USC ‘Redesigning’ Commencement Amid Campus Controversy Over Israel-Hamas War

The university’s decision was met with praise from pro-Israel organizations but condemnation from free speech groups and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Judge in Trump Case Orders Media Not To Report Where Potential Jurors Work

Generally, the First Amendment bars judges from ordering journalists not to disclose what they hear and see in courtrooms open to the public, though there are exceptions.

Police Arrest Dozens of Pro-Palestinian Protesters at Columbia University

Several students involved in the protest said they also were suspended from Columbia and Barnard College, including Isra Hirsi, daughter of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

House Passes Legislation That Would Ban TikTok in US Unless Chinese Owner Sells Stake

TikTok has spent $5 million on TV ads opposing the legislation, according to an advertising tracking firm, with some arguing a ban would trample on the First Amendment.

Citing Safety, USC Cancels Speech by Valedictorian Who Supported Palestinians

A First Amendment attorney expressed concern about cancelling events that could be perceived as censorship, and the possibility of other schools buckling to pressure.

Columbia’s President Testifies Before Congress on Campus Conflicts Over Israel-Hamas War

She took a more decisive stance than the presidents of Harvard and the UPenn, who gave lawyerly answers when asked if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate school policies.

Voting Tech Company Settles Lawsuit Against Far-Right News Outlet Over Election Claims

It is the latest development in a larger legal pushback by voting equipment companies ensnared in wild conspiracy theories following the 2020 presidential election.

DeSantis Narrows Focus of Florida Book Challenge Law, Blaming Liberal Activist

PEN America issued a report saying Florida is responsible for 72% of the books that have been pulled from the nation’s schools in the first half of the current school year.