Protesters against a bill restricting drag shows march from a rally outside of the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville on Feb. 14, 2023.
AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise
Free speech protections in federal law likely mean a new Tennessee law restricting or banning some drag shows will be found unconstitutional, says a First Amendment scholar.
Satire can be dangerous.
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A satirist posted a parody of a police Facebook page. He was arrested and jailed for four days. How far do free speech protections extend when it comes to satire about government?
A protection that is, at least in this Philadelphia park, carved in stone.
Zakarie Faibis via Wikimedia Commons
‘Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.’ It’s often misunderstood, by many Americans. A constitutional scholar explains what it really boils down to.
George Santos, in the middle, lied his way to winning election to Congress, where he took the oath of office on Jan. 7, 2023.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
When candidates can get elected to Congress based on a mountain of lies they’ve told, is it time to reconsider whether such lies are protected by the First Amendment?
Supreme Court case pits LGBTQ rights against right to discriminate.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
The Supreme Court’s initial questions during the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis opening arguments focused on whether the case might be premature, and what kind of discrimination is at play
Members of the Oath Keepers stand in front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
The historic conviction of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and one other co-defendant for seditious conspiracy has implications for free speech and the future of the militia movement in the US.
Takeoff performs onstage in Atlanta on Oct. 8, 2022. He was killed less than a month later.
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For civilians, free speech is protected by the First Amendment. Not so in the US military, where the rise of political extremism has become a problem.
Abortion-rights protesters shout slogans after tying green flags to the fence of the White House in Washington, D.C. on July 9, 2022.
AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe
Historians of American religious history explain why the Supreme Court’s recent religious liberty rulings are an example of America’s long struggle to define religious freedom.
Flowers are laid near the scene of a mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill.
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Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, politicians have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. Over the years, rap has become an easy target to blame for violence.
An abortion provider in San Antonio had to turn patients away after the June 24, 2022, Supreme Court ruling.
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Even in states that ban abortion, legal precedents indicate that donating to, and receiving assistance from, abortion funds is an expression of free speech.
Joe Kennedy poses in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building after his legal case, Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District, was argued before the court on April 25, 2022.
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Kennedy v. Bremerton, a case about a public school teacher’s prayer, helps close out a Supreme Court term in which religion was often in the spotlight.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision released on Jun 23, 2022, loosens state restrictions on carrying concealed firearms.
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The Supreme Court has found protections for people’s privacy in several constitutional amendments – and used it as a basis for some pretty fundamental protections.
Young Thug performs onstage on March 17, 2022, in Austin, Texas.
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Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, conservatives have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. But hip-hop artists argue those images reflect urban realities.
Pedestrians walk near three flag poles flying the American flag, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag, and the City of Boston flag, from left, outside Boston City Hall, May 2, 2022.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa