News & Opinion

David Bauder for The Associated Press, January 24, 2024, writes that the news media has still not figured out how to cover ex-president Donald Trump in his live appearances. Does he even justify live coverage when he is likely to make false statements hard to fact-check? Brian Klass of The Atlantic and Margaret Sullivan of The Guardian appeared on NPR December 10, 2023 criticizing how the press is responding to some of Trump’s outrageous comments.

A Maryland county gun safety law was upheld by the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The law required gun dealers to provide pamphlets to patrons about suicide prevention, conflict resolution and mental health. The three judge panel stated that the pamphlets did not deal with whether to purchase guns but instead were health and safety advisories so did not fun afoul of free speech protections. (Free Speech Center, January 25, 2024, by Brian White

A Texan is challenging the Security and Exchange Commission’s gag policy that keeps defendants who settled with the commission from releasing statements that they did nothing wrong. The SEC claims the policy is necessary to prevent “misleading impressions” about its actions. (Bloomberg Law, January 24, 2024, by Mathew Bultman) In the meantime, the SEC denied the New Civil Liberties Alliance petition to amend the agency’s gag rule that prevent citizens from criticizing the SEC actions