What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence - High Country News There is no definition of domestic terrorism. And the reason why is complicated.

It’s the 31st anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people. It should disturb everyone that the ideas and rhetoric that motivated Timothy McVeigh have mainstreamed. I grapple with that reality here:

www.hcn.org/issues/58-4/...

What Is Actual Malice? Definition, Examples and More What is actual malice and how does it relate to free speech and the First Amendment? Here's everything you need to know.

Since Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic, claiming the magazine committed "actual malice" in its reporting on him, here's an in-depth look at what that means in a defamation lawsuit and what he would need to prove to clear the very high First Amendment bar #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/actual-malice/

Judge Dismisses Trump’s Lawsuit Against The Wall Street Journal: First Amendment Analysis A judge dismissed President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal. What does the ruling say?

This week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from President Trump that alleged the Wall Street Journal defamed him in its reporting about Jeffrey Epstein. Here's a helpful legal explainer on the First Amendment issues involved + why the judge dismissed #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/trump-wall-s...

Agreed -- the students are super smart! Thanks for being there to cover it!

When Does Protesting Become Illegal? The First Amendment doesn't protect protests that turn violent, become unsafe, involve trespassing or violate other laws.

For additional context, here's a legal explainer on when protesting can lose First Amendment protections.
#1A
⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/when-does-pr...

Federal case going to trial in Spokane stemming from protest and arrests at ICE facility last year. Will be very interesting to see First Amendment issues raised (and how the jury treats them) in context of line between protected and unprotected assembly/speech. #1A

Via @rangemedia.co ⬇️

Is the Government Watching You? Surveillance and the First Amendment, Explained When considering surveillance, courts balance First Amendment rights against national security and law enforcement concerns.

Big Brother has big implications (and possible chilling effects) for speech, press and assembly/association rights. So here's good info on the legal interplay of government surveillance + the First Amendment #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/government-s...

Person dies at Spokane Amazon facility, employees evacuated A person died early Monday morning at Spokane’s Amazon facility, officials say.

Sad story. Solid reporting (as always) by @ryanjhaas.bsky.social Made me think of this 2024 employee death at Spokane warehouse. Though this short article suggests it may have been handled differently. Curious if there was any deeper workplace L&I investigation. www.spokesman.com/stories/2024...

Houston, you have a problem.

The Mariners win their first series of the year against the gosh dang Astros the same weekend they unveil Ichiro's statue. To me that's a World Series win.

Mission accomplished! #goms #tridentsup #seausrise

First Amendment Rights in the Military Members of the military have many of the same First Amendment rights as civilians, but there are some limits to those freedoms.

With lots of military issues in the news, it's worth asking to what extent current (and retired) members can use the freedom of speech to criticize commanders. Overall, how does the First Amendment apply (or not) to US service members? #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/first-amendm...

Federal judge finds Trump violated free speech by ordering NPR defunded A U.S. District Court judge found that President Trump's executive ordering the defunding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment.

Federal judge rules President Trump violated First Amendment with 2025 executive order against NPR + PBS funding, which preceded Congress rescinding funding for Corporation for Public Broadcasting. #1A
www.npr.org/2026/03/31/n...

Lots of headlines saying SCOTUS "strikes down" Colorado conversion therapy law on First Amendment grounds. Not quite. They found the law, as written, amounts to "viewpoint discrimination" and ordered lower court to review on "strict scrutiny" standard. Not the same as outright overturning a law. #1A

Are Non-Citizens Protected by the First Amendment? Are non-citizens protected by the First Amendment? The answer isn't as clear-cut as you may think. Here's everything to know.

Since the Supreme Court hears the big birthright citizenship case this week, here's a (somewhat) related topic: Are non-citizens protected by the First Amendment?
Answer: Sort of depends. Not a neat + clean yes/no.
MORE #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/non-citizens...

Robo-Cops: AI Is Coming For Your Local Police As Northwest police departments adopt artificial intelligence, some see a dystopian nightmare. Others see an inevitable future

Police depts. using AI for reports:
" ... a report late last year that erroneously claimed an officer ... turned into a frog; the Axon camera audio captured a children’s movie playing in the background."

Great reporting from @thewesternedge.bsky.social ⬇️
www.thewesternedge.media/p/robo-cops-...

Will "The Thrill" Clark (Giants). And David Justice plus most of the early-to-mid 90s Braves simply because they were on basic cable (thanks, Ted Turner!).

