DOJ Prepares to Prosecute Julian Assange, Venezuelans in Revolt, Hate-Crime Charges Dropped Against Women Who Burned Trump Sign: A.M. Links

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  CNN/screenshot

  The Trump administration will seek charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to CNN. "Obama may have gone after a bunch of whistleblowers, but he was unwilling to cross the First Amendment line by punishing those who published leaked documents. Apparently, Trump and his DOJ have no such qualms," writes Techdirt's Tim Cushing. "Assange isn't a US citizen, so he's not automatically guaranteed First Amendment protections, even if the distribution of leaked documents is very much a journalistic enterprise," but "this unofficial announcement by the DOJ is an implicit threat to journalists everywhere."

• Venezuelans have been out in mass all week to protest the country's corrupt and increasingly authoritarian government. Meanwhile, General Motors officially shut down its Venezuela plant after officials seized it on Wednesday.
• Meet the Sisters of the Valley, California's "weed nuns."
• The sex-for-'free'-rent controversy clamors moronically on.
• Yes, "'boujee' is indeed an appropriation—or rather an appropriation of an appropriation of an appropriation. That's how language works."
• Google will add an ad blocker to its Chrome browser, allowing "one of the biggest advertising-funded companies would get to decide through one of its own products which ads can be viewed."
• Police in Princess Anne, Maryland, have dismissed hate-crime and arson charges against two women accused of setting fire to a pro-Trump sign. They will still be charged with malicious burning, trespassing, and malicious destruction of property.

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