Cities in Illinois and across the country have laws regulating panhandling. But courts are tossing them out, and Springfield’s ordinance could be next. How can local governments balance First Amendment rights and maintaining public order? 

The City of Peoria is paying $125,000 to a man who created a parody Twitter account of the city’s mayor.  The payment settles a federal lawsuit involving free speech and social media.

Ken Paulson speaks about issues ranging from the importance of the First Amendment and its future, to the Steven Salaita case, to the future of journalism in the digital age.