I normally don't watch Mariners games on TV (too stressful). But I did last night. Best way to distract from the existential dread of world affairs is to experience the greater existential dread of supporting the gosh dang Seattle Mariners. On that, they delivered! #GOMS #SeaUsRise #TridentsUp

Next week: We dispatch our intrepid cultural critic from Brooklyn to the isolated mountain village of Leavenworth, a Donnor Party-esque sojourn, to report how the rarely seen residents of the Bavarian enclave survived the unforgiving Washington winter.

The funny part being one could take an Uber (or just straight rent a car) from SeaTac (sorry, SEA!) to Quilcene and get there faster than how this writer describes...for reasons that seem more about wanting to take a ferry to Bainbridge. But maybe that doesn't make for a good Slate narrative?

FCC Regulation of Broadcast Media and the First Amendment The FCC has regulatory authority but is limited by the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

In the news the past year: FCC regulation of broadcast media. Under the First Amendment, how can the federal government punish stations for what they air? Doesn't that violate their free press and speech rights? #1A answers ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/fcc-first-am...

Image of Gonzaga mens basketball player Mario Saint-Supery playing on the court with bleached hair and a light goatee, making him sort of look like Justin Bieber or skatboarding a teenager who at a mall Zumiez.

For March Madness media:

Yes, the term "Zags" should help you pronounce Gonzaga.

Yes, there's a player from Spain whose real name sort of makes him Saint Super Mario.

Yes, he came here with dark hair but now looks like a late-90s Zumiez teen/Justin Bieber.

Yes, that's the Spokane Effect.

Annual Northwest-themed March Madness pronunciation guide for broadcasters:
- Gonzaga: GONE-zag (as in "bag")-uh
- Spokane: Spo-CAN as in "I can see garbage goats"
- Vandals: Better hoopers than Cougars
- Moscow: Moss-CO as in "cool co-op"
- Oregon: As in "OR maybe we should've staying in Pac?"

Update: Afroman wins defamation lawsuit brought by Ohio sheriff's deputies. Good quote from him: "It's not only for artists. It's for Americans. We have freedom of speech. They ... did me wrong and sued me because I was talking about it." ⬇️
www.cbsnews.com/news/afroman...

Take the compliment. I recently got "the guy on the Oscars in that spy movie"? (Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent). What happens when you wear glasses and don't shave for a week.

Lots of discourse about how Timothee Chalamet "lost" the Oscar through his own annoying actions. Seemingly less about how Michael B. Jordan wasn't only the better actor, but, in fact, the Best Actor in a film last year.

Keep it simple: Elio lost because Creed trained harder.

What Is Defamation? Everything You Should Know It’s a commonly asked, but often misunderstood, First Amendment question: What is defamation? We answer that and much more in this guide.

Since Afroman is trending (!!!) - a super interesting free speech/First Amendment-related case about which you should read - here is a helpful explainer on the issue involved in the sheriff's deputies' lawsuit against him: defamation #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/what-is-defa...

There are very few situations in which people get to criticize Admin members to their face, and only one where they are required to shut up and take it. The transcript is really remarkable.

What Speech Is Protected by the First Amendment? What speech is protected by the First Amendment? What speech isn't? Learn all about protected speech in this guide.

We hear "free speech" all the time. But what really constitutes "speech"? And what, exactly, does the First Amendment protect (and not protect)? Whose speech is more easily limited? A #1A guide ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/what-speech-...

Hear me out: A free, multi-modal pass-through stand called Chick-Phil-Hay! where everyone receives either 1) Baby chicken; 2) Printed meme with life advice from Fresh Prince's Uncle Phil; 3) Cute plant in a pot made from recycled eastern WA hay bales

Detectives investigating a homicide stumbled upon a Spokane County deputy accused of trading pills and sexting at work, records say A man accused of murder and kidnapping a woman he chained up in his basement in Pend Oreille County had texted about trading prescription pills with a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy who was his neigh...

Every sentence in this had me thinking, surely this will be the most surprising and shocking detail here, and without fail, the next sentence had something else in store! Kudos to @alexdugganreports.bsky.social for reporting it.
www.spokesman.com/stories/2026...

Lying Is Protected by the First Amendment, but Fraud Isn't. Here's Why The First Amendment broadly protects freedom of speech, but fraudulent statements often fall outside its scope.

Lying is (largely) protected free speech, though perjury and defamation are not. Also not protected: fraud. Here's how it's different, and why the First Amendment's broad protection for false speech doesn't extend to fraud. #1A ⬇️
www.freedomforum.org/fraud-first-...