As Foghorn Leghorn warned “This is going to cause more confusion than a mouse in a burlesque show.”
The Ohio Supreme Court just ruled that selling a boneless chicken dish does not mean that it is boneless because it is referring to a “cooking style not a guarantee.” Continue reading “No Bones About It: Ohio Supreme Court Rules Boneless Chicken Need Not Be Boneless”
For years, former CNN Anchor Lynne Russell was the familiar face of Headline News for the country. She may soon be making headlines again as the lead plaintiff in what could prove a major Second Amendment challenge in Washington, D.C. Russell is challenging the city’s prohibition on “off-body” carrying of weapons, including keeping a handgun in a purse. That type of off-body carry is precisely what may have saved Russell’s life in a shootout with an armed assailant in 2015. Continue reading “Former CNN Anchor Leads Major Challenge In Defense of the Second Amendment”
District Court Judge David Carter delivered a crushing blow against free speech rights in elementary schools in an outrageous case out of Orange County. Principal Jesus Becerra at Viejo Elementary punished a seven-year-old girl named B.B. in the lawsuit for writing “any life” under a “Black Lives Matter” picture. Judge Carter issued a sweeping decision that said that she has no free speech rights in the matter due to her age and that the school is allowed to engage in raw censorship. He is now being appealed.
Continue reading “Federal Judge Rules Against Free Speech in Elementary Schools”
We previously discussed the free speech lawsuit of Portland State University Professor Bruce Gilley who was blocked from the Twitter account of the University of Oregon’s Division of Equity and Inclusion after tweeting “All men are created equal.” The court just granted a preliminary injunction holding that there was a substantial likelihood that he would prevail on the merits against the University of Oregon. Continue reading ““All Men are Created Equal”: University of Oregon Loses Key Motion in Free Speech Case”
Below is my column in the New York Post on the ruling against Nina Jankowicz in her defamation case. It turns out that calling opposing views defamation is no better than calling them disinformation.
We have been following the controversies surrounding professors commenting on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Some of those responses have ranged from celebrations to spreading bizarre conspiracy theories. The latest controversy concerns Rutgers University Writing Program Assistant Teaching Professor Tracy Budd, who posted a Facebook message saying ”Let’s hope today’s events inspire others.” These postings raise difficult questions for universities in balancing free speech rights against statements viewed as endorsing violence. Continue reading ““Let’s Hope Today’s Events Inspire Others”: Rutgers Professor Under Fire for Posting on Trump Assassination Attempt” 
For most of us, this election could not become more confusing. However, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D., Tx.) may have added a whole new level of confusion for many in suggesting that Donald Trump may have been the latest victim of systemic racism among law enforcement in the United States. Continue reading “Was Donald Trump the Victim of White Privilege? A Democratic Member Wants to Know”
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has handed down a major ruling in Worth v. Jacobson in favor of the Second Amendment. The opinion by Judge Duane Benton upholds a lower court in striking down a Minnesota law limiting gun permits for persons 21 years old. It is a question that could find its way to the Supreme Court once splits among the circuits develop. Continue reading “Worth Reading: The Eighth Circuit Finds Bar on 18-20 Year Olds Violates the Second Amendment”
Below is my column in the Hill on the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the 2024 election. After weeks of Democrats and the media raising the alarm of his mental capacity, Biden finally gave up his public refusal to step aside. Harris will now be the nominee through succession by defenestration, or being tossed from a window. Yet, there remains a lingering question of Biden’s capacity to serve for another six months as president.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Succession by Defenestration: How Biden’s Withdrawal May Trigger a 25th Amendment Fight”
Below is my Hill column on President Joe Biden shifting his position on the Supreme Court and agreeing to “limits” on the Supreme Court. This ran before President Biden finally consented to withdraw from the race. It makes this last ditch effort even more tragic for his legacy. He resisted these calls for 50 years, including roughly four years of his presidency. He only succumbed in the final six months as he struggled to save his candidacy. It did not work, but his pledge will outlast his presidency.
As I mentioned in the column, the ploy might not work and Biden might not make it past the convention. The pledge, however, will remain and now Biden is committed to the ill-conceived legislation. After what I called “succession by defenestration” in yesterday’s column, Vice President Kamala Harris will likely want to show continuity in fulfilling this pledge. Indeed, judging from her past statements, she may double down on pushing for new limits. The irony is that his offer did not close the deal with the party for Biden, but he will now likely seek to fulfill the deal in limiting the Court.
Here is the earlier column (without changes due to the announcement): Continue reading “Supreme Folly: The Tragic and Ironic Legacy of President Biden on Court “Limits””
I have long been critical of the erosion of free speech in Italy and other Western European countries, including the use of criminal libel laws against critics of the police or government. This week a Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni damages of 5,000 euros ($5,465) for making fun of her in a social media post. Giulia Cortese was also given a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for a joke on X. It is the latest absurd example of the expanding crackdown on free speech.
McKenna Geer, who is a competitive rifle shooter on Team USA for the Paralympics, is the latest person to be censored on social media. In her case, the offense was merely posting pictures with the guns that she uses in competitions. While possessing a gun is a protected individual right, Instagram will flag your posts and bar you from some sites if you post a picture with a gun . . . even if it is part of your sport at the Olympics or Paralympics. Continue reading “Instagram Censors Paralympian Because of Photo with Competition Gun”
We previously discussed how Hunter Biden adopted the arguments of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun rights groups to challenge the law that his father has championed as a key gun control reform. In his effort to challenge his various charges, Hunter Biden has gone full Trump. Now, Hunter has adopted the Trump argument that special counsels are unconstitutional in seeking to toss out all of the charges by Special Counsel David Weiss, it is the very argument that Democrats and liberal law professors have denounced as meritless and menacing. Having recently embraced the conservative justices in challenging gun laws, Hunter is now channeling Justice Clarence Thomas on the unconstitutionality of special counsel appointments — an argument that his father denounced as wrong and “specious.”
Below is my column in USA Today on the decision to dismiss the Florida case against former president Donald Trump. The decision will soon force the Eleventh Circuit and possibly the Supreme Court in the wonderland of Special Counsels.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Of Ravens and Writing Desks: How the Trump Decision May Force the Supreme Court in the Wonderland of Special Counsels”
Today C-Span is airing a long interview on my new book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage, at 8 p.m. tonight on C-Span Book TV. It will then air at later times and be available on the C-Span website. Continue reading “C-Span to Air Full Interview on The Indispensable Right Tonight”