FLORENCE, Italy — Michelangelo’s David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue’s religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on David’s genitalia. … Read more
ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorneys for the Walt Disney World governing district taken over last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allies don’t want the governor’s appointees answering questions under oath as part of its state lawsuit against Disney. District attorneys on Monday filed a motion for a protective order that would stop the DeSantis-appointed board members … Read more
NEW YORK — Bannings and attempted bannings of books soared again in the U.S. last year, continuing to set record highs, according to a new report from the American Library Association. On Thursday, the ALA announced that 4,240 works in school and public libraries had been targeted in 2023, a substantial hike from the then-record … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — Billionaire Elon Musk abruptly canceled “The Don Lemon Show” on his social media network X after the former CNN anchor recorded an interview with the billionaire for its as-yet unaired first episode. Musk owns X, formerly known as Twitter, and frequently proclaims himself a “free speech absolutist.” In a post on X, … Read more
The U.S. Supreme Court did not appear ready to resolve major questions related to free speech on social media and the regulation of digital platforms after arguments on Monday over two controversial laws passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in Florida and Texas. The lack of clarity over the outcome of the two cases, known as Moody … Read more
In 2021, Republicans in Florida and Texas enacted new laws limiting the ability of social media companies to moderate and remove content from users. The laws came amid a wave of real and perceived censorship of conservative viewpoints on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, including the removal of former President Donald Trump from … Read more
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney on Thursday appealed a judge’s dismissal of its free speech lawsuit over what it described as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ retaliatory takeover of Walt Disney World’s governing district, as the Florida governor separately called any appeal “a mistake.” “They should move on,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Jacksonville a day … Read more
ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed Disney’s free speech lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, leaving the company’s remaining hopes of regaining control of the district that governs Walt Disney World to a separate state court challenge. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor in Tallahassee said in his decision that Disney lacked standing … Read more
