Illinois Senate Approves Anti-Westboro Bill

Pickets might be 'outrageous,' but covered by 1st Amendment

(NEWSER) - John Roberts' Supreme Court ruled 8-1 today that the controversial Westboro Baptist Church pickets outside military funerals might be "outrageous," but they're also protected under the First Amendment. The ruling upholds a reversal of a lower court's $5 million award to a dead Marine's father, who sued Westboro members after they picketed his son's funeral. Samuel Alito was the lone dissenter, notes the AP. More»

(NEWSER) - The ACLU and other watchdog groups on both the left and right think President Obama is carrying his crusade against lobbyists too far, Politico reports. Obama's recent directive forbidding government officials from discussing how to spend the stimulus with lobbyists infringes on free speech, they say. The groups plan to send a formal letter of protest to the White House next week. More»

In 'oops!' moment, jurist says original ruling was likely unconstitutional

(NEWSER) - The judge who (tried to) shut down Wikileaks by issuing an injunction against the whistleblowing site has changed his mind and lifted the order, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Judge Jeffrey White said his original order, designed to protect a Swiss Bank's information, raised "serious questions of prior restraint and possible violations of the First Amendment." More»

Baptist extremists will bash late actor for 'Brokeback' role

(NEWSER) - A homophobic Kansas church known for protesting at the funerals of dead soldiers has announced plans to picket Heath Ledger's funeral because he played a gay character in Brokeback Mountain, MSNBC reports. "He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it's OK to be gay,” said a statement from the Westboro Baptist Church. More»

Jury says protests violate privacy

(NEWSER) - A fundamentalist Kansas church has been ordered to pay $11 million to the father of a Marine killed in Iraq after a jury decided that anti-gay church protesters violated the family's privacy. Members of Westboro Baptist Church routinely wave anti-gay posters at soldiers' funerals because they claim the war is punishment for the nation's tolerance of gays. More»