Derek Bambauer
@dbambauer.bsky.social
Irving Cypen Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law. AI and alligators, with sides of patents, Internet censorship, and cybersecurity. Loves SCUBA diving, cats, Boston Red Sox, Legos, and cartoons.
The FCC is a master class in jawboning of late. That's not a compliment. I'm a signatory to TechFreedom's excellent letter.
1/ The FCC has no authority to police content for bias or balance.
We—and more than seventy other organizations and scholars—warned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...
We—and more than seventy other organizations and scholars—warned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...
October 1, 2025 at 3:07 AM
The FCC is a master class in jawboning of late. That's not a compliment. I'm a signatory to TechFreedom's excellent letter.
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Listen to Wesleyan University President Michael Roth and @genevievelakier.bsky.social discuss the #jawboning of higher ed and how the admin is weaponizing allegations of antisemitism:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
How Higher Ed Got Jawboned
Podcast Episode · The Bully's Pulpit: Trump v. The First Amendment · 07/31/2025 · 46m
podcasts.apple.com
August 8, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Listen to Wesleyan University President Michael Roth and @genevievelakier.bsky.social discuss the #jawboning of higher ed and how the admin is weaponizing allegations of antisemitism:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
The billion dollars is the least of it. It’s universities’ autonomy, independence, and integrity that Trump is really after. www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/p...
Trump administration seeking $1 billion settlement from UCLA | CNN Politics
The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, CNN has exclusively learned, marking the latest effort by the White House to shape higher ed...
www.cnn.com
August 8, 2025 at 5:53 PM
The billion dollars is the least of it. It’s universities’ autonomy, independence, and integrity that Trump is really after. www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/p...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
From @knightcolumbia.org’s analysis of the Columbia settlement. knightcolumbia.org/blog/what-th...
August 8, 2025 at 5:54 PM
From @knightcolumbia.org’s analysis of the Columbia settlement. knightcolumbia.org/blog/what-th...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Watercolor painting showing the cool development of the longfin batfish (Platax teira) from juvenile to adult #sciart #fish #watercolor
July 4, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Watercolor painting showing the cool development of the longfin batfish (Platax teira) from juvenile to adult #sciart #fish #watercolor
Bit late to the game, but Thinh Nguyen and I have an op-ed in The Hill explaining why use of copyrighted materials for AI training data is fair use: thehill.com/opinion/judi...
thehill.com
July 5, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Bit late to the game, but Thinh Nguyen and I have an op-ed in The Hill explaining why use of copyrighted materials for AI training data is fair use: thehill.com/opinion/judi...
At what point do we just accept that the Fifth Circuit is trash?
June 9, 2025 at 1:19 PM
At what point do we just accept that the Fifth Circuit is trash?
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
“A 2010 study that analyzed 40 years of protest coverage in five major newspapers, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, found that the papers depicted protests — even peaceful ones — as nuisances rather than as necessary functions of democracy.”
June 8, 2025 at 11:52 AM
“A 2010 study that analyzed 40 years of protest coverage in five major newspapers, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, found that the papers depicted protests — even peaceful ones — as nuisances rather than as necessary functions of democracy.”
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Within a few hours of Harvard's motion for a new temporary restraining order, judge grants the temporary restraining order.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
June 6, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Within a few hours of Harvard's motion for a new temporary restraining order, judge grants the temporary restraining order.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
It's also a misunderstanding of what the grants are for. It's not a billion dollar donation, Harvard won the grants to do specific research that it is in a relatively unique position to do. Trade schools aren't going to be able to take over, eg, Harvard's cancer immunotherapy research.
FYI to media outlets, you're misleading your readers if you repeat this at face value.
There's no lawful way for him to redirect these grants elsewhere. It's a lie to distract from how the GOP budget guts educational funding, including Pell Grants at trade schools.
There's no lawful way for him to redirect these grants elsewhere. It's a lie to distract from how the GOP budget guts educational funding, including Pell Grants at trade schools.
