Congress, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Torts

Marc Elias Legal Team Threatens Media with a Lawsuit for Questioning the Health of Democrat Roy Cooper
(MSNBC/via YouTube)

Marc Elias has long been at the center of controversial election tactics, including criminal investigations. If lawyers had to take an oath to first do no harm, the court-sanctioned Democratic lawyer would leave Hippocrates gobsmacked.  Well, Elias is back and his legal team is threatening the media with what appears an entirely meritless defamation lawsuit on behalf of former Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate. Continue reading “Marc Elias Legal Team Threatens Media with a Lawsuit for Questioning the Health of Democrat Roy Cooper” →

Academia, Constitutional Law, Free Speech

“We have a Zero-Tolerance Policy”: High School Student “Punished” for Expressing Support for the “Cornell 7”

We have previously discussed high school administrators and teachers who engage in censorship and speech regulation, often targeting religious and conservative students. These cases cost school districts millions in court costs, but the school officials never seem to face any consequences. In California, Piner High School has joined this ignoble effort, punishing the high school football captain for expressing support for the “Cornell 7” on his own Instagram page. Other students then protested not to support free speech but to demand further punishment for the student. I wonder where they learned that repressive view of free speech? Continue reading ““We have a Zero-Tolerance Policy”: High School Student “Punished” for Expressing Support for the “Cornell 7”” →

Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Politics

Sherrod Brown Goes Full Jaime West: “We’re Not Confirming …Trump Judges”

In Ohio, Sherrod Brown went full Jaime West this week in his U.S. Senate campaign. West is the Indiana candidate who became a viral sensation for pledging to “fire all Republicans” because “I just don’t like them.” Brown appears to be eager to jump on the same rage train and pledged that he will vote against any Republican judicial nominee regardless of their qualifications or background. Continue reading “Sherrod Brown Goes Full Jaime West: “We’re Not Confirming …Trump Judges”” →

Congress, Courts, Media, Politics, Supreme Court

Borked or Just Business? Supreme Court Hears Challenge to the Sharing of Viewing Records on Free Sites

Today the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a major case pitting privacy advocates against media companies. By any measure, Salazar v. Paramount Global is a blockbuster case in the making. At issue is the use of viewing habits by companies offering free subscriptions and material to the public. These companies make money by then using that history for tailored marketing programs. Michael Salazar is arguing that a Blockbuster-era law should prevent such sharing of his viewing history, a ruling that would have a massive impact on media and entertainment companies.

Continue reading “Borked or Just Business? Supreme Court Hears Challenge to the Sharing of Viewing Records on Free Sites” →

Free Speech, Media, Politics

Harper’s Magazine to Honor NPR CEO Katherine Maher with First Amendment Award

Harper’s Magazine appears to be competing with The Onion in satire this week. It is awarding its First Amendment prize to NPR CEO Katherine Maher. It is akin to awarding a Second Amendment prize to Gavin Newsom. Maher has long been the very symbol of advocacy journalism and bias. Ironically, she is being given an award after steering NPR into the rocks to keep her job and its ideological bias. Continue reading “Harper’s Magazine to Honor NPR CEO Katherine Maher with First Amendment Award” →

Academia, Free Speech, Politics, Religion, Society

Religiously Woke: Dean of Students Warns that Saying “In Christ Alone” Constitutes “White Privilege”

My recent USA Today column discusses how the Democrats have suddenly discovered God in elections after recruiting various far-left ministers to run on faith-based anti-Trump messages. I discussed how Divinity Schools have shown the same trend as other departments in higher education with a radical shift to the left. That was evident in a controversy this week at Point Loma Nazarene University, where Dean of Students Jason Cha told student leaders that identifying as being “in Christ alone” is a sign of “white privilege.” Continue reading “Religiously Woke: Dean of Students Warns that Saying “In Christ Alone” Constitutes “White Privilege”” →

Columns, Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Politics

The Coming Out of Jack Smith: A Former Special Counsel Joins the “No Kings” Movement

