We recently discussed the striking down of one of the state laws barring contractors who support the boycotting of Israel. In New Zealand, however, a similar law is in effect and a pro-Israel group is suing two people for simply encouraging pop singer Lorde not to hold a planned concert in Israel. The lawsuit demonstrates the danger to free speech in these laws, which seeks to punish people for their political views, association, and speech. As many on this blog know, I generally oppose any laws that curtail free speech and view the solution to bad speech to be better speech — not criminalized speech. This has nothing to do the merits of the boycotts; only the means used to oppose such views. I have not problem with fans or promoters suing Lorde over a cancelled concert if they lost money. This goes to the right of people to boycott a country due to their personal or political views.
We previously discussed the controversial decisions to drop the “
The plot thickened last night over the anticipated release of a four-page memo from the House Intelligence Committee. California Rep. 
There is another disturbing report alleging that, despite all of the damage caused by President Donald Trump allegedly asking former FBI Director for a pledge of loyalty, he asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein whether he was “on my team” before Rosenstein testified before Congress. Notably, in the hearing, Rosenstein was asked “Is it ever appropriate for a president of the United States to demand a Department of Justice official or FBI director to take a loyalty pledge?” He replied “I don’t have any opinion about that. Nobody has asked me to take a loyalty pledge other than the oath of office.”
A District Court judge in Kansas has handed down a major free speech victory this week in striking down the state law requiring all state contractors “to certify that they are not engaged in a boycott of Israel.” We have 
According to Bloomberg, FBI Director Christopher 
President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address covered a wide array of domestic and international issues. At eighty minutes, it was long of the longest such speeches. Putting the policies aside, Trump’s delivery last night was one of his strongest. Indeed, while many have objected to the content, it was a much better delivery than his inauguration in my opinion. 
A leading Muslim cleric in India has issued a decree barring females from attending soccer matches. Why? Mufti Athar Kasmi, head of a strict Indian seminary, has declared that the exposed knees of players is an unIslamic influence on females.
The early departure of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has led to a spasm of speculation and criticism ranging from Comey’s warning of the destruction of FBI knuckling under President Donald Trump to overwrought analogies to the 
According to the Daily Beast, a top Swiss police investigator identified only as Victor K was fired last week in a case that some are describing as an effort by Russians to make him a virtual double agent. Against the direct orders of his superiors, Victor went to Russia and was put up in a luxury hotel to meet with the office that allegedly offered dirt on Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump Jr. in the infamous Trump Tower meeting. In Washington, he was promptly put into a meeting with the main figure from the Trump Tower: Natalia Veselnitskaya. Once again, she wanted to talk about the whole Magnitsky controversy where huge amounts of money reportedly were generated for powerful Russian figures in a $230 million fraud scheme. The Swiss were zeroing in on that money which may have been laundered through Swiss accounts.
Below is my column in the Hill Newspaper on the news that former FBI Director James Comey will be teaching a course at William & Mary on “ethical leadership.” While I believe that having their alum teach a class would be a terrific opportunity for their students, this particular subject is obviously controversial. Moreover, it seems to fit an agenda by Comey to address criticism over his ethical choices. There is nothing in Comey’s past that would have made this an obvious choice for his expertise that clearly encompasses national security, surveillance, privacy, and other area of constitutional and criminal law. Curriculum should not be a vehicle for public relations.
For many, the recent video of Hillary Clinton thanking “activist bitches supporting bitches” was a cringe-worthy moment as Clinton continues to struggle to be accepted as a leader (or even a plausible member of) the “resistance.” What is curious is that there seems to be a conscious decision in the Democratic ranks to become more profane. 
In the aftermath of the report that the White House Counsel Don McGahn had to threaten to resign to prevent President Donald Trump from firing Robert Mueller last June, new reports from four sources say that Trump has raised his desire to fire Deputy Attorney General 
At the Davos conference in Switzerland, President Donald Trump denied the New York Times account that he ordered the firing of Special Counsel in June but was prevented by doing so when White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign. It is a highly disturbing allegation since such an act would have been catastrophic for the Trump Administration. Now however President Trump is denying the story —