Corey Friedman 🗞️

First Amendment firebrand, journalist and editor. Fluent in #1A, #opengov, #ncpol, #scpol

[Bryan Anderson @BryanRAnderson]

Top of mind for me in today’s newsletter: A Cook Out milkshake just north of Richmond is the same size as a water cup and the shake melts quicker in plastic than styrofoam. They also charged 10 cents for a tomato on a burger. NC wouldn’t stand for this.

[Bryan Anderson @BryanRAnderson]

Looks like the Senate is giving a major rewrite to the House's sweeping 37-page elections bill. A PCS under consideration tomorrow is 16 pages long. It's scheduled to go through the House Elections Cmte at 10am and House Rules at 2pm. #ncpol

https://t.co/ihaw1L9CIL

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

Abdomen abdomen applause!

[Colin Campbell @RaleighReporter]

NEW: A coalition of the state's leading law enforcement and prosecutor groups wrote to #ncga House lawmakers today asking them to take action next week on legislation regulating hemp products, alluding to efforts to lobby against House Bill 328: https://t.co/W0cILadQC4 #ncpol

[Paul Taske @Paul_Taske]

Worth clarifying that it upheld age-verification requirements for porn websites given the Supreme Court’s decision in FSC v. Paxton, not age-verification for social media.

[Will Creeley @WillatFIRE]

Three high school student journalists: "If large groups of people decide that silence is safer than risking disagreement, and if they instruct children to be silent in turn, our fundamental right to free expression will crumble from within."

That's right.
https://t.co/dgcSaWqVBf

[Greg Lukianoff @glukianoff]

I’ve spent more than two decades watching officials invent creative excuses to punish speech they dislike.

Sending federal agents to someone’s home over a caustic email criticizing ICE is intimidation dressed up as public safety.

[Colin Campbell @RaleighReporter]

A lot of this "which media outlets should be allowed to cover the Senate campaign events?" drama could be avoided if the campaigns just held events that were open to the general public #ncpol

[Corey Friedman 🗞️ @coreywrites]

Ocelots are the most amazing creatures. Zoos & wildlife refuges will give me the side-eye but can’t convince me they weren’t meant to be pets. A legit peer-reviewed study says they’re preadapted to domestication. Many exotic pet owners are irresponsible, but I want my ocelot 🐾

[Doinkadect Klomberbatch @Doinkadect]

What non-Brits need to understand is there’ll be more national mourning when this cat dies than we had for the Queen

[Greg Lukianoff @glukianoff]

A political organization that has taken positions against the academic freedom of people they politically disagree with. The AAUP went from being simply ineffective to a big part of the problem, and now seem determined to make sure that any sensible reform that could win back higher Ed’s credibility not take place.

https://t.co/YY6VTetQN6

[GB Politics @GBPolitcs]

🚨BREAKING: Larry the Cat caught a mouse on day one of being reappointed Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

[@bethanymrd]

[FIRE @TheFIREorg]

A 2024 Colorado law requires social media platforms to display a warning to teenagers that social media is harmful to their health. But compelled speech is blatantly unconstitutional — so FIRE filed a friend of the court brief with a federal appeals court last Friday, joined by the ACLU, ACLU of Colorado, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and @WoodhullFreedom.

[Colin Campbell @RaleighReporter]

New podcast! I spoke with Rep. @gachesser about child welfare reforms that are included in the new state budget bill. We also talked about his bills addressing stablecoin and sales tax exemptions.

Episode: https://t.co/nKvw6W4LOl

Highlights: https://t.co/MEhxDe0ogv #ncpol #ncga

[Larry the Cat @Number10cat]

Happy to confirm:

[The Associated Press @AP]

BREAKING: U.S. gas prices have jumped to an average of $4 a gallon again as the U.S. and Iran launch more attacks. https://t.co/axKon9Fysc

[Corey Friedman 🗞️ @coreywrites]

Ptarmigan

[Bryan Anderson @BryanRAnderson]

"Public events that are advertised as open to the public should be open to the entire public whether they are a reporter or not," Anthony Sutton, a member of Waynesville's town council, told the Citizen Times. "You cannot be selective in First Amendment rights." #ncpol

[Corey Friedman 🗞️ @coreywrites]

OCELOTS! 🐾

[Greenville Zoo @greenvillezoo]

🐾 AHHH! It’s Caturday, and we have another adorable baby animal update from the Greenville Zoo.

Our ocelot kittens had their first exam and we’re excited to share that we have two healthy GIRLS. Both kittens are enjoying bonding time with their mom, Arieta.