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Jim Speta

@jspeta.bsky.social
741 followers 423 following 286 posts

Law Prof, Northwestern. Former Co-Prez Law Schools Global League. Internet Policy, Ad Law, Torts, Antitrust, etc. Lawyer, past and present. Int'l Programs, former Vice Dean, Interim Dean, etc.

PostsRepliesMedia
Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
It isn't complicated. This blatantly violates the first amendment, and it must be said plainly. Litigation might be hard, and SCOTUS has made it hard to get preliminary relief. But no question it's unconstitutional. @brieannafrank.bsky.social www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
usatoday.com
Is Trump's latest White House media ban legal? It could get complicated
If recent history is the judge, President Donald Trump faces an uncertain legal landscape in his latest effort to ban certain reporters from the White House.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Hey, Mr. Chief Justice, does presidential immunity extend to 18 USC 597? Just wondering. apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
Trump, hoping to salvage midterms, makes dubious pledge to give every US adult $5,000 if GOP wins
President Donald Trump says he plans to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Could we have a few more things from West Wing come to pass? www.cbsnews.com/news/united-...
cbsnews.com
UN votes to endorse new map projection that shows Africa's size more accurately
Africa has long been represented as smaller than its real size in maps, which are largely based on an ancient projection.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
This is very disappointing, and quite odd. The idea that this settlement was necessary to avoid litigation expense just doesn't ring true. Deloitte paid $22-24 million to settle this? The administration's claims incredibly weak.
wsj.com
Deloitte to Pay $21.5 Million to End DOJ Fraud Investigation Over DEI Policies
The Trump administration has been probing major U.S. companies under a novel use of a federal law meant to police federal contractors.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
What do the folks who wrote about collusive settlements in Hatch Waxman patent litigation say about this? @mcarrier.bsky.social ? Closest analogy I can think of, though of course those were agreements among competitors.
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James Grimmelmann @jtlg.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
If you are responsible for a civil society organization, you will do more to advance your organization's mission—and preserve civil society as a thing that meaningfully exists—by forcing an authoritarian government to spend time and effort crushing it than by complying with its illegal damands.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
By all means, let's continue to attack and defund mRNA. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/19/s...
nytimes.com
Moderna, Merck Say mRNA Vaccine Prevents Melanoma From Returning (Gift Article)
Moderna and Merck say the experimental vaccine prevented the return and spread of the cancer in high-risk melanoma patients.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Regents suspend classes at Center for Intellectual Freedom so they can review its curriculum. Credit to the student journalists who did not use the word “ironic.” dailyiowan.com/2026/07/29/c...
dailyiowan.com
Center for Intellectual Freedom classes on hold
This is an installment in a multipart series The Iowa Board of Regents voted Wednesday to pause all courses offered through the University of Iowa’s Center for Intellectual Freedom, citing the need to...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
If you care about concentration, don't be mad he did it, be mad that the current antitrust ecosystem means it wasn't a waste of his time. www.chicagobusiness.com/transportati...
chicagobusiness.com
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
A local and a national tragedy. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/u...
nytimes.com
Failed Immigration Cases Leave Chicago Prosecutor’s Office Reeling (Gift Article)
Prosecutors have fled the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago, angry about the cases they’ve been told to bring against protesters and immigrants.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
No true Chicagoan would take this gate promotion. My mom would spin in her grave.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
These are in fact great bagels. Yet they are still bagels. Go get Filipino pastries or something. blockclubchicago.org/2026/06/24/g...
blockclubchicago.org
Get A Taste Of NYC At H&H Bagels' 1st Chicago Store
The famous bagel chain opens 6 a.m. Thursday in Fulton Market. The first 250 customers will get a tote bag and gift card.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Watching Egypt / NZ, and like all American casual soccer fans, I feel extraordinarily confident in saying the ref sucks.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Even if they win
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Zoomer Antimillenarian @surcomplicated.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
I have to say, removing a usurper king's name from a building really is a great way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
That's 1000 policy mistakes. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/t...
nytimes.com
Elon Musk Becomes the World’s First Trillionaire
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
This is incredibly important, if you (actually) care about opening the academy and academic discourse to all kinds of voices and viewpoints.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Turns out this administration's toxic view of masculinity is also terrible for men economically.
