FCC Actions and Press Access

Updated2026-11-09 Covers2024-12-14 to 2026-11-06

Summary

Brendan Carr is the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Under Carr, the FCC brought back complaints that had been dismissed against stations owned by the TV networks. It opened inquiries into “news distortion,” into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, and into how networks deal with their local partner stations. It ordered ABC to renew its station licenses early. It also approved the Skydance–Paramount merger after the buyer made promises about CBS News.¹,²,³,¹⁶⁵,⁷⁹,⁸⁰,³⁹ On Sep 17, 2025 Carr said of a Jimmy Kimmel monologue, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” and ABC suspended Kimmel within hours.⁴

The Pentagon told reporters to accept new limits or give up their press badges.⁵ It gave staff lie-detector tests (polygraphs) to find leakers.⁸⁷,¹⁸¹ The Justice Department loosened its limits on forcing journalists to hand over their records.⁸⁸ It then sent subpoenas, which are legal orders to hand over records or testify, to reporters at three national newspapers. It withdrew them before judges ruled.⁹²,¹⁸⁰,⁹³ The White House took away the press passes of reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.⁶ Trump sued the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the New York Times (NYT) and the BBC for $10B–$15B each.⁷,⁸,⁹

A federal judge cancelled the parts of the Pentagon policy that reporters challenged. An appeals court put part of that ruling on hold.¹⁰ Another judge issued a preliminary injunction, a court order that stops something until the case is decided, against the White House ban (Oct 13, 2026).¹⁰² ABC and Disney have also sued the FCC under the First Amendment, the part of the Constitution that protects free speech and a free press.⁶⁴ That suit has not been decided.¹²

Background

The FCC licenses broadcast stations, the ones that send TV and radio over the air. These stations must serve the “public interest.”¹³ The FCC has some rules that touch on what stations air. One is a “news distortion” policy. Another is the equal-time rule, which gives rival candidates equal chances to appear on a station. That rule does not apply to “bona fide news” programming.¹,³⁴ A federal law, the Communications Act, says the FCC may not censor what stations broadcast (47 U.S.C. §326⁶⁵).¹⁶⁵

The FCC does not license cable channels such as CNN or MSNBC. Most licenses are held by local stations, not by the networks. So the FCC’s formal power over a network’s owner comes from two places. One is the licenses of the stations that owner runs. The other is the FCC’s review of license sales and mergers.¹³,¹⁴,¹⁵ In 2004 Congress passed a law that limits how many U.S. TV households one company’s stations may reach. The cap is 39%.³⁷

Defamation means harming someone’s reputation with false statements. Under the Supreme Court case New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)⁶⁶, a public official who sues for defamation must prove “actual malice.” That means the speaker knew the statement was false or recklessly ignored whether it was true.⁷ Judge Timothy Kelly cited an earlier ruling of the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. (the D.C. Circuit). Under it, the White House must give due process before it takes away a reporter’s hard pass, the long-term White House press pass. Due process means fair legal steps.¹¹

Justice Department rules limit subpoenas and other legal orders aimed at the news media (28 C.F.R. §50.10¹¹⁶). In Branzburg v. Hayes (1972)¹¹⁷, the Supreme Court found that the First Amendment does not let reporters refuse to testify before a grand jury. A grand jury is a group of citizens who decide whether there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime.⁸⁸,⁹¹

Jessica Rosenworcel led the FCC before Carr. She had dismissed three complaints against network stations that were filed during the campaign. She called them “fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment,” and warned that the FCC “should not be the president’s speech police.”¹ Before the inauguration, ABC News paid $15M (Dec 14, 2024) to settle a defamation suit Trump had brought. A settlement is an agreement to end a lawsuit without a ruling. The money went to a fund for a new presidential library (see Media Settlements and Trump’s Lawsuits).¹⁶

What happened

FCC inquiries and warnings

On Jan 22, 2025 Carr brought back all three complaints. They were about ABC’s live fact-checking during the Trump–Harris debate, 60 Minutes’ editing of a Harris interview, and Harris’s appearance on SNL.¹ On Jan 29 the FCC sent CBS a letter of inquiry. It demanded the “full, unedited transcript and camera feeds” of the Harris interview. CBS published them Feb 3, saying they showed the broadcast was not “doctored or deceitful.” On the same day as the CBS letter, Carr opened an inquiry into whether NPR and PBS stations ran commercial advertisements. He wrote that he did “not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS.”⁷⁸,¹³³,¹³⁴

On Feb 5 he opened an inquiry into San Francisco radio station KCBS-AM. Licensing rules require broadcasters to operate in the “public interest,” and the inquiry asked whether KCBS broke those rules. It was about the station’s reports on where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were operating.² Inquiries into DEI at Comcast (Feb 11) and Disney/ABC (Mar 27) followed. Carr wrote that Disney must end such programs “in substance, not just name.”⁷⁹,¹³⁵,¹³⁶

On Feb 18 Trump signed Executive Order 14215. An executive order is a written order from the President to the agencies he runs; it is not a law passed by Congress. This one required all agencies to send “all proposed and final significant regulatory actions” to the White House for review. That covered agencies “including so-called independent agencies” such as the FCC.¹⁸

On Apr 14 Trump posted about Paramount/CBS and the 60 Minutes edit. He wrote that the FCC, headed by Carr, “will impose the maximum fines and punishment, which is substantial” on the company.¹⁹ On Apr 16, Carr wrote about MSNBC’s coverage of the Abrego Garcia deportation case. He wrote that Comcast “knows that federal law requires its licensed operations to serve the public interest. News distortion doesn’t cut it.” MSNBC is a cable channel, and the FCC does not license cable channels.¹³ On Jul 29 he opened an inquiry into how NBCUniversal deals with its affiliates, the local stations that carry its shows. He cited the stations’ “economic and operational independence.”⁸⁰

On Aug 24, 2025 Trump called for ABC’s and NBC’s licenses to be taken away. Carr’s FCC had opened reviews of ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS. In March 2026 Carr told CBS News that people had come to treat broadcast licenses as “some sort of property right.”²⁶ EchoStar agreed to sell spectrum, meaning rights to use certain airwaves, to SpaceX for about $17B. On Sep 8–9, after that deal, Carr told staff to close the FCC’s inquiry into EchoStar.²⁷

On Nov 19, 2025 Carr opened a news-distortion inquiry into BBC content that PBS and NPR carried.³³ During the Iran war, Carr issued a “public interest” warning about news coverage (Mar 16, 2026). Reason described it as a threat against outlets that did not report “good Iran war news,” and on Apr 8 Carr wrote that a CNN headline “requires accountability.”³⁶,¹⁴ On Aug 30, 2026 Trump said NBC’s Kristen Welker would be “reported to the FCC.” He was upset over what he called a “purposeful inaccuracy” about his record of endorsing candidates in primaries.⁴⁰,¹³⁷

Paramount, CBS and the Kimmel suspension

Paramount settled Trump’s 60 Minutes suit for $16M on Jul 2, 2025, with no apology.²⁰ On Jul 17 CBS announced it would end Stephen Colbert’s Late Show. That was three days after Colbert called the settlement “a big fat bribe.” CBS called the cancellation “purely a financial decision.”²¹

