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Episode 135: Michigan State University Student Faces Suspension for ‘Spam’ after E-Mailing Professors
In today's episode of FIREside Chats, Adam Kissel, Director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program is joined by Kara Spencer, the MSU student government leader who faces suspension for "spam" after she e-mailed about 8 percent of the school's faculty members, encouraging them to express their views about changes to the freshman orientation and academic calendars.
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TICKETS ON SALE: Step up to the Soapbox in Philadelphia, Nov. 4-6, 2026
Tickets on sale for Soapbox 2026 in Philly! Nov. 4–6. Fearless debates, bold speakers, and a gala celebrating free speech at America’s 250th.
LAWSUIT: FIRE sues Federal Trade Commission over agency’s targeting of news rating service
The Federal Trade Commission has unconstitutionally used its broad regulatory powers to attack NewsGuard, a private news organization, because it doesn’t like its news ratings.
The secret war against student journalists
Across the country, colleges are using conduct hearings to punish student reporters for basic newsgathering — chilling who gets to tell campus stories.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (of protected speech)
The FBI is probing Signal chats that track ICE activity — without evidence of a crime. That’s not law enforcement. It’s a First Amendment problem.