Linkedin  Youtube  Instagram  X  Facebook

New England First Amendment Coalition

Subscribe | Archives

October 2026

 

If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please forward it to a colleague or friend. If someone forwarded you this newsletter, please subscribe!

 

White House Press Ban

• White House Faces Mounting Legal Backlash After Barring Journalists From CNN, MS NOW and Politico | NBC News 


• Inside the White House Media Ban | Politico 


• Journalists for CNN, MS NOW and Politico Return to the White House Upon Judge's Orders | NHPR


• Judge Extends Temporary Block on Trump’s Media Ban | The Hill 




President Trump presents it as retaliation against these particular news organizations, but it’s really a move against the public’s right to know, and that’s the way that we should be thinking about it.


Jameel Jaffer | Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University


 

Immigration and Surveillance

• ICE Has Been Dumping Protester Photos Into a Palantir Database | WIRED 


• Federal Court Says U.S. Agents Can Search Phones at Vermont’s Border with Canada Without Suspicion | Valley News 


• Maine Residents Sue Federal Agencies Over Alleged ICE Retaliation and Surveillance | News Center Maine


• N.H. State Police Agree to Release ICE Partnership Records Amid ACLU Lawsuit | Union Leader 






The government is treating people who exercise their First Amendment rights and seek to hold it accountable as criminal suspects, and that's what we're asking the court to stop.



JoAnna Suriani | Protect Democracy




 
 

Other News We're Tracking

 

The Public's Right to Know


• How to Make Officials Care About Public Records Reform? Wait Till Their Requests are Denied | Rhode Island Current 


• How Transparent is New Hampshire? | Concord Monitor 


• Question 1: Mass. Initiative Would Put Governor and Lawmakers Under State Public Records Law | WBUR 





Education and the First Amendment


• A New Campaign on the T Criticized Boston Public Schools. Then the Ads Were Pulled Down | The Boston Globe 


• Mid Vermont Christian School Argues Vermont’s Education Policy is Unconstitutional | NBC5 


• Federal Court Bars Augusta School Board From Restricting Public Comments | News Center Maine 





Secrecy in Local Government


• New Study in R.I. Finds Some of the Police and Flock Claims of Transparency are False | GoLocalProv 


• Data Centers Under Fire for Forcing Local Officials to Sign NDAs | Bloomberg Government 


• Rhode Island’s Payroll Transparency Portal Hasn’t Been Updated in Nearly a Year | States Newsroom 





Also On Our Radar . . .


• Houlton Asks Court to Dismiss Public Records Case Over Surveillance Cameras | Bangor Daily News 


• Appeals Court Dismisses Maine Lobster Defamation Lawsuit | Portland Press Herald 


• Dem Legislative Leaders Call for Public Disclosure of Investigation Into Sitting Supreme Court Justices | InDepthNH 

 
 
Thank You to Our Supporters

NEFAC appreciates the support of all its donors and contributors. In particular, we would like to recognize the Estate of Gloria L. Negri, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the following Leadership Circle donors ($10,000+) and Major Supporters ($2,500-$9,999): 



 

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Rhode Island Foundation

The Harbus Foundation

The Boston Globe

Boston University

Paul and Ann Sagan

The Robertson Foundation

Champa Charitable Foundation

Philip and Judith Meyer

 

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

Hearst Connecticut Media Group

Academy of New England Journalists

Truro News

Gravel & Shea PC

Patrisha McLean