May 26, 2025 at 1:45 PM
It's also a misunderstanding of what the grants are for. It's not a billion dollar donation, Harvard won the grants to do specific research that it is in a relatively unique position to do. Trade schools aren't going to be able to take over, eg, Harvard's cancer immunotherapy research.
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Since George Floyd’s Murder, US Police Killings Keep Rising, Not Falling - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/05/24/u...
Since George Floyd’s Murder, Police Killings Keep Rising, Not Falling
www.nytimes.com
May 25, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Since George Floyd’s Murder, US Police Killings Keep Rising, Not Falling - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2025/05/24/u...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
The Director of National Intelligence's FOIA website (which has reappeared after the entire site was briefly down) no longer has a reading room of released documents or links to its FOIA regulations which, were we to be picky, violates the EFOIA amendments of 1996.
Amazing timing.
Amazing timing.
Gabbard fires leaders of intelligence group that wrote Venezuela assessment
The director of national intelligence fired top officials weeks after their group wrote an assessment contradicting President Donald Trump’s legal rationale for deporting alleged Venezuelan gang membe...
www.washingtonpost.com
May 14, 2025 at 7:42 PM
The Director of National Intelligence's FOIA website (which has reappeared after the entire site was briefly down) no longer has a reading room of released documents or links to its FOIA regulations which, were we to be picky, violates the EFOIA amendments of 1996.
Amazing timing.
Amazing timing.
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
After multiple defeats, Trump finally (partially) won an Alien Enemies Act ruling by a federal court. See my critique of this seriously flawed decision: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Trump (Partially) Wins an Alien Enemies Act Case
For the last few weeks, there has been ongoing litigation over President Trump's effort to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as a tool for mass
reason.com
May 14, 2025 at 9:57 PM
After multiple defeats, Trump finally (partially) won an Alien Enemies Act ruling by a federal court. See my critique of this seriously flawed decision: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
NEWS: Paul Clement tells the court that two WilmerHale attorneys had their security clearances pulled under the Trump executive order targeting the firm. (Note: This is not violating the TRO, which did not enjoin the clearances part of the executive order.) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
May 14, 2025 at 12:14 AM
NEWS: Paul Clement tells the court that two WilmerHale attorneys had their security clearances pulled under the Trump executive order targeting the firm. (Note: This is not violating the TRO, which did not enjoin the clearances part of the executive order.) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Rob Manfred making Pete Rose eligible for the Hall of Fame because Donald Trump whined about it in a tweet is a fucking nightmare, man.
May 14, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Rob Manfred making Pete Rose eligible for the Hall of Fame because Donald Trump whined about it in a tweet is a fucking nightmare, man.
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Little known fact that Grover Cleveland used to ride around the world in the Statue of Liberty and have sensitive national security discussions inside it, before taking possession of it himself after he left office.
May 13, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Little known fact that Grover Cleveland used to ride around the world in the Statue of Liberty and have sensitive national security discussions inside it, before taking possession of it himself after he left office.
Come for the jawboning; stay for the Loper Bright! Serious props to @techfreedom.org, CEI, @berinszoka.bsky.social , and all the panelists.
So, usual disclaimer: I'm a panelist. But, I think this is a rigorous and diverse conference exploring what these two federal agencies can and cannot do within First Amendment and statutory limits.
Register now for our policy forum! 🗓️
Join @techfreedom.org and the Competitive Enterprise Institute on May 15–16 for a 2-day workshop exploring the constitutional limits on what government can (and can't) do about alleged “censorship” and “bias.”
Event info 👉 cei.org/event/media-...
Join @techfreedom.org and the Competitive Enterprise Institute on May 15–16 for a 2-day workshop exploring the constitutional limits on what government can (and can't) do about alleged “censorship” and “bias.”
Event info 👉 cei.org/event/media-...
