News & Commentary
Regular commentary from the Freedom Forum Institute on First Amendment issues is now distributed under the “First Five” banner — which also includes a podcast and a weekly newsletter.
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’Tis the Season for Celebrating Freedom
Celebrate Bill of Rights Day on Dec. 15 by breaking the cycle of ignorance and misinformation that threatens our five fundamental freedoms.
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Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Man with Vanity Plate, ‘IM GOD’
Kentucky man sued in federal court alleging a violation of his First Amendment free-speech rights, denying him a vanity license plate with the message “IM GOD.”
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Renewal on the ‘God beat’
Rhina Guidos (1998) gains insight into covering the complexities of the “God beat” by attending a conference.
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The First Amendment Has Protected President Donald J. Trump
The First Amendment protects much speech that may annoy, offend and even harm. It often protects all of us, including the president.
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Women Defendants Contributed Mightily to First Amendment Jurisprudence
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment, we should also remember the courageous female defendants who often faced persecution, ostracism and scorn, merely for holding dissident political views.
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Federal Appeals Court Holds that Provision in PLRA Does Not Violate the ‘Breathing Space’ Principle
A federal appeals court ruled a three-strikes provision of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) does not violate the First Amendment nor infringe on the “breathing space” principle.
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First Five Newsletter: November 21, 2019
Limits to free speech, Trump’s attacking tweets, artificial intelligence-powered software and more.
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When words speak louder than actions
The First Amendment may protect our right to speak freely, but it does have limits.
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Federal Appeals Court Grants Qualified Immunity to University Officials, Denies Medical Student’s First Amendment Claim for Punishment Over Social Media Post
A previous U.S. Supreme Court’s qualified immunity decision, continues to do significant damage in First Amendment jurisprudence. In this case, regards to punishing a university student for an off-campus Facebook post.
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Part of prisoner’s lawsuit over restrictive mail policy allowed to proceed
In an Arkansas inmate’s lawsuit, he alleges that the three page mail restriction violates the First Amendment.
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