Signs of support for AP, CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO hang on the White House grounds on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge has granted CNN, Politico and MS NOW a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to restore the outlets’ hard-pass press credentials.
The order requires the defendants, excluding President Donald Trump, as well as their agents and representatives, to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the White House hard-pass press credentials held by employees of CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
Judge Timothy Kelly granted the media organizations’ request in the ongoing case Cable News Networks, Inc. v. Trump after their credentials were revoked on Sept. 18, according to the court order.
The temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days, unless otherwise ordered by the court.
Kelly expressed skepticism about the Trump administration’s argument that the stories it cited as justification for revoking the outlets’ press credentials raised national security concerns.
Kelly described the stories identified by the administration as “routine” and said he was “skeptical” that the government’s stated interest in safeguarding national security was the actual motivation for revoking the hard passes. He also noted that Trump did not mention national security concerns when he announced the ban.
“Nothing in the record that predates this suit suggests that the revocation of Plaintiffs’ hard passes was motivated by national security concerns,” Kelly said in the filing. “Certainly, that is not what President Trump said when he announced that he was “banning” Plaintiffs from the White House — instead, he focused on the alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity of Plaintiffs’ reporting.”
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of a bilateral meeting at the Bestepe Presidential Compound, following Trump’s arrival to attend the annual NATO Summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, during the first day of the NATO Summit in Ankara on Tuesday, said he will consider allowing Turkey to buy American F-35 fighter jets — despite possessing Russian-made air defense systems, which his first administration sanctioned the country for six years ago.
“It’s a decision we’re going to make,” Trump said as he met Turkish President Recep Erdogan at Erdogan’s presidential compound.
“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey’s been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” Trump said. “So, it’s something, certainly, we would consider. It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far, and it’s certainly something we will consider.”
Turkey seeks to join a U.S. F-35 program but is prohibited from doing so under U.S. law as long as it possesses Russian-made air defenses.
In a 2020 release, Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said those systems “would endanger the security of U.S. military technology and personnel and provide substantial funds to Russia’s defense sector, as well as Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defense industry.”
Vice President JD Vance, during an Oval Office meeting with Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last week, said Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Department were reviewing the Turkish purchase of American F-35 fighters, and Trump during that meeting teased a “gift” for Turkey, suggesting the sale.
Trump later said the U.S. had an “obligation” to maintain the engines of planes Turkey has bought because Turkey, he said, has been “more helpful” on Iran than other NATO countries.
Trump again lashed out at other NATO allies for their reluctance to join U.S. military operations in reopening and patrolling of the critical Strait of Hormuz.
“I was very disappointed with NATO,” Trump said. “And frankly, if it weren’t held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended.”
Trump again questioned the alliance as he singled out nations he said declined to assist the U.S. on Iran, saying he was “testing people.”
“Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down and France turned us down. And it’s OK, but why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they’re not there for us? We’ve always been there for them,” the president said.
“They’ve been extraordinary in many ways with respect to our relationship, including trying to end the war with Iran, or whatever you call it, it’s not even a war, it’s a military operation, it’s a denuclearization, that’s really what it is, of Iran, because I don’t think he wants to see them have a nuclear weapon either. I’m pretty sure that. In fact, I’m totally sure of that,” Trump said.
Trump suggested that he didn’t have a problem with the fact that Turkey was also using Russian air defense systems, telling reporters: “I have no concerns at all about anything.”
Trump told reporters that his administration is working to lift sanctions on Turkey, saying “it’s time.” Trump’s first administration sanctioned Turkey in 2020 for acquiring the Russian defense systems.
“I can tell you we’re going to take the sanctions off,” Trump said, answering a Turkish question that appeared to be directed at Erdogan. “I don’t want him to waste his time answering that question.”
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Hegseth were working on it.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off. It’s time to do that, OK?” he said.
Thomas Ross booking photo. (Joplin Municipal Jail)
(NEW YORK) — A Republican candidate for a Missouri State House seat was hit with a federal charge after he allegedly tried to plant drugs on his primary opponent, federal prosecutors alleged.
Thomas Christopher Ross, who won the Republican primary last month for Missouri House District 161 in Joplin, was charged Wednesday with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance after authorities discovered the alleged plot to plant cocaine and Adderall in the car of Louise Secker, who faced Ross in the Republican primary.
