■ The Springfield, Ohio, woman whose social media post that sparked baseless rumors about Haitians eating pets told NBC News that she regrets spreading misinformation online.
■ Brazil’s ban on Elon Musk’s X has moved supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro to take to the streets in a free-speech protest.
■ A federal judge in South Carolina has rejected an ACLU lawsuit trying to overturn the state prison system’s ban of on-camera, in-person interviews with inmates.
Epic fail. Few Americans can name even three First Amendment rights, and two-thirds cannot list the three branches of government, a latest Annenberg civics survey has revealed.
■ The First Amendment battle over the U.S. effort to ban or rein in TikTok began today as a three-judge panel examines whether government action is constitutional.
■ A new Utah law that would require social media companies to verify the ages of their users has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
■ The yard signs decrying hate and racism posted by Jewish family members after a neighbor hurled an antisemitic slur at them were protected free speech, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled.
FIRE alarms. The more elite the college, the more chilled its on-campus environment for open discourse, suggested Greg Lukianoff, CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), in a New York Post commentary.
■ University of Virginia students expressed disbelief over FIRE’s survey that labeled their school tops in the nation for free speech and open inquiry.
■ A Florida school district must reshelve books containing LGBTQ+ content as part of a settlement reached between parents and the school board.
■ A Michigan State University law professor has tackled the question: Can public schools stop students from praying?
■ A federal judge in Michigan has upheld a public school’s ban on wearing “Let’s Go Brandon” shirts.
Oh, nyet! Right-wing influencers worked unknowingly for a Tennessee-based content-creation company that served as a front for a Russian media influence operation, U.S. prosecutors said.
■ Even news outlets perceived to be politically neutral can profit in the current polarized media environment, but a George Mason professor has argued that doing so may be bad for democracy.
■ The future of Fox News likely will be determined when media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his children face off in court.
■ Where have all the First Amendment absolutists gone? Constitutional scholar Ronald K.L. Collins can answer that.
Sky files. A North Carolina drone reporter has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to acknowledge that providing clients with data and images from aerial photography is protected speech.
■ The state of Tennessee has been getting away with delaying access to public records, declared Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, and a partner to the Free Speech Center.
■ Former BBC news presenter Huw Edwards has been given a suspended sentence for accessing indecent images of children.
