Judge rules Steele dossier is protected free speech (Constitution news round-up)

1A: judge rules Steele dossier is protected free speech; Russian oligarchs failed to show Steele acted in reckless disregard of the truth regarding them
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/21/author-of-trump-russia-dossier-wins-libel-case-in-us-court-christopher-steele

Article II:  Trump exceeded his authority in 3 executive orders meant to curb union power in federal workplace
https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/25/judge-trump-unions/?utm_medium=email

Article I, Section 8: no ‘space force’ in the Constitution. Constitutional? Air Force not ‘army’ or ‘navy’ either.
https://reason.com/volokh/2018/08/26/more-on-the-debate-over-the-space-force

Equal Protection: Labor Department issues guidelines to stop discrimination against religious federal contractors
https://townhall.com/columnists/stephanietaub/2018/08/26/dol-issues-new-guidelines-to-stop-discrimination-against-religious-federal-contractors-n2512759

14A: federal court knocks down North Carolina congressional map (again), but Supreme Court has never struck partisan gerrymandering thus far
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/403890-judge-strikes-down-north-carolina-district-maps-as-unconstitutional

8A: California becomes 1st state to end bail before trial in some cases
https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/28/governor-ends-california-bail/

4A: Airbnb sues New York arguing law requiring detailed info about owners amounts to seizure of business records without a warrant based on probable cause
http://fortune.com/2018/08/24/airbnb-sues-new-york-over-law-that-demands-host-information/

Speech Suppression: Credit card companies back off attempt to shut off donation processing services to David Horowitz’ Freedom Center; blow struck against SPLC’s hateful ‘hate group’ designations
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/credit-card-companies-reverse-attempt-to-blacklist-david-horowitzs-conserva
 
Credit card company attack on David Horowitz’ Freedom Center is another instance of political bias in public accommodations – is FDIC involvement in credit card bank deposit insurance enough to trigger ‘state action’ requiring 14A equal protection?
 
Robert Spencer book shows how the authoritarian intolerant Left helps Islamists enforce sharia blasphemy codes to further its own purposes in shutting down freedom of expression
http://sfppr.org/2018/02/just-stay-quiet-and-youll-be-okay/

1A Religion: New Florida law requires ‘In God We Trust’ be displayed in all public schools; author takes direct aim at ‘separation of church and state’
https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/29879-new-florida-law-in-god-we-trust-must-be-placed-in-all-public-schools
 
1A,14A: lawsuit hopes to add tuition for religious schools to school choice program in Maine
https://ij.org/case/maine-school-choice-3/
 
4A: tight handcuffs can be an unreasonable seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment, 6th Circuit finds
http://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/18a0428n-06.pdf
 
5A Takings: a taxi medallion is not an exclusive right to provide transportation services; diminution of value by allowing Uber-type rides is not a ‘taking’ (3rd Circuit)
http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/171358p.pdf

6A: An attorney has the right to be informed of the right to an attorney (6th Circuit)
http://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/18a0181p-06.pdf

7A: Supreme Court’s approach to guaranteeing jury trials in suits at common law (as opposed to equity) heavily criticized
http://reason.com/volokh/2018/08/25/equity-and-the-seventh-amendment

14A Equal Protection: Idaho discriminated against landowners by forcing them to sell their oil and gas to a Texas company without a meaningful way to fight the decision, federal judge rules
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/14/judge-idaho-violated-us-constitution-with-oil-leas/

14A Equal Protection: HUD sues Facebook for allowing homeowners and landlords to limit viewing of their ads based on race, religion, gender, etc.
http://bwcentral.org/2018/08/trump-admin-files-suit-against-facebook-for-discriminatory-policie/

14A Equal Protection: Cautionary tale for Harvard – San Francisco schools forced to drop their anti-Asian quotas 20 years ago
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/08/27/race-based_school_criteria_roils_asian-americans--again_137904.html

14A Due Process: courts reshaping the way campus sexual assault cases are handled, requiring more questioning of
each other when it’s ‘he said, she said’
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/08/27/courts-campus-sex-assault-cases/1082964002/

Dormant, Foreign Commerce Clauses: U.S. court upholds local ordinance prohibiting bulk loading of crude oil onto tankers
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/24/federal-court-rules-south-portland-ordinance-does-not-violate-u-s-constitution/

Economic freedom lecture series starts at Arizona State U
https://asunow.asu.edu/20180822-asu-director-delivers-inaugural-address-constitution-innovation

Economic freedom – Legal institute criticizes Georgia law requiring licensure of lactation consultants, 2 years of college and 300 hours of clinical experience
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulhsieh/2018/08/13/how-licensing-laws-harm-mothers-infants-and-lactation-consultants/#6bc7db621b2c

Economic freedom has been great for women; household appliances have freed them from drudgery and jobs have given them economic independence
https://humanprogress.org/article.php?p=1472

State Constitutions: proposed Ohio amendment would restrict profits and increase regulation at dialysis centers
http://www.toledoblade.com/Medical/2018/07/15/Proposed-amendment-to-Ohio-Constitution-would-restrict-state-s-kidney-dialysis-centers.html

Chinese enthralled with ‘constitutionalism’ but their ‘guarantees’ of free speech, press, and association are meaningless and unenforceable without true Rule of Law
https://freepressonline.com/Content/Columnists-Top/Free-Press-Columnists/Article/Notes-from-Away-The-Red-Book/125/723/60324

Podcast describes the life and work of abolitionist Frederick Douglass
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/podcast-the-life-and-legacy-of-frederick-douglass

Shame on Robert Reich! Wants Trump presidency “annulled” when there is no such thing in the Constitution. Appalling coming from a former cabinet member.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/08/27/robert-reich-calls-trumps-presidency-be-annulled-tucker-carlson-reacts

Shame on Beto O’Rourke for praising football players for taking a knee.  We don’t need people who tear down the country in public office.
https://freebeacon.com/politics/beto-orourke-anthem-protests-can-think-nothing-american/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=fb0ccab1aa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-fb0ccab1aa-45628225

Shame! UC-Irvine student government leader Matthew Guevara pens resolution to ban U.S. flag, but takes taxpayer money for his education from a U.S. government engaged in modern-day “slavery” and “genocide”
https://www.facebook.com/prageru/videos/1964403633602483/

Shame on the Georgia high school teacher who teaches her students that 9/11 was America’s fault. If we’re that bad, why do you take our money?
https://gellerreport.com/2018/08/ga-highschool-911-our-fault.html/

Victory! Atlanta school drops plan to replace Pledge of Allegiance with wolf-pack chant
https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/29888-atlanta-charter-school-ditches-plan-to-scrap-pledge-of-allegiance