Freedom
Supreme Court soon to hear a religious freedom case that’s united both sides of the church-state divide
Supreme Court soon to hear a religious freedom case that’s united both sides of the church-state divide The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on November 10, 2025, in the case Landor v. Louisiana, which involves a Rastafarian inmate’s right to sue for monetary damages after his religious rights were violated by the warden. […]
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Washington state settles controversy over child abuse law that tested the limits of ‘priest-penitent’ privilege
Washington state settles controversy over child abuse law that tested the limits of ‘priest-penitent’ privilege Washington state has settled a controversy over its child abuse law that tested the limits of the “priest-penitent” privilege, which protects clergy from revealing information learned during confidential sacred rites. The law, SB 5375, required clergy to report child sexual […]
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ICE is building a social media panopticon
ICE is building a social media panopticon ICE is expanding an online surveillance system to track millions of users on social media platforms. The agency has paid $5.7 million for an AI-powered platform called Zignal Labs, which can ingest and analyze vast amounts of publicly available data. The platform provides “real-time intelligence” that could potentially […]
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Gender is not an ideology – but conservative groups know learning about it empowers people to think for themselves
Gender is not an ideology – but conservative groups know learning about it empowers people to think for themselves Conservative groups are launching attacks on teaching about gender in colleges and universities, which they claim is an ideology that empowers people to think for themselves. However, experts argue that this is part of a larger […]
🏛️ Politics
New Pentagon policy is an unprecedented attempt to undermine press freedom
New Pentagon policy is an unprecedented attempt to undermine press freedom The Pentagon has introduced a new policy that could curb journalists’ ability to report on military actions without government approval, threatening press freedom. The initial policy change required journalists covering the Defense Department to sign a contract stating that department information must be approved […]
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Banning abortion is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes
Banning abortion is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes Banning abortion has become a hallmark of authoritarian regimes around the world, including countries like Poland, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The US is mirroring this pattern, with restrictions on reproductive rights leading to increased death and suffering for women and their families, as well as erosion of […]
🏛️ Politics
10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest
10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest Pro-democracy groups successfully organized large-scale protests across the US, demonstrating that “together we are choosing democracy,” despite GOP leaders’ attempts to discredit them. Democracies that have suffered setbacks vary widely, but practices used globally to fight democratic backsliding or topple […]
🏛️ Politics
Why free speech rights got left out of the Constitution – and added in later via the First Amendment
Why free speech rights got left out of the Constitution – and added in later via the First Amendment Free speech rights were not included in the original US Constitution, but were added later via the First Amendment. The First Amendment was included three years after the Constitution’s ratification, as a result of political compromise […]
🏛️ Politics
How the First Amendment protects Americans’ speech − and how it does not
How the First Amendment protects Americans’ speech − and how it does not The First Amendment protects Americans’ speech, including speech that may be distasteful or unpopular, as long as it does not incite violence, is not obscene, and does not constitute defamation or a true threat. The government can regulate speech through “reasonable time, […]
🏛️ Politics
Why journalists are reluctant to call Trump an authoritarian – and why that matters for democracy
Why journalists are reluctant to call Trump an authoritarian – and why that matters for democracy Many journalists have been reluctant to call Donald Trump an authoritarian due to concerns about labeling him as such, despite his actions exhibiting key indicators of authoritarian behavior. Trump’s actions, including deploying National Guard troops to cities run by […]
🏛️ Politics