From Gen Z to the Silent Generation, Americans told USA TODAY about their memory of 9/11.
Americans remember exactly where they were on 9/11
From Gen Z to the Silent Generation, Americans told USA TODAY about their memory of 9/11.
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BrieAnna Frank
@brieannafrank.bsky.social
USA Today First Amendment reporting fellow. Email: bjfrank@usatoday.com.
I am honored to share that the @aejmc.bsky.social has awarded our First Amendment team at the @usatoday.com Network its 2026 First Amendment Award for our reporting on press freedom issues around the country. My colleagues and I look forward to speaking at AEJMC's conference in August!
Thrilled to share that today I graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies. Thank you for everything over these last four years, UVA 💙🧡 Congratulations, class of 2026! 🎉
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
LIFTOFF: NASA's Orion spacecraft and the four astronauts on board have left the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and are on a historic trip to fly around the moon and back. The Artemis II astronauts will venture farther in space than anyone in human history. bit.ly/48lIyii
"Your job on this commission is to protect the president." That's what Carrie Prejean Boller told me Religious Liberty Commission Chair Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said to her amid her Israel criticism. A Republican House member is asking for congressional review of her firing. My latest @usatoday.com
Trump religious liberty commissioner says Israel views got her fired
Carrie Prejean Boller said she was removed from the Religious Liberty Commission because she did not reflect the administration's positions on Israel.
usatoday.com
Tennessee may be the first state in which schools will ask about students' immigration status as a prerequisite for enrollment after House Republicans passed a bill that is a repeat of even stricter proposed legislation last year, reports @vivianejones.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...
House GOP passes bill requiring schools to count undocumented students
House Majority Leader William Lamberth has said disenrolling undocumented students or charging tuition could endanger $1.1B in federal K-12 funding.
tennessean.com
Following an ICE arrest, 100+ people phone banked legislators to advocate for the release of Nashville Noticias journalist Estefany Rodriguez. The SPJ and other press groups have called for the same. From @angelelatham.bsky.social & @evanmealins.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...
Arrest of Nashville journalist by ICE fuels First Amendment concerns
A Nashville journalist arrested by ICE on March 4 is gaining state and national attention as questions of retaliation for her reporting grow.
tennessean.com
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth marched to the podium at the conservative Christian media summit with the heraldry of a general, while the crowd received him as a beloved pastor to a congregation. More of our coverage on Hegseth, NRB: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...
Right-wing media see wins in Hegseth, Trump 250 exhibit for religion
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth headlined a religious media summit in Nashville
tennessean.com
If you know any high school juniors interested in journalism, tell them to apply for the @1stforall.bsky.social's Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in D.C. from June 21-26! I attended in 2014, and it was a truly formative experience. Deadline is March 15: www.freedomforum.org/al-neuharth-....
Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference selects 51 high school juniors from across the country each year for a life-changing conference in Washington, D.C. Participants receive an all-ex...
freedomforum.org
"Our national security is strengthened − not weakened − when those with firsthand expertise can speak openly and inform public debate on matters involving the military and our defense," Beau Tremitiere told @brieannafrank.bsky.social about Secretary Hegseth’s attempts to suppress veterans’ speech.
Dozens of former military leaders defend Mark Kelly in Pentagon fight
Military leaders including the former secretaries of the Army and Navy called the Pentagon's actions against Kelly "remarkable and unprecedented."
usatoday.com
The FBI searched a @washingtonpost.com reporter's Virginia home this morning as part of a probe into a government contractor accused of illegally accessing/taking home classified docs, the outlet announced. Latest from me on the First Amendment beat @usatoday.com:
FBI searches Washington Post reporter's Virginia home
Reporter Hannah Natanson's phone and Garmin watch were seized during the search on the morning of Jan. 14, the outlet said.
usatoday.com
A DC man was detained for playing the "Imperial March" from "Star Wars" behind National Guard troops in the city. I chatted with him about his background, his viral protests against the Trump administration and the @aclu.org lawsuit he's now at the center of. More here for @usatoday.com:
He got cuffed after playing the 'Imperial March' at National Guard. Now, he's suing.
Sam O'Hara said he has 'lots of respect' for the military but criticized its presence in cities, including Washington, DC.
usatoday.com
There aren’t a lot of outlets doing good religion reporting anymore, even though this reporting is VITAL to understanding the cultural moment we are in. @liamsadams.bsky.social at the Tennesssean and @jackjenkins.me at Religion News Service are doing great work in this area and are worth following.
Liam Adams@liamsadams.bsky.social · 11mo agoSo, myself and Tennessean photojournalist Andrew Nelles are in Zimbabwe to report on the UMC, a project made possible w/ grant funding from the Pulitzer Center. Our first dispatch and what it says about a potentially historic decision coming in November: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...
