First Amendment Watch • 11/01/2022

Arizona Federal District Judge Denies Injunction Against Arizona Poll Watching Group, DOJ Disagrees

On Oct. 28, U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi denied a request to block a poll-watching group from surveilling drop boxes citing First Amendment concerns. Three days later, the Department of Justice signaled its disapproval of the judge’s ruling in a statement of interest, stating that "The First Amendment does not protect individuals’ right to assemble to engage in voter intimidation or coercion.”

First Amendment Watch • 10/27/2022

Florida’s 'Stop WOKE' Act and the Outrage of Public University Professors

Florida’s “Stop WOKE” Act has ignited fear and outrage from public university educators as a federal judge decides whether to issue a preliminary injunction to block the law’s academic provision which would restrict gender and race-centric discussions and teachings in the classroom.

First Amendment Watch • 10/27/2022

Attorney General Garland Announces Protections for Journalists, News Gathering

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced Oct. 26 a revised news media policy that bars the Department of Justice from using subpoenas or other legal processes against journalists to obtain information they’ve retrieved while news gathering.

Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting • 10/17/2022

Junk science tilts justice against those charged with crimes

More than 3,200 Americans have been wrongfully convicted in recent decades, more than half of them because forensic science has been misapplied, or worse, the evidence is false.

First Amendment Watch • 10/12/2022

Connecticut Jury Awards Sandy Hook Plaintiffs $965 Million in Damages for a Decade of Harassment

Conspiracy theorist and Sandy Hook-denier Alex Jones owes $965 million in defamation and emotional distress damages to the families of eight Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent, a Connecticut jury decided Wednesday. The ruling comes just weeks after Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million in damages to a pair of Sandy Hook parents in a separate trial in Texas in August.

First Amendment Watch • 10/04/2022

NRA Free Speech Lawsuit Dismissed Against NY State Financial Regulator

The National Rifle Association claimed that a New York state financial regulator coerced and threatened banks and insurers to sever business relationships with the gun group, according to the 2018 lawsuit, which claimed the regulator's "intent [was] to obstruct, chill, deter, and retaliate against the NRA’s core political speech." But, a federal appeals court recently found that the regulator's actions were done in "good faith" and dismissed the complaint.

First Amendment Watch • 09/27/2022

Texas University Professor Receives $165K Settlement After Free Speech Lawsuit

Dr. Nathaniel Hiers sued the university for infringing on his right to free speech by discriminating against his viewpoint, placing unconstitutional conditions on his employment, and attempting to compel and retaliate against his speech, according to the lawsuit filed April 2020 in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Texas.

First Amendment Watch • 09/23/2022

A Social Media Censorship Law is Upheld in Texas, Lyrissa Lidsky Weighs In

First Amendment lawyer Lyrissa Lidsky weighs in on a recently upheld social media censorship law in Texas that would bar platforms with more than 50 million users from removing content with political viewpoints. A different circuit court in Florida filed a preliminary injunction against a similar law. Since both federal appeals courts disagreed, only the Supreme Court can decide if the platforms have a First Amendment right to censor, or if they don’t.

First Amendment Watch • 09/20/2022

Utah Professor Sues University Over Required Pronoun Use, Argues Free Speech Infringement

Richard Bugg, a theater professor at Southern Utah University filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Utah Aug. 31. Bugg, represented by attorney Jerry Mooney with financial support from the FIRE Faculty Legal Defense Fund, argues that he is “opposed to the coercion of speech that is taking place on our campus and on most campuses,” the lawsuit stated.

First Amendment Watch • 09/14/2022

An Unprecedented Uptick in Book Bans Brings First Amendment Scrutiny

Virginia is among the top 10 states in book banning conflicts, according to a PEN America study. There, the ongoing battle has led most recently to a state judge throwing out a decades-old state obscenity law that had the effect of imposing a prior restraint on book distributors. And it stirred widespread opposition including one of the largest booksellers in the nation, Barnes & Noble.

First Amendment Watch • 09/01/2022

Sandy Hook Families Demand Probe into Alex Jones-Owned Company’s Bankruptcy Filing

The motion, filed Aug. 25 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, says Jones has “systematically transferred millions of dollars” to himself and relatives, despite the company filing for bankruptcy to allegedly avoid paying damages to the families. In a response filed Aug. 28, Jones’ attorneys state that the families’ “motion is brimming with inaccuracies and allegations that have no basis in fact.”

First Amendment Watch • 08/26/2022

Ruling Against Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE’ Law is Latest in First Amendment Encroachments

Chief Judge Mark Walker concluded that this law restricted speech and suppressed expression of Florida employers, employees and diversity consultants. He described the provision as “a naked viewpoint-based regulation on speech” that violated the First Amendment.

Columbia News Service • 02/04/2022

New York Legislature Gears Up to Study Misleading Abortion Centers

Pro-Truth describes these clinics as “dangerous and deceptive” in how they “use lies, manipulation, and intimidation to prevent people from choosing or accessing abortions.”

The Legislative Gazette • 11/10/2020

City of Kingston events celebrate and advocate for democracy

The day after Election Day, residents of the City of Kingston unified in a peaceful walk for Black lives, and a celebration of America’s democracy and the ongoing presidential election.

The Legislative Gazette • 10/27/2020

Candidates for Assembly District 94 spar over campaign practices

Spread between Westchester and Putnam counties, District 94 is looking at a third-term from Republican Assemblyman Kevin Byrne. On Nov. 3, more than 90,360 active voters will decide if Byrne, or his opponent Democrat Stephanie Keegan, will win.

The Legislative Gazette • 10/07/2020

Lawmakers, local leaders combat fear and confusion to get New Yorkers counted in 2020 census

Hard-to-count communities are typically communities of color, where there is a language barrier, young children around the age of five or internet connectivity issues, said Jeff Behler, New York regional director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Being Patient • 08/12/2020

One in Six Adults With Alzheimer’s Go Missing Every Year. Families Share How They Cope

When people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias wander or get lost, caregivers may turn to technology, local police, or their communities for help — or a combination of all three — but virtually no one can do it all on their own.

Being Patient • 06/16/2020

Yes, You Can Get Paid For Being A Family Caregiver. Here's How

Being Patient spoke with Sima Schoen from the Family Caregivers Alliance about one of her most frequently asked questions: “Can I get paid for being a family caregiver?” Millions of Americans live with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia — and millions more take care of them. By 2050, cases of Alzheimer’s are expected to triple, meaning millions more children, other family members, and friends may find themselves with a new job that can take many hours each week.

The Little Rebellion • 05/13/2020

Baptism by Fire: Nursing Students Prepare for an Unseen Challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the United States, with the respect of nurses skyrocketing in every facet. A current nurse describes the turmoil, two students try to virtually learn, while another student takes on the frontlines: what does this mean for them?

The New Paltz Oracle • 03/05/2020

Triumphant Victory for Women’s Basketball, Next Stop: NCAAs

The top seeded SUNY New Paltz women’s basketball team had a weekend of excitement in the SUNYAC Championship, taking the trophy home for the Hawks.