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Blockbuster New York Times story on President Trump’s personal finances, resulting from an 18-month review of a trove of records, showcases the role of investigative journalism. Three Pennsylvania news outlets launch a collaborative model for covering state capitals to counter dwindling resources. After calling Dr. Christine Blasey Ford credible after testimony on an alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump mocks her during a rally to the laughter and cheering of his crowd. Cellphones across the country will receive an emergency presidential alert in the first nationwide test of a new warning system without an opt-out, prompting a lawsuit on free speech grounds. -Dru Menaker, Chief Operating Officer

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

U.S.

Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father
The Times investigation of the Trump family’s finances, based on a vast trove of confidential tax returns and financial records, is unprecedented in scope and precision, offering the first comprehensive look at the inherited fortune and tax dodges that guaranteed Donald J. Trump a gilded life.
NEW YORK TIMES

Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and The Caucus Join Forces to Cover Harrisburg State Capitol
The project by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and The Caucus, called Spotlight PA, will include more than a dozen multiplatform journalists, who will scour public documents, build sources across the political spectrum, and follow the money to shed light on one of the most expensive state governments in the nation.
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Trump Mocks Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony, Tells People to ‘Think of Your Son’
President Donald Trump for the first time directly mocked Dr. Blasey Ford’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by casting doubt on her testimony during a campaign rally. His remarks come amid a protracted and heated confirmation process, and a supplemental background investigation by the FBI, for Kavanaugh.
CNN

THIS IS A TEST: Cellphones Across the U.S. Will Get a ‘Presidential Alert’
The first nationwide test of the emergency alert system is the culmination of years of work by federal agencies. It has already spurred a lawsuit—the plaintiffs, three New York City residents, say the alerts, and the inability for users to opt out, violate their free speech and amount to an unconstitutional seizure of their devices.
NEW YORK TIMES

Wikipedia Bans Right-Wing Site Breitbart as a Source for Facts
Wikipedia editors voted to ban Breitbart as a source in its articles, saying it “should not be used, ever, as a reference for facts, due to its unreliability.” Editors also decided that InfoWars is a “conspiracy theorist and fake news website,” and that the “use of InfoWars as a reference should be generally prohibited.”
VICE

 
Global

Turkish Court Upholds Life Sentences for Journalist Ahmet Altan, Five Others *PEN Case List
Ahmet Altan, his brother Mehmet, and four other journalists were previously sentenced to life in jail for alleged links to the network of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt. Mehmet Altan was released from prison in June, but his sentence was also upheld on Tuesday.
REUTERS

A Journalist Has Been Deported From Nicaragua After Being Doxxed By An Online Mob
Freelance journalist Carl David Goette-Luciak, reporting for the Guardian on anti-government protests in Nicaragua, has been arrested and deported after a “targeted online harassment campaign,” during the course of which his home address was published online.
BUZZFEED NEWS

South Korea Declares War on “Fake News,” Worrying Government Critics
Calling it “a destroyer of democracy,” Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said the spread of falsehoods was stymying citizens’ privacy and the country’s national security and foreign policies, including its relations with North Korea. Critics of the government cried foul, accusing it of trying to impede freedom of speech.
TODAY

New Zealand to Order Tourists to Hand over Phone Password at Border
Privacy rights campaigners have denounced the Customs and Excise Act 2018, under which border officials can demand that tourists unlock any electronic devices, including mobile phones, so that they can be searched. Visitors who refuse to hand over their passwords could face prosecution and a fine of up to NZ$5,000.
THE INDEPENDENT

The Shrinking Space for Media Freedom in Uganda
Photographer James Akena was covering protests against the arrest and torture of politician Robert Kyangulanyi, taking photos that would expose the brutal conduct of the army and the police while they dispersed crowds, when he was targeted by soldiers. A month after the incident, there is no evidence that those responsible have faced repercussions.
INTERPRESS SERVICE

DARE is a project of PEN America’s #LouderTogether campaign, bringing you a daily-curated roundup of the most important free expression-related news from the U.S. and abroad. Send your feedback and story suggestions to [email protected]