Eugene Volokh asks, Have you the right to say whom you wish for a roommate?

In California, you apparently don't. On May 7, the California Fair Employment & Housing Commission penalized Melissa DeSantis $500 for inflicting "emotional distress" on a would-be roommate by allegedly telling him that "I don't really like black guys. I try to be fair and all, but they scare me." [MORE]

Here's the thing, the whole point of free speech is to let people say what they think, even stupid, prejudicial things. The theory is that in the marketplace of ideas the good ideas will win out. I think narrowminded prejudice is bad. But it is also a bad idea, and I have complete faith in the marketplace of ideas to weed it out. But here's another bad idea: Having the government try to marginalize speech that reflects prejudice via regulation. [Ernie the Attorney]

Skepticism Greets Leftist's Makeover in Brazil. Luiz Inácio da Silva, the eternal presidential candidate of Brazils leftist Workers' Party, stresses that his socialist views have "evolved and mellowed." By Larry Rohter. [New York Times: International]