So, myself and Tennessean photojournalist Andrew Nelles are in Zimbabwe to report on the UMC, a project made possible w/ grant funding from the Pulitzer Center. Our first dispatch and what it says about a potentially historic decision coming in November: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...
'Whoo whoo, our elephant!' United Methodists in Zimbabwe unify ahead of historic decision
The United Methodist Church is on the verge of a historic decision following a costly splintering. Here's how it's shaping up in Zimbabwe.
tennessean.com
"When one university or law firm or news organization capitulates, it’s incrementally harder for the next institution to resist," @jameeljaffer.bsky.social tells @usatoday.com's @brieannafrank.bsky.social. Read more here: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
Inside the 'harsh terrain' of Columbia University's First Amendment predicament
Though they're navigating uncharted waters, one dean said "we haven't fundamentally changed anything about how we go about our responsibility."
usatoday.com
Have a First Amendment question? Our First Amendment reporting cohort is doing a Reddit AMA in r/law this afternoon! Join us from 12-1 p.m. ET: www.reddit.com/r/law/commen... @usatoday.com @1stforall.bsky.social
From the law community on Reddit: We’re 5 reporters dedicated to covering your 5 First Amendment rights. Ask us anything!
Explore this post and more from the law community
reddit.com
Today's Reliable Sources lead: President Trump and Speaker Johnson's claims about "No Kings" are going to be contradicted by tomorrow's protests cnn.it/48FKCTD
"This is the American people standing up and saying no, we're going to live in a democracy." Ahead of "No Kings," organizers chatted w/ me about their concerns + hopes for tomorrow's protests, which are expected to draw millions nationwide. @usatoday.com
'No Kings' organizers concerned about protests. But 'courage is contagious.'
More than 2,500 protests against the administration are expected on Oct. 18. Organizers expect it to be the largest day of protest in U.S. history.
usatoday.com
“The Defense Department has confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America,” the Pentagon Press Association said
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Oct. 12 at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island in South Carolina.
Four killed, at least 20 injured in South Carolina bar shooting, authorities say
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Oct. 12 at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island in South Carolina.
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To read more highlights from our #FreeSpeechSummit2025, read this great write up from @angelelatham.bsky.social, @brieannafrank.bsky.social, Taylor Seely, Stephany Matat, and @catecharron.bsky.social www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
Free speech is facing threats in the US and beyond. Here are the pressure points
Free speech took center stage as advocates, lawyers and experts from around the world convened recently at Vanderbilty University in Nashville.
usatoday.com
President Donald Trump says that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a White House peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza and Israeli hostages will soon be released. bit.ly/4o3wrMg
Pres. Trump said today that his administration "took the freedom of speech away" as it relates to flag burnings, but the Supreme Court has long held that such activity is protected under the First Amendment. My latest @usatoday.com: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
Trump says he 'took the freedom of speech away' on flag burning
Trump made the comments during a Wednesday roundtable discussion, referencing his August executive order calling for prosecution of flag burners.
usatoday.com
Wanna learn more about the pastor in this photo? I talked to him yesterday. He's currently part of a lawsuit against DHS, in part due to this exact moment: religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...
Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago
(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...
religionnews.com
Melanie D’Arrigo@darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 11mo agoI feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.
Oklahoma's Ryan Walters recently announced a partnership between the state's education department/Turning Point USA to set up chapters at every high school. I chatted w/ him + experts to write this @usatoday.com story answering Qs about the partnership + whether it's a First Amendment violation:
Is Oklahoma requiring all high schools to start Turning Point USA chapters?
Superintendent Ryan Walters told USA TODAY his claim that all Oklahoma high schools will have chapters stemmed from the level of interest he's seen.
usatoday.com
NEW: As supporters of Charlie Kirk gathered for vigils, many framed Kirk—a right-wing activist—as a religious leader. Some claimed his death was spurring people to convert to Christianity. Meanwhile, other faith leaders were vocally critical of Kirk's past comments. religionnews.com/2025/09/16/a...
At prayer vigils for Charlie Kirk, supporters are called to political and spiritual fight
(RNS) — ‘I pray millions of young men would become defenders of the faith as a result of this demonic assassination,’ Arizona pastor Mark Driscoll said in an Instagram post.
religionnews.com
Grateful for the opportunity to chat on the Connecting America podcast this morning about my story on Charlie Kirk's assassination and how schools face the challenge of balancing free speech/safety in the current political moment. Here's the link to the segment! www.youtube.com/live/Re-EGqz...
Angered in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the Trump administration officials say they're planning to use "every resource" available across the federal government to target left-wing organizations that the administration contends are stoking political violence. Read more: bit.ly/3Kp7V9O
