First Amendment News

Tom Jones in Poynter, April 11, 2023, reports that the State Department designated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich “wrongfully detained.” The Russians arrested him last month for espionage. The designation means our government is denying that he is a spy and that the case will be handled by the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs that negotiates the release of hostages. The editorial board of the Financial Times, April 4, 2023,

A ProPublica investigation, April 6, 2023, by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski revealed that for the last 20 years, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted luxury vacations from billionaire Harlan Crow without listing them in his financial disclosures. Crow has been active in promoting conservative causes. Crow’s law firm has not had a Supreme Court case when Thomas has been on the bench, and Crow said he has never tried to influence

A few days after the mass shooting at a Nashville school, Tennessee House Republicans voted to expel two Black members for leading a gun reform demonstration on the House floor. In the interests of decorum, Republicans sidelined the need for debate on gun control, said Martin Luther King III. Tennessee director of the American Civil Liberties Union Kathy Sinback said the expulsions were without due process, and raised “questions about the disparate treatment of Black

The American Civil Liberties is suing the Idaho Attorney General for threats to medical personnel who give patients information about out-of-state abortion care. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said after Roe v. Wade was overturned that “under fundamental First Amendment principles, individuals must remain free to inform and counsel each other about the reproductive care that is available in other states.” (Axios, April 5,2023, by Sareen Habeshian and Oriana Gonzalez) Rose Mackenzie of the ACLU,

Fox News reversed itself at the news that former president Donald Trump was indicted. Whereas it offered him little support since January 6, this week it declared that Trump was indicted by a deep-state, corrupt legal system intent on attacking conservatives unfairly. (CNN, March 31, 2023, by Oliver Darcy) Fox News hosts warned that the indictment would make Trump a hero and warned that Trump’s core supporters would rise to his defense. Some urged his