On Jul 24 the FCC approved the $8B Skydance–Paramount merger. Before that, Skydance made promises (Jul 22). It said it would name a CBS News ombudsman, a staff member who reviews complaints about the news. It promised “a diversity of viewpoints.” It also said it had no DEI programs and would not create any. Carr said, “They are committing to serious changes at CBS.”³,¹⁶⁵,¹⁶³ Trump said (Jul 23) he expected “$20 million” more in ads and programming. Paramount denies there is any such side deal.²² Bari Weiss became editor-in-chief of CBS News (Oct 6).²³ On Dec 21 she pulled a 60 Minutes story on deportees held in El Salvador. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi called that a “political” decision.²⁴ CBS fired Scott Pelley “for cause” on Jun 2, 2026.²⁵

Charlie Kirk was shot and killed (Sep 10, 2025). In his Sep 15–16 monologue, Kimmel said “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”²⁸,²⁹ On Sep 17 Carr spoke with podcaster Benny Johnson. He said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”⁴ Within hours, Nexstar Media Group said its ABC affiliates would stop showing the program, with no end date. ABC/Disney suspended Kimmel.⁴ The White House denied coordinating these steps.³⁰

People called for boycotts, and ABC brought Kimmel back on Sep 22. Nexstar and Sinclair started carrying the show again on Sep 26, and both denied any government influence. At the time, Nexstar’s purchase of Tegna was waiting for FCC approval (see ABC proceedings and FCC rule changes below).³¹,³²

ABC proceedings and FCC rule changes

On Jan 21, 2026 the FCC’s Media Bureau issued a notice about the equal-time rule. It said the FCC “has not been presented with any evidence” that talk-show interviews count as “bona fide news.” Shows that count as bona fide news do not have to follow the equal-time rule. Carr confirmed an enforcement action against The View. It was over an appearance by Texas Senate candidate James Talarico.³⁴,³⁵

In March 2026 the FCC gave Nexstar a waiver, letting it go past the 39% cap so it could buy Tegna. On Aug 6, 2026 the FCC voted 2–1 to repeal the cap. In its place, it chose “case-by-case review.”³⁷,³⁸

Federal law requires stations to sell ad time to candidates at a discounted rate (47 U.S.C. §315(b)(1)(A)⁶⁹). A Mar 30, 2026 Media Bureau notice gave that discounted rate to party committees that coordinate with candidates.¹⁸² The Fourth Circuit, a federal appeals court, set the notice aside on Aug 25,¹⁸³ but the Supreme Court paused that ruling (Sept 4, NRCC v. Brown⁷⁵).⁶² It also paused a follow-up mandamus order,¹⁸⁴ which is a court order telling an official to act (Oct 14, FCC v. Brown⁷⁶).¹⁸⁵

At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a man shot a Secret Service officer, according to the charging affidavit (the sworn statement filed with the charges). He was charged with attempting to assassinate Trump. Two days later, Melania Trump called Kimmel’s mock dinner monologue “hateful and violent rhetoric.” In it, Kimmel said she had “a glow like an expectant widow.” Trump called for Kimmel to be fired. The next day, on Apr 28, 2026, the FCC ordered ABC to file early renewal applications for its eight owned stations within 30 days.¹²⁷,¹⁷⁹,¹²⁶ The licenses were not due until 2028 at the earliest. Former FCC officials said the Commission had not ordered an early review in more than 50 years.¹²⁶

In a podcast appearance, Carr criticized Disney’s DEI policies and did not specifically mention Kimmel. FCC commissioner Anna Gomez called the order “the most egregious action this FCC has taken in violation of the First Amendment to date.”¹²⁶,⁷⁹,³⁹ At the FCC’s Jul 22, 2026 open meeting, Carr spoke about ABC’s choice not to air Trump’s Jul 16 address live. He said it would be raised in the renewal proceedings: “that’s something that broadcasters should be carrying.” Gomez said the FCC “has no authority to punish broadcasters for exercising their First Amendment right to choose what is newsworthy.”⁸¹,¹³⁸ On Aug 18 ABC and Disney sued the FCC over the early renewals, the View probe and the DEI review. The case is before Judge Loren AliKhan of the federal trial court in Washington, D.C. (D.D.C.).³⁹

Public broadcasting funding

On May 1, 2025 Executive Order 14290 told the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and all agencies to stop funding NPR and PBS. It cited “biased and partisan” coverage.⁶⁰ NPR and PBS sued, saying the order broke the First Amendment. Congress rescinded CPB’s funding on Jul 24, meaning it cancelled money it had already approved. CPB began shutting down on Aug 1.⁶⁰

On Mar 31, 2026 Judge Randolph Moss (D.D.C.) ruled that §3(a) of the order was unconstitutional. He found it was viewpoint discrimination, meaning the government treated speakers differently because of their views. He issued a permanent injunction, a court order that stops something for good. It bars agencies from shutting NPR, its member stations and PBS out of federal programs. He wrote, “The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the President disapproves of their ‘left wing’ coverage.”⁶¹

Pentagon and leak investigations

On Jan 31, 2025 the Defense Department moved outlets including the NYT and Politico out of their Pentagon office space. It gave the space to outlets including One America News and Breitbart. On May 23 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth required reporters to get approval and an escort to enter leadership hallways. Before, they had entered those hallways freely.⁸²,¹³⁹

On Sep 19 Hegseth issued a “press pledge,” which required Pentagon approval before reporters published information they gathered there. Reporters from nearly all news organizations with Pentagon desks, Fox News among them, refused to sign it. They left the Pentagon press room (Oct 15–17). Hegseth said, “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do.”⁵,¹⁶⁷ On Oct 1 the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon planned nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and random polygraphs for about 5,000 staff. An NDA is a signed promise not to share certain information.⁸³

On Jan 15, 2026 Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced an overhaul of the newspaper Stars and Stripes. A Mar 9 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg barred wire stories, comics and editorial cartoons unless public-affairs officials approved them. The memo also moved the paper’s ombudsman into the chain of command.¹⁴⁰ In April the ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, was fired. That was 10 days after she wrote an op-ed criticizing the changes. On Jun 25 she sued Hegseth, Feinberg and Parnell. She says they punished her for her speech, which the First Amendment forbids.⁸⁴,¹⁴¹

The Washington Post reported that photographers were barred from Hegseth’s briefings after images from Mar 2 were judged “unflattering.” CNN reported on Jul 20 that there had been no Pentagon briefing since May 5, during the Iran war.⁸⁵,⁸⁶ On Jul 13, 2026 Hegseth announced a Pentagon–Justice Department task force to prosecute leakers. In August, the NYT reported, about 50 Joint Staff members were given polygraphs over reporting on munitions stocks.⁸⁷,¹⁸¹

On Apr 25, 2025 Attorney General Pam Bondi rescinded a 2021 policy. That policy barred the Justice Department from seizing journalists’ records or forcing them to testify in leak cases. According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, her memo says the new measures would be used only when “essential” to leak investigations.⁸⁸ On Jun 29 Trump indicated he had no problem forcing reporters to name the sources of the Iran-strike assessment.⁸⁹

On Jan 14, 2026 FBI agents searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson. They seized her phone, a watch and two laptops. The search was part of the case against contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones. On Jan 22 a grand jury indicted him, meaning it formally charged him. He faces five counts of sending national defense information to an unnamed reporter.⁴¹,⁹⁰,¹⁴³

