Category «Courts»

Trump’s Call to ‘Nationalize’ Elections Adds to State Officials’ Alarm

The New York Times Gift Article – “President Trump’s declaration that he wants to “nationalize” voting in the United States arrives at a perilous moment for the relationship between the federal government and top election officials across the country. While the executive branch has no explicit authority over elections, generations of secretaries of state have …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Courts, E-Records, Free Speech, Government Documents, Legal Research

Is Elon Musk hurting OpenAI in its copyright lawsuit defense?

ChatGPT is Eating the World: Elon Musk and Sam Altman are at war. “Musk’s two lawsuits against OpenAI could impair its defense in copyright lawsuits. Elon Musk’s tort lawsuit against Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and OpenAI for alleged fraud (in soliciting his funds and help in starting a nonprofit only later to convert to a …

Subjects: AI, Copyright, Courts, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Search Engines

The Library of Congress at a Crossroads: Executive Overreach and the Future of Public Knowledge

Street, Leslie and Runyon, Amanda, The Library of Congress at a Crossroads: Executive Overreach and the Future of Public Knowledge (January 25, 2026). U of Penn Law School, Public Law Research Paper No. 26-07, Seattle University Law Review Online & Seattle Journal of Technology, Environment, & Innovation Law, forthcoming, 2026, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6155010 or …

Subjects: Congress, Copyright, Courts, Education, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries

Attacks against the International Criminal Court: Who cares about victims of atrocity crimes?

Via LLRX – Attacks against the International Criminal Court: Who cares about victims of atrocity crimes? The attacks against the ICC are part of a wholesale U.S. assault on international legal norms and institutions since the 20 January 2025 inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. Exactly a year later, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney made …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Defense, Economy, Government Documents, Legal Research

AI Class Action Litigation Update (Books): Where things stand in early 2026

Authors Alliance – “Since 2022 we’ve seen 75 AI copyright lawsuits filed. The Bartz v. Anthropic settlement has been among the most high profile, and it has made many authors wonder if there are similar settlements on the horizon for the suits based on copying of books. This post surveys the current AI book lawsuits, …

Subjects: Copyright, Courts, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Search Engines

Inside an AI start-up’s plan to scan and dispose of millions of books

Washington Post [no paywall] – Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles. “Within about a year, according to the filings, the company had spent tens of millions of dollars to acquire and slice the spines off millions of …

Subjects: AI, Copyright, Courts, Intellectual Property, Internet, Knowledge Management, Search Engines, Social Media

Identifying ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used By DHS Agents in US Immigration Raids and Protests

Bellingcat: “Federal agents have frequently used so-called “less-lethal” weapons against protesters, including impact projectiles, tear gas and pepper spray, since the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration raids began last year. The use of less-lethal weapons (LLWs) has been controversial. While designed to incapacitate or control a person without causing death or permanent injury, they can cause …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Defense, Free Speech, Government Documents, Legal Research

CBP Murdered Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis MN on January 24, 2026

“The death of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis man killed by federal agents, has been ruled a homicide, the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office said.” February 1, 2026 update. Propublica identifies the two men who murdered Alex Pretti – Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting. The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

The Kleptocracy Tracker

“SNF Agora faculty and fellows are frequently called upon by local, national, and international media to offer context and insight on the complex challenges facing democracy today. Drawing on their research and real-world experience, they contribute to a wide range of public conversations, including about elections, civic engagement, disinformation, political polarization, and global governance. The …

Subjects: Censorship, Courts, Economy, Financial System, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 24, 2026

Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 24, 2026 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the …

Subjects: AI, Civil Liberties, Courts, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Education, Legal Research, Privacy

The FBI Has Gained Access to the Washington Post Newsroom – Press Freedom?

Gizmodo: “The FBI raided the home of The Washington Post reporter and “federal government whisperer” Hannah Natanson last week. The agency seized her private laptop, work laptop, work phone, a 1 TB portable hard drive, a Garmin running watch, and a voice recorder she uses for work, according to newly released court documents. For the …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, E-Records, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy