Topic: First Amendment
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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US Supreme Court: Big 21st century rulings
The past 12 years have seen significant US high court decisions with wide-ranging effects on personal freedoms and national politics. Another key ruling is expected this summer on President Obama's health-care reform law. Here are some recent top rulings, all decided by 5-to-4 votes.
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Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases
The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue.
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Extradition fight: Who is Julian Assange, why is Sweden seeking him?
A British court is hearing a final appeal from Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblower site, to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sex crime allegations. Here are four questions about the man and the case.
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How five websites are protesting SOPA
Five major websites will go dark on Wednesday protesting two Congressional bills, which critics argue could curtail Internet and free speech.
If passed, The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links to unauthorized copyrighted content. Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with transgressors.
Proponents of the legislation include companies that are trying to protect their copyrights, such as the Motion Picture Association of America, The NBA, Pfizer, Nike, L'Oreal, as well as the US Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the US Conference of Mayors.
However, voices of opposition include Internet giants Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Mozilla, and Wikipedia – who say that the proposed laws constitute a First Amendment violation, promote censorship, and harm the democratic flow of information. Check out how five major websites plan to protest SOPA and PIPA:
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Hackers rally to support WikiLeaks: Top 5 recent attacks
In an effort nicknamed "Operation Payback," a loose association of hackers called "Anonymous" has been targeting the websites of companies and organizations that have cut ties with WikiLeaks by overwhelming their sites with traffic, prompting them to shut down. Here are some of the most notable attacks.
All Content
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Catholic groups take fight against Obama birth-control rules to court
Some 43 Catholic groups including Notre Dame are attempting to block rules in the new health-care law that require health insurance to provide access to birth-control services.
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With NATO summit, Chicago seeks to avoid repeat of 1968 riots
Chicago has ramped up efforts to head off violence at the NATO summit, leading some protesters to say the city has been heavy-handed.
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Florida teacher, fired for premarital sex, has right to a trial, court rules
A teacher at a Christian school, fired in 2009 ostensibly for engaging in premarital sex, can proceed with her lawsuit against the school, a US appeals court ruled Wednesday. She says the real reason she lost her job was pregnancy.
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Readers Write: War fueled by defense lobby; Attack on Iran is legal; Catholics can't change faith for individual wishes
Letters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of April 30, 2012: The 'appetite for war' is fueled by the arms lobby's appetite for profit; there's a key legal difference between a 'preemptive' and a 'preventive' attack on Iran; and Catholics don't force others to follow their beliefs, they simply demand First Amendment protections.
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Marine discharged for slamming Obama on Facebook
Marine Corps Sgt. Gary Stein will be given an other-than-honorable discharge. Sgt. Stein criticized President Obama on Facebook.
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420 marijuana rally: Can University of Colorado stop it?
420 rally: Smelly fish-based fertilizer was spread at the University of Colorado where the annual 420 marijuana rally is held. Will that stop the 'Reefer madness'?
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The firing of Brooke Harris: a teachable moment about free speech
Last month, Michigan teacher Brooke Harris was fired for allegedly helping students organize a 'hoodie' fundraiser for the family of Trayvon Martin. By all means, give Harris her job back. But let’s also support the free-speech rights of all of our teachers, not just the ones we agree with.
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Tarek Mehanna: Punishing Muslims for free speech only helps Al Qaeda
Tarek Mehanna’s political speech was controversial and offensive. But the prosecution did not show that he was willing to actually engage in violence. Terrorists win hearts and minds when the US government prosecutes Muslims in America with little regard for the Constitution.
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Chapter & Verse
'Three Cups of Tea' author Greg Mortenson battles a civil lawsuit
Are readers who bought 'Three Cups of Tea' entitled to compensation?
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Board seeks Marine's dismissal over 'contemptuous' anti-Obama Facebook comments
The Marine Corps administrative board said after a daylong hearing late Thursday at Camp Pendleton that Sgt. Gary Stein has committed misconduct and should be dismissed.
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Militia leaders plead guilty to gun charges
The Hutaree militia had earlier been cleared of conspiracy charges stemming from accusation of domestic terrorism.
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US Supreme Court: Big 21st century rulings
The past 12 years have seen significant US high court decisions with wide-ranging effects on personal freedoms and national politics. Another key ruling is expected this summer on President Obama's health-care reform law. Here are some recent top rulings, all decided by 5-to-4 votes.
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Rights at Risk
Are Americans in the process of abandoning their rights?
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Does Secret Service protection trump speech rights? Supreme Court hears case.
A Colorado man arrested in 2006 after telling Vice President Cheney what he thought of the Iraq war alleges that Secret Service agents retaliated against him for his opinions.
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Supreme Court refuses church-state case involving child sex abuse by clergy
US Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an appeal by a man who says he was abused by a Roman Catholic priest decades ago. He sought to challenge the archdiocese's assertion that the First Amendment shields it from a lawsuit.
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Rick Santorum vows to end 'pandemic of pornography.' Could he prevail?
GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum says he would order his attorney general to begin a war on pornography. There are plenty of obscenity battles Santorum could win, but the mission could ultimately be quixotic.
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Vox News
Rush Limbaugh: Jane Fonda wants him kicked off air. Should FCC listen?
Feminist activists Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem are calling for the FCC to take action against Rush Limbaugh. Doing so, however, could create complications.
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Vint Cerf of Google on Internet rights – interview
In an interview, Vint Cerf of Google says individuals do not have a right to connect to the Internet, nor does a person have the right to eliminate information that's already on the Web. About China: 'There is much more openness and tolerance of criticism' than the West generally believes.
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Can foreigners sue international corporations in US courts?
A 223-year-old law says foreigners can file lawsuits in American courts for alleged violations of international law. But whether they can sue corporations remains a question for the Supreme Court.
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Does it help Rick Santorum to slam JFK on religion's role in politics?
Rick Santorum on Sunday attacked John F. Kennedy's 1960 speech affirming separation of church and state. With two-thirds of Americans saying religion is 'losing influence' in US life, he may be playing to those who worry about that.
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Newark Muslims hold protest rally over NYPD spy operation
Newark Muslims plan to rally Friday in protest of a 2007 NYPD spying operation targeting Muslim groups in Newark, N.J. Mayor Bloomberg says the operation was 'constitutional.'
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Supreme Court debate: Is lying about being a war hero protected speech?
Supreme Court justices heard arguments over the Stolen Valor Act, which bars lies over receiving military medals, but the discussion broadened into whether there is any value worth protecting in falsehood.
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Tyler Clementi and cyberbullying: how courts ruled in five other cases
The trial for the roommate of former Rutgers University Tyler Clementi will be watched by legal experts nationwide to see how the court addresses the growing issue of cyberbullying. Here is a list of court proceedings where cyberbullying or Internet privacy invasion was a key issue.
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Stolen Valor Act at Supreme Court: Is lying about being a hero a right?
Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a military medal. Xavier Alvarez did that, but the claim harms no one, says his lawyer in his brief to the Supreme Court. The case is being argued Wednesday.
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Michigan's Hutaree militia: Band of gun enthusiasts or a threat to the US?
Members of the Hutaree militia were arrested in 2010 for allegedly planning 'war against the United States.' Their trial on 'seditious conspiracy' and other charges opened this week.
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