Department of Justice files a motion to dismiss PEN America v. Trump. (Find out more about our lawsuit in defense of First Amendment protections for press freedom here.) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested on charges related to hacking government computers and faces extradition to the United States. The National Enquirer, the tabloid that has come under close scrutiny for its close ties to the Trump Administration and the 2016 presidential campaign, is for sale. Students at Texas State University vote to ban Turning Point USA, a conservative student group at the center of a number of provocateurs’ and controversial speakers’ appearances on campuses. -Anoosh Gasparian, External Relations Manager

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

U.S.

Donald Trump Files Reply to PEN America Lawsuit Alleging He Repeatedly Violates First Amendment
PEN America claims Trump has repeatedly violated the First Amendment and asked the court to enjoin him from directing his administration to retaliate against speech that is critical of him. Despite his turbulent relationship with the press, the government replied claiming he hasn’t actually chilled speech and asked the court to reject the lawsuit.
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Julian Assange: WikiLeaks Co-Founder Arrested in London
The U.K. will decide whether to extradite Assange to the U.S., in response to allegations by the Department of Justice that he conspired with former U.S. intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download four classified databases.
BBC NEWS

National Enquirer Expected to Be Sold Imminently as Parent Company Faces Pressure
American Media Inc. has been under intense pressure because of the Enquirer’s efforts to tilt the 2016 presidential election in favor of Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of American Media’s president and CEO, David Pecker. Pecker and his supermarket tabloid have also been embroiled in recent months in an unusually public feud with Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post.
WASHINGTON POST

Students’ Ban on Conservative Group Prompts Outrage. But They Lack the Authority to Do So, University Says.
A vote by the student government at Texas State University to ban a conservative student group erupted into a free-speech melee this week, after the group’s national founder mischaracterized the attempt as an official university action.
CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

 
Global

Artist Coco Fusco Denied Entry Into Cuba Ahead of Havana Biennial
Artist, writer, and academic Coco Fusco was denied entry into Cuba two days ahead of the Havana Biennial opening. The refusal comes amidst artist-led opposition to Decree 349, a controversial legislation regulating artistic production in the country.
HYPERALLERGIC

Philippine News Site Asks Top Court to Scrap Duterte’s Ban on Its Reporters
Rappler, a news website bitterly opposed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a ban on coverage of his events, calling it an unconstitutional assault on the freedom of press.
REUTERS

Russia Passes Bill to Allow Internet to Be Cut off from Foreign Servers
The proposed measures would create technology to monitor internet routing and steer Russian internet traffic away from foreign servers, ostensibly to prevent a foreign country from shutting it down. Critics say implementing the measures would give vast censorship powers to the government’s new traffic monitoring center.
GUARDIAN

China Is Censoring These Songs 30 Years after the Tiananmen Square Crackdown
Fans recently found that one 1990 Cantopop song—the genre of Cantonese-language songs synonymous with Hong Kong’s music industry—sung by local legend Jacky Cheung called “Human’s Path” had recently been scrubbed from Chinese music stores online, including Apple Music.
QUARTZ

DARE is a project of PEN America’s #LouderTogether campaign, bringing you a daily-curated roundup of the most important free expression-related news from the U.S. and abroad. Send your feedback and story suggestions to [email protected]