Well folks, I'm going on a big vacation. Hope you're all here when I get back--and that the #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #FreePress is also here. Take care of yourselves and one another.

Texas has asked #SCOTUS to leave in place an appeals court order allowing the state to impose age and parental-consent requirements on minors’ access to apps and paid content within those apps. From @scotusblog.com #FirstAmendment www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/texa...

When I blogged about abortion rights, the issue of whether Section 230 protections should continue for web sites providing info re: abortion loomed large. Here's a conservative think tank's take on Section 230 in general. #FirstAmendment www.aei.org/technology-a...

#SCOTUS has barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials after they cut off his dreadlocks in violation of #FirstAmendment & his Rastafari religious beliefs, because of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. apnews.com/article/supr...

#Author @janetfitch.bsky.social writes about her mentor, the #poet, #novelist and short story #writer Kate Braverman: "this enfant terrible of the L.A. #literary scene, whose prose sang like poetry." Yeah, I was in those workshops too. My piece of history. www.altaonline.com/books/fictio...

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to sue #broadcaster ABC for its reporting on the cost of repairing damage sustained by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C. #FirstAmendment #FreePress (sorry I missed this earlier) www.cnbc.com/2026/06/23/t...

This includes video of Larry @number10cat.bsky.social the #cat because I'm celebrating Larry all day today. Plus six PMs in 10 years--don't say it like it's a bad thing. It means more news stories about Larry. apnews.com/video/larry-...

In other #cat #feline news, Brooklyn cat shows some pets have jobs of their own. Bone Jovi is the resident feline at The Bone Museum in Brooklyn, where he serves as the unofficial guardian of a collection of human bones and anatomical specimens. Way to go, Bone Jovi! abcnews.com/culture/stor...

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of the Pasco County, FL Tax Collector's Office in a lawsuit brought by a self-described #FirstAmendment auditor who challenged the agency's policy restricting video recording inside its offices. www.tampabay28.com/news/region-...

California AG Rob Bonta seeks nearly $20 million in penalties against anti-abortion group Heartbeat International over its promotion of "abortion pill reversal" treatment. The trial begins Wednesday, June 24 and could have #FirstAmendment implications. www.courthousenews.com/abortion-foe...

Security fence is set to be removed from the downtown Eugene, OR Federal Building per a federal judge’s order. Local activists, rep'd by @cldc03.bsky.social sued the over the fence, claiming it prevents them from engaging in their #FirstAmendment right to #protest. eugeneweekly.com/2026/06/22/f...

Calls to cancel Kanye/Ye’s planned July 4 concert in San Antonio, TX, intensifying due to artist’s history of antisemitic remarks. At the same time, city leaders have said they cannot cancel the Fourth of July concert without risking a #FirstAmendment violation. news4sanantonio.com/news/local/s...

From @npr.org: more than 600 people were fired, suspended or investigated for their #speech about Charlie Kirk's death, according to @reuters.com. All currently known resolved cases involve workers in government/public institutions, w/stronger #FirstAmendment protections www.npr.org/2026/06/23/n...

The St. Croix Central School Board in Hammond, Wis., backs off public comments at its meetings after @thefireorg.bsky.social reminded them what the #FirstAmendment says. A win for #FreeSpeech. Via @freespeechcenter.bsky.social firstamendment.mtsu.edu/post/wis-sch...

DOJ withdraws subpoenas against #journalists @wsj.com @washingtonpost.com in leak investigations after #news organizations fought subpoenas in sealed filings. #FirstAmendment #FreePress www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/u...

Time for some Larry @number10cat.bsky.social the Cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, because he's the best thing about the UK. And I'm an Anglophile. www.reuters.com/pictures/lar...

"...the #publisher of one of the world’s most influential #newspapers has accused some of the richest, most powerful companies on earth of being criminals; of building their vast fortunes on...lies and theft at grand scale...why...so little other coverage?" newrepublic.com/article/2120...

Why does McClatchy ( #newspapers such as @sacbee.com, @miamiherald.com) want human #journalist bylines instead of running the #CSA -- “content scaling agent” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence credit? Because it wants legitimacy from marking such content as human. knightcolumbia.org/blog/the-cyl...

#FirstAmendment #FreePress #FreeSpeech #petition

A #protester waving an upside down American flag outside Delaney Hall was struck Sunday afternoon by a car entering the Newark ICE detention center, according to video shared on social media, @nj.com reports. www.nj.com/essex/2026/0...

The "semantic dilation" or " ‘concept creep’ " of the #word "trauma;'' and the #literary movement that is "guilty of abetting this cultural movement." (I'm fascinated by this shift in #language, for one thing; my #memoir also centered on "trauma.") From @lilydunn.bsky.social aeon.co/essays/not-e...

"I have accepted Keir Starmer's resignation as my chief servant and have invited Andy Burnham to lay out details for how many meals a day he'll give me"

Orlando, FL attorney "not sure there’s much of a legal #FirstAmendment case that could be brought" against Major League Baseball as state AG has threatened. This has to do w/ @sanfranciscogiants.bsky.social players wearing Bible verses during Pride Night game. www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2...

"...it has never been cooler to read #books, and to collectively share that experience, than it has today. At least in this part of the world." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"As w/many nonfiction #books that are chasing a #news cycle, the authors probably spent more time touring the book than...writing it:" quote from @theguardian.com on the Australian #publishing industry. Or as the cool kids I grew up with might say, a sick burn. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...