More grand-jury subpoenas followed. One went to freelancer Matthew Cole over a NYT story on a failed 2019 SEAL Team 6 mission (Feb 2026). Others went to three WSJ reporters and Post reporter Ellen Nakashima in an Iran-war leak probe (spring 2026, withdrawn in June).¹⁴⁴ On Jul 10 subpoenas went to NYT reporters Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton and Eric Schmitt over reporting on the Air Force One jet donated by Qatar. Phone carriers and Google also got subpoenas for phone records, some covering family members.⁹¹,⁹²,¹⁸⁰

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Apr 7, “If that means sending a subpoena to the reporter, that’s exactly what we should do.”¹⁴⁵ On Jul 23 Judge Arun Subramanian (Southern District of New York, or S.D.N.Y.) said the department’s “own regulations and policies indicate that subpoenas are the last step, not the first step,” and prosecutors withdrew the NYT subpoenas.⁹²,⁹³ On Nov 6, 2026, The Atlantic reported that White House and Justice Department officials had discussed arresting journalists to make them name their sources in leak cases. Two of its sources said incoming Chief of Staff Stephen Miller argued journalists would quickly give up their sources. A Justice Department spokesperson called the report “absolutely false,” and no arrest of a journalist was reported.¹⁸⁹

Don Lemon livestreamed a protest at a church in St. Paul. A magistrate judge refused to approve charges against him over it. The Justice Department then went to a grand jury. Federal agents arrested Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort on Jan 29–30. They were charged under the clinic-access law and with conspiracy against civil rights. Filings in August showed that agents had issued administrative subpoenas for Fort’s phone account and for six news organizations’ YouTube data. No judge approved those subpoenas.⁹⁴,¹⁷⁶,¹⁷⁷,¹⁴⁶ On Aug 18 Judge Laura Provinzino ordered the Justice Department to give her the grand-jury records behind the indictments. She was weighing whether there might be grounds to dismiss them. She made no finding of misconduct.¹⁹¹

Sources faced charges too. Retired Delta Force employee Courtney Williams (Apr 3) and CIA contractor Ian Brinksman (Oct 23) were each charged under the Espionage Act. Each is accused of sharing classified information with a journalist.⁹⁵,⁹⁶ A judge ordered Brinksman released before trial on Oct 27. The government objected, and the judge affirmed the release the next day.¹⁹⁰ Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard (Apr 2025) announced leak referrals, meaning she sent leaks to be investigated. So did Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (Feb 4, 2026, naming Daily Mail reporter Shawn Cohen). DHS gave staff polygraphs about their contacts with the press. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed an NDA for all federal employees (May 2026).⁹⁷,⁹⁸,⁹⁹,¹⁴⁷

White House access and Trump’s lawsuits

On Feb 11, 2025 the White House barred an Associated Press (AP) reporter from an Oval Office signing. AP had declined to use “Gulf of America,” and on Feb 14 the White House barred AP journalists from the Oval Office and Air Force One with no end date.¹⁷ On Mar 14 Trump spoke at the Justice Department about news coverage that he described as abusing judges. He said it “should be illegal and it probably is illegal in some form.”¹⁰⁰

Trump sued the WSJ for $10B (Jul 18, 2025), the NYT for $15B (Sep 15) and the BBC for $10B (Dec 15).⁷,⁸,⁹ The Treasury Department denied G20 press credentials to NYT, WSJ and Bloomberg reporters (Aug 29–31, 2026). Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it “has nothing to do with point of view.”⁴²

On Sep 18, 2026 Trump revoked the passes of CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters. He said the outlets “constantly write or report FICTION and LIES.” The outlets sued. The pool networks, which share coverage of the President with other outlets, stopped covering presidential events (Sep 21).⁶,⁴³ On Sep 24 Judge Kelly issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), a short-term order that stops something while a judge looks at the case.¹¹ After that, the White House removed CNN from Air Force One pool slots.¹⁰¹,¹⁸⁶ It also barred Politico (Oct 5)⁵² and the Independent’s Andrew Feinberg (Oct 21)¹⁸⁷ from trips.

On Oct 9 the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division ordered ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC to hand over documents. It wanted to know whether stopping their pooled coverage broke antitrust law, which bars companies from acting together to limit competition. A spokesperson said the division is “simply investigating.”¹⁰³ On Oct 13 Kelly granted a preliminary injunction that restored the three outlets’ access.¹⁰² On Oct 19 White House Counsel Will Scharf told Politico to retract three articles or “face the consequences.”¹⁰⁴

Immigration agencies and other incidents

People who filmed and reported on immigration raids in Los Angeles sued in Los Angeles Press Club v. Noem⁷⁷. They challenged DHS agents’ use of less-lethal munitions and chemical agents against them. Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.) granted a preliminary injunction on Sept 10, 2025.⁶³ The Ninth Circuit later cancelled that order as too broad and sent the case back.¹⁵⁷ Vera then certified a class of everyone who records DHS immigration operations in the district (Jun 25, 2026).¹⁹² On Jul 10 he issued a narrower injunction for seven Southern California counties. It bars DHS from using force to stop the plaintiffs from watching, recording or reporting on immigration operations, with some exceptions, such as when they block operations. The plaintiffs include members of the L.A. Press Club and NewsGuild.¹⁹³

Starting in Feb 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers questioned journalists at airports about their reporting. At Los Angeles International Airport, a freelance journalist was asked about immigration reporting (Mar 3, 2025).¹⁴⁸ DHS agents searched the phone of U.S. citizen journalist Hebh Jamal at Newark (Mar 24, 2025).¹⁴⁹ CBP questioned Australian writer Alistair Kitchen, searched his phone and deported him (Jun 12, 2025). Kitchen said an officer cited what he wrote online about the Columbia University protests.¹⁵⁰ CBP also seized both of editor Max Blumenthal’s phones at Dulles airport after he returned from reporting in Iran (Jul 10, 2026).¹⁰⁵,¹⁵¹ On Jul 16, 2026 the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee announced a suit for Blumenthal over the seizure. It names DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.¹⁵²

Immigration authorities detained foreign-born journalists whose status was pending or had been revoked. Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian former journalist, was detained after his asylum was revoked (Jun 3, 2025).¹⁵³ Estefany Rodríguez of Nashville Noticias was taken into custody a day after she reported on ICE arrests (Mar 4, 2026). Her lawyers alleged retaliation. The government said her visa had expired in 2021.¹⁵⁴ Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Solano Dávila was detained at a traffic stop in Miami Beach (Jul 26, 2026).¹⁵⁵ Exiled Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano was detained in Orlando (Sept 14, 2026).¹⁰⁶,¹⁵⁶

A CBP agent tackled and arrested reporter Steve Held at Broadview, Illinois (Sept 27, 2025). DHS agencies then revoked his PreCheck and Global Entry, the programs for faster airport screening. No charge was filed.¹⁰⁷,¹⁶⁸,¹⁶⁹

At Broadview, clergy, journalists and protesters were tear-gassed. Journalists and protesters then sued in Chicago Headline Club v. Noem (N.D. Ill.). Judge Sara Ellis issued a TRO on Oct 9, 2025 that limited the use of tear gas and riot munitions. She later changed it to require body cameras (Oct 17) and visible identification (Oct 28).¹⁷⁰ On Nov 6 she announced a preliminary injunction. She said she would find that agents’ force “shocks the conscience.” She also said Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino “admitted that he lied.” Her 233-page written ruling, reported Nov 21, said Bovino was “outright lying.”¹³⁰ On Nov 19 a Seventh Circuit panel paused the whole injunction as “overbroad.”¹⁷¹

