Portside

Texting Trouble; Pai's Problems; EFF's Big Wins; Pentagon Woos the Valley; Bye Bye Standard

The attacks are a threat to academic freedom and the criticism of Israeli human-rights abuses. CNN should immediately reinstate its former commentator; it should not cave in to the idea that criticizing Israel is anti-Semitic or hate speech.

Reader Comments: Debbie Ramirez Statement; Four Million Raised for Collins Opponent; High School Slang According to Kavanaugh; Van Dyke Verdict and CPAC; Housing; Trump Latest - Pay to Protest; Military-Industrial Complex; Announcements; and more....

Fash in DC; ACLU in Transition; Bookstore Wreckers; QAnon and its Discontents; Three Books on White Supremacy

Many noble old ideas about free speech don’t compute in the age of social media. The notion that a “marketplace of ideas” will elevate the truth is flatly belied by the virality of fake news and the fact that the marketplace is no longer public.

Leaders and members from twenty organizations will be barred entry into Israel. This also further isolates Palestine, since entry to Palestine is via Israel. One group, AFSC said: Our response to the Palestinian BDS call is in line with our similar support for divestment from apartheid South Africa and boycotts during the civil rights era." Here are statements from the banned groups: Joyce Ajlouny, Rebecca Vilkomerson and Ariel Gold.

'Making America Stupid Again': Outrage Over Forbidden 7 Words You Can't Say at Trump's CDC The existence of a list of reportedly banned words—including "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based"—was described by Sen. Kamala Harris as "downright ridiculous."

SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) are not new. What is relatively new is the decision by companies to ramp up the potential impact of their cases by bringing charges under the federal racketeering statute called RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), a law which facilitates suits against sprawling criminal enterprises.

Reader Comments: The Long Arc of Protest; DACA; Korea; KKK Terror; Differing views: How Should We Protest Neo-Nazis; Fukushima Leak; The Health Plan that We Need, With No Copays; Spam Filtering is a free speech issue; Resources: Healthcare Sector is Growing, But Workers Aren't Sharing; Children's Book Celebrating Labor Movement; Anti-BDS legislation impacts You; Announcements: Conversation: "The Color of Law"; 60 Years of Peace Action; and Union Day of Action - Oct. 19