Freedom IndexMedia & Culture
Media & Culture explores how journalism, entertainment, and creative industries influence—and are influenced by—free speech. From press freedom to artistic expression, this category highlights the cultural impact of censorship and the ongoing struggle for open dialogue.
In brief Major tech companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Block established the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation to…
From Fifth Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, joined by Judge Irma Ramirez, in today’s Evans v. Garza: During a debate by…
In brief A company filed paperwork for an “AfterDark” Bitcoin ETF. The fund’s exposure would shift between Bitcoin and U.S.…
from the gaming-like-it’s-1930 dept The new year is approaching fast, and you know what that means: new material is entering…
President Donald Trump was widely mocked for claiming “we save 25,000 American lives” every time the U.S. military blows up…
A review of American Canto by Olivia Nuzzi, 320 pages, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster (December 2025)What would you expect…
In brief JPMorgan analysts “continue to be positive” on crypto. They acknowledged fears stemming from Bitcoin’s recent pullback. Some analysts…
from the good-luck,-fuckwits dept Lindsey Halligan — a former personal lawyer for Trump who specialized in insurance law — was…
From the motion to vacate the arbitrator’s award in LaPaglia v. Valve Corp. (S.D. Cal.): Arbitrator Saydah’s opinion for Mr.…
In brief USDC issuer Circle is partnering with Aleo to launch USDCx, a privacy-focused, interoperable stablecoin. USDCx on Aleo will…
from the a-story-in-three-acts dept We’ve spent years calling out what a hypocrite Elon Musk is on free speech. But sometimes…
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. Looking back over the stories this newsletter has covered over…