On Jan 22, 2026 Ellis ended the case’s status as a class action, a suit for a whole group of people. At the plaintiffs’ request, she dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning it could be filed again. The plaintiffs said “it appears that Operation Midway Blitz has ended.”¹⁷²,¹⁷³,¹³¹ On Mar 5 the Seventh Circuit issued an unsigned opinion (called per curiam) from Chief Judge Brennan and Judge Scudder. It granted the government’s request under United States v. Munsingwear¹³², a Supreme Court case on cancelling rulings in cases that no longer matter. It cancelled the preliminary injunction and dismissed the appeal. Judge Easterbrook dissented, meaning he disagreed.¹⁷³,¹³¹

Reporters were kept out of a DHS news conference in Minnesota, an immigration court in Maryland and a federal building in San Diego (Oct–Dec 2025).¹⁰⁸,¹⁷⁴,¹⁷⁵ A Jul 16, 2026 DHS rule limited journalist (I) visas to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals.¹¹⁵

The Press Freedom Tracker logged other incidents. Secret Service agents read a Cincinnati Enquirer reporter’s notebook (Jun 2025).¹⁰⁹ An interim U.S. attorney dropped the Times Union from his press list after it reported on his residency (Jun–Jul 2025).¹¹⁰ Noem’s personal lawyer threatened The Dakota Scout over its reporting on her spending as governor (Mar 2025).¹¹¹ A Memphis photojournalist said a federal task force got in the way of his coverage (May 2026).¹¹² The Interior Department told Park Service staff not to answer SFGate (2026).¹¹³ Brussels police detained two reporters who had been removed from a U.S. embassy event after they questioned the ambassador (Jun 2026).¹¹⁴

Key dates

• 2025-01-22 — Carr revives dismissed complaints — → ledger
• 2025-02-11 — AP barred over “Gulf of America” — → ledger
• 2025-04-25 — Bondi rescinds news-media protections — → ledger
• 2025-05-01 — EO 14290 orders an end to NPR and PBS funding — → ledger
• 2025-07-02 — Paramount settles for $16M — → ledger
• 2025-07-22 — Skydance pledges a CBS News ombudsman and “a diversity of viewpoints” — → ledger
• 2025-07-24 — FCC approves Skydance–Paramount with conditions — → ledger
• 2025-09-17 — Carr’s “easy way or the hard way”; Kimmel suspended — → ledger
• 2025-09-19 — Pentagon press pledge — → ledger
• 2026-01-14 — FBI searches Natanson’s home — → ledger
• 2026-01-21 — Equal-time notice on talk shows — → ledger
• 2026-03-20 — Judge Friedman vacates the Pentagon press-credential policy — → ledger
• 2026-03-31 — Judge Moss strikes down the NPR/PBS order — → ledger
• 2026-04-28 — FCC orders early renewal of ABC’s eight station licenses — → ledger
• 2026-06-29 — Trump v. Slaughter — → ledger
• 2026-07-10 — FBI serves grand-jury subpoenas on NYT reporters — → ledger
• 2026-07-10 — Narrower Los Angeles Press Club injunction bars DHS force against people recording in seven counties — → ledger
• 2026-07-23 — DOJ withdraws the NYT reporter subpoenas — → ledger
• 2026-08-06 — FCC repeals 39% cap; Nexstar–Tegna enjoined — → ledger
• 2026-08-18 — ABC and Disney sue the FCC — → ledger
• 2026-09-18 — CNN, MS NOW, Politico banned — → ledger
• 2026-10-13 — Preliminary injunction restores CNN, MS NOW, Politico access — → ledger

Why it matters

First Amendment; Communications Act (47 U.S.C. §§309(a), 310(d), 326). The First Amendment bars the government from limiting freedom of speech or of the press. A federal law (47 U.S.C. §326⁶⁵) bars the FCC from censoring what stations broadcast. The FCC licenses stations and approves license sales under a “public interest” standard (47 U.S.C. §§309(a)⁶⁷, 310(d)⁶⁸).¹⁶⁵,¹³ The legal question is about FCC warnings, inquiries, renewal proceedings and merger conditions tied to what a broadcaster airs. Are they a use of that licensing power? Or are they government coercion, meaning official pressure to control speech? The Supreme Court has held that officials may not use that kind of pressure against companies they regulate (NRA v. Vullo, 2024⁷⁰). The ACLU called Carr’s Kimmel threat a violation of the First Amendment. Reason called it “constitutionally dubious.” Carr’s stated positions are that license holders must “serve the public interest” and that broadcast licenses should not be treated as “some sort of property right.”⁴⁵,¹³,²⁶ No court has ruled on the Kimmel episode or the merger conditions. ABC and Disney’s suit (No. 26-cv-2902) claims that the early renewals, the View probe and the DEI review were retaliation, meaning punishment, for news coverage and Kimmel’s satire. Carr said no renewal decision has been made. Judge AliKhan heard arguments Oct 6, 2026 and has not ruled.³⁹,¹²

Equal time and ad rates (47 U.S.C. §315). The equal-time rule (47 U.S.C. §315⁶⁹) gives rival candidates equal chances to appear, but it does not cover bona fide news interviews. The question is whether talk-show interviews count. In 2006 the FCC decided a case about the Tonight Show on that point. The Jan 2026 notice narrowed that earlier decision.³⁴ Gomez said the notice was not Commission policy.³⁴,³⁵ The ad-rate question is whether §315(b)(1)(A) gives party committees the discounted rate. The Fourth Circuit panel held that it covers only candidates.¹⁸³ The Supreme Court paused that ruling with two stays. They rested on jurisdiction, meaning whether the courts had the power to act, and on whether mandamus was proper. Neither stay ruled on whether the notice is legal.⁶²,¹⁸⁵

Limits of FCC licensing authority (Communications Act). The FCC’s licensing power does not reach cable networks such as MSNBC and CNN, or the BBC.¹³,¹⁴,³³ Carr has made statements about those outlets. The question is what law, if any, gives those statements force. CNN reported that the news-distortion policy “doesn’t apply to cable, streaming, or social media.”³⁶ No formal action against these outlets has been reported.⁵⁸

Removal power (Art. II; Trump v. Slaughter). In Humphrey’s Executor (1935⁷¹), the Supreme Court upheld a law that limited the President’s power to fire Federal Trade Commission commissioners. In Trump v. Slaughter (Jun 29, 2026, 6–3⁷²), the Court held that this limit went against the separation of powers. It relied on Article II⁷³, the part of the Constitution that gives the President the executive power. It also overruled whatever remained of Humphrey’s.⁴⁶ Executive Order 14215 had already put the major rules of independent agencies, including the FCC, under White House review.¹⁸

Statutory 39% ownership cap. The 39% national cap is written into a law passed by Congress. So the question is whether the FCC can waive or repeal it with its own rule. Carr’s position is that “case-by-case review” should replace it. Gomez called the repeal “unlawful” and argued that only Congress can change the number.³⁷,³⁸,⁵⁷

