Topic: First Amendment
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 differences on women's issues
President Obama won the women’s vote four years ago, and he’ll need to again to win reelection, given Mitt Romney’s strength among male voters. Here are some of the women’s issues on which the candidates differ.
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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:
All Content
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Justin Bieber paparazzo killed: Lessons from this tragedy?
Justin Bieber paparazzo killed: On Tuesday, a photographer was killed by a vehicle while chasing pop star Justin Bieber. In today's celebrity-driven culture, how can paparazzo tragedies like this be avoided?
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Gun control: Is David Gregory’s on-air stunt proof of media bias?
Washington police are investigating ‘Meet the Press’ host David Gregory for holding up a rifle clip on air. Gun control opponents see the incident as proof the media are biased against them.
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Video games and shooting: Is the NRA right?
The NRA says the problem with mass shootings like the recent one at the Sandy Hook grade school in Connecticut is not too many unregulated guns but violent video games. But most academic and government research does not support the gun lobby's charge.
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9/11 trial: Any mention of torture is classified, military judge rules
The military judge in the 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others granted a government request to make all mention of alleged torture in the court classified. The defense called the ruling 'shameful.'
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Why US should be wary of attacking cyberradicals, including Al Qaeda
Missives from extremist groups such as Al Qaeda can easily be found online. But launching cyberattacks to shut their websites down is problematic – and even counterproductive, a new report finds.
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Calif. gay conversion therapists win first round in court
A US District Court Judge made a decision just hours after a hearing on the issue, ruling that First Amendment rights of therapists outweigh concerns about danger to young people of gay conversion therapy.
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Concealed weapons: US court upholds New York state requirement for permit
New York requires gun owners to prove they have a special need for protection to obtain a concealed weapons permit. The 100-year-old law does not violate the Second Amendment, the court ruled.
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Obamacare: Supreme Court orders new look at university’s lawsuit
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered an appeals court to consider the underlying merits of Liberty University’s lawsuit – including whether Obamacare violates religious freedom.
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Can people record police officers? Illinois ban gets no help at Supreme Court.
Supreme Court justices refused to hear an appeal on behalf of Illinois' tough eavesdropping law. A federal appeals court had ruled that the law 'likely violates' free speech guarantees.
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Nativity display lawsuit: Atheists vs. Christians in Santa Monica (+video)
Nativity display lawsuit: A 60-year Christmas tradition ended in Santa Monica this year. But California churches have filed a lawsuit to bring back the Nativity display in a Santa Monica park.
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Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito takes on critics, defends Citizens United
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told the conservative Federalist Society this week that the First Amendment protects political speech, whether from an individual or a corporation.
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Robert Reich
BP oil spill settlement: why BP is not a criminalThe Justice Department’s criminal settlement with BP gives their top executives a free pass — allowing the public to believe justice has been done, Reich writes.
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Billionaires and shadowy groups fund record-breaking election
This election cycle super PACs and billionaires who have been able to donate anonymously, have funded the most expensive election in the nation's history.
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9/11 trial: Did US have improper influence? Lawyer asks judge for help.
A defense lawyer in the 9/11 war crimes trial tells a judge that a top prosecutor, asked if there had been improper influence by Defense Department or administration officials, refused to answer at least 25 times.
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Texas cheerleaders fight ban on biblical banners at football games
Texas cheerleaders expect a court ruling today on their battle against a school district ban on their display of biblical verses at high school football games. At issue: do the signs constitute individual free speech or do they look like they're sponsored by the public school district?
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9/11 cases: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed speaks in court, lectures judge
The accused 9/11 mastermind had skipped pretrial hearings at Guantánamo, but he made a surprise showing Wednesday afternoon and addressed the court. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had some counsel for the judge.
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Man behind 'Innocence of Muslims' denies violating his probation
Mark Basseley Youssef, the California man behind the inflammatory anti-Muslim film, made a court appearance Wednesday and denied having violated the terms of his probation.
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Focus
Can GOP survive its 'minority problem'?Polls show that the GOP continues to be 'the party of old, white men' – and that could be decisive in the 2012 presidential election. Demographics suggest that the party must change, and soon.
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Court decision produces twist in Wisconsin union fight
After a ruling that struck down parts of Wisconsin's collective-bargaining law, unions are calling to renegotiate contracts. Separately, an appeals court took up the constitutionality of the law Monday.
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Anti-Muslim groups' ad in NYC subway calls jihad 'savage.' Is now a good time?
With the Muslim world still roiled by the US-made, anti-Muslim video on YouTube, the ad citing 'war between civilized man and the savage' will appear Monday at 10 NYC subway stations.
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Keep Calm
Good reads: Freedom of speech, YouTube cats, and campaign strategyThis week's good reads include deciphering what our forefathers meant by protection for free speech, one man's quest to find a feline Internet sensation, and the 'invention' of political consulting.
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America should not apologize for values that clash with hostile Islam
In an interview, 'Infidel' author Ayaan Hirsi Ali says violent protests against an anti-Islam video stem from a religion and culture with no room for criticism. 'Westerners should quit the moral relativist posturing and get down to the hard work of defending their values,' she says.
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After film, push strengthens for blasphemy clause in Egypt's constitution
Last week, anger over an anti-Islam film fueled protests at the US embassy. This week, religious conservatives will seek to prohibit blasphemy in the Egyptian constitution.
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The Coptic Christian in California behind the anti-Islamic film
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a Coptic Christian, says that he helped with logistics for the film "Innocence of Muslims," which mocked Muslims. He denied directing the film. But there's evidence to suggest the filmmaker, Sam Bacile is an alias, which is strikingly similar to Nakoula's middle name.
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Global News Blog
Libya, Egypt riots: Can anti-Islam speech be shut down?An attack on the US consulate in Libya has drawn widespread attention to an anti-Islam film that enraged rioters. But can – and should – the circulation of this type of material be stopped?
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