@kwqc.com anchor Dustin Nolan called out "sanitized news" and declared that it is the responsibility of #journalists to "take people out of their bubbles and comfort zones and make them think about the world we all live in." #FirstAmendment #FreePress variety.com/2026/tv/news...

On two occasions this week, Trump & co. publicized #false quotations of American presidents, fumbling attempts to commemorate the nation’s 250th...these newest gaffes...exemplify the administration’s embrace of what critics have dubbed #slopaganda in public relations newrepublic.com/article/2120...

While applauding proposed #JAWBONEAct to prevent #censorship, @eff.org notes, " #socialmedia platforms...have their own #FirstAmendment rights to decide how they moderate users’ #speech. They...do not have an obligation...to allow all user speech on their platforms." www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

The mainstream #media played up the battle between #Colbert and #CBS as one over the #FirstAmendment and #FreeSpeech, but for the wrong reasons, says @newsweek.com contributing editor. "This doesn’t end with Colbert," he says. www.newsweek.com/colberts-the...

A bill in California state Senate could "impede lawful #journalism" by fining independent content creators who show people or places possibly misusing taxpayer money, a lawmaker said. Proponents say AB 2624 protects immigrant organizations from violent threats. kesq.com/news/califor...

@uofcalifornia.bsky.social being sued by group that says it's "working to restore schools at all levels from activists imposing harmful agendas." Group says #UC's sexual violence and harassment policy infringes on #FreeSpeech. nypost.com/2026/06/18/u...

A top ICE lawyer in the Biden administration views this week's arrest of Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, also known as the progressive online activist Beto Coral, as part of Trump push to clamp down on #speech by immigrants. #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/u...

Judge orders immigration officials to release the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque from detention because Salah Sarsour has raised a “substantial” claim that he was being targeted for #speaking out in favor of Palestinian rights. #FreeSpeech #FirstAmendment apnews.com/article/ice-...

The US Court of Appeals for DC has ruled sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Palestine, will remain in place while her legal challenge for her #FreeSpeech #FirstAmendment rights continues. www.jurist.org/news/2026/06...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s law requiring children under 16 to get parental consent to use #socialmedia apps must be restored, divided panel at Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in blow to @netchoice.bsky.social which has won victories in similar cases. apnews.com/article/soci...

Florida’s argument for a law prohibiting #socialmedia from de-platforming political candidates, "was that #FirstAmendment simply does not apply to websites’ editorial decisions. That argument did not survive today,” Paul Taske @netchoice.bsky.social said today. netchoice.org/another-blow...

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sends chilling message to #protesters (& #journalists covering #DelaneyHall detention facility): Harsh words directed at law enforcement will be treated as criminal. That's a violation of #FirstAmendment, one of many. www.fire.org/news/outside...

#Speech might be controversial, tense, or disagreeable, but people have a right under the #FirstAmendment to criticize government officials, @thefireorg.bsky.social reminds us on occasion of #FreeSpeech dispute at North Hunterdon-Voorhees, N.J. Board of Education www.fire.org/news/new-jer...

Arizona Court of Appeals rules a man’s Facebook post disclosing his HIV status & mentioning his ex-partner could not be considered criminal harassment or #defamation. What’s more, the post constitutes protected #FreeSpeech under the #FirstAmendment. www.poz.com/article/disc...

A pair of #FirstAmendment lawsuits involving firefighters who spoke out on issues "affecting public safety and work conditions" are heading toward trial in Louisiana and North Carolina. This press release from International Alliance of Fire Fighters has the details. www.iaff.org/news/iaff-ba...

Major League Baseball's warning to several @sanfranciscogiants.bsky.social pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps is fueling online debate about the limits of #FreeExpression in professional baseball. #FirstAmendment www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

This unique form of #Spanish #language is melodic and gentle, leaning on the diminutives "-ito" and "-ita," both directly inherited from Kichwa, an Indigneous language known for tenderness and politeness. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/w...

Three judges have unanimously agreed to toss out earlier ruling ordering National Park Service to restore panels about slavery at George Washington's Philly residence that Trump admin removed, @inquirer.com reports. Critics say the new, Trump panels whitewash #history. apple.news/AJM309cSmRPO...

Had to look through my phone for a potential #author photo but this pic of my #cat is so much better. #catsofbluesky #cats

Independent photojournalist Josh Pacheco was targeted with pepper spray and crowd-control munitions by New Jersey State Police and ICE officers while reporting on protests outside the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, NJ, on May 29. pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incident...

Independent photographer Angel Perez was detained in a police kettle with other members of the press while documenting a “May Day Strong” rally that ended outside a federal immigration detention center in LA on May 1.

Independent photographer Steven Berumen was shoved and blocked by federal officers while trying to take pictures of an arrest at an LA immigration protest on June 6.

The "wild journey" the #word "goy" (and "goyslop") has taken, from Yiddish to an "antisemitic thing about Jews trying to kind of poison the minds of the people through food and stuff" to contemporary "Zoomer" lingo #language www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/m...

In advance of forthcoming THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD movie, @carynjames.bsky.social takes a look at the dark truth of the Robin Hood legend, which began with "a morally grey medieval trickster," and a "violent, irreverent rogue". www.bbc.com/culture/arti...

#Media #news outlets that require human review of all #AI #ArtificialIntelligence were seen as more credible, according to a study. Audiences are particularly concerned w/AI’s capacity for hallucination & bias, & want labels on AI use, according to another study. www.niemanlab.org/2026/06/how-...