Press access (First Amendment; Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause). Courts test the exclusion of reporters under two rules. The First Amendment bars viewpoint discrimination. The Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause⁷⁴ requires fair legal steps before the government takes away someone’s liberty or property.¹⁰,¹¹ Judge Paul Friedman (D.D.C.) held that the Pentagon pledge was viewpoint discrimination (“That is viewpoint discrimination, full stop,” Mar 20, 2026).¹⁵⁹ He found that the temporary escort policy “achieve[s] the same unconstitutional result” (Apr 9).¹⁶⁰ On Apr 27 a D.C. Circuit panel paused only the part of his order that barred official escorts.¹⁰,⁵¹,¹²⁸ In the AP case, Judge McFadden ordered access restored (Apr 8, 2025).¹⁶⁴ Then a D.C. Circuit motions panel paused that order for the Oval Office and Air Force One.⁵⁵ Judge Kelly called the stories the government cited against CNN, MS NOW and Politico “routine.” He found that the White House skipped required due process. The two sides dispute whether his order reaches Air Force One pools. Politico’s lawyer said Scharf’s letter confirms the ban’s “retaliatory and viewpoint-discriminatory motives.”¹¹,¹⁰¹,¹⁸⁶,¹⁰⁴ In Los Angeles Press Club v. Noem, the Ninth Circuit (Apr 1, 2026) held that journalists were likely to win their First Amendment retaliation claims against DHS agents.⁶³,¹⁵⁷

Compelled process against journalists (28 C.F.R. §50.10; Privacy Protection Act; 18 U.S.C. §§793, 248, 241). 28 C.F.R. §50.10 treats subpoenas to reporters as a last resort. Judge Subramanian relied on that point. Bondi’s memo loosened the department’s 2021 limits. Branzburg leaves reporters no constitutional right to refuse grand-jury testimony.⁸⁸,⁹³,¹¹⁷ Dow Jones called the WSJ subpoenas “an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering.”⁹² The Privacy Protection Act (42 U.S.C. §2000aa¹¹⁸) bars searches for a journalist’s work materials except in narrow cases. One exception is when the journalist is suspected of a crime involving national defense information. The open question is whether that exception covered the Natanson search. Bondi posted that Natanson was “obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information.”⁹⁰ Williams and Brinksman are charged under 18 U.S.C. §793¹²³, a law that makes it a crime to pass on national defense information.¹⁷⁸,⁹⁶ Lemon and Fort are charged under two laws. One protects access to clinics and places of worship (18 U.S.C. §248¹²⁴). The other bars conspiracies against civil rights (§241¹²⁵). The chief judge had found “no evidence” of criminal behavior in Lemon’s work. Lemon’s lawyers called the administrative subpoenas a “deliberate end-run around a judicial ruling.”¹⁷⁷,¹⁷⁶,¹⁴⁶

Sherman Act §1 (pool coverage inquiry). The antitrust inquiry sets two rules against each other. The Sherman Act, §1 (15 U.S.C. §1¹¹⁹), reaches companies that agree together to refuse to deal with someone. NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware (1982¹²⁰) held that the First Amendment protects a boycott meant as political expression.¹⁰³

Government-employed journalists (Garcetti v. Ceballos). In the Stars and Stripes ombudsman’s suit, Judge Amit Mehta (D.D.C.) applied Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006¹²¹) on Oct 6, 2026. That case limits free-speech protection for what government employees say as part of their jobs. Mehta used it to deny her request to get her job back, but he let the suit go forward. He warned that applying that rule to all government-employed journalists would make the First Amendment “a hollow promise.”⁸⁴,¹⁴²

Nondisclosure agreements (5 U.S.C. §2302(b)(13)). Federal NDAs must leave workers free to report wrongdoing as whistleblowers (5 U.S.C. §2302(b)(13)¹²²). The question is whether the Pentagon and OPM agreements do.⁸³,⁹⁹

Border searches of journalists (First Amendment). For stops at the border, federal appeals courts disagree on how much suspicion agents need before a forensic phone search, meaning a deep search with special tools. The First Amendment question is whether a journalist was picked out because of their reporting.¹⁰⁵

Force against journalists at protests (First Amendment; Munsingwear vacatur). The Los Angeles and Chicago suits ask whether federal agents broke the First Amendment by using crowd-control weapons on reporters covering immigration operations. The question is whether that was retaliation for their reporting. The two appeals ended differently. The Ninth Circuit held on Apr 1, 2026 that the Los Angeles plaintiffs were likely to win their retaliation claims. But it cancelled Judge Vera’s injunction as overbroad and sent the case back for a narrower one.⁶³,⁷⁷,¹⁵⁷ Vera issued the narrower injunction on Jul 10, 2026.¹⁹³ In the Chicago case, the plaintiffs dropped their suit, which made the appeal moot, meaning it no longer mattered. United States v. Munsingwear (1950)¹³² describes vacatur, or cancelling the lower court’s ruling, as the usual practice when a civil case becomes moot during an appeal. The Seventh Circuit majority found “extraordinary circumstances.” It said the district court had granted “an overbroad, constitutionally suspect injunction,” and cancelled it so that it “does not affect future litigation.” Judge Easterbrook would only have dismissed the appeal. He wrote that “a losing party’s decision not to pursue an appeal does not support or permit vacatur of a district court’s order.”¹³¹ So Ellis’s statements that agents’ force “shocks the conscience,” and that Bovino lied, never got a full review by an appeals court.¹⁷³

Journalist visa rule (agency discretion). On Sept 14, 2026, Judge Dennis Saylor issued a preliminary injunction against the visa rule. He wrote that it permits “the entirely unguided exercise of discretion” and that “the possibilities for abuse are rampant.”¹¹⁵,¹⁵⁸

Defamation (New York Times v. Sullivan). Sullivan’s actual-malice rule decided Trump’s WSJ suit. A judge dismissed it without prejudice, meaning it could be filed again, on Apr 13, 2026 for failure to plead actual malice. The judge then dismissed it with prejudice, for good, on Oct 31, 2026.¹⁸⁸,⁵³ Judge Steven Merryday struck the first NYT complaint (Sep 19, 2025).¹⁶⁶ Trump amended his BBC complaint. The BBC then filed a new motion to dismiss on Aug 24, 2026, arguing the court lacked jurisdiction.⁹,¹⁶¹

Related: Outside Allies and Donors, Musk, DOGE and Conflict-of-Interest Questions (EchoStar), The 2026 Iran War, Alien Enemies Act and CECOT, The Signal Chat and Pentagon Information Policy, Justice Department and FBI Personnel Changes, The Epstein Files and The 2026 Midterms.

