Dan Novack

Today show some support to an author who is important to you. Send a message on social media or the contact form on their website. Bonus points if their books are being banned. Bonus bonus points if they're from a community that is being targeted. Cannot overstate how meaningful these notes can be.

Legal cases could prise open Epstein cache despite Trump’s blocking effort Cases winding through courts offer hope that documents could be released even if justice department declines

“In court, they insist that releasing even one additional page from the Epstein file would hurt their ability to re-prosecute Ghislaine Maxwell in the event the supreme court orders a new trial,” a spokesperson for Radar said.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

I once got suspended from twitter for a Bugs Bunny reference before the Comedy Is Now Legal Era.

www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/dig...

The Epstein Files Backdoor While Republicans have fled Washington in hopes that the Epstein scandal goes away, attorney Dan Novack’s FOIA battle with the F.B.I. has been wending its way through the courts. This fall, we may fin...

“The Department of Justice and F.B.I. are required to respond to my case, and the response is forthcoming, and you can expect it to be stupid, like it’s been in the past."

puck.news/one-attorney...

I spoke with The Lever about my Kafkaesque journey to obtain the Epstein Files.

It’s a gorgeous day in Boston to support the freedom to read! #MassFreedomToRead @massaabb.bsky.social @authorsabb.bsky.social

Jeffrey Epstein documents to remain secret as judge dismisses lawsuit "Americans deserve to know what happened" in Jeffrey Epstein's investigation, an attorney who helped sue the FBI told Newsweek.

I sued the FBI 8 years ago for the Epstein Files on behalf of Radar Online and James Robertson. The case is currently on appeal.

The FBI continues to insist releasing ANY Epstein files would jeopardize a (long-shot, hypothetical) re-trial of Ghislaine Maxwell.

www.newsweek.com/jeffrey-epst...

Jeffrey Epstein documents to remain secret as judge dismisses lawsuit "Americans deserve to know what happened" in Jeffrey Epstein's investigation, an attorney who helped sue the FBI told Newsweek.

I've been suing for these files under FOIA for going on 8 years:

www.newsweek.com/jeffrey-epst...

The case is currently before the 2nd Circuit. The FBI's brief is due in September.

The DOJ claims releasing ANY Epstein files would jeopardize a hypothetical retrial of Ghislaine Maxwell.

There is a FOIA lawsuit going on where they are still fighting release. I just sent you an email.

Rhode Island is poised to become a #FreedomToRead state! Our bill is headed to Governor McKee’s desk to be signed into law! Thank you yo our many FTR coalition volunteers and to the RI General Assembly & bill sponsors @davidmoralesri.bsky.social & Sen Mark McKenney!!

📢 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐨𝐰𝐚

A federal judge just delivered a major blow to Iowa’s 2023 censorship law, SF496. And for once, we get to say this:

New SLANDERTOWN pod!

Dan and blog contributor Isabella Jurcisin discuss her ⁠article⁠ "Undisputed Facts Sack Brett Favre’s Lawsuit Against Shannon Sharpe."

Special Guests: Sharpe's attorneys Mary Ellen Roy and Mark Fijman.

open.spotify.com/episode/3PMo...

A regular reminder to the press that it's wrong not to link to court documents when reporting about a lawsuit. This is pretty much always true and you're not going to change our mind about this.

Katy, Fort Bend, Lake Travis, Mansfield and Grapevine Colleyville all prevented extremist candidates from winning their school board elections tonight. A victory for book lovers in Texas! 💕💕

Texas conservatives who've championed book bans & anti-LGBT policies suffered big losses tonight in school board races.

And They seem to have lost their working majorities to pass their policies in big school boards.

I tracked these results in FOUR boards tonight. So a 🧵 on each ICYMI.

You called this an “early” challenge to a “supposed” policy. Can you expand on that? Well, the complaint that the plaintiffs filed doesn’t actually provide information about how these instructional materials are used in education. We don’t know, for instance, if these books are just appearing on shelves, or if the teacher picks up a book and reads it. Usually that would be the end of the case. The plaintiffs did not develop any allegations to substantiate the idea that these instructional materials are being used in a way that substantially burdens their religion or instructs their children in violation of their religious beliefs. Yet the Supreme Court was like: You know what? Let’s take this bad boy and see what we can do with it.

