Incredibly proud of my brilliant brother, who was recently awarded his second(!) Fulbright award for biodiversity work in Costa Rica. As he put it, “it is more important than ever for researchers and educators to go abroad and try to put our best foot forward on behalf of our country.”

Great work by the great team over @rcfp.org!

NEW: Pentagon "in violation of" court order in case over press restrictions, federal judge rules. After some press pass restrictions were blocked, the Pentagon adopted an "interim policy" with similar restrictions. Now, at Law Dork:

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Defense Department is violating an earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters.

NYT lead newsroom lawyer, David McCraw, was asked about risk of losing Pentagon access case and setting precedent for Trump to restrict press further. Perfect quote about not chickening out: "What’s worse than losing is falling in line, because it simply encourages more of this to happen."

A U.S. District Court judge found that President Trump's executive ordering the defunding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment. n.pr/3PUBm6t

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington ruled that President Donald Trump's executive order to cease funding for NPR and PBS is unlawful and unenforceable. https://to.pbs.org/4bO3Ndy

BREAKING: A judge blocks a Trump administration order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS.

'IS THIS A CATCH-22? IS THIS KAFKA?': Judge stews over Pentagon press changes that NY Times says defy a court order to restore access for journalists www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

The Supreme Court refuses to review an odious 5th Circuit decision granting qualified immunity to Texas officials who arrested a citizens-journalist in retaliation against her posing questions to public officials. Sotomayor has an appropriately furious dissent: www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...

Striking Down Pentagon Press Limits, Judge Vindicates Independent Journalism The ruling cut deeper than left-versus-right politics, declaring that the policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is unconstitutional. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/u...

BREAKING: Federal judge tosses out provisions in Pentagon’s new press policy — which most longtime reporters refuse to sign on to — as violations of the First and Fifth Amendments. Background: www.lawdork.com/p/doj-is-bar... Opinion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Judge Rules Pentagon Restrictions on Press Are Unconstitutional www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/b...

I’m thrilled to be joining the board of @documentary.org! IDA’s support and advocacy for documentary filmmakers is unmatched; it’s an honor to be a part of this vital organization. deadline.com/2026/03/inte...

Federal judge appears skeptical of Pentagon's restrictions on press access www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

New opinion for @us.theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The New York Times sued the Pentagon on Thursday, arguing that the Defense Department infringed on the constitutional rights of its journalists by imposing a set of new restrictions on reporting about the military. Read more: nyti.ms/44CRJZY

NEWS: NPR and three Colorado public radio stations sue Trump White House over effort to ban federal funding for NPR & PBS The lawsuit calls Trump's executive order "textbook retaliation" for protected free speech - threatening public radio My story: www.npr.org/2025/05/27/n...

We're thrilled to welcome five new SPLC board members, who will help us strengthen our efforts to promote the rights of student journalists. ➡️ loom.ly/2jX6uMU Welcome @katiefallow.bsky.social, Charlotte Hampton, Katelyn Polantz, @amysummersnyc.bsky.social and @ktownsend.bsky.social. 🎉

I collaborated with the cool dudes at @status.news on this limited edition shirt to coincide with the WHCD. 50% of proceeds will be donated to the legal defense fund of @rcfp.org. You (yes, YOU) can buy the shirt here: shop.status.news/products/pro...

A beautiful morning at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. I’m excited to be here speaking to documentary filmmakers about navigating defamation threats & other legal risks. Huge thanks to Doc Shop & the amazing folks at the UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic for having me!

I’m thrilled to be rejoining this media and First Amendment litigation powerhouse. I was lucky to be able to start my career at Gibson Dunn and I can’t think of a place I’d rather be at this moment. www.gibsondunn.com/leading-firs...

Some, as they say, personal news: After more than a decade, today is my last day at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press . . . www.rcfp.org

You're going to hear a lot about Altadena, a beautiful, eccentric, really special community that suffered massive losses. If you haven't had a chance to visit, help them rebuild when it's time by coming, supporting local businesses and donating; they don't have the resources some other areas do.

I really appreciate Judge Rovner, of the 7th Circuit, calling out the lack of transparent public access to federal dockets. It is still far too difficult for litigants, the press, and the public to access court records! It's a serious problem! media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/Opin...

