News & Opinion

The U.S. Supreme Court 9-0 resurrected the challenge to a Massachusetts buffer-zone law that allows a 35-foot buffer zone between protestors and abortion clinics.  “Reversing that decision Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that the statute violates the First Amendment because the statute is not sufficiently tailored to limit the burden on the protesters’ speech,” wrote Barbara Leonard. In trying to make safe passage for those seeking abortions, the law went too far in limiting

Journalists got some good news this week when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that law enforcers need warrants to search the cell phones of those under arrest. While the case was not focused on journalists, they stand to gain from a prohibition on police searches of their cell phones. (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, June 25, 2014, by Bradley Chance) Noting that cell phones are the new reporters notebooks, Josh Stearns for

An Egyptian court levied harsh sentences on three reporters from Al-Jazeera English on terrorist charges. Two of those sentenced received seven years and the third, a local producer, 10 years. Courtroom observers said there was no evidence to justify those sentences. (The Guardian, June 23, 2014, by Patrick Kingsley) Two academicians write that the sentences are part of the Abdel Fatah al-Sisi regime’s strategy to intimidate political opposition and the press and to reduce the

Records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by The Washington Post show that drones are much less safe than the federal government claims. The military is reluctant to release many details, but it is clear from those they do relinquish that there are serious concerns. All but a few of the flights go smoothly and accident rates are declining, but military officials admit that drone flights will never be as safe as commercial air

Citing a lack of editorial independence, the U.S. Senate Press Gallery withdrew press credentials from the Supreme Court website SCOTUSblog. The Press Gallery said the site was not sufficiently independent from its law firm. SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein is also a principal in Goldstein &Russell LLP. Goldstyein said the site needs the Senate credential to cover nominations to the Court and the budget process. (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, June 23, 2014, by