#free-speech

#free-speech

Following his death, hundreds of people who criticized Kirk's ideology have been fired, disciplined or doxxed had their private information posted online to stoke harassment. Other states have seen far more teachers fired or disciplined for Kirk-related comments. In California, state laws protecting free speech and strong union contracts have so far kept the numbers relatively low. Texas, for example, is investigating at least 280 teachers for criticizing Kirk.

Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump vowed vengeance on a Democratic Party he regularly called "the radical left" (or, on occasion, "communists") and accused of a treasonous conspiracy to turn over the country to criminal immigrants and America-hating globalist elites. Even as he has relentlessly pressed to expand his own powers to unprecedented levels, the 47th president has begun acting on his threats by deploying the machinery of justice against people, institutions, and ideas he dislikes.

No president has ever sent troops into the Democratic cities across the country saying full force. No president, as far as I know, has tried to control the Federal Reserve, the central bank. He is amassing power in a way that will destroy our democracy. And so were going to stand up. Were creatives. Were storytellers. We can do it creatively. We can have a good time while we do it.

A Reagan-appointed judge has issued a scathing ruling rebuking the Trump administration's targeting of pro-Palestine students. Judge William G. Young called the case AAUP v. Rubio "perhaps the most important ever to fall within the jurisdiction of this district court" and ruled that contrary to the State Department's claims, "non-citizens lawfully present here in [the] United States actually have the same free speech rights as the rest of us."

The more s-t you give us, the stronger we get. And every good comic will take any kind of adversity and turn it into comic gold.

After the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk - one that I unequivocally found to be unconscionable, unacceptable, and sickening - I thought about his wife and children. I am married, and I have children. I can't imagine the unspeakable sorrow that Kirk's wife and children must be experiencing. So, I will continue to mourn his death and their loss. I do so because I believe in love, forgiveness, and the sanctity of human life. I also believe in the First Amendment. So, here we are.

Good morning. I've spent the week talking to business leaders and policymakers who've gathered in New York for Climate Week, the UN General Assembly and assorted events on the sidelines, including our own. The mood is generally somber, with growing concern about America's commitment to free speech, science, rule of law and remaining a hub for global talent. A few themes have emerged in terms of how CEOs are shifting their strategies.

The Open Society Foundations unequivocally condemn terrorism and do not fund terrorism. Our activities are peaceful and lawful, and our grantees are expected to abide by human rights principles and comply with the law, it said in a statement. When power is abused to take away the rights of some people, it puts the rights of all people at risk. Our work in the United States is solely dedicated to strengthening democracy and upholding constitutional freedoms.

While out of power, the American right was unified in complaining about the left's speech policing. Now that Republicans control the White House and Congress, free-speech rights and values are dividing the coalition. One camp thinks Republicans should refrain from policing speech; the other favors policing the left's speech. The second camp seems ascendant, unfortunately, while the first has failed to turn its beliefs into policy.

"Heavy Metal Band Stage Phony Beheading of Elon Musk, Murder Trump in Shocking Festival Performance."

The National Park Service and United States Park Police removed a statue that depicted President Trump cavorting with his former friend Jeffrey Epstein from the National Mall on Wednesday morning. The statue, the latest in a series of such displays placed on the Mall by a group of anonymous artists, received a permit from the National Park Service that allowed it to stay up until 8 PM on September 28.

I definitely don't think that the government should be involved ever in dictating what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue,

The aftermath of the stunning Kirk killing has prompted what observers on all sides see as an assault on free speech. Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi has drawn criticism for threatening to go after people over hate speech including mockery or celebration of Kirk's assassination and Trump blurted out an escalating series essentially warning that criticizing him is now illegal.