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NFL owners cede to players’ demands to be able to protest, and agree to work with them on social justice issues at the core of #TakeAKnee. President Trump’s pick to head drug agency withdraws after Washington Post/60 Minutes investigation; “We put the facts out there and we let other people take care of the results,” editor says. Trump administration’s FCC head avows his belief in the First Amendment and acknowledges that his agency can’t revoke broadcasters’ licenses based on what they report. New poll results have 46 percent of voters saying they believe “news media” (not clearly defined) fabricate stories. Concerns continue about whether White House is following document preservation laws necessary for watchdogs, historians, and governmental records. -Dru Menaker Chief Operating Officer

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

U.S.

NFL owners emerge from full day of meetings without requirement for players to stand for national anthem
The owners are more focused on conversations regarding league support of players’ community activism than on enacting any anthem-related rule change that would be designed to alleviate the intense criticism by President Trump and some fans of players’ protests.
WASHINGTON POST

Tom Marino, Trump’s Pick As Drug Czar, Withdraws After Damaging Opioid Report
A joint report by The Washington Post and 60 Minutes found that Marino’s measure “helped pump more painkillers into parts of the country that were already in the middle of the opioid crisis.” The bill had been opposed by the DEA and embraced by companies in the drug industry.
NPR

Ajit Pai, in First Remarks After Trump Tweets, Says FCC Can’t Revoke Broadcast Licenses Based on News Content
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the agency lacked authority to revoke the license of a broadcast station based on the the content of a newscast, in his first comments on the topic since President Trump’s tweets attacking NBC.
VARIETY

Poll: 46 percent think media make up stories about Trump
Nearly half of voters, 46 percent, believe the news media fabricate news stories about President Trump and his administration. Just 37 percent of voters think the media do not fabricate stories, while the remaining 17 percent are undecided.
POLITICO

National Archives warned Trump White House to preserve documents
The White House legally must preserve all presidential records—including written memos, emails, speeches, and record logs—which are given to the National Archives after the president leaves office. But National Archives officials have told the White House counsel’s office they were concerned that wasn’t happening.
POLITICO

 
Global

Anti-Fake News Center Doesn’t Czech
As Czechs go to the polls this weekend for parliamentary elections, pro-Russian platforms have been as energetic as ever, pumping out a steady stream of invented stories, conspiracy theories, and spin. And the Center Against Terrorism and Hybrid Threats is struggling to prove itself, offering wider lessons for governments trying to fight the fake news war.
CODA

Arrested Myanmar photographers allowed to leave Bangladesh
Two Myanmar photojournalists who were arrested in Bangladesh last month while covering the massive influx of Rohingya Muslims from their country have been released on bail and allowed to return home. The charges have not yet been dropped.
STAR TRIBUNE

Twitter Has A Harassment Problem In India, And Targets Say The Company Isn’t Doing Much To Fix It
In Twitter’s fastest-growing market, abusive hashtags trend in the top-five spot for hours, local language harassment is common, and victims describe Twitter’s response to these incidents as “apathetic.”
BUZZFEED

UK spies using social media data for mass surveillance
Privacy International says it obtained evidence for the first time that UK spy agencies are collecting social media information on potentially millions of people. It has also obtained letters it says show the intelligence agencies’ oversight body had not been informed that UK intelligence agencies had shared bulk databases of personal data with foreign governments, law enforcement, and industry.
TECHCRUNCH

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