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Outrageous social media laws await Supreme Court

2 years 8 months ago
Credit: Joe Ravi

A Texas law that would force social media companies to host objectionable content is once again suspended while litigants request the Supreme Court weigh in on the issue. Last week the Fifth Circuit blocked the notorious legislation, known as H.B. 20, from taking effect until at least December, putting on hold its own controversial September ruling that seemingly disregards a century of First Amendment law. The statute had previously made a trip to the Supreme Court, where an unusual 5-4 majority granted a request for an emergency stay through its opaque “shadow docket” process.

The Texas law is one of a handful passed in Republican-led state legislatures aimed at making social media platforms carry a variety of users’ opinions — whether those websites want to or not. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis waded into the fray last May with a similar law that has now been temporarily blocked by both a federal district court and the Eleventh Circuit. Earlier this month, Florida petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn that order. Between these two petitions and the recently granted challenges to CDA Section 230 (a key protection for online speech), this Supreme Court term could have major First Amendment implications.

The earlier Texas decision upholding H.B. 20 attempts to draw a legal distinction between the judgment exercised in social media moderation and that used by newspaper editors. But if legislators and courts can use this sort of blatantly unconstitutional law to dictate what social media companies must host, it’s not hard to imagine they’d try the same with news outlets next.

In fact, we’ve already seen the outlines of that effort, through campaigns to erode the First Amendment rights enshrined by cases like New York Times v. Sullivan. Those rights were hard-fought, and far from inevitable. Although the Texas and Florida laws may have only an indirect impact on newsrooms for now, they represent an open front in an ongoing press freedom battle.

What we’re reading:
Freedom of the Press Foundation

Powerball Jackpot For Saturday's Draw Is $580 Million

2 years 8 months ago
CHICAGO – If you’re feeling lucky, you might want to get your hands on a Powerball ticket. That’s because the jackpot for Saturday night’s drawing is now a whopping $580 million. So far this year, the Powerball jackpot has been won a total of five times, and this current jackpot is the game’s largest since April 2022. Illinois Lottery players have been doing their share of winning too. Just last week, an Illinois Lottery player became a newly minted-millionaire after buying a winning Powerball ticket worth $1 million at K N R Candy in Calumet City. Since January 2022, a total of five Illinois Lottery players have won prizes of $1 million or more with Powerball. With over 7,000 Illinois Lottery retailers across the State, lottery players can conveniently pick up a ticket at their local store - or they can login to the Illinois Lottery website or app and purchase a ticket online. Powerball tickets are $2 each, and players have the option to add the Powerpla

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Marquette Catholic Executes Short Lockdown While Alton Police Apprehends Suspects In Situation Not Related To The School

2 years 8 months ago
ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School was instructed by Alton Police to execute a lockdown that started at 11:07 a.m. and ended at noon on Friday. Marquette Principal Tim Harmon said the Alton Police Department let them know about a search for suspects in close proximity and they immediately went down into lockdown mode. He said he greatly appreciated the quick response by Alton Police, thinking about the safety of those at Marquette. “There was no immediate danger, but we really appreciate the contact and I thought the faculty, staff, and students all did a great job of following our policies in regard to a lockdown,” he said. “Everyone handled it very well.”

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Don’t Expect The US Government To Actually Stop Elon From Buying Twitter

2 years 8 months ago
Honestly, the only thing one can say about the whole Elon Musk buying Twitter situation is that you should expect the unexpected to happen. Nothing about this deal has been normal, even though some moves (like Musk coming up with laughably ridiculous pretextual excuses to try to get out of the deal) were telegraphed way […]
Mike Masnick

Alton Police Apprehend Vehicle Theft Suspects In Busy Morning, Schools Have Short Lockdown

2 years 8 months ago
ALTON - Alton Police received an LPR hit at about 10:46 a.m. on Friday, October 21, 2022, indicating a stolen vehicle had just traveled southbound on U.S. 67, from Godfrey Road, towards the city limits of Alton. The vehicle was described as a blue Hyundai passenger vehicle and was reported stolen from St. Louis, Missouri. Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido said several Alton Police Officers began responding to the general area. "A short time later, an Alton Police Department Detective observed the stolen vehicle on East 20th St., near Alby Street," Chief Pulido said. "This vehicle was driven by a subject who was wearing a ski mask. This vehicle accelerated at a higher rate of speed, at which time the detective briefly lost sight of the vehicle. "Moments later, the detective located the stolen vehicle again, but it was now being followed by a black Hyundai passenger vehicle. Upon observing the Alton Police Department Detective, both vehicles began fleeing southbound on Alby Street. "Whil

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