Outcome

Where things stand

As of Nov 8, 2026, the FCC has taken no formal action over Kimmel’s monologue. But ABC’s eight owned stations are in early renewal proceedings, which ABC and Disney are challenging. The inquiries into KCBS, Comcast, NBCUniversal, BBC content on PBS and NPR, and The View have produced no reported finding, fine or closure (U.S. Press Freedom Tracker).⁴,³¹,⁴⁸,³⁹,⁵⁸,⁸⁰,¹² The ownership cap is repealed, and no court challenge has been filed. Free Press announced one, but it had not been filed (TV Tech).³⁸,⁵⁷

Several matters are still moving. They are the ABC and Disney suit, the AP appeal, the Antitrust Division’s pool inquiry, the Cole subpoena, and the prosecutions of Lemon, Fort, Williams and Brinksman.³⁹,⁵⁴,¹⁰³,⁹¹,¹⁷⁷,⁹⁵,⁹⁶ No charge has been reported from the Gabbard and Noem leak referrals. According to the Press Freedom Tracker, Blumenthal filed his suit over his phones on Aug 17, 2026. It is pending. The judge ordered limited discovery, meaning a limited exchange of evidence, into what happened to the phones.⁹⁷,⁹⁸,¹⁰⁵,¹⁴⁷,¹⁵² Journalists and protesters brought the Chicago use-of-force suit, Chicago Headline Club v. Noem. It ended when the plaintiffs dismissed it and the Seventh Circuit cancelled Judge Ellis’s injunction on Mar 5, 2026. The Los Angeles case goes on in the trial court after being sent back, and a narrower injunction there has been in force since Jul 10, 2026.¹⁹³,¹⁷²,¹⁷³,¹³¹,⁶³,¹⁵⁷

Status

Who is affected

These events reach broadcasters through Federal Communications Commission (FCC) inquiries, license proceedings and ownership rules. They reach audiences through programming changes made after FCC statements, or while mergers waited for approval.⁴,¹²⁶,³⁸,²¹ They reach reporters through credential rules at the Pentagon and White House, subpoenas for their records and criminal charges. They reach reporters’ sources through Espionage Act prosecutions. They reach public broadcasters through the end of federal funding. They reach journalists covering immigration operations through federal agents’ use of force, and foreign journalists through visa limits.⁵,⁶,⁹²,¹⁷⁷,⁹⁵,⁶⁰,⁶³,¹¹⁵ Courts have blocked, in full or in part, the Pentagon and White House credential rules and the visa rule. The funding loss and the ABC license proceedings remain.¹⁰,¹⁰²,¹¹⁵,⁶¹,³⁹

• Viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (suspension, Concluded) — ABC suspended the show Sep 17, 2025, within hours of Carr’s “easy way or the hard way” remark. It brought the show back Sep 22. Nexstar and Sinclair stations began carrying it again Sep 26, and both denied any government influence.⁴,³¹,³²
• Staff and audience of CBS’s Late Show (Skydance–Paramount merger, Concluded) — CBS announced Jul 17, 2025 that it would end the show. That was three days after Stephen Colbert called the $16M settlement “a big fat bribe.” CBS called the cancellation “purely a financial decision,” and the last show aired May 21, 2026.²¹,⁴⁹
• ABC’s eight owned stations (early renewal order, Pending) — On Apr 28, 2026 the stations were ordered to file renewal applications within 30 days. The licenses were not due until 2028 at the earliest. Former FCC officials said the Commission had not ordered an early review in more than 50 years. ABC and Disney sued Aug 18.¹²⁶,³⁹
• Broadcast station groups (39% ownership-cap repeal, In force; Nexstar–Tegna, Blocked) — In March 2026 the FCC gave Nexstar a waiver of the cap in the law so it could buy Tegna. It repealed the cap 2–1 on Aug 6. The Tegna purchase is stopped by preliminary injunctions in antitrust suits.³⁷,³⁸,⁵⁶,⁵⁷
• NPR, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and member stations (Executive Order 14290 §3(a), Blocked) — Congress cancelled the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB’s) funding Jul 24, 2025, and CPB began shutting down Aug 1. Judge Moss declared §3(a) unconstitutional Mar 31, 2026, but no money was restored because CPB no longer exists.⁶⁰,⁶¹
• Pentagon press corps (press pledge and escort rules, Blocked) — Reporters from nearly all news organizations with Pentagon desks, Fox News among them, refused to sign the Sep 19, 2025 pledge. They left the press room.⁵,¹⁶⁷ Judge Friedman cancelled the pledge’s challenged parts Mar 20, 2026, and a D.C. Circuit panel paused only the part of his order barring official escorts (Apr 27).¹⁰,¹⁵⁹,¹²⁸
• CNN, MS NOW and Politico White House reporters (pass revocations, Blocked) — Their passes were revoked Sep 18, 2026. Judge Kelly’s preliminary injunction restored their access Oct 13, while their exclusions from Air Force One pool slots continue.⁶,¹⁰²,¹⁸⁶
• Associated Press (AP) reporters (access ban, Pending) — An AP reporter was barred from an Oval Office signing on Feb 11, 2025, and AP journalists have been barred from the Oval Office and Air Force One with no end date since Feb 14. A June 2025 partial stay keeps them out of both while the D.C. Circuit decides.¹⁷,⁵⁵,⁵⁴
• Reporters subpoenaed in leak inquiries (subpoenas, Reversed; Cole subpoena, Pending) — Three Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporters and Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima got subpoenas, which were withdrawn in June 2026. New York Times (NYT) reporters Julian Barnes, Eric Lipton and Eric Schmitt got subpoenas too. Their phone records were also sought from carriers and Google. Those subpoenas were withdrawn after Judge Subramanian’s Jul 23 remarks. The Press Freedom Tracker lists freelancer Matthew Cole’s subpoena as “Objected to” (June 5, 2026).⁹¹,⁹²,¹⁸⁰,⁹³
• Journalists and sources charged (prosecutions of Lemon, Fort, Williams and Brinksman, Pending) — A magistrate refused to approve charges against Don Lemon. Lemon and Georgia Fort were then arrested Jan 29–30, 2026 on clinic-access and civil-rights conspiracy charges. August filings showed administrative subpoenas, without a judge’s approval, for Fort’s phone account and six news organizations’ YouTube data. Courtney Williams (Apr 3) and Ian Brinksman (Oct 23) were charged under the Espionage Act with sharing classified information with a journalist.¹⁷⁷,¹⁷⁶,¹⁴⁶,⁹⁵,⁹⁶
• Stars and Stripes ombudsman (ombudsman suit, Pending) — Jacqueline Smith was fired in April 2026, 10 days after she wrote an op-ed criticizing the Pentagon’s changes to the paper. Judge Mehta refused to give her job back Oct 6 but let her suit go forward.⁸⁴,¹⁴¹,¹⁴²
• Journalists covering immigration operations (Los Angeles Press Club v. Noem, Blocked; Chicago Headline Club v. Noem, Concluded) — On Apr 1, 2026 the Ninth Circuit held that Los Angeles journalists were likely to win retaliation claims against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents. But it cancelled the injunction as overbroad. Judge Vera issued a narrower one for seven Southern California counties on Jul 10.¹⁹³ In Chicago, Judge Ellis said Nov 6, 2025 that she would find agents’ force “shocks the conscience.” The Seventh Circuit cancelled her injunction Mar 5, 2026 after the plaintiffs dismissed the case.⁶³,¹⁵⁷,¹³⁰,¹⁷³,¹³¹
• Foreign journalists (journalist visa rule, Blocked) — The Jul 16, 2026 DHS rule limited journalist (I) visas to 240 days, or 90 days for Chinese nationals. Judge Saylor stopped it with a preliminary injunction Sept 14.¹¹⁵,¹⁵⁸

