Podcast Episodes

Ep. 250: Civil rights, hate speech, and the First Amendment

We know the First Amendment protects hate speech. But has it always done so? And how have civil rights groups responded when their members are the target of hate speech?

University of Iowa Law Profes…

Published on 9 hours ago

Ep. 249: FIRE Reacts — Where does Harvard go from here? With Larry Summers

2025 has not been kind to Harvard.

To date, the Trump administration has revoked nearly $3 billion in research funding to the university, demanding violations of free speech, academic freedom, and in…

Published on 2 weeks, 2 days ago

Ep. 248: Commercial speech and the First Amendment

Imagine the government forcing you to label your all-natural milk product as “imitation.” 

Florida tried to make one dairy farm do just that, sparking a First Amendment question: Where’s the line bet…

Published on 3 weeks, 1 day ago

Ep. 247: Justin Amash

Throughout his career, former Congressman Justin Amash has been a strong advocate for freedom of speech, writing that “The value of free speech comes from encountering views that are unorthodox, unco…

Published on 1 month ago

Ep. 246: Tech check — AI moratorium, Character AI lawsuit, FTC, Digital Services Act, and FSC v. Paxton

We’re checking in on the latest news in tech and free speech.

We cover the state AI regulation moratorium that failed in Congress, the ongoing Character A.I. lawsuit, the Federal Trade Commission’s c…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Ep. 245: The Supreme Court's decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton

FIRE staff responds to the Court's decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton that addresses a Texas law requiring age verification for accessing certain sexual material online.

Joining us:

Will Cre…

Published on 2 months ago

Ep. 244: Censoring lawmakers, T-shirts, and seashells

We discuss the Supreme Court backing Maine lawmaker Laurel Libby, NPR filing suit against Trump, a years-long dispute over a student wearing a “there are only two genders” shirt, the Secret Service i…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Ep. 243: Heather Mac Donald on Trump and free speech

Heather Mac Donald discusses the Trump administration’s free speech record amidst its battles with higher ed, mainstream media, law firms, and more.

Mac Donald is Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhat…

Published on 3 months ago

Ep. 242: Is cancel culture dead?

The co-authors of “The Canceling of the American Mind” discuss its new paperback release and where cancel culture stands a year and a half after the book’s original publication.

- Greg Lukianoff — 

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Ep. 241: The government’s money, the government’s rules?

Our guests today signed onto a statement by a group of 18 law professors who opposed the Trump administration’s funding threats at Columbia on free speech and academic freedom grounds. 

Since then, N…

Published on 4 months ago