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The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed in court Thursday that it is sharing sensitive voter data with the Department of Homeland Security in a search for noncitizen voters. But a DOJ lawyer denied the department is building a national voter database. The Justice Department has demanded states provide full copies of their voter lists, including […]

One online grocery shopper got charged $3.99 for a box of Wheat Thins, while another — buying from the same store at the same time — got charged $4.89. A consumer watchdog detected this price discrepancy during an investigation last September in Seattle. The grocery app Instacart used an artificial intelligence-powered algorithm that charged customers […]

District 6 detectives have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection to the shooting of a 13-year-old boy on March 24. The Circuit Attorney’s Office issued at-large warrants for Assault 1st and Armed Criminal Action. The 18-year-old is currently in-custody in St. Louis County on unrelated charges. On March 24, 2026, just after 3pm, District 6 […]

The post Arrest Made in Shooting of 13-Year-Old appeared first on St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Dear Friend of Press Freedom,

A new bill would put some bite behind the federal law that’s supposed to protect journalists from search warrants. Tell your member of Congress to support it, and while you’re at it, tell them to pass the Daniel Ellsberg Act, too. Then keep reading for more press freedom news, including the latest on how petty Pete Hegseth is recycling old ideas to stifle the Pentagon press corps.

Tell Congress to stop newsroom raids

Just a few months ago, the government raided Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home based on a search warrant that failed to mention the Privacy Protection Act, the federal law that’s supposed to stop most search warrants targeting journalists.

Natanson’s case isn’t the only one involving a journalist where the government has conveniently omitted the law. A new bill introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Becca Balint could help end this troubling pattern.

The Wyden-Balint bill is needed now more than ever, and Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is proud to endorse it. Read about why the bill is necessary and tell your member of Congress to support it today.

• Take action

Meet the new Pentagon press policy, same as the old Pentagon press policy

After a federal judge struck down the Pentagon’s media access policy last week in litigation brought by The New York Times, the Defense Department enacted a new policy that retains the same core constitutional problem as the original one — it allows the government to deny reporters press passes merely for asking questions. The Times has moved to compel the Pentagon to follow the judge’s ruling, calling its conduct “the definition of contempt.”

We said in a statement, “It’s past time that this administration, its officials, and its lawyers start facing real consequences for ignoring court orders and the Constitution.”

• Read our statement

Pentagon claims asking questions is a crime

In 2017, rogue police officers in Laredo, Texas, arrested citizen journalist Priscilla Villarreal for asking government officials questions. They were rightly ridiculed, although the Supreme Court this week declined to review an awful ruling preventing Villarreal from suing them. But they were also apparently ahead of their time.

As FPF Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern explained in The Intercept, it’s now the federal government’s position that asking “unauthorized” questions is illegal. Court filings imply that the Pentagon believes journalists who ask unauthorized questions are not only subject to revocation of press passes, but to criminal prosecution.

• Read the article

FOIA sets a floor for transparency, not a ceiling

Our Daniel Ellsberg chair on government secrecy, Lauren Harper, wrote for MS Now about the Pentagon’s insulting justification for its restrictions on newsgathering: That journalists have “legitimate” alternatives, like Freedom of Information Act requests.

As Harper explains, FOIA is broken across the government, but especially at the Pentagon, and even more so during this administration. Even when it’s working, the law is intended to guarantee a minimum level of transparency, not be an exclusive means of obtaining news.

• Read more

Government thinks First Amendment isn’t for immigrant journalists

The government made an alarming claim in response to Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s contention that her immigration arrest was in retaliation for exercising her First Amendment rights: That she doesn’t have any.

FPF Senior Adviser Caitlin Vogus explains that the reason that sounds so obviously wrong is because it is.

• Read more

Watch our recent events

We participated in two important discussions this week, and you can check out both online if you missed them. Harper moderated a panel hosted by the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy on the Trump administration’s escalating attacks against press freedom. And FPF hosted a conversation about current efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act without reforms to prevent illegal surveillance of communications by Americans, including journalists.

You can also use our action center to tell Congress not to renew Section 702 without reforms. And you can find the rest of our panel discussions, as well as our short videos about press freedom topics in the news, on our YouTube page.

• Watch more

What we’re reading Trump isn’t just bullying journalists. He’s subverting the First Amendment Truthout

“Any Republican official who is vocal about Biden’s jawboning but silent now is someone who probably doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously when it comes to principled application of the First Amendment,” Stern said.

Kara Swisher would cut ties with CNN if Ellisons took control The Hollywood Reporter

“They have no interest in journalism,” Swisher said, “I’m not working for you hacks.” Paramount will tank CNN to appease Trump, just like it did CBS. Its shareholders should be objecting loudly to further public humiliation and devaluation.

