NEWSFLASH 01/07/19 – 01/13/2019

Happy Monday!! I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season! Now it is back to the grind! Here is your latest First Amendment news.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the First Amendment case Iancu v. Brunetti. The case involves a fashion designer fighting to register “FUCT” as the name of his clothing line with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The Utah Republican Party’s ongoing “civil war” is continuing into 2019 with the U.S. Supreme Court being asked to hear an appeal over who can be a candidate for the GOP on the ballot. The U.S. Pastor Council, Christian Life Center and the Layton Christian Academy submitted their own amicus briefs, asking the nation’s top court to hear the Utah GOP’s appeal of the Senate Bill 54 lawsuit. They argued the Utah GOP’s lawsuit has a “religious freedom” aspect to it.

Netflix removed an episode of “Patriot Act” with the comedian Hasan Minhaj from its service in Saudi Arabia at the request of the government there.

The Arkansas Times newspaper’s challenge to a law prohibiting state entities from contracting with companies that boycott Israel or won’t pledge not to should be thrown out for failing to raise a valid First Amendment issue, an attorney for the state argued Thursday.

Parts of a Maryland law aimed at stopping foreign interference in local elections on social media platforms such as Facebook appear to encroach on the First Amendment, a federal judge has ruled.

Rhode Island Supreme Court allows shut down strip club to reopen after amicus brief from the ACLU argues that shutting down the club is a violation of the First Amendment.