News & Opinion

Nonprofit vies for right to fund political ads without limits

A federal appeals court will take up the suit of SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission. The nonprofit SpeechNow.org is suing for the right to advocate for free speech and against free speech restriction in campaign reforms without having to set up a separate political action committee. -DB Institute for Justice Press Release January 26, 2010 ARLINGTON, Va.—Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations may fund independent political ads without government-imposed limits. Tomorrow (Wednesday,

Read More »

Under Obama federal agencies still fighting record requests

The Washington Post reports that federal agencies are still balking at releasing records to the public, claiming that it would interfere with internal decision-making or compromise national security. In Obama’s first year, the number of Freedom of  Information Act lawsuits filed exceeds the number filed in each of Bush’s last two years. -DB The Washington Post January 27, 2010 By Carol D. Leonnig More than 300 individuals and groups have sued the government to get

Read More »

Senate rejects proposal for commission of inquiry on torture

Senator Patrick Leahy was unable to obtain the bipartisan consensus he said was essential to conduct a senate investigation of Bush administration conduct on terrorism including detention, rendition and interrogation. -DB Secrecy News Federation of American Scientists Commentary January 26, 2010 By Steven Aftergood Last year the Senate Judiciary Committee considered a proposal by Senator Patrick Leahy to establish a formal “commission of inquiry” that would investigate the conduct of the post-9/11 war on terrorism,

Read More »

Call for private industry to join U.S. government to promote Internet Freedom

EFF International Outreach Coordinator Danny O’Brien says Hillary Clinton’s speech on Internet Freedom was encouraging but that both governments and global companies have to redouble their efforts to establish world-wide standards for privacy and free expression. -DB Electronic Frontier Foundation Commentary January 25, 2010 By Danny O-Brien Secretary Clinton’s speech last week on Internet Freedom was an important step in bringing online free expression and privacy to the forefront of the United States’ foreign policy

Read More »

State appeals court reverses conviction for Internet threat

In dismissing a conviction of a former college student for online threats to kill children, the Fourth District Court of Appeal agreed with the defense that the threat was not directed at any individual and that the offense did not correspond to the defendant’s actual conduct. -DB Metropolitan News-Enterprise January 26, 2010 By Steven M. Ellis The Fourth District Court of Appeal yesterday reversed the conviction of a former Mt. San Jacinto Community College student

Read More »