Is Yoko Ono Finally Getting Her Moment? A new biography and film about Yoko Ono offer more opportunities to assess her contributions to culture. Two pop music critics debate if they’re worthy of their subject.

“Are we living through a Yokossance?”

A new biography and film about Yoko Ono offer more opportunities to assess her contributions to culture. Two pop music critics debate if they’re worthy of their subject.

Just another airline. Hedge funds are not good for America.

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES No. 23-191 NANCY WILLIAMS, ET AL., PETITIONERS v. GREG REED, SECRETARY, ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA [February 21, 2025] JUSTICE KAVANAUGH delivered the opinion of the Court. Several unemployed workers in Alabama applied for unemployment benefits from the State. In their view, the Alabama Department of Labor has unlawfully delayed the processing of their benefits claims. So the claimants sued the Alabama Secretary of Labor in state court under 42 U.S. C. §1983, raising due process and federal statutory arguments and seeking a court order requiring the Department to process their claims more quickly. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the claimants could not sue under §1983 to challenge delays in the administrative process until the claimants completed that process. But that ruling created a catch-22: Because the claimants cannot sue until they complete the administrative process, they can never sue under §1983 to obtain an order expediting the administrative process. This Court's precedents do not permit States to immunize state officials from §1983 suits in that way. See Haywood v. Drown, 556 U. S. 729 (2009); Howlett v. Rose, 496 U. S. 356 (1990). On that narrow ground, we reverse.

BREAKING: In a 5-4 win for unemployed workers, the Supreme Court allows their lawsuit to proceed alleging that Alabama is illegally delaying their benefits.

Kavanaugh writes the majority, joined by the Dem appointees and Chief Justice. Thomas writes the dissent. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...

Important column from @davidplazas.bsky.social calling out the Tennessee legislature for not caring about the state's hungry children. This is what good newspapers do.

Unless we're mistaken, nobody that was allowed into Speaker Sexton's press conference live-streamed it yesterday. So the only clips anyone will see are whatever short clips news stations decide to use.

By keeping us out, Sexton is also keeping you out.

Supreme Court Signals That Landmark Libel Ruling Is Secure Attacked by two justices, lower-court judges and litigants, the 1964 ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan keeps getting cited approvingly in the Supreme Court’s decisions.

Without Times v. Sullivan, investigative reporting would disappear.

Her grad school tried to expel her for a tweet about Cardi B. Now they’ll pay a $250K lawsuit settlement Kim Diei's settlement is a warning to colleges around the country: If you police students’ personal online expression, there will be consequences.

A win for free speech in Tennessee.

YouTube video by Russian Media Monitor State TV says Trump owes his presidency to Russia

Meanwhile in Russia: state TV host Olga Skabeeva and pundit Spiridon Kilinkarov surmised that Donald Trump owes his presidency to Russia and should in return let them have all of Ukraine.
youtu.be/tfF8VqKDs4I

This cannot stand. There's no line in the Constitution saying "If Tennessee lawmakers wish it, it is so."

“The dismissals appeared to violate federal law.”

Prince Harry's case against Rupert Murdoch's British tabloids goes to trial A trial begins Tuesday over complaints filed by Prince Harry and a senior British lawmaker against Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspapers. The trial carries high stakes on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Harry's claim alleges that Murdoch's journalists and private investigators unlawfully gained access to the prince's personal information for years.”
www.npr.org/2025/01/20/n...

Coolest event of the week: Ringo and the cream of Americana music at the Ryman in Nashville.

CNN settles lawsuit after $5 million defamation verdict CNN settled with a security consultant after a Florida jury found the network had defamed him in a story that suggested he was charging "exorbitant prices" to evacuate people from Afghanistan in 2021.

Those internal documents put CNN in a very big hole.

Opinion | CNN’s really, really dumb messages In an ongoing trial, CNN is coming face to face with its own internal correspondence.

Did no one think before pressing "send?"

A Timeline of TikTok’s Evolution, From Dances to BookTok to the Supreme Court What started as “the dance app” spawned countless memes, launched lucrative careers and shaped entire industries. Here’s how it got here.

TikTok started as “the dance app.” It spawned countless memes, launched lucrative careers and shaped entire industries. Here’s a timeline of its meteoric rise, from "bored in the house" to the Supreme Court ruling.

Bob Uecker, Hall of Famer and legendary broadcaster, dies at 90 The former backup catcher, whose ability to laugh at himself made him a beloved radio announcer and launched a successful acting career, died Thursday.

RIP Bob Uecker, one of the best things about baseball.

Outgoing FCC chair rejects high-profile TV petitions as attempt to set ‘dangerous precedent’ | CNN Business The outgoing Democratic chair of the Federal Communications Commission is taking bold action on the way out the door, rejecting what she described as four efforts to weaponize the government’s TV lice...

Protecting the press protects the people.

It’s was heartening to hear President Biden support the press during his speech last night.

No speech for you: College fires professor for calling America ‘racist fascist country’ in email to students A Mississippi college fired a professor for using his faculty email to share an opinion about the 2024 election, cites a made up policy violation and then adds a new violation.

A reminder of the challenge of protecting free speech at private schools.

TikTok Ban Live Updates: Supreme Court Seems Poised to Uphold Law That Could Shut Down App Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress see a threat to the nation’s security from the app’s Chinese ownership and passed a law requiring it to be sold or effectively shut down in the United States...

Breaking News: The Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold a law requiring that TikTok be sold or that the app be effectively shut down in the U.S. on Jan. 19.

TikTok's fate arrives at Supreme Court in collision of free speech, national security As it weighs the case, the Court will have to decide what level of review it applies to the law. Under the most searching review, strict scrutiny, laws almost always fail.

In one of the most important cases of the social media age, #FreeSpeech and national security collide at the Supreme Court tomorrow, Jan. 10, in arguments over the fate of TikTok. tinyurl.com/4as6be9s

A day that shall live in infamy, as should Donald J. Trump The last time a presidential vote was certified, the losing incumbent attempted a coup against the United States. We must never forget his treachery.

January 6, 2021, should live in infamy, as should Trump. robertreich.substack.com/p/today-shal...

Salute to @anntelnaes.bsky.social, quitting @washingtonpost.com after her cartoon featuring her boss Jeff Bezos was spiked. Here it is:

From book bans to stripper restrictions: First Amendment recap of Florida in 2024 In Florida, 2024 has been a big year for litigation and legislation involving constitutional freedoms. Here's a recap, from book bans to strippers.

Florida's governor likes to talk about free speech. Hypocrisy runs deep. @freespeechcenter.bsky.social

So, we went to one of the Old Crow Medicine Show gigs at the Ryman.

1) I have rarely seen a band work as hard as they do during a show

2) They're allowed to play Wagon Wheel. Everyone else has to stop.

Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown dies at 76 | CNN Aaron Brown, the renowned CNN anchor who gained prominence for his coverage of the September 11 attacks and his role in shaping the network’s evening news format, died Sunday at the age of 76, his fam...

“In the pre-talk era of broadcast journalism, Brown was ‘first and foremost a writer and craftsman,’ a skill that earned him the respect of colleagues across the media landscape, said former CNN producer Jon Auerbach, who worked with him.” www.cnn.com/2024/12/31/u...