The Brief

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a lower court decision that barred White House officials and a broad array of other government employees at key agencies from contact with social media companies.

In the meantime, the high court has temporarily put on ice a ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that barred officials at the White House, the FBI, a crucial cybersecurity agency, important government health departments, as well as other agencies from having any contact with Facebook (Meta), Google, X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok and other social media platforms.

The case has profound implications for almost every aspect of American life, especially at a time when there are great national security concerns about false information online during the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and further concerns about misinformation online that could cause significant problems in the conduct of the 2024 elections. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Louisiana and Missouri sued the government, contending it has been violating the First Amendment by pressuring social media companies to correct or modify what the government deems to be misinformation online. The case is part of long-running conservative claims that liberal tech company owners are in cahoots with government officials in an attempt to suppress conservative views.

Indeed, the states, joined by five individuals, contend that 67 federal entities and officials have "transformed" social media platforms into a "sprawling federal censorship enterprise."

The federal government rejects that characterization as false, noting that it would be a constitutional violation if the government were to "punish or threaten to punish the media or other intermediaries for disseminating disfavored speech." But there is a big difference between persuasion and coercion, the government adds, noting that the FBI, for instance, has sought to mitigate the terrorism "hazards" of instant access to billions of people online by "calling attention to potentially harmful content so platforms can apply their content- moderation policies" where they are justified.

"It is axiomatic that the government is entitled to provide the public with information and to advocate for its own policies," the government says in its brief. "A central dimension of presidential power is the use of the Office's bully pulpit to seek to persuade Americans — and American companies — to act in ways that the President believes would advance the public interest."

History bears that out, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said in the government's brief. She also noted that social media companies have their own First Amendment rights to decide what content to use.

Three justices noted their dissents: Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.

Writing for the three, Justice Alito said that the government had failed to provide "any concrete proof" of imminent harm from the Fifth Circuit's ruling.

"At this time in the history of our country, what the court has done, I fear, will be seen by some as giving the Government a green light to use heavy-handed tactics to skew the presentation of views on that increasingly dominates the dissemination of news, " wrote Alito.

The case will likely be heard in February or March.

A slow leak from a chemical tank smeared an orange cloud across the sky of a Southern California neighborhood on Tuesday, but authorities said they quickly got it under control.

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Aaron Katon said authorities responded to a business that makes cleaning products after receiving a call shortly before noon about the cloud. Police evacuated a nearby middle school as a precaution, Katon said.

They do not yet know what the chemical was, but all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, he said. The regional air quality management district has deployed staff to the area to investigate, said Connie Villanueva, a spokesperson for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The company, Shepard Bros., could not immediately be reached for comment.

Three company employees reported minor respiratory irritation and declined further treatment, Katon said.

The leak occurred in the city of La Habra near a mix of residential neighborhoods and industrial warehouses about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Anaheim.

Keary Godinez, who works in a nearby restaurant, said she saw what appeared to be a dark yellow cloud spread across the sky. The 20-year-old said she watched students across the street board buses to evacuate, but police told her the eatery could remain open.

“It looked like pollen dust,” Godinez said, adding she didn’t detect a smell from the cloud. “It just kind of smeared in the sky and started going away.”

La Habra Mayor Jose Medrano had urged residents to shelter in place and said some streets were being evacuated.

Luis Gomez, who manages a nearby pickleball program, said earlier Tuesday he saw the cloud, called police and was told anyone within a mile radius of the location was under an evacuation order.

The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Phil Jackson outside their downtown arena next year.

The Lakers announced the plan Tuesday to honor Jackson, who led the Lakers to five championships and seven NBA Finals appearances during two stints totaling 11 seasons as their head coach.

The statue will be unveiled April 9 before the Lakers’ home game against Minnesota.

After his famed tenure leading Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to six championships, Jackson joined the Lakers in 1999 and immediately began another era of major success for the 17-time NBA champion franchise.

His first three teams in Los Angeles won championships behind the dynamic duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers added two more titles in 2009 and 2010 led by Bryant and Pau Gasol. His Lakers also made the NBA Finals in 2004 and 2008.

Jackson set the Lakers franchise record for coaches with 610 victories while leading his teams to the playoffs in every year of his tenure, which ended in 2011.

“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. After he accepted my dad’s invitation to join the Lakers, Phil’s unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come. It is a great joy to be able to mark that achievement with the statue he so richly deserves.”

Jackson will be the ninth person associated with the Lakers to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza outside their arena. He joins Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bryant, O’Neal, broadcaster Chick Hearn and former coach Pat Riley, whose statue was unveiled earlier this year.

Jackson’s 11 championships as a head coach are the most in NBA history. The North Dakota native and former New York Knicks forward is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.