Associated Press seeks full appeals court hearing on access to Trump administration events
The Associated Press on Tuesday asked for a hearing before the full U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, seeking to overturn a three-judge panel's ruling that allowed the Trump administration to continue blocking AP access to some presidential events — a four-month case that has raised questions about what level of journalistic access to the presidency the First Amendment permits.
Three judges of that court on Friday, in a 2-1 decision, said it was OK for Trump to continue keeping AP journalists out of Oval Office or other small events out in retaliation over the news outlet's decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico's name.
He had sought a pause of a lower court's ruling in AP's favor in April that the administration was improperly punishing the news organization for the content of its speech.
'The decision of the appellate panel to pause the district court's order allows the White House to discriminate and retaliate over words it does not like, a violation of the First Amendment,' AP spokesman Patrick Maks said. 'We are seeking a rehearing of this decision by the full appellate court because an essential American principle is at stake.'
A hearing before the full court would change the landscape — and possibly the outcome as well. The two judges who ruled in Trump's favor on Friday had been appointed to the bench by him. The full court consists of nine members appointed by Democratic presidents, and six by Republicans.
The news outlet's access to events in the Oval Office and Air Force One was cut back starting in February after the AP said it would continue referring to the Gulf of Mexico in its copy, while noting Trump's wishes that it instead be renamed the Gulf of America.
For decades, a reporter and photographer for the AP — a 179-year-old wire service whose material is sent to thousands of news outlets across the world and carried on its own website, reaching billions of people — had been part of a small-group 'pool' that covers a president in places where space is limited.
___
David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
24 minutes ago
- The Hill
US should stay out of war in Middle East: Retired colonel
Following Israeli strikes on Iran, one retired military officer told NewsNation, The Hill's sister network, that the U.S. should stay out of the fight. Iran has already vowed retaliation and the U.S. has shifted military assets into the region in case they are needed. Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis told NewsNation that the path forward depends on whether Iran chooses to prioritize revenge or regime survival, with revenge being the more dangerous option. 'Iran can bring substantial damage to Israel if they choose to go down the path of revenge, because then they're not going to be concerned about what happens next,' he said. 'They're going to be concerned about how much damage they can cause in the meantime.' Iran could consider the U.S. involved in the attack because it had forewarning and because the country supplies military aid to Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied any U.S. involvement in the initial attack and President Trump has urged Iran to reach a deal on dismantling its nuclear program. 'I will just categorically say that no matter what happens in terms of Israel and Iran, we should not get involved,' Davis said. 'It is not our war to fight.' 'It shouldn't have started at all, and we should not sacrifice American troops, which we surely would do if we get into a fight there,' he said.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Parade to Display Power at Home That's Being Tested Abroad
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump's pledge to exert US power around the world is being tested in Europe and the Middle East, but this weekend offers him a chance to display that power on American soil. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space Trump, who's celebrating his 79th birthday on Saturday, is the driving force behind the parade down Washington's Constitution Avenue — which runs behind the White House — that includes a muscular exhibition of 6,600 soldiers, Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and a Black Hawk helicopter. Also planned are historic reenactments, state-of-the-art military technology and a flyover with the Air Force Thunderbirds. The Army is marking its 250th anniversary with a companion all-day event on the National Mall. The parade is expected to cost $45 million, an estimate that includes potential damage to major District of Columbia streets from heavy tank treads. The US last celebrated its military strength in 1991 after the first Gulf War. The only other such events celebrated the end of the Civil War and World Wars I and II. While Democratic President John F. Kennedy included military displays in his 1961 inaugural parade, such exhibitions are more common in authoritarian countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. Longtime US ally France also marks its annual Bastille Day with a military parade. Previous parades in the US came in moments of national unity and patriotism about victories overseas. By contrast, Trump's parade coincides with his seizing control of California's National Guard and deploying US Marines to quell protests over immigration raids in the state. An appeals court is allowing him to continue their use over the weekend as a lawsuit from Governor Gavin Newsom is considered. Across the globe, Trump's exertion of US influence and power has been repeatedly stymied. Few US trade deals have been notched since his April 2 'Liberation Day' announcement. Israel and Iran traded missile strikes on Friday, jeopardizing US talks with the Tehran government over its nuclear program. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel acted 'unilaterally.' Hours later, Trump linked the strikes to the talks, demanding that Iran return to the discussions. Despite a promise to end the war in Ukraine on 'Day 1,' Trump has failed to push Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and both sides are waging increasingly audacious attacks. European leaders are moving away from relying on the US and seeking other means of aiding Ukraine. Back home, the Washington parade will be flanked by at least 200 'No King' protests nationwide to defy what organizers call Trump's brand of authoritarianism. Millions are expected to participate from New York and Chicago to Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Trump on Monday referred back to the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, and suggested he would handle such incidents differently in his second term. 'There's so many different places where we let it burn, we wanted to be politically correct, we wanted to be nice,' he said. 'Those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force,' Trump said this week. 'And I haven't even heard about a protest, but, you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.' Trump has been eager to host a military parade ever since attending a Bastille Day parade in Paris during his first term. City officials in Washington warned that heavy military vehicles could damage city streets, and the price tag became a political liability. American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US Steel Sale to Nippon Steel Poised to Close After Trump Deal