Who tells the story? And whose story is it? Values and practices when reporting on ICE Transom

When Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal agencies ignore press rights, editors, unions, and lawyers must be willing to step up to support journalists, FPF’s Deputy Director of Advocacy Adam Rose explained. “If you’re prevented from telling the story, then you are the story,” he said.

Trump leverages Army-Navy game to ramp up pressure on broadcasters Politico

Maybe station owners who didn’t want to rock the boat when Trump and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened to censor the news will grow a spine now that they’re messing with real money.

BETHALTO - Civic Memorial High School had an exciting assembly as 18 students and several staff members shaved their heads for childhood cancer awareness. On Friday, March 27, 2026, the school community came together for a St. Baldrick’s fundraiser and head-shaving event organized by the National Honor Society. Students and staff could sign up to shave their heads, with fundraising proceeds going to St. Baldrick’s to fund childhood cancer research. “It just touches th

ALTON - The Alton Museum of History and Art, closed since the COVID-19 Pandemic era in 2020, and Executive Director Brian Combs spoke on "Our Daily Show!" with host C.J. Nasello on Friday, March 27, 2026, about the museum and its future. Combs cited ongoing building problems; the museum is located at Loomis Hall on the Southern Illinois University campus in Alton. While repairs have been made over time, he said much more needs to be done with the building. He also cited what he described as distan

In celebration of Women's History Month, Brittany Kyles explores the lived experiences of Black women across all walks of life in the four-part series, "What Do You See when You See Me?", examining the cost of always being perceived as powerful and the importance of allowing them to be vulnerable, tender, uncertain, and in need of care.

GRANITE CITY - Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced on Friday, March 27, 2026, that a 19-year-old Collinsville man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery stemming from the theft of a designer cross-body bag in Granite City. Jalon O. Mathis pleaded guilty Friday in Circuit Court to a charge of armed robbery, a Class X felony, Haine said. Mathis admitted that, while armed, he stole the bag from a victim on June 23, 2025, in Granite

Lou Gramm is hitting the road in support of his new solo album, Released, which is out now. The former Foreigner frontman has announced a new string of North American dates, kicking…

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In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that warrants were needed to obtain cell site location info (CSLI). That decision dealt with law enforcement’s warrantless acquisition of 127 days of location data from a cell service provider. As the court saw it, the government was leveraging access to this data to turn cell phones (which has […]

ALTON - Alton High School students hosted a fish fry to thank administrators and community members for their work. On Friday, March 27, 2026, students in the cooperative work training program served meals to teachers, administrators, hospital workers, first responders, partner companies and more. Joe Michalski, the teacher who oversees the program, explained that this community service element is an important part of their work. “It’s a thank-you to the community,” he

The 2026 Microsoft Office Pro Bundle has 8 courses to help you master essential Office skills. Courses cover Access, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and more. It’s on sale for $21.25 using the code MARCH15 at checkout. Note: The Techdirt Deals Store is powered and curated by StackCommerce. A portion of all sales from Techdirt Deals helps […]

O’FALLON, Ill. — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital honored 27 members of its clinical team with the DAISY Team Award on Wednesday, March 25, for saving the life of Scott Yankey. Scott Yankey, father of two, was cooking dinner with his family when he suddenly started experiencing severe angioedema, a deep swelling under the skin that can restrict breathing. A multidisciplinary team from the emergency department – including physicians, nurses, a physician assistant,

A 52-year-old woman was killed after being struck by a Metrobus while using a crosswalk in Clayton, and an investigation is ongoing.

GLEN CARBON – A new gas station and convenience store is coming to Glen Carbon, along with a slight change to an Orchard Town Center site. At their March 24, 2026 meeting, village trustees unanimously approved the site plan for a new gas station and convenience store set to be built on approximately 2.39 acres in Meridian Plaza. The site’s exact location is listed as 82 Magnolia Drive, just off Illinois 157. The site plan developed by Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen Inc. (TWM) shows

   North County Incorporated (NCI) will recognize local leaders for their contributions to the North County region at its 49 th Annual Leadership Breakfast on May 8, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. at the Marriott St. Louis Airport Hotel.     More than 550business, civic, and community leaders attend this celebration annually. More informationcan be […]

The post Community Leaders in North County to be Honored appeared first on flovalleynews.com.

ALTON – Simmons Hanly Conroy , a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, is pleased to announce that Juan P. Bauta II , a partner in the firm’s Miami office, has been selected for the Daily Business Review and Law.com’s 2026 Florida Legal Awards. Bauta won in the “Unsung Heroes” category, which recognizes meaningful and often unseen contributions to legal practice. The Florida Legal Awards annually honor

Preserving a French Legacy: The Ongoing Restoration of the Antoine Reeb House By Gina Siebe In the heart of Old Town Florissant stands a structure that has witnessed more than 150 years of local history. The Antoine Reeb House, built in 1870 by French immigrant and carpenter Antoine Reeb, is one of the last surviving […]

The post Restoration at Historic Florissant House continues appeared first on flovalleynews.com.