“Liberty is a big jewel with many facets. All its facets are important, but you can pick favorites. I do. Even then, don’t try to dull the shine of the facets that don’t affect you as much. To someone, those are the important ones. No one can focus on every important liberty issue. Pick a few that matter most to you, or the one most under attack at this moment. If the threat shifts, adapt. Some people try to pass off cut glass or shiny plastic as jewels. Don’t be fooled. If it obligates you to provide something for someone else, or requires someone else’s life, liberty, or property to be violated, you have no right to it.” (07/22/26)
“Chief Judge James Boasberg is frustrated … and he is not alone. Recently, the D.C. federal judge reportedly groused that the D.C. appellate court had ordered him to reconsider a case about whether the D.C. government engaged in biased enforcement against political graffiti. Conversely, the litigants are equally irked over what they see as Boasberg’s bias after he responded by, again, dismissing their claims without a trial. For a second time, Boasberg has barred pro-life groups from access to a jury after members were arrested for writing in chalk, ‘Black Pre-Born Lives Matter’ on a sidewalk while Black Lives Matter writings were left untouched.” (07/22/26)
“Nicaragua’s lawmakers announced plans to abolish elections in the Central American country, following through on President Daniel Ortega’s declaration over the weekend that there would be no more elections, which enraged the international community. The move was revealed on Tuesday by Nicaragua’s congress, which is firmly in the hands of Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Lawmakers said planned constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua’s ‘peace, security and stability.’ With the announcement, lawmakers are making good on Ortega’s promise of no more elections, further closing off any potential path for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with Murillo, whom constitutional reforms elevated from vice president to ‘co-president.'” (07/23/26)
“We recognize that developing and operating large facilities which consume megawatts of power constantly and require constant disposal of the waste heat generated by their operations can create major problems. Just as we recognize that noise, electromagnetic emissions, sound levels and types, and the exhaust from internal combustion engines all have the potential for significant impacts on human health and the environment. But it appears that the truth, and rationally addressing the issues, including those of surveillence and privacy, is not adequate for a growing (but still tiny) minority of Americans.” (07/23/26)
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Elyse Everest
“From 1896 until 1986, and over 5,000 miles from where the U.S. Constitution was written, the Hawaiian Islands were subject to one of the most harmful and forgotten large-scale violations of free speech in our nation’s history. Although Hawaii did not become a state until 1959, the Hawaiian language ban of 1896, or Act 57, made English mandatory in all public and private schools. In practice, this meant corporal punishment and public humiliation for children caught speaking the Hawaiian language (ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi) on school grounds, a policy that survived annexation, the territorial period, and statehood itself, remaining on the books until the state legislature quietly discovered and repealed it in 1986.” (07/22/26)
“Thai authorities said on Thursday they are searching for the people responsible for an attack in the country’s troubled deep south region that killed five soldiers and injured several civilians. About 10 attackers opened fire and threw pipe bombs at soldiers at a security checkpoint near a residential area in Narathiwat province on Wednesday evening before fleeing, according to the regional Internal Security Operations Command. Six civilians were injured during the attack, including a 10-year-old boy who remains hospitalised in stable condition.” (07/23/26)
“Bluegrass Institute CEO Caleb O. Brown advocates for easing zoning laws and implementing statewide permitting reforms to resolve Kentucky’s housing crisis.” (07/22/26)