May 14, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Come for the jawboning; stay for the Loper Bright! Serious props to @techfreedom.org, CEI, @berinszoka.bsky.social , and all the panelists.
So, usual disclaimer: I'm a panelist. But, I think this is a rigorous and diverse conference exploring what these two federal agencies can and cannot do within First Amendment and statutory limits.
Register now for our policy forum! 🗓️
Join @techfreedom.org and the Competitive Enterprise Institute on May 15–16 for a 2-day workshop exploring the constitutional limits on what government can (and can't) do about alleged “censorship” and “bias.”
Event info 👉 cei.org/event/media-...
Join @techfreedom.org and the Competitive Enterprise Institute on May 15–16 for a 2-day workshop exploring the constitutional limits on what government can (and can't) do about alleged “censorship” and “bias.”
Event info 👉 cei.org/event/media-...
May 14, 2025 at 1:45 AM
So, usual disclaimer: I'm a panelist. But, I think this is a rigorous and diverse conference exploring what these two federal agencies can and cannot do within First Amendment and statutory limits.
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Everything is stupid.
May 6, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Everything is stupid.
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
Tired: All of reality is an AI construct and we’re in a computer simulation
Wired: All of reality is an AI construct and we’re in a computer simulation specifically designed to humiliate and degrade Drew Ensign
Wired: All of reality is an AI construct and we’re in a computer simulation specifically designed to humiliate and degrade Drew Ensign
Judge Nathan: So I guess you could say that it's uncontested (that Öztürk's op-ed was protected speech)
Ensign/DOJ: Uhhhhhh
Judge Carney: Maybe more like it's neither contested nor conceded
Ensign/DOJ: Uhhhhhh
Judge Carney: Maybe more like it's neither contested nor conceded
May 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Tired: All of reality is an AI construct and we’re in a computer simulation
Wired: All of reality is an AI construct and we’re in a computer simulation specifically designed to humiliate and degrade Drew Ensign
Wired: All of reality is an AI construct and we’re in a computer simulation specifically designed to humiliate and degrade Drew Ensign
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
"The poll found that on a weekly basis more than 90% of people use weather forecasts, job market reports, food safety warnings and other information that is based on federal science. But only 10% are concerned that cuts to federal support for science might impact their access to such information."
Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds
Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
www.npr.org
May 6, 2025 at 3:16 PM
"The poll found that on a weekly basis more than 90% of people use weather forecasts, job market reports, food safety warnings and other information that is based on federal science. But only 10% are concerned that cuts to federal support for science might impact their access to such information."
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
It will be a minor note in the history of all this but the utter inability of Schumer to understand what's happening and to respond appropriately is historically bad in its own way
Schumer on the Democratic response to Trump's shakedown of Harvard: "We sent him a very strong letter just the other day asking eight very strong questions."
April 27, 2025 at 4:09 PM
It will be a minor note in the history of all this but the utter inability of Schumer to understand what's happening and to respond appropriately is historically bad in its own way
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
NEW: DeSantis directed the University of Florida to cancel a nearly-complete search for its next dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — because the governor believed the finalists were not in alignment with the state's opposition to DEI
U. of Florida Calls Off Dean Search After DeSantis Intervenes
A spokesperson said the governor’s office stepped in after a right-wing group posted videos of the finalists on social media and claimed they were “radical progressives with disdain for Florida’s DEI ...
www.chronicle.com
April 25, 2025 at 10:58 PM
NEW: DeSantis directed the University of Florida to cancel a nearly-complete search for its next dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — because the governor believed the finalists were not in alignment with the state's opposition to DEI
Reposted by Derek Bambauer
From the Department of Things Columbia Could Have Done
READ THE COMPLAINT: Harvard sues the Trump administration for its attempts to "coerce and control" the university in violation of the First Amendment, the APA, etc. www.harvard.edu/research-fun...
April 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
From the Department of Things Columbia Could Have Done