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Celebrities including Brett Favre and Soulja Boy say they were tricked into recording white supremacist videos. UC Berkeley to settle free speech lawsuit with conservative groups. Controversy continues over Marc Lamont Hill’s statements on Israel and the Palestinians, and the Temple University board chairman’s comments about dismissing Lamont Hill. (See PEN America’s response about the risk of undermining academic freedom.) -Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

Brett Favre ‘Sickened’ after Being Tricked into Recording Anti-Semitic Video for White Supremacists
Over the weekend, it was revealed that Brett Favre was duped into using anti-Semitic language in a personalized video recorded for a group of white supremacist YouTubers. Now, Favre is expressing regret about not being vigilant enough to avoid being tricked.
CBS SPORTS

Marc Lamont Hill Pens Apology to Temple Community
Hill wrote in his letter that appeared in The Temple News, the campus newspaper, “I unequivocally reject anti-Semitism in any form or fashion,” and that he is “keenly aware of the threats faced by Jewish people around the world.”
PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE

UNC Proposes New $5.3 Million Building to House ‘Silent Sam’ Confederate Statue
Administrators at the University of North Carolina are proposing a new $5.3 million building to safely house a controversial Confederate monument that was toppled by protesters in August. The statue cannot legally be moved to a museum, mausoleum, or cemetery because of a state law that limits the removal of public monuments.
CNN

Declare the Strand Bookstore a City Landmark? No Thanks, the Strand Says
“By landmarking the Strand, you can also destroy a piece of New York history,” said the Strand owner Nancy Wyden. “We’re operating on very thin margins here, and this would just cost us a lot more, with this landmarking, and be a lot more hassle.”
NEW YORK TIMES

 
Global

Shahidul Alam: ‘Bangladeshi Authorities Tried to Scare Me into Submission’ *PEN Case List: Learn More
“A culture of fear and a lack of press freedom [in Bangladesh] have created an intimidating environment for journalists,” said renowned photographer Shahidul Alam. “They face physical threats. Journalists are no longer practicing journalism. It’s easier to toe the government’s line, to be honest.”
DW

France Faces a Typical Facebook Revolution
“Whether the anger unleashed by France’s tiny tax hike is real or at least partially induced by Facebook echo chambers is by now difficult to figure out without exact scientific methods. Nevertheless, it’s time to cast away any remaining illusions that social networks can play a positive role in promoting democracy and freedom.”
BLOOMBERG

‘Clear Deficiencies’ in Daphne Murder Probe, Press Freedom Organisations Say
Nine NGOs, including PEN America, noted “clear deficiencies” in the ongoing investigation of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, in a statement issued to mark one year since 10 people were arrested in Marsa in connection with her murder.
TIMES OF MALTA

Soros-Founded University Says It Has Been Kicked out of Hungary as an Autocrat Tightens His Grip
European Union leaders and the United States warned that it was a red line and urged Hungary not to cross it. But in the end there was nothing to stop Prime Minister Viktor Orban from driving Central European University into exile.
WASHINGTON POST

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