In May 2025, PLF attorneys filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Annette Hubbell—an accomplished actor, author, and historian—after a San Diego County Library abruptly canceled her scheduled one-woman play, Women Warriors. 

Instead of showcasing the lives of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Mary McLeod Bethune—as the branch manager had originally requested—Annette was told at the last minute that she needed to replace Tubman and Bethune with white historical figures. Exasperated by the library’s demands and explicitly race-based justifications, Annette refused to change her performance. As a result of her principled stance, the library canceled Annette’s show entirely. 

Earlier this week, San Diego County settled the lawsuit—stipulating that Annette can perform her play at a County library branch and the County will pay Hubbell $60,000 to resolve her claim. Notably, the County also agreed to prohibit discrimination against any vendor or contractor based on race, ethnicity, color, or national origin in the future.

A couple of weeks ago we introduced you to Jake Molieri, a Northern California entrepreneur who offers snake aversion training through his small business, SnakeOut Inc. In early October, we filed a federal lawsuit on Jake’s behalf challenging an arbitrary regulatory roadblock mounted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The rule prohibits Jake from collecting payment for his training services unless he abides by illogical agency guidelines.  

Now, PLF’s Brittany Hunter brings a closer look at what this fight means to Jake and the community he serves—including the more than 700 dogs he’s already trained to avoid venomous snakes since launching his business.

At a City Council hearing in July, Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi brazenly admitted that City officials “looked at every single possible way” to block the permitting of Steve and Karen Reinecke’s accessory dwelling unit—also known as a “granny flat.”

Spoiler alert: The Reineckes recently sent us a photo of their prized permit, after the City Council reluctantly agreed to follow the law and grant the couple what they were rightfully owed. You can find the photo of Steve and Karen gallantly holding their permit at the link below.

Birth centers, which are typically midwife-led and independent from hospitals, have been shown to reduce C-section rates, lower costs, and improve outcomes for low-risk pregnancies. Yet, according to a new PLF report, 17 states still have no operational birth centers, and many others impose burdensome requirements that deter healthcare entrepreneurs and midwives from opening new facilities.

“Our survey shows that states with fewer regulatory barriers have more birth centers and better access to maternity care,” said PLF strategic research manager and co-author of the report Caitlin Styrsky. “Removing arbitrary barriers to birth centers is one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to improve maternal health and restore women’s birth freedom.”