Michael Shellenberger

2 days ago | public.news | Michael Shellenberger

California Governor Gavin Newsom today demanded that local governments across the state shut down homeless encampments. His office even sent model legislation for city councils and county boards of supervisors to pass. Newsom’s announcement noted that the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that local governments can prohibit public camping under certain conditions. Shortly after, the governor notes, he signed Executive Order N-1-24 directing state agencies to prioritize clearing encampments.

6 days ago | public.news | Michael Shellenberger

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to dismantle the federal censorship infrastructure. In his first week, he signed an executive order barring agencies from funding or facilitating the monitoring or removal of lawful domestic speech.

1 week ago | public.news | Michael Shellenberger

America has long maintained a high bar for defamation, and with good reason. In a country that values free speech as a foundational right, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that public figures must prove “actual malice” in order to prevail in court: not just that a false statement was made, but that it was made knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth. This standard, established in New York Times v.

1 week ago | public.news | Michael Shellenberger

Since World War II, Germans have defined their national identity around their commitment to liberal democracy. After the fall of the Third Reich, the architects of the new republic wrote a constitution, known as the “Basic Law,” designed to prevent a return to tyranny. It protects free speech, free assembly, and freedom of the press. It limits the powers of elected leaders and requires an independent judiciary. And the system worked.

2 weeks ago | public.news | Michael Shellenberger

Democrats are today feeling more confident. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen from the low fifties to somewhere between 43 and 44 percent — “a significant decline,” said longtime political analyst, Ruy Teixeira, in a conversation with me today. “Democrats are licking their chops about a lot of the things that have gone wrong” for Trump. But, Teixeira says, Democrats have little reason to feel secure.