All articles tagged with #first amendment
The family of Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the West Bank and Gaza, filed a Washington, D.C. lawsuit arguing U.S. sanctions last year violate the First Amendment by punishing her critical reporting on Israel’s actions in Gaza; the State Department calls the move baseless lawfare, while Albanese continues to publish reports and the U.N. and other actors weigh in on the Gaza ceasefire and casualties.
A 5th Circuit panel lifted a lower court injunction and cleared the way for Louisiana’s law mandating poster-sized Ten Commandments displays in public classrooms to take effect. The court said there isn’t enough factual detail yet to rule on constitutionality—such as how prominently the posters will appear or whether teachers will reference them—leaving the legal questions unresolved even as the policy moves forward. Dissenters warned the statute risks government endorsement of religion. Arkansas has a similar law being challenged, and Texas already implemented one.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr urged broadcasters to join a voluntary "Pledge America Campaign" to air patriotic, pro‑America content as part of White House efforts to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, suggesting civic education, national history programming, public-service announcements, and patriotic music. The move has drawn criticism for potentially expanding government influence over media and raising First Amendment concerns, with regulators also juggling ongoing mergers and regulatory requests that could affect broadcasters’ responses.
The Trump administration has accelerated a faith-forward reorientation of government through the Religious Liberty Commission, pushing for more religious expression in public life and potential changes to policies and precedents, while supporters say it protects religious freedom and critics warn it blurs church-state lines and privileges Christianity.
Federal judges are pushing back against executive overreach. Judge Richard J. Leon issued a lengthy, exclamation-filled 29-page ruling blocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempt to censure Sen. Mark Kelly for defending military personnel’s duty to refuse unconstitutional orders, underscoring First Amendment protections for legislators and retirees. In a separate case, Judge James Boasberg criticized the administration for defying court orders and insisted on facilitating the return of Venezuelans and allowing challenges to their deportations, reflecting ongoing lower-court resistance to executive non-compliance.
Sen. Mark Kelly’s attorney urged the DOJ not to seek a second indictment against six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video telling service members they can refuse illegal orders, arguing there’s no factual or legal basis for retrying and citing First Amendment protections plus a federal judge’s ruling against penalizing Kelly; the first DOJ attempt in February produced no indictment due to lack of probable cause.
A federal appeals court in Richmond’s 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a bid to block President Trump’s executive orders to end DEI programs at federal agencies and government contractors, overturning a district injunction. The panel said the challenge could be addressed by how agencies apply the orders to grant recipients rather than striking them down, effectively allowing enforcement to continue. Plaintiffs Baltimore, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and the AAUP are reviewing the ruling; the White House did not immediately comment.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin says she will not participate in a DOJ interview regarding a video in which she and other Democrats urged U.S. troops to refuse illegal orders, and she asks Attorney General Bondi to order U.S. Attorney Pirro to drop the probe, arguing the inquiry infringes First Amendment rights. The move comes amid backlash from Trump and allies; the case has drawn in the FBI, the Pentagon’s actions toward a fellow lawmaker, and related litigation.
Former Texas A&M lecturer Melissa McCoul filed a federal lawsuit alleging her firing over a gender-identity lesson violated her First Amendment free-speech rights and due-process protections, and that state officials pressured for termination; she seeks reinstatement, back pay and punitive damages, as the university has moved to restrict contentious course content.
A Daily Kos piece argues that Attorney General Pam Bondi used a Fox News interview to justify the arrest of journalist Don Lemon (and Georgia Fort) over coverage of an anti-ICE protest, claiming the actions threaten the First Amendment. The article frames the arrests as part of a broader pattern under Trump to suppress dissent and press coverage, noting Lemon and Fort were released and will continue reporting while urging vigilance on free speech rights.
A federal judge in Portland issued a 14-day temporary restraining order barring ICE and other federal officers from using teargas or projectile munitions against protesters and journalists outside the ICE building, citing a pattern of violence and a chilling effect on First Amendment rights; munitions may only be used if there is an imminent threat and not aimed at the head, neck, or torso, following a lawsuit by the ACLU of Oregon.
A federal appeals court ruled that Montgomery County Public Schools did not violate a Christian substitute teacher’s First Amendment rights by requiring her to use transgender students’ pronouns in the classroom.
A federal judge expressed skepticism about the Pentagon's effort to downgrade Sen. Mark Kelly's retirement pay and rank after he urged service members to refuse unlawful orders, saying extending active-duty speech restrictions to retirees is unprecedented; Kelly's lawyers argue a First Amendment violation and possible immunity under the Speech and Debate Clause, with a ruling anticipated by Feb. 11.
A U.S. District Court in Oregon issued a 14-day temporary restraining order restricting federal officers outside Portland’s ICE building from using chemical or projectile crowd-control munitions unless there is an imminent threat, and barring strikes to the head, neck, or torso unless deadly force is justified, as protests continue and a separate lawsuit over exposure to tear gas proceeds; hearings are scheduled to decide further steps.
Don Lemon says about a dozen federal agents arrested him in a Los Angeles hotel last week over federal civil rights charges tied to his coverage of a protest at a Minnesota church. He claims he offered to surrender but authorities didn’t have a warrant, which he says was later shown on a cell phone. Lemon asserts he was reporting as a journalist, not a protester, and his attorney vows to vigorously contest the charges after a grand jury indictment naming him and others in the Minnesota incident. He was held overnight in a federal holding room, and the case centers on alleged violations of First Amendment rights during the protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul.