Trump's Media Access Battle: What You Need to Know

A federal judge directed U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday to reinstate White House press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, stating that the ban imposed on these media outlets was likely unconstitutional. In a significant setback for Trump amid one of his prominent disputes with the media, U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly delivered his ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by the news organizations challenging the ban announced by the president on September 18. Judge Kelly instructed the Trump administration to immediately return the press passes to these outlets and prohibited officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days. He dismissed the government's argument that national security concerns justified the ban. "The defense's claim lacks factual support that revoking the plaintiffs' hard passes will actually protect national security or that such security is at risk if their passes are reinstated during the legal proceedings," he stated, highlighting that Trump attributed the ban to the "alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity" in their reporting. The White House and representatives from the media outlets did not immediately provide comments in response to requests. Trump had criticized the three outlets on social media, claiming they "shouldn't be able to consistently write or report FICTION and LIES," while Justice Department lawyers attempted to support the ban on national security grounds. The outlets filed a lawsuit against Trump and other members of his administration in federal court in Washington, alleging that the ban breached the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and free press, as well as their due process rights. They sought a temporary restraining order to restore their White House access while their legal challenge proceeded. This legal confrontation emerged just weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, where Republicans were striving to maintain congressional control. Trump's job approval ratings were at historic lows due to concerns over issues like tensions with Iran and inflation. During a hearing on Wednesday, Judge Kelly noted two precedents from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which clarified that journalists must receive due process before having their White House press passes revoked. The judge remarked that it seemed the White House had not provided the targeted news outlets a fair chance to contest their access revocation. A lawyer representing the news outlets argued before Kelly that they were banned without the legally required prior notice or opportunity to challenge the decisions, describing these actions as unprecedented, unreasonable, and harsh. In contrast, a Justice Department lawyer asserted that the Trump administration had offered an adequate explanation for revoking the press passes in letters sent to the news outlets on Tuesday. However, Judge Kelly expressed doubt over this assertion, pointing out that these letters were issued post-revocation and after the lawsuit was filed. Justice Department contended that access to the White House is a privilege rather than an entitlement and stated that the president holds the authority to limit access by news organizations. A coalition of press freedom groups, along with numerous news organizations, submitted a legal brief on Wednesday backing the three news outlets. They claimed that "stripping journalists and news outlets of their rights due to perceived editorial viewpoints contravenes decades of Supreme Court rulings."

The NCDC has reported over 1,086 cases of Lassa fever, resulting in 259 de@ths

Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the nation experienced 1,086 confirmed Lassa fever cases and 259 deaths spanning 24 states and 118 Local Government Areas throughout 2026. This information was disclosed in the agency's Lassa Fever Situation Report for epidemiological week 36, which covered the period from August 31 through September 6, 2026. The report indicates that week 36 saw 12 newly confirmed cases, marking a decrease compared to the 18 cases identified during epidemiological week 35 across the country. "The newly confirmed cases documented during the reporting week were identified in Ondo, Edo and Kogi states, as detailed in the most recent Lassa fever situation report. "Data compiled for week 36 revealed that 259 deaths occurred among the 1,086 confirmed cases, yielding a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 23.9 per cent. "The CFR continued to exceed the 18.6 per cent figure documented during the equivalent timeframe in 2025, based on the most recent data released by the disease control agency," the statement noted. The agency reported that infections were confirmed in 24 states across 118 LGAs, demonstrating that Lassa fever cases had emerged in multiple regions throughout Nigeria. According to the report, five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo—accounted for 87 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases documented in 2026. "The primary age demographic impacted by Lassa fever continued to be individuals between 21 and 30 years old, underscoring the ongoing burden of the disease among young adult populations," the agency stated. The agency also noted that no additional healthcare workers contracted the infection during epidemiological week 36, keeping the total number of affected health workers consistent with previous reporting periods. The agency indicated that these latest findings built upon the week 35 situation report, which documented 18 newly confirmed cases, a reduction from the 21 cases reported during epidemiological week 34. "The 18 confirmed cases identified in week 35 were documented in Ondo, Edo and Bauchi states, per the NCDC Lassa Fever Situation Report for that period. During epidemiological week 35, 18 confirmed Lassa fever cases emerged across Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states, as documented in the NCDC Lassa Fever Situation Report. Nigeria's cumulative toll by the conclusion of week 35 reached 1,074 confirmed cases and 258 fatalities, translating to a Case Fatality Rate of 24.0 percent. The fatality rate observed at week 35's end surpassed the 18.6 percent documented during the equivalent timeframe in 2025, per NCDC findings. By week 35's conclusion, the outbreak had spread to 24 states, affecting 118 local government areas with at least one confirmed case each. Notably, five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, and Edo—accounted for 86 percent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases recorded through week 35.