Glad to see erikwemple.bsky.social writing about this; it’s so often overlooked. Local journalists are facing everything from denials of access to threats and harassment - with far fewer resources to defend themselves than national newsrooms. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Wow. And huh

Just four months after his release from Russian prison, Evan Gershkovich has the lead byline on an incredible story about the ultrasecret Russian agency behind his kidnapping. He and the Journal identified the precise individuals involved. Astonishing. www.wsj.com/world/russia...

In 2024, RCFP attorneys litigated over 60 matters on behalf of journalists and news outlets, bringing cases against city officials, state agencies, the Pentagon, and more. Read about all of our work defending #pressfreedom in RCFP's year in review.

Huge kudos to my @reporterscommittee.bsky.social colleagues @ktownsend.bsky.social and @graysonclary.bsky.social, who successfully litigated this challenge to Indiana's "buffer zone" law that made it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a cop after being told to stop www.rcfp.org/indiana-poli...

Hard to believe that I’m celebrating my 10th year at the Reporters Committee. I’m so fortunate to have such wonderful and talented colleagues, including @a-marshall-plan.bsky.social who made this amazing illustration of our work over the last 10 years. Time flies when you’re having fun!

New: We finally have an official list of the major investors in Elon Musk's X, after a judge ordered it unsealed in response to a motion by @silverman.bsky.social. They include Jack Dorsey, a16z, a Saudi prince, and of course Sean "Diddy" Combs. Story by Trisha Thadani: wapo.st/3WYQaB5

Today, attorneys at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, representing a coalition of news organizations that work in Louisiana, filed suit to challenge this unconstitutional law. www.propublica.org/article/loui...

Breaking news: Julian Assange, the founder of the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks, has reached a tentative deal to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act for his role in obtaining and publishing classified documents in 2010, according to a court filing.

The Reporters Committee FOIA’d every federal agency for their ‘Glomar’ responses. Here’s what we learned: www.rcfp.org/glomar-denia... #FOIA #SunshineWeek

Very proud to have helped Steve Coll obtain material for his new book out today--The Achilles Trap--though FOIA litigation with my colleagues @ktownsend.bsky.social and Gunita Singh at @reporterscommittee.bsky.social. Read all about it! www.rcfp.org/steve-coll-a...

When a state agency tried to charge its reporter $44,000 (!) to process a public record request, this Nebraska nonprofit news org fought back. The Reporters Committee is proud to support the Flatwater Free Press in its battle for greater gov’t transparency. flatwaterfreepress.org/were-fightin...

NewsNation journalist Evan Lambert was wrongfully arrested last year covering a press conference by Gov. Mike DeWine about the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The City of East Palestine & Columbiana County are now paying Lambert $80,000 to resolve his federal civil rights claims.

I’m thrilled RCFP is expanding its Local Legal Initiative into Indiana. That means a lawyer dedicated, full time, to pro bono legal support for local enterprise & investigative reporting in the state. We’ve seen what it can do for local journalism in other states; now it’s Indiana’s turn!

Last night, public radio journalist Josie Huang--represented by @reporterscommittee.bsky.social's @ktownsend.bsky.social & lawyers from Gibson Dunn-- reached a $700,000 settlement with LA County & Sheriff’s Department related to her violent and unlawful arrest while covering a protest in 2020

Our legal team @ the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is representing a coalition of Indiana news orgs challenging an unconstitutional state law that interferes with journalists’ rights to gather news and report on law enforcement activity

A coalition led by @reporterscommittee.bsky.social & joined by 34 major news media & press freedom orgs is calling on police in Marion County, Kansas to return seized materials & initiate an independent & transparent investigation into their raid of the Marion County Record newspaper.

Hard to find the words for how outrageous this is. @reporterscommittee.bsky.social is looking into this newsroom raid in Kansas & will be demanding answers.

At the federal district court in Manhattan today for a hearing in FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal case that could have a big impact on news coverage about the case moving forward; Vanity Fair wrote about it here: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/08/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-gag-order/amp

The reporterscommittee.bsky.social filed an amicus brief last week urging a federal court not to dismiss Disney’s 1A lawsuit against the FL governor; it argues that if gov’t officials can retaliate against Disney for engaging in First Amendment protected speech, that is bad news for news orgs.