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President Trump seeks to undermine credibility and necessity of Democratic-led investigations into issues including the separation of families at border crossings and the disclosure of the president’s tax returns. Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson and her publisher say they will investigate after accusations of plagiarism in her new book, “Merchants of Truth.” Los Angeles Times announces the return of its stand-alone food section in print, several years after it was folded into the Saturday edition. Professors at San Diego State University begin a letter-writing campaign to immigrants and asylum seekers held at an immigration detention center miles from their campus. -Anoosh Gasparian, External Relations Manager

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

U.S.

Trump Lashes out as Democrats Step up Inquiries of President and Administration
President Trump called Democratic investigations into his administration and business “ridiculous” and “presidential harassment.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in turn accused the president of delivering an “all-out threat” to lawmakers sworn to provide a check and balance on his power.
WASHINGTON POST

Reporter Alleges Jill Abramson Lifted Material for Her Book
Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson is facing allegations that she lifted material from other sources for her new book, “Merchants of Truth.” Abramson and her publisher are promising to investigate.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Los Angeles Times Will Revive Its Separate Food Section
The Los Angeles Times said it would resume publishing a stand-alone print section dedicated to food, and that it had added new staff members to fill its pages. The moves come as a rare bright spot in a season of layoffs and consolidation in American journalism.
NEW YORK TIMES

‘A Light for Me in the Darkness’: For Migrant Detainees, a Bond Forged by Letter
As Washington battles over the president’s plan for a border wall and how to handle an influx of new migrant families arriving from Central America, the letters exchanged in San Diego have made an international political drama intensely personal. “This helps them become visible,” geography professor Kate Swanson said.
NEW YORK TIMES

 
Global

Two Afghan Journalists Killed in Radio Station Attack
Two journalists have been shot and killed after unidentified gunmen stormed a radio station in northeastern Afghanistan in the latest deadly attack on reporters in the war-torn country.
RADIO FREE EUROPE

Outspoken Journalist Maria Ressa Hit with New Lawsuit in ‘Absurd Legal Attack’
Rappler has become an indispensable source of information in the Philippines in recent years, owing to its unflinching coverage of the country’s President Rodrigo Duterte and his brutal war on drugs. The case against Ressa comes at a time when press freedoms are being challenged both in the Philippines and around the world.
CNN

Facebook Partners Nigerian Firm to Curb Fake News
To curb the increasing rise of fake news in the social media space, Facebook has announced a partnership with Nigerian fact-checking organization Dubawa, part of a global network of fact-checking organizations, certified by Poynter.
LEADERSHIP

Reddit, Banned in China, Is Reportedly Set to Land $150 Million Investment from a Chinese Censorship Powerhouse
The apparently impending Reddit-Tencent marriage is complicated by the fact that Reddit, one of the most popular websites on the internet, is regularly—and is currently—blocked in China as part of the world’s most notorious and sophisticated censorship regime, the Great Firewall of China.
GIZMODO

Beijing Closes Account of One of Australia’s Most Popular Chinese Online Communities
The WeChat account of one of Australia’s most popular Chinese online communities has been banned by the Chinese government despite the site’s “strict self-censorship,” as experts say China’s crackdown on social media has raised concerns for media outlets in Australia.
ABC NEWS

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