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White House to delay birthright citizenship restrictions — but may start planning now

5 hours 5 minutes ago
Justice Department attorneys told a federal district judge Tuesday that the Trump administration will not impose proposed restrictions on birthright citizenship for a month — but that it reserves the right to “immediately” start planning for that day. The two-page notice was filed in U.S.District Court in Greenbelt in response to District Judge Deborah Boardman’s […]
Lauren Lifke

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly confirms divorce from spouse of more than 40 years

5 hours 9 minutes ago
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday that she and her husband of more than 40 years were granted a divorce. She decided to speak publicly about the amicable end of her marriage because of inquiries about the status of her relationship with retired physician Ted Daughety. Kelly, 75, said the pair remained on friendly […]
Tim Carpenter

Paramount’s spineless capitulation

5 hours 17 minutes ago

Dear Friend of Press Freedom,

It’s the 100th day that Rümeysa Öztürk is facing deportation by the United States government for writing an op-ed it didn’t like. Now, Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara could be deported after being arrested while trying to report on a protest. Read on for more press freedom news.

Paramount’s spineless capitulation

For a while, it looked like Paramount might come to its senses. After warnings from Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) as well as several state and federal lawmakers, directors were reportedly worried that settling President Donald Trump’s frivolous lawsuit to grease the wheels for approval of a merger could subject them to liability for bribery.

But ultimately, majority owner Shari Redstone — who stands to make a fortune if the merger with Skydance Media closes — got her way, and Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle. We said in a press release that the settlement “will be remembered as one of the most shameful capitulations by the press to a president in history. But we are not done fighting. We’ve already filed a shareholder information demand and … we will continue to pursue our legal options to stop this affront to Paramount shareholders, CBS journalists, and the First Amendment.”

Legendary First Amendment lawyers Floyd Abrams and James Goodale also gave us their reactions. They both recall a time when news outlets were owned by news companies that had both economic and principled interests in defending the First Amendment. They’re alarmed by what they’re seeing today. Read more here.

Atrocities against Palestinian journalists

Advocating for Palestinian journalists from the United States is tougher than ever these days, with an administration that doesn’t even pretend to care about dead reporters.

But sometimes journalism itself is the best way to effect change, and that’s why we partnered with The Intercept and independent journalist Neha Madhira to tell the stories of journalists who have been targeted by the Israeli military — often after receiving warnings to stop their reporting, or else. Their testimonials speak for themselves. Read more here.

Don’t let ICE work in secret

Interested in what Immigration and Customs Enforcement is up to? Step right up to read ICE’s many press releases touting their accomplishments, watch “Dr. Phil” McGraw’s ICE ride-alongs on his new TV network, and, of course, follow ICE on social platform X.

Just don’t expect to read independent reporting about ICE activity — at least not if government officials get their way. Journalists and members of the public who report on ICE are increasingly under attack by officials who would prefer to silence them so government propaganda can fill the information void. Read more here.

Wiretap Act can’t criminalize routine journalism

We joined a coalition of free-speech groups and filed an amicus brief in the case against journalist Tim Burke for publishing unaired Fox News footage of Tucker Carlson’s interview with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

Prosecutors are using the Wiretap Act, which prohibits “intercepting” “electronic communications,” in an attempt to convict Burke for publicizing Ye’s antisemitic rant, among other things. Their position is that they can charge Burke regardless of whether the footage was publicly available — he needs to prove that as a defense.

“Police, prosecutors and thin-skinned politicians would love the ability to harass and punish journalists who use the internet for routine reporting whenever they so please. The government’s construction of the Wiretap Act would give them the perfect excuse to do so,” FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern said in a press release. Read more here.

What we’re reading

Tulsi Gabbard is hunting for “deep-state criminals.” Is she even following the law? (The Intercept). “The leak — and the official FOIA release — didn’t damage national security at all. It informed the public about one of the administration’s most pernicious lies to date,” FPF’s Lauren Harper told The Intercept.

Trump’s attacks on CNN, Fox underscore effort to stifle questions, put media on back foot (The Hill). Recent White House crackdowns on leaked intelligence “have nothing to do with national security and everything to do with saving themselves from embarrassment,” FPF’s Stern told The Hill.

ICE hardens: Masked agents intimidate reporters while seizing more immigrants at Lower Manhattan court (AMNY). Harassing journalists might rank pretty low on the list of awful things masked ICE goons are doing these days. But without journalists we wouldn’t know about the rest of them, and the administration is well aware of that.

Freedom of the Press Foundation

Reaction To Passage Of 'Big Beautiful Bill'

5 hours 25 minutes ago
Thompson: One Big Beautiful Bill is a Game-Changer for America WASHINGTON, DC — House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) released the following statement following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill: "The One Big Beautiful Bill is a game-changer for America. "This historic legislation delivers the largest tax cut in American history, providing direct relief to working families and boosting take-home pay. It slashes wasteful Washington spending, eliminates red tape, and makes major investments in border security, energy independence, and national defense. It is the codification of President Trump’s campaign promises. "The One Big Beautiful Bill is a victory for rural America, making the largest investment in agriculture in decades, restoring integrity to SNAP, and saving millions of family farms from the death tax. This bill gives President Trump the tools he needs to keep America safe, strong, and free." TFI: One Big Beautiful

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Opinion: One Big, Beautiful Win for America's Taxpayers

5 hours 28 minutes ago
Opinion: Too many in Washington, D.C., think the answer to every problem is raising taxes on working families and wrapping small businesses in red tape. I disagree. The answer isn’t to make life harder for folks who are already forced to do more with less. That’s why I voted for the President Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act . This is a conservative plan that delivers real tax relief, reins in federal spending, and puts working families first. It provides funding to finish the border wall and hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents. It strengthens work requirements for healthy, working age SNAP and Medicaid beneficiaries to ensure benefits are preserved for those who truly need them, and it empowers families to keep more of what they earn. Unfortunately, if you listened only to the D.C. Democrats’ spin machine, you wouldn’t know all the good this bill will do and why President Trump fought so hard to sign it into law. Liberal politicians have

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How the megabill allows Trump to expand mass deportations, curb immigrant benefits

5 hours 28 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending cut bill cleared early Thursday has as its centerpiece $170 billion for the administration’s immigration crackdown, helping fulfill the president’s 2024 campaign promise of mass deportations of people without permanent legal status. The measure, passed by the House 218-214, would fulfill several of Trump’s key immigration […]
Ariana Figueroa

Abrego Garcia was beaten and tortured in Salvadoran prison, new court filings reveal

5 hours 31 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported in March to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, endured “severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture” while there, his attorneys wrote in a late Wednesday filing. The filing, an amended complaint to the District Court of Maryland, provides the first disturbing details of […]
Ariana Figueroa

Budzinski Statement On What She Calls Republicans' 'Betrayal of Working Families' 

5 hours 50 minutes ago
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the following statement after voting NO on President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill , H.R. 1. House Republicans voted to pass the bill and send it to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. “Today, House Republicans officially pledged their loyalty to the billionaire class, delivering a profound betrayal to hardworking American families. From the very beginning, I have been clear about how devastating this bill is for our country — for single mothers relying on SNAP, for children dependent on Medicaid, and for everyone except the ultra-wealthy. It’s the working class who deserve tax relief — not billionaires. Democrats fought tirelessly to block this bill, but not enough Republicans were willing to defend their communities from these cuts. I will continue standing firm to protect my district and the American people as this administration turns its back on them.”

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