This is the Daily Media Update published by the Institute for Free Speech. For press inquiries, please contact Luke Wachob at [email protected].  

Ed. note: The Daily Media Update will return Tuesday, June 21.

Reason (Volokh Conspiracy): Institute for Free Speech Looking for Litigator (with 7+ Years of Experience)

.....From the Institute's site, which includes the relevant details:

Tampa Bay Times: Judge blocks Florida lawmakers’ attempt to limit contributions in ballot drives

.....A federal judge has rejected an attempt by Florida lawmakers to limit contributions to political committees supporting ballot initiatives, saying it violates the First Amendment.

Colorado Politics: Colorado Senate candidate Joe O'Dea sues over mailers comparing him with GOP primary rival Ron Hanks

.....Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe O'Dea wants the courts, federal election authorities and Colorado prosecutors to stop an anonymous political group from distributing flyers that compare O'Dea with GOP primary rival Ron Hanks.

The mailers, O'Dea argues in the federal lawsuit, are part of a "scheme to defraud citizens of Colorado in an attempt to divert votes away from O’Dea."

In his complaint to the FEC, O'Dea warns that if commissioners don't "provide immediate relief to stop these willful violations of federal election law, it may change the outcome of a very important Senate race.”

New York Post: Big Sister II: Kamala Harris leads latest Biden ‘disinformation’ team

.....The Biden administration on Thursday created a new internet policy task force — this one led by Vice President Kamala Harris — with goals including “developing programs and policies” to protect “political figures” and journalists from “disinformation,” “abuse” and “harassment.” ...

Washington Post: White House rolls out task force to curb online abuse

By Cat Zakrzewski

.....“We are very mindful of the First Amendment issues,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss the White House’s plans. “But banning threatening speech is not protected by the First Amendment. So while we are going to carefully navigate those issues, we are also going to remain laser-focused on the non-speech aspects.”

New York Times: Extradition Order for Julian Assange Approved by Britain

.....The British government approved an extradition order on Friday for Julian Assange, the embattled WikiLeaks founder, confirming a court decision that he can be sent to the United States to stand trial on espionage charges, though his legal fight against the decision is not over.

Washington Times: Schools increasingly weaponize ‘no-contact’ orders to censor speech, civil liberties groups say

.....Civil liberties groups say their efforts to fight censorship on college campuses are increasingly facing schools that weaponize discrimination and harassment policies to silence unwanted expression.

Roll Call: Companies face tug-of-war on lobbying agenda versus ESG values

.....Corporations have a myriad of issues for which to advocate in Congress, said Ariel Meyerstein, senior vice president of community investing and development at Citibank. That can mean they have to pursue alliances with lawmakers who may support policies that would benefit corporations from a tax or financial perspective but not on other issues.

Washington Post: When Twitter suspends users, their views get more extreme

By Tamar Mitts and Jack Snyder

.....Supporters of what became the Texas statute argued that social media platforms “have acted primarily to limit mostly conservative views.” Opponents of the Texas law pointed to the “cesspool of racial slurs, misogyny, and targeted harassment that the platforms would be powerless to control” if it went into effect. But new research shows that pushing defamation, lies, incitement and hate speech off mainstream platforms — “deplatforming” — can backfire, driving extremist speech onto niche platforms where conspirators thrive in isolation from reality-based discourse.

Washington Post: Caught in the culture wars, teachers are being forced from their jobs

By Hannah Natanson and Moriah Balingit 

.....Educators fear conditions will only worsen as lawmakers seek to regulate how teachers talk about any number of issues, including politics, race, history, gender identity and sexuality, creating a new basis to push teachers out. In some cases, the authors of education-related bills and laws have used vague, broad and unclear wording, leading to widespread concern that teachers may unintentionally run afoul of the law.

Oklahoma Watch: Stitt’s ‘Oklahoma Turnaround’ Ads May Violate Ethics Rules

.....The latest campaign commercial for Gov. Kevin Stitt prominently featuring his appointed attorney general, John O’Connor, is raising eyebrows in political circles and may run afoul of state Ethics Commission rules for electioneering, according to several Republicans and Democrats. 

Reason: Florida Officials Use a Victim's Rights Law To Stop a Newspaper from Printing Deputies' Names

.....Florida deputies shot and killed a man during an eviction process, and now a judge is prohibiting a local newspaper from printing the names of the officers involved.

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