Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pushing back against demands from Australia to end

the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Speaking at a press conference before he left Australia, Blinken said Assange has been

accused of very serious criminal conduct in publishing a trove of classified documents

more than a decade ago.

The actions that he is alleged to have committed risk very serious harm to our national security,

to the benefit of our adversaries, and put named human sources at grave risk.

Assange is currently fighting extradition to the United States.

He's facing more than a dozen charges of espionage over the WikiLeaks publication of hundreds

of thousands of classified documents in 2010.

The federal judge in Arkansas has temporarily blocked legislation that would have allowed

criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing so-called harmful materials

to minors.

Daniel Brain from Member Station KUAR reports the law was set to take effect on August

1.

US District Judge Timothy Brooks says Arkansas violated the First Amendment when it passed

Act 372 earlier this year.

For the law, librarians found guilty of providing materials the law deems to be harmful to

a minor could face up to a year in prison.

The law also requires books or materials that are challenged by members of the public to

be moved to a special section.

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