(Bloomberg) -- Nippon Steel Corp. won conditional US approval for its $14.1 billion purchase of United States Steel Corp., capping a lengthy saga in a tie-up that will create one of the world's largest steel companies. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space In a release Friday, the companies said they've committed to a national security agreement proposed by the Trump administration, which earlier cleared the deal subject to those terms. As part of the $55-per-share deal, the Japanese company will invest an additional $11 billion by 2028, including an initial commitment in a greenfield project that would be completed after 2028. Nippon had previously raised its pledged additional investment in an effort to win President Donald Trump's approval. Nippon Steel will also spend an extra $3 billion after 2028 for a new steel mill, according to people familiar with the matter. That would push the total additional investment — on top of the purchase price — to $14 billion. Earlier Friday, Trump formally opened the door to approving the sale of US Steel by submitting the agreement to the companies and amending former President Joe Biden's move to block the agreement in an executive order. The president's action cleared the sale so long as the companies comply with the government's terms. 'President Trump promised to protect American Steel and American Jobs — and he has delivered on that promise,' White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a written statement. 'Today's executive order ensures US Steel will remain in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and be safeguarded as a critical element of America's national and economic security.' Nippon Steel and US Steel in the release said they had received regulatory approvals and that 'the partnership is expected to be finalized promptly.' The deal is expected to close by June 18, the merger agreement deadline, Japan's Nikkei reported on Saturday, without saying where it got the information. Trump earlier this week said the US would receive a so-called golden share in the post-transaction company, though it's not clear what that would entail. The companies confirmed that the US would get a golden share but didn't elaborate. The terms of the security agreement include significant and unprecedented US control measures, as well as certain control over some board seats and requirements that some leadership roles go to American citizens, according to a person familiar with the pact, speaking on condition of anonymity. The golden share does not include an equity stake in the company, the person said. Earlier: Nippon Steel Plans $6 Billion Investment in Its Japanese Mills 'The Japanese government believes that this investment will strengthen the ability of the Japanese and US steel industries to generate new innovation and lead to the strengthening of the close partnership between Japan and the US,' Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yoji Muto, said in a written statement. 'We welcome the decision of the US government.' Trump and Biden as well as former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned against the deal, before the former president blocked it in January. Trump has since reversed his position, insisting that the agreement would preserve steel jobs in the US. The text of the security agreement hasn't been released. Trump and others have previously announced other elements of the deal, including bonuses to steelworkers, a requirement to keep existing blast furnaces running for a decade, and government veto power to retain control over the board of the US Steel subsidiary. Trump has also hailed the accord as vindication of his trade policies, which have seen the administration levy tariffs in a bid to pressure companies to shift more manufacturing to the US. Japan has been engaging in negotiations with the US over trade in a bid to avoid higher levies Trump has threatened. Trump's decision to champion Nippon Steel's bid offers to provide fresh momentum for those talks. Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania two weeks ago, at US Steel's iconic Mon Valley facility, celebrating the deal with a crowd of steelworkers, even though it had not yet been finalized. Earlier: US, Mexico Near Deal to Cut Steel Duties and Cap Imports Trump also used that event to announce he was doubling his tariffs on steel and aluminum, raising them to 50% from 25%. Since that rally, government officials, company executives and deal advisers worked to hammer out the finer details and get the final signatures. The deal creates a combined company that will be the world's second-largest steelmaker. It will become a formidable domestic competitor to Nucor Corp., which for a generation has dominated the American steel industry. The acquisition also clears the way for enhanced steelmaking in areas the US has lagged in recent years, including the type of steel critical to bolster ailing electric grids across the country. The Japanese steelmaker's takeover became a political lightning rod after the leadership of the United Steelworkers – based, like US Steel itself, in Pittsburgh – staunchly opposed the tie-up. Biden sided with them, as did Trump. The deal has taken a winding path with extensions, a Biden block, a legal fight, and then Trump's decision to reexamine it before ultimately clearing it. Nippon Steel and US Steel have steadily tried to address worries, with Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori making repeated visits to the US to clinch the deal. Divisions within the union were laid bare through the process, with local union leaders expressing support for the deal and breaking with their national leadership. Trump's reversal was a few months in the making. In February, he surprised the parties by blessing some kind of a minority stake — an announcement they hadn't been privy to and didn't understand. The deal, then and now, was built on Nippon Steel buying US Steel entirely. The question was mitigation measures. The president said he supported a 'planned partnership' between the companies on May 23, without providing details of an announcement that appeared to bless the original deal with additional mitigation measures. --With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Meghashyam Mali and Yoshiaki Nohara. (Updates with potential closing timeframe in eighth paragraph.) American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
