The recent arrest of journalist/Rappler CEO Maria Ressa was not just a simple case of an aggrieved person filing a libel case (a criminal offense in the Philippines, unlike other countries where it is a civil offense). Rather, it was the latest in a string of charges leveled on the publication ever since it caught the ire of President Duterte. Veteran journalist and Rappler editor-at-large Marites Danguilan Vitug takes us through the context behind this latest case and explains why, when multiple state agencies are used to go after one media outlet, it becomes an issue of media harassment and press freedom. Read "News Media in Danger in the Time of Duterte."

An ancient bell coated with green patina greets visitors to Robinson's mall in Padre Faura, Manila. The backstory behind "That Jesuit Bell," as author/journalist Sylvia L. Mayuga calls it, is one that involves wartime exploits and heroism (notably of Fr. John Hurley, SJ, Ateneo's Father Superior during WWII), of community spirit and human endurance. Truly a story that transcends the ages.

Across the seas, community historian/leader Mel Orpilla narrates the history of Filipinos in Mare Island off the city of Vallejo, California. Not very many realize the important role this former naval shipyard played in the Filipino-American War that started in 1898 and of the early Filipinos who worked and lived in that piece of land that juts out to the San Francisco Bay.

Here are links to stories from other publications that you may have missed:

Trump Ripped His’National Emergency’ Move Straight from the Playbook of a Dictator
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-rempel-trump-marcos-parallels-20190214-story.html?fbclid=IwAR24ENM4dWDH54GKA_7F7ghcuQxUF2yD4zktnstkaEIG_QNOy7KDMXMaK7Q

Law used against journalist Maria Ressa stirs fears among Filipinos: It could target ‘all of us’
https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-philippines-maria-ressa-20190218-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3wxSpY82Nod_S2GL_2T4Hc-b3U-zH1nWqcgieI11NiDs3tgesXJdHR7Zw

Unsung Filipino Seafarers Power the Global Economy
https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/02/16/unsung-filipino-seafarers-power-the-global-economy

The Cinematography of 'A Star is Born'
https://filmschoolrejects.com/cinematography-of-a-star-is-born/

The official fast food French fry power rankings
https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-french-fry-rankings-20190212-story.html

Our Happy Home Cook recipe: Vegan Spaghetti Mien from Rene Astudillo.

For our Video of the Week, Bond girl Rachel Grant features 7 traditional dances from the Philippines on Storia’s facebook page.