For this month of Read the Resistance, an online book club that highlights written works of and about resistance, we asked Sergio De La Pava, author of Lost Empress, to recommend a book that exemplifies resistance to him. His pick? Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli. Join De La Pava for a discussion with Cristina Mari Arreola about the book on June 26 via Facebook Live. -PEN America
DARE To Be Informed
The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression this week
U.S.
Net Neutrality Repeal is Official. Here’s How that Could Affect You.
The FCC’s repeal of net neutrality has taken effect. Opponents of the repeal argued that it would open the door for service providers to censor content online or charge additional fees for better service.
NEW YORK TIMES
The Administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel Keeps Monitoring Protesters
The Emanuel administration routinely tracks protesters and activist groups, and now the mayor and police department may soon be able to use drones to monitor demonstrations and other public events.
PROPUBLICA
How Universities Deal With Sexual Harassment Needs Sweeping Change, Panel Says
Efforts to prevent sexual harassment in academia have failed. The 311-page document is the national academies’ first report addressing sexual harassment, and some people predict it could help spur meaningful change.
NEW YORK TIMES
A GOP Congressman Retweeted a Self-Described ‘Nazi Sympathizer.’ His Party Did Not Rebuke Him.
Republican rep. Steve King, whose racially inflected comments on subjects such as immigration and Western culture have drawn headlines, retweeted the British white nationalist who had shared a statistic about opinions of “mass immigration” in Italy.
WASHINGTON POST
Michael Cohen Seeks Restraining Order to Stop Stormy Daniels’ Lawyer from Speaking to the Press
Michael Cohen filed for a restraining order against Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, to prevent him from speaking to the press about the adult film star’s lawsuit. “The motion for a gag order is a complete joke and baseless.”
CNN
Global
Reuters Reporters Say Deprived of Sleep During Myanmar Probe.*PEN Case List
Reuters reporters accused in Myanmar of possessing secret documents were subjected to sleep deprivation and asked if they were “spies” during interrogations. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo face prison sentences of up to 14 years if they are charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.
REUTERS
Concerns Grow for Oleg Sentsov as Hunger Strike Enters Second Month*PEN Case List
Ukranian filmmaker has been on hunger strike since May 14 and has said he will start eating again if he and all the Ukrainian political prisoners are released. Sentsov is among some 70 political prisoners caught up in the conflict over Crimea.
SCREEN DAILY
Parliament Approves Law Regulating Press and Media
Egyptian Parliament approves new law that prohibits press from circulating fake news, encouraging violence, hatred, discrimination, and slander or insult to religions. MPs concerned it will undermine freedom of opinion and expression.
EGYPT INDEPENDENT
Iran Arrests Two Prominent Supporters of Anti-Head Scarf Protests
The arrests of Nasrin Sotoudeh and Farhad Jafari suggest that Iran’s crackdown against human rights defenders and dissidents is escalating as the judiciary and clerical establishment seeks to keep a lid on public anger.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Activists In Myanmar Say Facebook Needs To Do More To Quell Hate Speech
Civil and digital rights activists in Myanmar are demanding that Facebook beef up its moderation of Burmese-language content to curb hate speech. They are also trying to educate web users about creating a safer, more civil space for online discussions.
NPR
In-Depth Analysis
Don’t Let Data Protection Undermine Journalism
Data protection law is more pervasive. It attaches enforceable rights and duties to personal data and to its processing by data controllers, those who collect and use personal information in myriad contexts in government, commerce, and community.
GUARDIAN
‘A Great Honor’: In a Bid for History, Trump Flatters North Korea’s Totalitarian Leader
Kim Jong Un may be considered the world’s greatest human rights abuser but as they met for the first time, Trump refused to directly confront the reality that Kim oversees a vast police state, starves his citizens, and assassinates his rivals.
WASHINGTON POST
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