International
The U.S. Supreme Court endorses lawsuits against public charges for blocking people on the networks
The Supreme Court of the United States stressed that public officials can be sued in certain circumstances for blocking people critical of them on the networks, although in a different case it also authorized those workers to veto certain people.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett stressed in her letter that public officials who use their personal accounts to issue official statements may not be free to delete comments about those messages or directly block those who criticize them.
“Sometimes the line between private conduct and state action is difficult to draw. (…) When a public office uses social networks, it is definitely necessary to evaluate it closely to categorize it,” the magistrate stressed.
In one of the cases that reached the court, James Freed, manager of the city of Port Huron, in Michigan, used the Facebook page he created when he was at university to communicate with citizens, although he also used it to tell details of his life.
A resident criticized the city’s response to the covid pandemic on that account and Freed blocked him and deleted his comments. In a lower court, the manager had had his decision supported.
“A public official who does not maintain personal messages in a clearly designated place is exposed to greater potential responsibilities,” said the Supreme Court, who assured that it did not coincide with the resolution of the previous court and authorized the case to continue.
For the Supreme Court, the speeches of government officials may be subject to the scrutiny of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of expression, only when they have the authority to speak on behalf of the State and intended to exercise that authority.
A similar case had affected former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021) and current candidate for the presidency for blocking users on X (then Twitter).
A court in New York agreed with him, but by the time the appeal reached the Supreme Court, Trump had already abandoned power and the court dismissed the case in April 2021 considering that it was already something irrelevant.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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