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Jonathan Turley: Texas Professor Sues University After Being Allegedly Threatened Over His Criticism of CRT and DEI

.....We have been discussing various cases of professors being investigated or terminated for raising dissenting views on subjects like systemic racism or Critical Race Theory (CRT). The latest such controversy is at the University of Texas where a professor is suing after he was allegedly threatened for criticizing as having “no scientific basis.” Notably, the complaint of Dr. Richard Lowery (below) admits that, despite being tenured, he began to self-censor his comments — a problem that is widespread among academics who now fear to speak freely in class or even outside of their universities.

Washington Post: Students painted a mural for a bakery. The town wants it removed.

By Marisa Iati

.....In a small New Hampshire tourist town, the front of a roadside bakery is adorned with an image of the sun rising over a row of doughnuts, muffins and other pastries.

The Conway, N.H., community has been captivated for months by a dispute, previously reported by the Conway Daily News, over whether the art project is considered a sign under the municipal code. The town says yes, because the painting shows baked goods — and that the image exceeds the legal size limit for signs. The owner of Leavitt’s Country Bakery says no — and, in a federal lawsuit, contends the town ordinance violates the First Amendment.

Washington Times: House investigators launch probe into State Department’s funding of ‘disinformation’ index

By Joseph Clark

.....The House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Thursday started investigating State Department funding for a foreign “disinformation” monitoring group that provides “dynamic blacklists” used to suppress disfavored news outlets.

Reason: Save Roald Dahl Books From the Dreaded Sensitivity Readers

.....The sensitivity readers have come for beloved children's author Roald Dahl. A recent report in The Telegraph notes that Puffin, publisher of classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches, will soon release new editions of the books, sans problematic phrasing and terminology…

Wall Street Journal: The Deepfake Dangers Ahead

By Daniel Byman, Chris Meserole and V.S. Subrahmanian

.....Democratic societies need to start addressing the potential harms of deepfakes as well, but we can’t do it the same way China does. We need a response that preserves the free flow of ideas and expression, the exchange of information that allows citizens to determine what is fake and what is real. Disinformation is dangerous precisely because it undermines the very notion of truth. Bans like Beijing’s play into this problem by making the discernment of truth and falsity a government prerogative, susceptible to politics and brute enforcement.

Rolling Stone: Elon Musk’s Twitter Goes Dark on Government Data Grabs

.....Twitter boss Elon Musk has railed against what he sees as U.S. government attempts to “censor” the social media company. 

Roll Call: PAC money to electoral count objectors fell 10 percent

.....Donations from corporate and trade association PACs declined in the 2022 cycle by 10 percent to Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 election for President Joe Biden, according to an analysis of campaign reports by Accountable.us.

The nonpartisan group, which seeks to curb corporate influence in politics, looked at the political action committees of Fortune 500 companies and more than 700 trade associations and found the 10 percent dip between the 2020 and 2022 cycles to the election objectors who ran in both elections. Accountable.us shared its findings first with CQ Roll Call. 

People United for Privacy: More Bills Threatening Citizen Privacy Bite the Dust

.....Recently, People United For Privacy warned about legislation in North Dakota that would put Americans at risk of harassment and retaliation for their beliefs. The bill (H.B. 1500) threatened to publicly expose Americans’ names and home addresses when supporting nonprofit causes in the state. Fortunately, on February 15, the measure was defeated in the North Dakota House of Representatives.

Capitol Media Services: AZ House passes bill requiring students to recite Pledge of Allegiance

.....The state House of Representatives voted to require students 17 and younger to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Reason: Ron DeSantis Wants To Rewrite Defamation Law

.....A legislative ally of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced a bill in the Florida House on Tuesday that would remove many of the legal protections against defamation lawsuits established in the 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times v. Sullivan. The new bill is yet another attempt by DeSantis, an aggressive critic of defamation law, to curb First Amendment protections in Florida.

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