Key players

• Brendan Carr — FCC Chair — brought back the complaints, opened inquiries, approved the CBS merger with promises about the newsroom, and made the “easy way or the hard way” remarks about Kimmel.¹,³,¹⁶⁵,⁴
• Donald Trump — President — posted that the FCC “will impose the maximum fines and punishment” on CBS, called for license revocations, sued outlets, and revoked reporters’ passes.¹⁹,²⁶,⁶
• Anna Gomez — FCC’s sole Democratic commissioner — said the equal-time notice was not Commission policy; called the cap repeal “unlawful.”³⁴,³⁷
• Pete Hegseth — Defense Secretary — issued the press pledge and escort rule; announced the leak task force.⁵,⁸²,⁸⁷
• Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche — Attorneys General, one after the other (Blanche acting, then confirmed 50–49 on Aug 8, 2026) — rescinded the 2021 limits; defended subpoenas to reporters.⁸⁸,⁹²,¹²⁹
• Will Scharf — White House Counsel — demanded that Politico retract three articles.¹⁰⁴
• David Ellison — Paramount Skydance CEO — took control of CBS and later CNN; named Bari Weiss to lead CBS News.⁵⁹,⁴⁷,²³
• Judges Paul Friedman and Timothy Kelly — federal judges — ruled against the Pentagon and White House access limits.¹⁰,¹⁰²
• Judge Loren AliKhan — D.D.C. — presiding over ABC and Disney’s First Amendment suit against the FCC.³⁹
• Judge Randolph Moss — D.D.C. — declared §3(a) of the NPR/PBS order unconstitutional (Mar 31, 2026).⁶¹
• Judge Arun Subramanian — S.D.N.Y. — said subpoenas to reporters are “the last step, not the first step.”⁹³
• Don Lemon and Georgia Fort — journalists — charged after covering a St. Paul church protest.⁹⁴,¹⁷⁷

