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Sean Hannity unmasked in court as a client of Michael Cohen, prompting criticisms for his failure to disclose a conflict of interest when covering the FBI raid of the lawyer’s office. BuzzFeed publishes leaked database of New York Police Department disciplinary infractions over legal challenges by officers. Trump transgender military ban stayed by court on basis of challenge on First Amendment and other grounds. Pulitzer Prizes recognize journalists who exposed sexual harassment and misconduct in entertainment, comedy, and other spheres. Controversy over Broadway version of To Kill a Mockingbird goes to court. Parents of children killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School file lawsuit against Infowars’ Alex Jones, who has spent the years since peddling conspiracy theories about the veracity of the shooting. -Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer

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

U.S.

Sean Hannity unmasked as Trump lawyer’s mystery client
A Fox News host is the mystery third client of U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyer. A judge ruled that Michael Cohen, the president’s personal attorney, must reveal the link to Sean Hannity. Monday’s hearing in New York City follows an FBI raid this month on the presidential lawyer’s home and office.
BBC NEWS

Here’s What We Learned From Thousands Of Secret NYPD Disciplinary Files
BuzzFeed News is making public a huge cache of the New York Police Department’s disciplinary records, revealing for the first time which employees have been charged with misconduct and what punishment, if any, they have received.
BUZZFEED

Federal judge halts Trump’s ban on transgender troops until trial
A U.S. judge in Seattle has ordered President Donald Trump not to ban transgender troops from serving in the military, saying it’s unclear whether recent changes to his administration’s policy are constitutional.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Pulitzer Prizes award reporters who detailed sexual assault in Hollywood
The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes on Monday honored journalists who broke stories on sexual assault and harassment that helped to elevate the #MeToo movement to national and global attention.
NBC NEWS

Harper Lee’s Estate Sues Over Broadway Version of ‘Mockingbird’
In a complaint filed in federal court in Alabama, the Lee estate argued that the adaptation deviates too much from the novel, and violates a contract, between Lee and the producers, which stipulates that the characters and plot must remain faithful to the spirit of the book.
NEW YORK TIMES

Sandy Hook Parents Hit Alex Jones With Defamation Lawsuits
In a pair of lawsuits filed late Monday, the parents of two children who died in the December 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, say Jones’ repeated lies and conspiratorial ravings have led to death threats. The suits join at least two other recent cases accusing the Infowars host of defamation.
HUFFINGTON POST

 
Global

Myanmar to Free More Than 8,000 Prisoners in New Year Amnesty
Myanmar began releasing more than 8,000 prisoners on Tuesday on humanitarian grounds under a presidential pardon, with most of those being released convicted of drug offences but with 36 people classified as political prisoners among them.
U.S. NEWS

Reuters wins Pulitzers for Philippines reporting, Rohingya photography
The Pulitzers, the most prestigious awards in American journalism, recognized Reuters in international reporting for exposing the methods of police killing squads in Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, and for feature photography documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
REUTERS

Pakistan Watchdog Says Country Failing on Human Rights
An independent rights group in Pakistan said Monday that the country has failed to make progress on several issues over the past year, ranging from forced disappearances to women’s rights and protection of religious minorities.
U.S. NEWS

Iran Lives on This App
Part of why Telegram is popular is it’s easy to use. Another reason is more political: Since the pro-reform protests in 2009, the hard-liners in Iran’s government, working through their allies in the judiciary and security services, have effectively blocked nearly all foreign-based publishing platforms, social media, and messaging apps.
NEW YORK TIMES

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