San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu — out of the clear blue sky — sends a subpoena to U.S. News complaining and demanding information about their recent review of “Best Hospitals.” …

The $64 questions are: 1) How does a city attorney appoint himself the guardian of “misinformation” over speech that a first-year law student could show is constitutionally protected; and 2) given that the City Attorney is by its own admission tasked with providing “the highest quality legal services to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and other elected officials,” the reasonable reader — and perhaps an inquisitive reporter — should ask “Who prompted Chiu to issue this subpoena?”

[This needs to get stomped out early and often. The hysteria over “misinformation” incentivizes DAs and AGs to act to criminalize speech. The penalties for that encroachment on the First Amendment have to be so onerous as to discourage anyone else from trying it in the future. — Ed]