The Denver Post reports that a student who was arrested because he wore a “Nobama” sticker outside his school when Michelle Obama spoke there after hours has settled his claims.  A police officer approached him and asked him to leave. When he refused, he was arrested.  He also received a one-day suspension from school.  He settled his claims for $2000 each from the school district and law enforcement.

The East Oregonian covers the decision by some counties in Oregon to restrict mail sent to inmates to postcards only.  The counties say that move is justified because it will spare employees the burden of having to search through inmate mail to ensure it does not contain contraband.  There is an exception for legal and job-related mail. The ACLU criticized the policy as cutting inmates off from their families because it will no longer be possible for them to exchange meaningful correspondence.

The LA Times editorialized on the federal reporter shield bill.  A version passed the House and a bill has been introduced in the Senate.  The paper argues that there ought to be a strong reporter shield, and criticizes the current version for taking too narrow a view of who counts as a journalist.

The First Amendment Center interviews Marie Snodgrass nee Barnett — together with her sister, a plaintiff in the famous Supreme Court case West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette.  That case held that students could not be required to salute the flag and recite the pledge.  Ms. Snodgrass explains that she was an 8-year-old Jehovah’s Witness when the case began.  She describes how the case impacted her, both while it was being litigated (she missed a half year of school and had to repeat a grade) and later in life.

The Denver Post reports that Englewood, Colorado will not appeal a court ruling allowing an individual to keep a mural painted on the outside of his business.  The mural depicts a scene from Alice in Wonderland in which a caterpillar smokes shisha.  The city claimed the  mural violated its sign code.  The Court ruled that the city violated the constitutional right to free expression when it ordered the mural removed.