Government

NPR

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Supreme Court Throws Out California Nonprofit Donor Disclosure Law : NPR

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday sided with rich donors and their desire to remain anonymous against a state law aimed at policing the finances of charities and other nonprofits.

By a 6-3 vote along ideological lines, the court struck down California's law requiring nonprofits to file a list of their large donors with the state. The court said the law subjected donors to potential harassment, chilling their speech in violation of the 1st Amendment

Under the California law, the tax-exempt groups were to attach to their filings with the state a copy of their IRS form reporting the names and addresses of all donors who gave more than $5,000 or 2% of the organization's total donations.

The Early Years Of The CIA

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The Early Years Of The CIA

6/25/21 by NPR

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/124923540
Episode: https://play.podtrac.com/npr-381444908/edge1.pod.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/fa/2021/06/20210625_fa_fafri0625_1.mp3?awCollectionId=381444908&awEpisodeId=1010282735&orgId=1&d=2813&p=381444908&story=1010282735&t=podcast&e=1010282735&size=45009694&ft=pod&f=381444908

In his book, ‘The Quiet Americans,’ author Scott Anderson profiles four daring and resourceful soldiers who became intelligence agents after World War II, when America was strong and respected after defeating Nazi Germany. The CIA then embarked on hundreds of ill-considered covert operations in Eastern Europe, and its obsession with fighting Communism propelled it into the subversion of several democratically-elected governments around the world.

NPR

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Joint Chiefs Chair Mark Milley, Gaetz Spar On Critical Race Theory : NPR

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, responded sharply to questions from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Wednesday about the examination of critical race theory in the U.S. military.

"I've read Mao Zedong. I've read Karl Marx. I've read Lenin. That doesn't make me a communist. So what is wrong with understanding — having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend?" Milley said.

He continued brusquely: "And I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, noncommissioned officers of being, quote, 'woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there."

NPR

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Supreme Court Rules For Cheerleader In Free Speech Case : NPR

The U.S. Supreme Court sided with students on Wednesday, ruling that a cheerleader's online F-bombs about her school is protected speech under the First Amendment.

By an 8-1 vote, the court declared that school administrators do have the power to punish student speech that occurs online or off campus if it genuinely disrupts classroom study. But the justices concluded that a few swear words posted online from off campus, as in this case, did not rise to the definition of disruptive.

"While public schools may have a special interest in regulating some off-campus student speech, the special interests offered by the school are not sufficient to overcome B. L.'s interest in free expression in this case," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court's majority.

At issue in the case was a series of F-bombs issued on Snapchat by Brandi Levy, then a 14-year-old high school cheerleader, who failed to win a promotion from the junior varsity to the varsity cheerleading term.

"I was really upset and frustrated at everything," she said in an interview with NPR in April. So she posted a photo of herself and a friend flipping the bird to the camera, along with a message that said, "F*** the school,... F*** cheer, F*** everything."