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Federal court hearing to be held on case of Twitter users blocked by Trump. Florida middle school teacher is relieved of duties amid revelations of a white supremacist podcast she claims is satirical. Trump’s attorney secured restraining order to silence porn actress who reportedly had affair with Trump. Revelations of decades-long pattern of sexual harassment ends career of senior Harvard professor and raises questions about the University’s serial failures to address the problem. San Francisco removes controversial statue of Native American man in submissive pose. -Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director

 

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

U.S.

A Judge May Soon Decide Whether Trump Must Unblock People on Twitter
Seven people, who are suing President Trump after they were blocked from his Twitter account, will soon have their day in court in a case that questions whether government officials can impede critics online.
WASHINGTON POST

Middle School Teacher Secretly Ran White Supremacist Podcast, Says It Was Satire
Dayanna Volitich, a Florida middle school teacher, was found to be the host of a white supremacist podcast and Twitter account. “The teacher has been removed from the classroom and the investigation is ongoing.”
CNN

Trump Lawyer Obtained Restraining Order to Silence Stormy Daniels
Trump’s lawyer secretly obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent porn star, who had been paid $130,000 in what she calls a “hush agreement”, from speaking out about her alleged affair with Trump.
NEW YORK TIMES

Harvard Professor to Retire Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims from 18 Women
Jorge I. Domínguez, a Harvard professor, has decided to retire following allegations by 18 women of sexual harassment. “His forthcoming retirement does not change the active review of the facts and circumstance that have recently come to light.”
HUFFINGTON POST

San Francisco Will Remove Controversial Statue of Native American Man
San Francisco’s city arts commission voted unanimously to remove a sculpture showing a Native American man in a submissive pose after public outcry sparked by the deadly rally in Charlottesville last summer.
NEW YORK TIMES

 
Global

U.S. Holocaust Museum Rescinds Human Rights Award from Aung San Suu Kyi
Nobel laureate and Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has had the prestigious Ellie Wiesel Award rescinded for failing to speak out against the ongoing persecution of Rohingya Muslims in her country.
NPR

Egyptian Prosecutors Seek Death Sentence for Photographer
Prosecutors have requested a death sentence for Mahmoud Abou Zeid, an Egyptian photojournalist known as Shawkan, who has been held for four and a half years after being arrested for his connection with an anti-government protest.
ALLAFRICA

Why a 16-Year-Old Russian Has Joined His Country’s Election Protests
Vitaliy Smitienko, a high school student, joined the Russia opposition movement last year to support the fight for freedom of expression in Russia. “All of their actions are aimed at making us afraid and unable to express our opinons in public.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL

U.N. Sees ‘Worrying Picture’ of Rights Violations in Iran
The U.N. says human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, executions, and restrictions on freedom of expression, has worsensed in Iran after promises of improvement.
ARAB WEEKLY

Parliament has Passed the ‘Internet Censorship’ Bill—Here’s What it Means for You
Parliament of South Africa has confirmed that a bill allowing the FPB to regulate user-generated content has passed. The bill had previously come under scrutiny over concerns that it would be used as a means of censorship for online content.
BUSINESS TECH

 

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