodent, “Scabby the Rat,” in protests were vindicated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)who ruled that the rat was protected speech. Even Republican appointees to the board sided with Scabby. The Trump administration had tried to argue that the rat was a threat, “glaring in character and size and an unmistakable symbol of contempt” with their “red eyes, fangs, and claws.” (Business Insider, July 21, 2021, by Charles Davis)

Seventeen news outlets from around the world are investigating private spying technology used on journalists, activists, politicians and CEOs. Called Pegasus, the spyware is widely used on reporters. (CNN Business, July 19, 2021, by Brian Stelter) Some are urging governments to curb the excesses of private spying made possible with the purchase of spyware that can invade smart phones. The Pegasus spyware is the product of the NSO Group based in Israel. It is confirmed