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Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Link to text of Trump administration's proposed government-wide NDA agreement. Link to submit comments about it in thread below. Also, very briefly, this appears wildly unconstitutional to me. A sweeping prior restraint on essentially whatever the admin. decides 1/x urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
This ridiculous document, "FCC Reminds Broadcasters of their Public Interest Obligations," includes falsities about technology, economics, and law. The "public interest" never gave the FCC the asserted authority over content and viewpoints. It should just be ignored. docs.fcc.gov/public/attac...
docs.fcc.gov
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Champions! Dynasty!! Just excellence. dailynorthwestern.com/2026/05/24/s...
dailynorthwestern.com
Rapid Recap: Northwestern 14, North Carolina 11
For the first time in three years, the Wildcats are back on top. Northwestern defeated North Carolina 14-11 in the NCAA National Championship game in front of a Martin Stadium lacrosse record 8,316 at...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
That suit is not just blue. It's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/s...
nytimes.com
In Italy, Princess Catherine Puts Her Wardrobe to Work
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Need a Matt Damon guest hit!
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Deep down, it’s because they know she’s cleaning their clock, and history will confirm it. They are terrible lawyers and judges, and she’s not.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Can we please be serious about how law works? The @nytimes.com does not say whether the review would be mandatory, but it seems like it. No (NO!) statutory authority exists for such a process. None. The Prez can’t just decide it’s a good idea. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/t...
nytimes.com
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Well, yes, but regrettably it’s not just the South, and we are not going to get to workable liberal democracy unless we recognize the need for reinforcing liberal democracy everywhere.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
No legal authority for this. None. www.yalejreg.com/nc/the-fcc-l...
yalejreg.com
The FCC Lacks Authority to Punish Broadcasters for Their Viewpoints, by James B. Speta - Yale Journal on Regulation
Introduction Does the federal government have the power to punish broadcasters, by exercising its power over their licenses to use the airwaves, for speech the government does not like, including spee...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
An outstanding third game. And Emma Hayes seems to have the team on schedule. So great. USA 3-0 Japan (Apr 17, 2026) Final Score - ESPN
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
These numbers are scary. 60% of student visas applicants from India are rejected? Denial rates were 64 percent in Africa and 41 percent in Asia. However, less than 10 percent of European applicants didn’t get a visa. Dumb, racist, and bad for America. www.chronicle.com/newsletter/l...
chronicle.com
Student-Visa Denials Are Up
One in three applicants was refused a visa in 2025, new data show.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Hard to imagine this going through (though perhaps not as hard as in other times), but the various market definition issues would be incredibly fun. One interesting Chicago-centric illustration is how to treat Southwest. www.reuters.com/business/uni...
reuters.com
United-American mega deal could raise fares and face antitrust roadblock
A potential deal between United ​Airlines and American Airlines would create an industry behemoth and invite extraordinary scrutiny from regulators, labor unions and consumer advocates, all wary of hi...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Tell me you practiced law *before becoming an academic,* without telling me you practiced law.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
The US was sort of founded on the idea that “divine right” was bullshit, yes? www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/u...
nytimes.com
Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Almost a surprise there is no order that we all watch.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Now the FCC will take away broadcast licenses if stations show any college football game at the same time as the Army Navy game?? (sec. 2b) Not on my bingo card, even in this crazed time for media law. Naturally, the FCC has no authority to do so. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
whitehouse.gov
Preserving America's Game
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1.  Purpose.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Stuck in an hours-long security line at the airport? It’s because Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ bill to fund DHS agencies that don’t conduct immigration enforcement, like TSA. That’s how dead set they are on allowing ICE to keep terrorizing communities with impunity. Remember this.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Here's what I said about this meritless letter to the American Lawyer. First, the letter does not specify the alleged agreement. Second, the agreement, if any, cannot be per se, like the no poach agreements. Third, there is no possibility that the Mansfield ... www.law.com/americanlawy...