Chronology

• 2024-12-14 — ABC agrees to pay $15M to a presidential library fund — → ledger
• 2025-01-22 — Carr revives dismissed complaints — → ledger
• 2025-01-29 — FCC letter of inquiry to CBS for 60 Minutes transcript — → ledger
• 2025-01-29 — Carr opens NPR/PBS underwriting inquiry — → ledger
• 2025-01-31 — Pentagon office “rotation” — → ledger
• 2025-02-05 — KCBS public-interest licensing inquiry — → ledger
• 2025-02-11 — AP barred over “Gulf of America” — → ledger
• 2025-02-11 — FCC DEI probe of Comcast — → ledger
• 2025-02-18 — EO 14215 on independent agencies — → ledger
• 2025-02-24 — CBP questions Max Blumenthal at Dulles — → ledger
• 2025-03-03 — CBP questions freelancer at LAX about immigration reporting — → ledger
• 2025-03-07 — Noem’s lawyer threatens The Dakota Scout — → ledger
• 2025-03-09 — Noem pledges polygraphs to find leakers — → ledger
• 2025-03-14 — Trump: coverage he described as abusing judges “should be illegal” — → ledger
• 2025-03-24 — DHS agents search Hebh Jamal’s phone at Newark — → ledger
• 2025-03-27 — FCC DEI probe of Disney and ABC — → ledger
• 2025-04-08 — Judge McFadden orders AP access restored — → ledger
• 2025-04-14 — Trump posts that the FCC “will impose the maximum fines” on CBS — → ledger
• 2025-04-16 — Carr warns Comcast over MSNBC — → ledger
• 2025-04-23 — Gabbard leak referrals — → ledger
• 2025-04-25 — Bondi rescinds news-media protections — → ledger
• 2025-05-01 — EO 14290 orders an end to NPR and PBS funding — → ledger
• 2025-05-23 — Hegseth escort rule for Pentagon corridors — → ledger
• 2025-06-03 to 2026-09-14 — Foreign-born journalists detained — → ledger
• 2025-06-03 — Ayman Soliman’s asylum revoked; jailed in Ohio — → ledger
• 2025-06-06 — D.C. Circuit motions panel partly stays the AP access order — → ledger
• 2025-06-12 — CBP deports Australian writer Alistair Kitchen — → ledger
• 2025-06-24 — Secret Service reads reporter’s notebook — → ledger
• 2025-06-27 — Times Union reports on the acting U.S. attorney’s listed residence — → ledger
• 2025-06-29 — Trump on forcing reporters to reveal sources — → ledger
• 2025-07-02 — Paramount settles for $16M — → ledger
• 2025-07-07 — Interim U.S. attorney emails staff to confirm the Times Union’s removal from his press list — → ledger
• 2025-07-17 — Colbert cancelled — → ledger
• 2025-07-18 — Trump sues WSJ for $10B — → ledger
• 2025-07-22 — Skydance pledges a CBS News ombudsman and “a diversity of viewpoints” — → ledger
• 2025-07-23 — Trump claims $20M side deal — → ledger
• 2025-07-24 — FCC approves Skydance–Paramount with conditions — → ledger
• 2025-07-29 — FCC inquiry into NBCUniversal affiliates — → ledger
• 2025-08-24 — Trump demands ABC/NBC license revocation — → ledger
• 2025-09-08 to 09 — EchoStar–SpaceX sale; FCC probe dropped — → ledger
• 2025-09-10 — Charlie Kirk assassinated — → ledger
• 2025-09-10 — Los Angeles Press Club v. Noem injunction; Ninth Circuit ruling Apr 1, 2026 — → ledger
• 2025-09-15 — Trump sues NYT for $15B — → ledger
• 2025-09-15 to 16 — Kimmel monologue — → ledger
• 2025-09-17 — Carr’s “easy way or the hard way”; Kimmel suspended — → ledger
• 2025-09-19 — Pentagon press pledge — → ledger
• 2025-09-19 — Judge Merryday strikes Trump’s NYT complaint — → ledger
• 2025-09-22 — ABC reinstates Kimmel; Nexstar, Sinclair resume Sep 26 — → ledger
• 2025-09 (late) — Library fund dissolved — → ledger
• 2025-09-27 — CBP agent tackles and arrests reporter Steve Held at Broadview — → ledger
• 2025-09-30 — TSA revokes Held’s PreCheck — → ledger
• 2025-10-01 — Pentagon NDA and polygraph plan — → ledger
• 2025-10-04 to 2026-05-28 — Memphis photojournalist’s declaration — → ledger
• 2025-10-06 — Weiss installed at CBS News — → ledger
• 2025-10-09 — CBP revokes Held’s Global Entry — → ledger
• 2025-10-09 — Judge Ellis’s TRO restrains agents’ force in Chicago (Chicago Headline Club v. Noem) — → ledger
• 2025-10-15 to 17 — Reporters from nearly all outlets vacate the Pentagon press room — → ledger
• 2025-10-24 — DHS turns away reporter Clint Combs at a Minnesota news conference — → ledger
• 2025-10-28 — Student reporters ordered out of the Hyattsville immigration court — → ledger
• 2025-11-06 — Ellis announces a preliminary injunction: force “shocks the conscience” — → ledger
• 2025-11-19 — FCC probe of BBC content on PBS/NPR — → ledger
• 2025-11-19 — Seventh Circuit stays Ellis’s injunction — → ledger
• 2025-11-24 — D.C. Circuit hears AP’s appeal — → ledger
• 2025-12-04 — NYT sues the Pentagon — → ledger
• 2025-12-05 — Photojournalist barred from bringing his camera into San Diego federal building — → ledger
• 2025-12-07 — Trump says he will be “involved” in the Warner Bros. decision — → ledger
• 2025-12-15 — Trump sues BBC for $10B — → ledger
• 2025-12-21 — Weiss pulls “Inside CECOT” — → ledger
• 2026-01-14 — FBI searches Natanson’s home — → ledger
• 2026-01-15 — Pentagon announces Stars and Stripes overhaul — → ledger
• 2026-01-18 — Cities Church protest, livestreamed by Don Lemon — → ledger
• 2026-01-21 — Equal-time notice on talk shows — → ledger
• 2026-01-22 — Contractor Perez-Lugones indicted — → ledger
• 2026-01-22 — Ellis dismisses Chicago Headline Club v. Noem at plaintiffs’ request — → ledger
• 2026-01-23 — Eighth Circuit panel declines to order Lemon warrants signed — → ledger
• 2026-01-29 to 30 — Don Lemon and Georgia Fort arrested — → ledger
• 2026-02-04 — Noem names Daily Mail reporter in leak referral — → ledger
• 2026-02-09 — Matthew Cole subpoenaed — → ledger
• 2026-02-10 to 03-18 — Interior cuts off SFGate — → ledger
• 2026-03-04 — Photographers barred from Pentagon briefings — → ledger
• 2026-03-04 — WSJ reporters subpoenaed in Iran-war leak probe — → ledger
• 2026-03-04 — ICE detains reporter Estefany Rodríguez — → ledger
• 2026-03-05 — Seventh Circuit vacates Ellis’s injunction under Munsingwear — → ledger
• 2026-03-09 — Feinberg memo on Stars and Stripes content — → ledger
• 2026-03-16 — Carr’s “good Iran war news” warning — → ledger
• 2026-03-19 — Nexstar granted waiver of the 39% cap — → ledger
• 2026-03-20 — Judge Friedman vacates the Pentagon press-credential policy — → ledger
• 2026-03-30 — FCC Media Bureau extends the lowest unit charge to party committees — → ledger
• 2026-03-31 — Judge Moss strikes down the NPR/PBS order — → ledger
• 2026-04-01 — Ninth Circuit ruling in Los Angeles Press Club v. Noem — → ledger
• 2026-04-03 — Courtney Williams charged under the Espionage Act — → ledger
• 2026-04-07 — Blanche: subpoena “the reporter” if needed — → ledger
• 2026-04-08 — Carr criticizes CNN headline — → ledger
• 2026-04-08 — Williams indicted on four § 793(d) counts — → ledger
• 2026-04-09 — Friedman: revised Pentagon rules “same unconstitutional result” — → ledger
• 2026-04-13 — Judge Gayles dismisses Trump’s WSJ suit without prejudice — → ledger
• 2026-04-25 — Correspondents’ Dinner shooting; Trumps criticize Kimmel — → ledger
• 2026-04-27 — Cole Tomas Allen charged with attempting to assassinate Trump — → ledger
• 2026-04-27 — D.C. Circuit panel stays Friedman’s bar on official escorts — → ledger
• 2026-04-28 — FCC orders early renewal of ABC’s eight station licenses — → ledger
• 2026-05-18 — NYT’s second Pentagon suit — → ledger
• 2026-05-21 — Colbert’s final show — → ledger
• 2026-05-26 — OPM proposes government-wide NDA — → ledger
• 2026-06-02 — CBS fires Scott Pelley — → ledger
• 2026-06-21 — NYT “treasonous”; ABC FCC probes and renewals — → ledger
• 2026-06-23 — DOJ withdraws WSJ and Post subpoenas — → ledger
• 2026-06-25 — Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith sues — → ledger
• 2026-06-25 — Vera certifies class in Los Angeles Press Club v. Noem — → ledger
• 2026-06-28 — Reporters removed from U.S. embassy event in Brussels — → ledger
• 2026-06-29 — Trump v. Slaughter — → ledger
• 2026-07-07 — Satirical account owner sues over exclusion from a Vance event — → ledger
• 2026-07-10 — FBI serves grand-jury subpoenas on NYT reporters — → ledger
• 2026-07-10 — CBP seizes Blumenthal’s phones — → ledger
• 2026-07-10 — Vera issues narrower injunction for seven Southern California counties — → ledger
• 2026-07-13 — Hegseth announces Pentagon–DOJ leak task force — → ledger
• 2026-07-16 — DHS caps journalist visa durations — → ledger
• 2026-07-16 — Suit announced over Blumenthal’s phones — → ledger
• 2026-07-20 — No Pentagon briefing since May 5 — → ledger
• 2026-07-22 — Carr ties ABC’s address coverage to renewals — → ledger
• 2026-07-23 — DOJ withdraws the NYT reporter subpoenas — → ledger
• 2026-07-26 — CBP detains journalist Wilmer Solano Dávila — → ledger
• 2026-08 — Pentagon polygraphs about 50 Joint Staff members — → ledger
• 2026-08-06 — FCC repeals 39% cap; Nexstar–Tegna enjoined — → ledger
• 2026-08-06 — Lemon and Fort filings reveal HSI subpoenas — → ledger
• 2026-08-08 — Blanche confirmed Attorney General 50–49 — → ledger
• 2026-08-18 — ABC and Disney sue the FCC — → ledger
• 2026-08-18 — Judge Provinzino orders the Lemon and Fort grand-jury records — → ledger
• 2026-08-24 — BBC files new motion to dismiss — → ledger
• 2026-08-25 — Fourth Circuit sets aside the ad-rate notice — → ledger
• 2026-08-29 to 31 — Treasury denies G20 credentials — → ledger
• 2026-08-30 — Welker “reported to the FCC” — → ledger
• 2026-09-04 — Supreme Court stays the Fourth Circuit’s ad-rate ruling (NRCC v. Brown) — → ledger
• 2026-09-14 — Judge Saylor enjoins the visa rule — → ledger
• 2026-09-14 — ICE detains journalist Luis Galeano — → ledger
• 2026-09-18 — CNN, MS NOW, Politico banned — → ledger
• 2026-09-21 — Outlets sue; pool halts coverage — → ledger
• 2026-09-24 — Judge Kelly’s TRO — → ledger
• 2026-09-25 — CNN removed from the Air Force One pool for the Knoxville trip — → ledger
• 2026-10-05 — Politico barred from Air Force One — → ledger
• 2026-10-06 — Paramount Skydance completes Warner Bros. Discovery purchase — → ledger
• 2026-10-06 — Judge Mehta lets ombudsman’s suit proceed — → ledger
• 2026-10-07 — Fourth Circuit orders the FCC to decide the ad-rate application within 48 hours — → ledger
• 2026-10-08 — White House bars CNN from Air Force One — → ledger
• 2026-10-09 — Antitrust Division demand to pool networks — → ledger
• 2026-10-13 — Preliminary injunction restores CNN, MS NOW, Politico access — → ledger
• 2026-10-14 — Supreme Court stays the 48-hour order (FCC v. Brown) — → ledger
• 2026-10-19 to 22 — Scharf demands Politico retractions — → ledger
• 2026-10-21 — The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg removed from an Air Force One trip — → ledger
• 2026-10-23 — Ian Brinksman charged under the Espionage Act — → ledger
• 2026-10-27 to 28 — Brinksman ordered released before trial over the government’s objection — → ledger
• 2026-10-31 — Trump’s WSJ suit dismissed with prejudice — → ledger
• 2026-11-05 — Blumenthal renews records requests, including to FCC Chair Carr (deadline Jan 4, 2027) — → ledger
• 2026-11-06 — The Atlantic: officials discussed arresting journalists in leak cases; DOJ calls it “absolutely false” — → ledger

Sources