Pennsylvania Senate passes bill to bar universities and pension funds from divesting from Israel

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate approved legislation Thursday that would block state aid from going to any university that boycotts or divests from Israel, following pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country that included demands for divestment. ...

Racial justice, free speech groups join fight against potential TikTok ban

A dozen social and racial justice groups said Thursday that the federal effort to require a sale or ban of TikTok would suppress speech from minority communities by disrupting a critical tool many use to establish connections online and advocate for causes. The legal brief,...

Judge stops parents' effort to collect on $50M Alex Jones owes for saying Newtown shooting was hoax

A federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday stopped an effort by the parents of a boy killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting to begin collecting on some of the $50 million they won in a lawsuit against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over his false claims that the massacre was a hoax. ...

Wisconsin Supreme Court says an order against an anti-abortion protester violated First Amendment

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an order barring an anti-abortion protester from coming close to a Planned Parenthood nurse violated his First Amendment free speech rights and must be overturned. The court, controlled 4-3 by liberals, ruled...

He flipped off a trooper and got charged. Now Vermont is on the hook for $175,000

ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) — Vermont has agreed to pay $175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday. The lawsuit was filed in 2021...

Julian Assange says he broke US law by encouraging classified leaks, but says the law violates free-speech rights

Hungary's 'sovereignty protection' office launches investigation into Transparency International

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A Hungarian authority tasked with defending the nation's sovereignty against foreign influence has launched an investigation into the Hungarian branch of anti-corruption organization Transparency International. Transparency International Hungary said...

Top European rights court says Russia responsible for breaching rights in Crimea after 2014 takeover

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Europe's top human rights court ruled Tuesday that Russia was responsible for a string of human rights violations in Crimea since overrunning and later illegally annexing the Black Sea peninsula in 2014. The European Court of Human Rights said in a...

UN launches global principles to combat online hate and demands big tech take action now

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief on Monday launched global principles to combat online hate and lies and demanded that big tech companies use their power to reduce the harm they are doing to people and societies around the world. Secretary-General António Guterres...

LGBTQ+ librarians grapple with attacks on books - and on themselves

Idaho librarian June Meissner was closing up for the day at the downtown Boise Public Library when a man approached her asking for help. As an information services librarian, answering patrons' questions is part of Meissner’s day-to-day work, and serving the community is one of...