The Intercept Briefing
Government Shutdown and Free Speech Showdown
Amid the Republican-Democrat blame game, a federal judge’s extraordinary ruling takes on the Trump administration’s unlawful detentions of pro-Palestine protesters.
Chilling Dissent
First Amendment rights are under attack, as powerful entities crack down on those who speak out.
Sunrise Movement, Founded to Fight Climate Change, Pivots to Fighting Trump
As Trump targets his critics on the left, Sunrise says it needs to battle authoritarianism to protect the climate.
Judge Finds Rubio and Noem Intentionally Targeted Pro-Palestine Activists to Chill Speech
The unusual ruling delivered a searing rebuke to the Trump administration on grounds of violating the First Amendment.
Mohsen Mahdawi Faces Conservative Judges as Trump Administration Tries to Lock Him Back Up
The Republican-appointed judges could influence future rulings on defendants’ rights amid Trump’s free speech crackdown.
Voices
What Liberals Get Wrong About Trump’s Executive Order on Antifa
Liberals dismiss antifa as just an idea — instead of acting to defend the activists, researchers, and organizers facing persecution.
The Persistent Push to Depict Luigi Mangione and His Supporters as Terrorists
Trump calls them extremists. Mainstream media casts them as unhinged. We saw something else at a protest for Luigi Mangione.
Voices
Far-Right Demands for Informants About Charlie Kirk Comments Remind Me of Syria
Authoritarianism flourishes when people fall silent. That’s why the response to Charlie Kirk’s killing made me think of Assad’s Syria.
MIT Professor Cancels Israeli Military Grant After Student Pressure
“This concession shows that student campaigns do have an influence,” one student said. "These ties cannot survive transparency."
Unnamed Pentagon Officials Ridicule Hegseth’s Plan to Stop War Department Leaks
Three current Pentagon insiders told The Intercept that new Department of War rules are an egregious assault on press freedom.
Voices
Why FCC Chief Brendan Carr May Be the Most Dangerous Man in Media
Carr’s most pronounced quality is his total fealty to Donald Trump — and he’s been busy weaponizing the FCC for the cause.