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Fox News offers full support to Sean Hannity, even though he never disclosed to audiences that he had received legal advice from Trump lawyer Michael Cohen while railing against the FBI search of his office. Former FBI agent enters guilty plea in classified information leak to media outlet. Lawyers for Tennessee journalist detained in immigration case after arrest at protest argue government is trying to suppress his reporting. Director Jordan Peele creates “deepfake” video, putting words in Barack Obama’s mouth to show how easy it is to create convincing audio and video fakes. -Dru Menaker, Chief Operating Officer

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

U.S.

‘Full support’: Fox News is cool with the Sean Hannity-Michael Cohen connection
“While Fox News was unaware of Sean Hannity’s informal relationship with Michael Cohen and was surprised by the announcement in court yesterday, we have reviewed the matter and spoken to Sean and he continues to have our full support.”
WASHINGTON POST

Former FBI agent charged with leaking classified information
The U.S. Justice Department has charged a former Minnesota FBI agent with leaking classified information to the online news site The Intercept, Minnesota Public Radio reported on Wednesday.
REUTERS

Lawyers: Journalist Was Detained by ICE Because of Reporting
Lawyers for a journalist who was arrested in Tennessee and then placed in an immigration detention facility said that the government was trying to suppress his reporting and violated his rights of freedom of speech and the press.
NEW YORK TIMES

How To Spot A Deepfake Like The Barack Obama–Jordan Peele Video
Part of the process for creating this video involved taking an original video of Barack Obama and pasting Jordan Peele’s mouth into it. It looked really bad and clumsy at first. But things got remarkably better the longer FakeApp was left to process a more believable amalgamation of Obama’s head and Peele’s mouth. That took roughly 56 hours and was overseen by a video effects professional.
BUZZFEED

Sinclair TV boss donated to Montana congressman who attacked reporter
One of the brothers who control Sinclair Broadcasting has donated more than $10,000 to Greg Gianforte, the Republican congressman who assaulted a journalist and then lied to police about it.
GUARDIAN

 
Global

Russia blocks millions of IP addresses in battle against Telegram app
Russia’s internet watchdog has blocked an estimated 16 million IP addresses in a massive operation against the banned Telegram messaging app that could set a new precedent for Russian online censorship.
GUARDIAN

The Silencing of Daphne
That bombing last October did more than kill Daphne, as she was universally known on the island. It ripped open the dark side of Malta. The brazen assassination and the lawlessness it implies appalled not only Daphne’s friends and family, but also political leaders across Western Europe.
REUTERS

Somaliland poet jailed for three years in crackdown on writers
A poet has been sentenced to three years in prison in Somaliland as part of a wide-ranging crackdown against activists and writers. Naima Abwaan Qorane was jailed for “anti-national activity of a citizen and bringing the nation or state in contempt.”
GUARDIAN

#Metoo in China: fledgling movement in universities fights censorship
Peking University, China’s top academic institution, admitted this month that 20 years ago a professor had been involved in “inappropriate student-teacher relations” with a female student. Former classmates of that student, Gao Yan, a star pupil studying Chinese literature, say she was raped and that the assault pushed her to commit suicide less than a year later.
GUARDIAN

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