PROTESTER WHO CLASHED WITH DEVOS PLEADS NOT GUILTY: A 31-year-old protester over the weekend pleaded not guilty to assault charges in connection with the headline-making incident in which Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was temporarily blocked from entering a Washington, D.C., middle school on Friday.

— Police identified the protester as Bilal Ahmed Askaryar of Washington. He faces charges of misdemeanor assault and failing to obey an officer during the demonstration outside of Jefferson Middle School Academy. Askaryar came to the United States as a 5-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, according to biographical information included in commentary he wrote last month for NPR in response to the executive order issued by President Donald Trump sharply curtailing travel from seven majority-Muslim nations. The article said he became a naturalized citizen in 2000 and earned a graduate degree from American University.

— A police report obtained by POLITICO says that Askaryar, who entered his plea on Saturday in Superior Court in Washington, was given “several lawful orders” to move out of the way of a vehicle, and then pushed an individual identified as “V-1.” Listed as a factor under one of the charges is “impeding/assaulting US government cabinet member.” Kimberly Hefling has more.  http://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2017/02/13/shame-npr-contributor-who-a...