Censors are getting increasingly creative. Here, Florida is using the cover of shareholder accountability to try and force the @nytimes to "open the books" on its editorial practices and discussions. Despite what the AG says, this is an attempted end-run around the First Amendment.

Ep. 272: FIRE Monthly Member Webinar - May 2026 Shouting down speakers, UCLA free speech, heckling, AI, doxxing, cancel culture, and more! Featuring @TheFIREorg's @glukianoff, @WillatFIRE, @acglennon, and @NicoPerrino Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:40 Get your tickets to Soapbox now! 06:30 Congratulations to Will on 20 years at FIRE 07:31 How is FIRE responding to shouting down speakers? 11:33 Will FIRE include viewpoint diversity in our College Free Speech Rankings? 13:48 What is FIRE’s response to UCLA Law students protesting a DHS speaker? 17:07 NYU’s commencement speaker Jonathan Haidt 21:20 Is walking out on a controversial speaker protected free speech? 23:28 Is FIRE involved in Texas State University professor Tom Alter’s case? 25:50 What is the scholar to attorney ratio at FIRE? 27:47 Has cancel culture on college campuses changed since Trump 2.0? 32:00 What is FIRE’s stance on doxxing? 37:02 FIRE volunteer opportunities 37:33 Can the government regulate AI? 42:01 Is talk therapy speech or medical treatment? (Chiles v. Salazar) 46:02 What are the most pressing threats to online expression? 51:30 Special thanks to the Middlebury College Democrats and Republicans 53:45 What are the most challenging aspects of FIRE’s work with technology and free speech? 57:10 Does accepting government money protect or restrict speech? 1:00:25 Is FIRE a reactive organization and what solutions do we offer? 01:01:41 Outro

What began with a one-line email has now escalated into multiple investigations, six disciplinary charges, and a second @BowdoinCollege hearing on whether student Finley Rhys can return to campus. We’re appalled by how far this retaliatory crusade has gone.

Some conversations just belong on stage, especially when they’re part of one of the biggest podcasts in law. We’re thrilled to welcome Advisory Opinions from @thedispatch to Soapbox for a LIVE recording with @whignewtons and @DavidAFrench. You’ll want a front-row seat.

As Judge Leon noted, Albanese "did nothing more than speak!" She called for prosecutions related to Israel's conduct in Gaza. Because of that, the State Department sanctioned her, blocking her from her property and family in America, as well as her bank accounts, health insurance, and even hotel bookings. She has no authority to authorize prosecutions. Her calls were "nothing more than her opinion," according to Judge Leon.

Efforts to cancel commencement speakers for wrongthink are common. So common in fact that two decades ago @TheFIREorg took to calling commencement season "disinvation season." Too often administrations capitulate to these demands by pivoting to speakers or ceremonies so bland that they become banal. And by rewarding the cancelers, they incentivize more cancelation demands. Fortunately, @nyuniversity isn't backing down. We've found that when universities state unequivocal commitments like this, the demands peter out. It's when you equivocate, or try to please everyone, that cancelation voices grow louder.

The American Revolution wasn’t just fought in public, it was planned in private. The Founders knew public dissent depends on private space. That logic still holds today. No privacy → no organizing No organizing → no accountability No accountability → no democracy

Joseph McCarthy’s crusade against Communists in the 1950s launched one of America’s most notorious witch hunts. His name became a warning: McCarthyism. The Second Red Scare reminds us that freedom depends on due process, dissent, and the right to speak without fear.

If faced with an unknown future, I think America must be a country that errs on the side of freedom when balancing risks. My brief closing remarks at @TheFIREorg's latest Free Speech Future event:

Free speech news is not exactly slow these days. Join @theFIREorg’s monthly member call Friday, May 15 at 12 pm ET. I’ll be joining @acglennon, @WillatFIRE, & @NicoPerrino to discuss the latest headlines, and FIRE’s work defending free expression.