Federal judge blocks loyalty question for civil-service applicants
A federal judge temporarily halted OPM’s political-priorities question for many federal job applicants while unions’ challenge proceeds.
First Amendment
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School districts face Oct. 1 deadline on prayer and religious expression
A 2026 Education Department guide requires ESEA-participating districts to certify their prayer policies by Oct. 1 while preserving limits on school-sponsored prayer.
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Minnesota church-surveillance dispute puts religious liberty back in court
A federal judge is weighing whether DHS surveillance at Minnesota churches conflicted with a February injunction protecting specified houses of worship.
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Pentagon firings put Stars and Stripes’ independence before judge
Three Stars and Stripes journalists sued the Pentagon over reported firings, alleging retaliation for defending editorial independence and critical military coverage.
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Publishers, Authors Narrow Iowa School-Library Case to Nine Books
A July 27 amended complaint asks a federal court to examine nine Iowa school-library removals after an appeals court lifted an earlier injunction.
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What the new DOJ report says about the FBI’s Richmond Catholic memo
A new DOJ report says Richmond agents pursued inquiries involving two priests, while earlier reviews found serious analytic and First Amendment failures.
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Stars and Stripes journalists sue Pentagon over alleged firings
Three Stars and Stripes employees sued Pentagon officials, alleging their firings followed protected speech and reporting on military conditions.
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Texas Families Ask Supreme Court to Review Ten Commandments Law
More than two dozen Texas families asked the Supreme Court to review a ruling upholding Texas’s required Ten Commandments displays in public-school classrooms.
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DoDEA history course puts Christianity and neutrality in focus
A new military-school history course uses a Christian-centered textbook, prompting scrutiny over how federally operated public schools teach religion and history.
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Supreme Court case could test religious schools’ access to public preschool funds
A pending Supreme Court case over Colorado’s preschool program could clarify when states may require religious providers to follow public-funding rules.
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Judge Signals Skepticism in Anthropic’s Pentagon Challenge
At a July 30 hearing, Judge Rita Lin questioned the Pentagon’s evidence in Anthropic’s supply-chain case. No final ruling has been issued.
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Supreme Court strikes down federal limits on coordinated party expenditures
The Supreme Court ruled June 30 that limits on coordinated expenditures by political parties violate the First Amendment, changing a major part of federal campaign-finance law ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
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Meta’s Supreme Court Filing Deadline Arrives in Nevada Social-Media Liability Case
Justice Elena Kagan extended Meta’s deadline to seek Supreme Court review of a Nevada dispute involving Section 230 and the First Amendment.
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Federal Judge Rejects Bid to Block West Covina Communications Policy
A federal judge denied a West Covina councilmember’s request to pause the city’s communications policy, leaving the April 15 protocol in effect.
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Supreme Court strikes down federal limits on coordinated party spending ahead of 2026 midterms
The Supreme Court ruled that federal limits on coordinated spending by political parties and candidates violate the First Amendment. The FEC updated the limits for the 2026 election cycle.
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Federal court challenge tests whether FBI employees can be punished for work on Trump investigations
Five new friend-of-the-court briefs are putting fresh focus on a lawsuit over whether former FBI employees were fired for politically sensitive investigative work.
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Ninth Circuit Draws Line Between Private Prayer and School Work
The Ninth Circuit upheld limits on student-facing book displays by an Oregon school specialist while preserving stronger protection for private religious expression outside official duties.
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Federal judge orders access protections at 2 New York immigration courts
A July 21 injunction protects public access to eligible in-person hearings at two Manhattan immigration courts while preserving security and enforcement authority.
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Religious Liberty Commission Comments Expose a Church-State Split
A federal commission is reviewing comments on a draft report that seeks broader religious protections while raising questions about church-state neutrality.
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DOJ: Man pleads guilty after damaging Chabad-Lubavitch HQ entrance
DOJ says Dan Sohail pleaded guilty May 13, 2026, after ramming the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters entrance in Brooklyn on Jan. 28.
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Philadelphia mosque arson: DOJ federal charges and religious-property protections
DOJ says Vincent Lang faces up to 20 years for the alleged July 5 arson at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center—plus what §247 adds.
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Eleventh Circuit Leaves Injunction Blocking Florida “Stop W.O.K.E.” Classroom Limits
On July 7, 2026, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction. Florida public universities must keep the enjoined “training/instruction” limits blocked while the case continues.