Right now, the Supreme Court is hearing Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case engineered to give religious parents a veto over curricula at public schools, especially LGBTQ materials.

SCOTUS intervened prematurely—in what seems to be a rush to side with the anti-LGBTQ parents. slate.com/news-and-pol...

Federal judge orders Colorado district to return banned books to school libraries The order prohibits the school board from removing books “because the district disagrees with the views expressed therein or merely to further their preferred political or religious orthodoxy.”

Good news from Colorado: A U.S. District Judge ordered a school district to restore library books they banned by next week, prohibiting the district from further restrictions on access to books that the school board objects to politically.
#UniteAgainstBookBans

www.denverpost.com/2025/03/19/e...

I see you as more of a Dill Pickles Pringles

These challenges are the barely literate work of a tiny minority and if we who value the freedom to read show up at every meeting where this bigoted, censorious fraction makes these mendacious challenges, we will win on the First Amendment and on the value of access to books for all.

Book bans in schools and libraries are not a hoax. They are a threat to bedrock American values and to the wellbeing of young people. But they are not popular. They are not the work of some imaginary "silent majority."

A printed book in a reader's hand is the culmination of countless hours of skilled work by dozens of professionals devoted to the world of books and reading. But one person who can't even spell "masturbation" thinks she should make reading decisions for every young reader in South Carolina.

A photo of the credits page Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

But beyond that, I want to remind people that books are not solitary creative acts. In her last two books, Malinda has included credits pages to try to thank everyone she can. That page features the names of dozens of publishing professionals who worked tirelessly to bring her books to readers.

She also mentions the awards the book has earned, which represent the judgment and hard work of hundreds of booksellers, authors, and librarians who've served on awards juries. One challenger who can't be bothered to spellcheck her challenge seeks to subvert their judgment

In her response to this vile challenge, @malindalo.bsky.social rightly cites the many letters of gratitude she has received from young readers who see themselves in her work. A truly tiny number of challengers seeks to prevent a whole state of readers from having that experience.

ONE PARENT.

The New York Times Is Spending Millions To Fight AI. Will It Be Worth It? — SLANDERTOWN While their rival outlets cut deals, The New York Times spent $10.8 million on litigation costs against AI companies in 2024 alone. 14 months after their initial Complaint and still months away from a...

"The New York Times Is Spending Millions To Fight AI. Will It Be Worth It?"

by Andrew Hickey for SLANDERTOWN

www.slandertown.com/blog/nytai

YouTube video by Idaho Reports An Adult-Only Library Sues the State | Donnelly Public Library | Penguin v. Labrador | Idaho Reports

Tonight on @idahoreports.org - I talked with @dannovack.bsky.social about a lawsuit against the state of Idaho that seeks to block last year's controversial library law regarding obscene materials. #idleg #idpol
youtu.be/xLigP6pHj2U

A Journalist's Guide to Reporting on Information Illegally Obtained by a Third Party This guide explains the legal risks associated with receiving or publishing material that was illegally obtained by a third party.

The Reports Committee for Freedom of the Press (@rcfp.org) – which fights to protect journalists' legal rights, and which I was proud to work with at @freedom.press – just published a great guide to reporting on information illegally obtained by a third party. www.rcfp.org/resources/re...

Hot off the (Associated) Press! The AP has sued the Trump administration for banning their reporters from White House press briefings.

Mackenzie Shane offers timely First Amendment analysis for SLANDERTOWN.

www.slandertown.com/blog/apban

Library Libel: The Fight To Convince a Court That “Groomer” Is Defamatory — SLANDERTOWN Amanda Jones, a Louisiana librarian who advocated to keep LGBTQ+ books on her shelves, found herself in the “groomer” crosshairs. The result? A First Amendment smackdown between Jones and Dan Kleinman...

New on SLANDERTOWN:

A First Amendment smackdown between library hero Amanda Jones and Dan Kleinman, a self-styled “library watchdog” who called her a "groomer."

www.slandertown.com/blog/okgroomer