A federal judge in North Dakota on Tuesday ruled in favor of Catholic healthcare providers who challenged Obama-era requirements that they offer gender transition procedures and cover them under their insurance plans. The decision offers hope that religious organizations can find shelter from transgender mandates under the 1993 federal Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA). But a new order from the Biden administration complicates the picture.

Amazon doesn’t have to host conservative-friendly social media platform Parler while their dispute goes to court. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, an appointee of President Jimmy Carter, on Thursday rejected Parler’s request that the internet giant immediately restore web hosting services. Amazon banished the platform on Jan. 10 for allowing incendiary and violent posts.

Some Realtors and free speech advocates are concerned that a new real estate hate speech policy goes too far in attempting to regulate off-the-job communication. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) in November 2020 adopted a revised ethics rule that is now percolating through state associations.

Should someone be allowed to pursue a lawsuit and damages over a speech policy that doesn’t exist anymore? The Supreme Court justices seemed conflicted on Thursday.

When a group of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol last week, the nation’s attention immediately turned to social media—and not just to find information or share opinions. Those who blame President Donald Trump for inciting the violence demanded an accounting from the industry credited for much of his political success. In response, Facebook, Twitter, and several smaller social media platforms suspended or banned the president.

The exiting Trump administration handed a parting gift on Thursday to faith-based adoption and foster care agencies: a final rule allowing them to receive federal funding while following Biblical beliefs on same-sex marriage.

After Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., denied Margaret DeWeese-Boyd promotion to full professorship, she sued the school in September 2017. The former social work professor claimed the evangelical school retaliated against her for advocating pro-LGBT views and opposing the institutional standards on human sexuality.