Below is my column in USA Today on the controversy surrounding CNN’s handling of the creator of the Trump wrestling video. The episode shows the deepening tension between CNN and Trump. CNN has increasingly positioned itself as part of the “resistance” while Trump has used CNN as embodiment of all that is wrong with the media. While Trump has said that CNN has done itself serious damage in the controversy, polls show almost 60 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance as President. While ratings have been up and more people trust CNN rather than Trump, CNN’s journalistic image has been damaged in the relentless anti-Trump rhetoric from both political and legal contributors. Even under the recent poll, some 43 percent trust Trump more and CNN’s ratings continue to roller coaster. Ironically, CNN needs Trump and Trump needs CNN to continue their respective narratives. However, neither is a promising foundation for either a political or journalistic enterprise. It is a case of mutually assured destruction.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “CNN’s Probationary Order To Reddit Poster Raises Serious Journalistic Concern”
We often debate on how one should take a mug shot. Mark Prichard, 59, went with the “I’m really happy” approach. His crime however was less joyful. He was arrested after allegedly making threatening comments toward Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake’s staff that referenced the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. There is an interesting First Amendment issue raised by some of the charges against Prichard.
With Congress moving to give the Trump Administration authority to withhold grants from sanctuary cities, California is moving to become a sanctuary state. Under 
Meet Steven Marks, 32, a Trump supporter who decided that it was a brilliant idea to write anti-Trump slogans on the Morley Elementary School in West Hartford man to frame liberals. 
We have two more felons undone by social media habits. Logan Brooke Larrimore, 18, and Farren Marie Lane, 18, decided to break into a South Carolina water park and then posted pictures on Snapchat of themselves enjoying the slides and Italian ices. It did not take long for the police to track them down and they now facing felony charges.
As many on this blog know, I am hold a near absolutist view of free speech that has led me to long criticize hate speech laws around the world. We are seeing a steady expansion of criminalized speech, often under ill-defined or highly subjective standards. That is why a recent decision of a court in Cape Town caught my eye. A 
The search of Amelia Earhart is a mystery that seems to deepen by the year. The latest intriguing twist is the photo above. Marked “Jaluit Atoll,” the photo shows a short-haried woman wearing pants and sitting with her back to the camera. Near her is a tall man resembling her co-pilot Fred Noonan. The 
Every Fourth of July, some celebrity will attract national attention by denouncing the holiday as a type of slaver’s celebration. This year was no exception. In past years, I have said nothing because these comments reflect understandable conflicted feelings by African Americans and others whose ancestors lived through decades of oppression and discrimination. However, it is time to put part of this criticism to rest . . . at least in part. There is a tendency to ignore those Framers who advocated emancipation at our founding and the recognition of the scourge of slavery that would forever taint our history.
There are various reports confirming that Justice Anthony Kennedy has told staff that he is seriously thinking of resigning and has notably not selected clerks for the October 2018 term. That raises some intriguing issues, including how such a vacancy would play in the midterm elections when there are 33 seats up for grabs in the United States Senate. The vacancy could be used to rally conservatives and liberals alike. As for Kennedy, it could be the difference between a lasting and short-lived legacy.
It appears that Qatari will be left “waiting for Gadot” for some time after the government banned the move “Wonder Women.” The reason is that lead actress Gal Gadot (who plays Diana Prince) is Israeli. The government joins Lebanon and Tunisia in banning the film. The Muslim countries appear to agree with Wonder Woman in saying ” It’s about what you believe.” Gadot believes in the Torah and that is enough for the Qatar government. (Of course, Wonder Woman added “And I believe in love. Only love will truly save the world.”) That part is clearly not part of this decision.
One would think that, after Cedric Jelks accidentally shot himself in the penis, most police and prosecutors would consider the act to be punishment enough. However, the 38-year-old Jacksonville man is a convicted felon and was not allowed to possess a gun. 