Passage of a new bill removes a tremendous advantage North Carolina newspapers have enjoyed in Worker's Compensation litigation for nearly two decades.

The bill removes a legislative presumption of independent contractor status for newspaper carriers under the state's Workers' Compensation law.

The Lexington Urban County Council approved an ordinance recently that would require businesses to put unsolicited fliers and circulars on doorsteps or mail slots or face fines.

The 9-5 vote came despite a warning from the Herald-Leader that it would sue the merged government if the ordinance was passed.

Rufus Friday, president and publisher of the Herald-Leader, said after the vote that he will "aggressively defend the Lexington Herald-Leader's First Amendment rights, which does include any infringement on the press' distribution rights."

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch does not have an extensive history of cases involving free speech, free press and freedom of information issues, but the opinions he authored or joined during his more than 10 years on the Tenth Circuit that do touch upon those issues reflect the application of well-established First Amendment principles in a consistent way, according to a report on his news-media related decisions released by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.