Documentary filmmakers and journalists may breathe a partial sigh of relief today as the Court of Appeals has issued a largely positive order in the case of documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger. Attorney Michael C. Donaldson filed an Amicus Brief on behalf of the Writers Guild of America, East, as well as 22 other industry organizations and individuals, who saw an earlier court order for Berlinger to turn over footage he filmed making CRUDE, The Real Price of Oil as a grave threat to the future of investigative documentaries.

Responding to an Italian court’s conviction in absentia of 23 US officials for kidnapping a cleric in Italy, the Obama Administration further disgraced itself and America’s image by calling the results “disappointing.” They should have applied the word to themselves.

We need a national debate on whether Barack Obama can legally accept the Nobel Peace Prize

The California Court of Appeal ruled, in a unanimous decision, that California-born transgender Americans be issued a new birth certificate to reflect their gender upon request. Previously, out-of-state residents needed a court order from their state of residency, something not all non-California courts could be persuaded to provide.

This is the full press release issued today from the USAtty’s office in Chicago regarding the Blagojevich indictment and that of his chief of staff.

Dan Rather takes on CBS and reveals a larger story