Pay transparency makes resounding debut

New transparency laws in New York City and California will enable workers as the laws require companies to post salary ranges for entry level jobs. The laws are intended to deal with unequal pay and help workers in their negotiations for pay raises. (Axios, November 1, 2022, by Emily Peck) Colorado, Rhode Island and Washington are also requiring companies to list salary ranges with national repercussions as workers anywhere in the U.S. can use the

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FBI agent caught impersonating AP reporter

The FBI settled two lawsuits in the case of an FBI agent posing in 2007 as a reporter for The Associated Press and writing a fake story. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) got a $145,000 payout after years of pursuing the case through Freedom of Information Act requests. (ABC News, November 4, 2022, by Lindsay Whitehurst of The Associated Press)

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Twitter in turmoil as some fear the worst

Twitter is in chaos as new owner Elon Musk fires workers including top executives, tests new plans and determines his stance on content moderation. (The Associated Press, November 6, 2022, by Barbara Ortutay) Twitter’s revenues are down as advertisers drop out, prompting Musk to blame civil rights leaders and other activists for pressuring advertisers. In the campaign #StopToxicTwitter, activists claim that Musk is providing haven for hate speech and racism. (CBS News, November 4, 2022,

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Scholar argues more speech no cure to plethora of lies

In an essay for the next issue of Daedalus, legal scholar Robert Post, SSRN, October 20, 2020 argues that the public forum, the free-flowing marketplace of ideas, is no sure remedy for the current state of speech in the U.S. “Under the spell of a free speech principle,” writes Post, “many believe that an illness of contemporary public debate can be cured by more speech. But this recommendation confuses symptoms with causes. Our public discourse

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New report shows degree of self-censorship at nation’s universities

FIRE’s report on the state of free speech on university campuses revealed that numbers of students self-censor in atmospheres of intolerance and lack of support from administrations and other students. The top ranked schools are the University of Chicago, Kansas State, Purdue, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State. The lowest ratings went to University of Pennsylvania, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Georgetown and Skidmore. (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, November 4, 2022) In reference to law schools,

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