Below is my column in The Hill on the appearance of Jack Smith in a “No Kings” T-Shirt just days after his testimony on Capitol Hill, claiming to have had no bias or agenda against Trump. Smith must have known that his presence and dress at the “Power to the People” concert would be widely circulated on the Internet. His message was clear, but entirely unnecessary given his record as Special Counsel.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Coming Out of Jack Smith: A Former Special Counsel Joins the “No Kings” Movement” →

Hikes, Travel Blog

The Magic of Colorado Springs in the Fall

I had the pleasure of speaking on Rage and the Republic this weekend in Colorado Springs. As many of you know, Colorado is one of my favorite places for hiking and I was able to take a day to hike around the gorgeous Seven Falls area. I wanted to share some photos from a perfect Fall day. The hike reached around 7,000 feet and it offered some spectacular views of the area. Continue reading “The Magic of Colorado Springs in the Fall” →

Free Speech, Media, Politics

Foul Call: New York Times Calls for Canceling Sophie Cunningham in The Athletic

The New York Times demonstrated again this week that it remains solidly part of the cancel campaign culture. The Athletic, owned by the Times, joined the mob in calling for the Indiana Fever to dump Sophie Cunningham for publicly opposing biological males playing in women’s sports — a position shared by the vast majority of citizens. Continue reading “Foul Call: New York Times Calls for Canceling Sophie Cunningham in The Athletic” →

Animals, Constitutional Law, Courts, Environment, Torts

All Wrong for the Right Whale: Maine Lobstermen Lose Claims Against Aquarium Over Group Libel

The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued an interesting torts decision yesterday on group libel. In Bean Maine Lobster, Inc. v. Monterey Bay Aquarium Found., a unanimous appellate panel ruled that the Maine lobster industry could not sue the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation for saying that Maine lobstering is all wrong for the right whale.

Continue reading “All Wrong for the Right Whale: Maine Lobstermen Lose Claims Against Aquarium Over Group Libel” →

Free Speech, Society

Hair-Raising Case: White Baltimore Arts Executive Fired for Wearing Cornrows

A White Baltimore arts executive was recently fired in September from the Baltimore Rock Opera Society. The reason was not that Kelly Carnes was chronically absent or failed to perform her duties as the new executive director. Rather, it was the hairstyle that she briefly adopted on vacation. You see, Carnes is white, and co-workers were apparently triggered by her getting cornrows while attending the Burning Man festival. It was not deemed a fun hairstyle choice adopted on a vacation but rather a despicable case of cultural appropriation that warranted her termination.

Continue reading “Hair-Raising Case: White Baltimore Arts Executive Fired for Wearing Cornrows” →

Uncategorized

RES IPSA HITS 100,000,000

This week, Res Ipsa hit a milestone in reaching 100,000,000 views on the blog. We have used these moments to give thanks for our many regular readers around the world and share our traffic data to give you an idea of the current profile of readers around the world. We don’t have a running data page, so these periodic posts let our community see the traffic profile of our blog. Continue reading “RES IPSA HITS 100,000,000” →

Courts, Free Speech, Politics

Supreme Court Ends Appeals of Former Pennsylvania Judge Suspended Over Social Media Posts

This week, Judge Mark Cohen’s long, checkered judicial career came to an ignoble end. The Supreme Court denied his petition for certiorari to challenge the 2024 ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that he was properly suspended over a litany of partisan social media posts while a sitting judge. Continue reading “Supreme Court Ends Appeals of Former Pennsylvania Judge Suspended Over Social Media Posts” →

Free Speech, International

Macron Goes Full Orwell: The French President Makes One More Pitch for Censorship

French President Emmanuel Macron went full Orwell this week. While long the darling of Western media, Macron has been one of the most anti-free-speech leaders in the world. This week, he declared that “The so-called American ‘free speech’ today, which some people have promoted, is the opposite of free speech.” Having Emmanuel Macron holding forth on free speech is akin to Joey Chestnut proselytizing on veganism. Continue reading “Macron Goes Full Orwell: The French President Makes One More Pitch for Censorship” →