Justice Department subpoenas New York Times freelancer over North Korea story

The U.S. Justice Department has ordered freelance journalist Matthew Cole to hand over his notes and speak to prosecutors. Virginia authorities issued the subpoena in February. Cole had written an article for the New York Times about a U.S. military operation in North Korea that went wrong. Prosecutors want more than two years of his notes. They also want to know who gave him secret information for the story. The New York Times made the subpoena public on Saturday. It is not clear if authorities have also tried to access Cole's phone or email data. The Trump administration has put similar pressure on other journalists before. Many people believe that forcing reporters to name their sources is a serious threat to press freedom.