law.com
'It’s a Bullying Move That Might Work' — Antitrust Experts on FTC Mansfield Letters | Law.com
While the antitrust claims in recent FTC letters to law firms are meritless, according to experts, the administration’s willingness to use the trade regulator to achieve political goals could influenc...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The FTC Chair comes for Diversity Lab and law firms participating in Mansfield Certification. The Chair's letter suggests collusion, but wouldn't survive a motion to dismiss in any court. news.bloomberglaw.com/product/blaw...
news.bloomberglaw.com
Bloomberg Industry Group : Page Not Found
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
The only thing we learned from the last round of expansion is that there are alread too many teams in the playoff www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
CFB buzz: What we're hearing about playoff expansion, conference title games and bowls
Multiple playoff scenarios are on the table ahead of critical meetings this week.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Courier has not been the same since the LaserJet III model was retired--or really since the Selectric II. I will die on this hill.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
One thing to think about in the battle for Warner Bros is that Paramount and Netflix are both arguing about who is closer to Trump. And by acquiring HBO, that company will be John Oliver’s boss. @lastweektonight.com
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
RIP Southwest. We hardly knew ye. www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc...
www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org
Southwest CEO says airline 'actively pursuing' network of airport lounges
Southwest's CEO said the carrier is weighing a network of airport lounges
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Yet the Six Justices do not consider the Civil War Amendments part of the history and traditions setting the founding values of the Constitution.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Decreasing price / power in electronics has been one of the most important economic drivers of the past 5 decades. That is coming to an end too. Making America Poorer Again. Lenovo and Dell Warn: Your Next Laptop Could Cost More Really Soon www.cnet.com/tech/computi...
cnet.com
Lenovo and Dell Warn: Your Next Laptop Could Cost More Really Soon
In the face of rising costs for memory and storage, major manufacturers are notifying their clients of impending price hikes.
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
“So quit. I can get another girl to take your job in 5 minutes - one who really wants it.” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
nytimes.com
‘In Triage Every Day’: A Beleaguered Speaker Says He’s Overwhelmed
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Saving turkey lives -- the pick up line for ribs and brisket thanksgiving (and smoked turkey legs if you must). www.soulandsmoke.com
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
For an additional, very important example of a specialized handwriting that general LLMs may be less effective on, my colleague @ek27.bsky.social used AI to build a model to decode 400+ year old English court documents. news.law.northwestern.edu/news/decodin...
news.law.northwestern.edu
Decoding the Past: Professor Emily Kadens uses Artificial Intelligence to bring 16th-Century Law to Life
What happens when 16th-century legal documents meet artificial intelligence? Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law’s Edna B. and Ednyfed H. Williams Memorial Professor and Vice Dean Emily Kad...
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Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
"We're pro-affordability, but we're going to raise tariffs on you. We're pro-affordability, but we're going to undermine the Fed, which is going to potentially cause inflation. We're pro-affordability, but... we're going to rip the American health insurance system up."
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Incoherent at many levels - Fox News has more viewership than any other network news organization. And the merger has nothing to do with the reach of broadcast news, just with ownership of local stations. Alas, facts. variety.com/2025/tv/news...
variety.com
Trump Opposes FCC Raising 39% TV Ownership Cap if It Would ‘Enlarge’ ‘Fake News Networks’ Like ABC, NBC — but It Wouldn’t Do That
President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue of the FCC's potential move to raise or eliminate the current 39% cap on local TV station owners -- saying he opposes it if the result would be an "expan...
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Jim Speta @jspeta.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Tigers aren't Wildcats.
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