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Federal judge finds neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer did not engage in protected speech when falsely accusing radio show host of terrorism. President Trump accuses the New York Times of ‘treason’ in response to a story about U.S. cyber-intrusions into Russia’s power grid. Efforts made by University of Virginia lawyers in the aftermath of the deadly Charlottesville riots may provide avenue for legal recourse against hate speech that does not conflict with First Amendment protections for free expression. -Nora Benavidez, Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs

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

U.S.

Judge Awards $4.1 Million in Neo-Nazi Website Lawsuit
A federal judge awarded Muslim-American radio host Dean Obeidallah $4.1 million in monetary damages Wednesday after he successfully sued a neo-Nazi website operator who falsely accused him of terrorism.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Trump Accuses New York Times of ‘Treason’ for Story on U.S. Cyber Offensive Against Russia
President Trump has accused The New York Times of committing a “virtual act of treason” by publishing a story Saturday saying his administration has been targeting Russia’s power grid as part of an ongoing operation to counter cyber threats.
DAILY BEAST

An Abandoned Weapon in the Fight Against Hate Speech
University of Virginia lawyers unearthed a state law that banned the burning of objects on private or public property “with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons.” The Virginia General Assembly had dealt with this very problem in the early 1950s, when the Ku Klux Klan tried to launch a new campaign in the state.
ATLANTIC

Supreme Court Won’t Rule on Clash Between Another Bakery and a Gay Couple
The court’s action on Monday left still unresolved the question of whether many kinds of businesses, including florists, photography studios, calligraphers, and tattoo artists, may discriminate against same-sex couples on religious grounds.
NEW YORK TIMES

 
Global

Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Is Freed, Says He Will Join Mass Protests
Newly released from prison, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong immediately called for Chief Executive Carrie Lam to resign from office. His remarks came as thousands of Hong Kong residents demand that the government permanently shelve a controversial extradition bill.
NPR

The Guardian View on the Latest Crackdown in Turkey: Investigate Real Violence against Women, Not Fiction
“Elif Shafak received a chilling call from her editor in Istanbul. Police officers had entered the publishing house and taken copies of her books to a prosecutor. At the same time, the writer witnessed an avalanche of abusive messages directed at her on social media–digital intimidation to accompany harassment by the authorities.”
GUARDIAN

Ethiopia Anger over Texting and Internet Blackouts
Ethiopians are angry that the country’s text messaging service has been shut down since Thursday without any explanation. Internet blackouts are also affecting many areas of the country. The state-run Ethio Telecom, the country’s only telecomms provider, has refused to comment on the outages.
BBC NEWS

Facebook Failed to Delete 93 Percent of Posts Containing Speech Violating Its Own Rules in India
Facebook failed to delete hundreds of memes, images, and posts targeting caste, LGBT, and religious minorities in India that human rights researchers reported over a yearlong period. India is the largest market for Facebook in the world by number of users, and the social network serves as a primary source of news and information.
BUZZFEED NEWS

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