Ross’ campaign manager contacted the police in July after the candidate allegedly gave him the drugs and instructed him to plant them on Secker, the criminal complaint released Thursday said.
The unidentified campaign manager brought a bag of cocaine and an Adderall pill to the police, who confirmed they were real after tests, according to the criminal complaint.
“[The campaign manager] advised at the time that Ross was believed to have a prescription for Adderall, which was where he believed the capsule originated,” the complaint said.
The campaign manager showed law enforcement alleged text messages between himself and Ross, 37, where the candidate allegedly discussed the plot, with references going as far back as May, according to the complaint.
“I was hoping we could make it happen before THIS Thursday…which would be extreme egg on the face given Thursdays nights event [sic],” the alleged May 31 text from Ross read, according to the criminal complaint.
The police called in the FBI to help with the investigation and the bureau provided the campaign manager with a covert recorder that was used on July 31 to document a meeting between him and Ross, the complaint said.
During the meeting, the campaign manager told Ross that he still had the drugs and asked the candidate if he still wanted him to “try” and plant the drugs on Secker, according to the complaint.
Ross allegedly agreed and told the campaign manager that he could “call in an anonymous tip that Secker had drugs in her car,” the complaint said.
“[I]f you can pull it off…pull it off,” Ross allegedly told the campaign manager, according to the criminal complaint.
Ross defeated Secker in the primary four days later by only 33 votes, and was set to face off against Democratic candidate Aaron Metzger in the general election.
“Thank you again for your faith, your support, and your vote. I am truly grateful, and I will work every day to be a representative you can be proud of,” Ross, a married father of two, said in a social media post after his victory.
He was held at Joplin Municipal Jail, according to jail records. Ross has not entered a plea and a preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9, according to court documents.
His public defender didn’t immediately return messages for comment. Ross’ campaign didn’t immediately return messages.
Missouri Republican Party Chairman Peter Kinder released a statement Wednesday after the charges were revealed and called on Ross to drop out of the race.
“The people of Southwest Missouri deserve nothing less than leadership they can trust,” he said in a statement.
Secker and Metzger did not immediately return messages for comment.
The Lincoln Memorial is seen on June 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. The National Park Service continues to work to control and remove the algae bloom that has turned the pool green following the Trump Administration’s recent $14 million repair, resealing and painting project. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn told ABC News that police arrested him on Friday after he touched a piece of blue coating that was partially detached from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn said he went on a bike ride on Friday afternoon and stopped by the Reflecting Pool as a “curious, concerned citizen”. Given his background in materials science, Hearn says he was interested to see the situation for himself after reading about reports of algae in the water and paint peeling off.
“I saw a piece of this loose end of this blue coating … I reached out and touched the end of that piece that was loose but still attached to the bottom,” Hearn told ABC News. “I was able to reach out and touch the edge of that that was still attached at the bottom and handled it a little bit.”
Hearn, who represented the U.S. in canoeing, said he was able to feel and bend the coating a bit.
“I did not remove, I did not damage, I did not rip, tear, break, destroy or harm any part of the Reflecting Pool,” Hearn said.
“The condition of that part and all other parts of the Reflecting Pool were in the same condition after I walked away as they were before I walked up to it.”
Hearn said as he was touching the material, a National Park Service employee told him to stop touching it. He said he then walked back to his bike where National Guardsmen told him that the Park Police wanted to talk to him.
“I had no idea I was about to be arrested,” Hearn said. “They didn’t say they were charging me, but they did start to handcuff me. They did not ever read me my rights. They did not allow me any phone calls for the ensuing five hours, and they did not detail the charges that were going to be leveled against me.”
The National Park Service has not replied to a request from ABC News about Hearn’s arrest or any others.
Hearn is set to appear in court on July 9.
Hearn said he was “fully cooperative” the whole time, did not resist and was held for five hours before being released Friday night.
Asked whether he is worried about what will happen to him next, Hearn said: “I am concerned. I’m very wary of our current government; I’m a single citizen being singled out in this way by my government. It’s not fair, and it’s not right.”
The Reflecting Pool has been plagued with algae and peeling paint in the days since the Trump administration completed a $14.65 million renovation. Visitors have been flocking to the pool over the weekend and some have taken to social media with photos and videos showing the algae and peeling paint.
President Donald Trump claims, without evidence, that the damage was committed by vandals, saying Saturday in a lengthy post on his social media platform that the pool would need to be partially drained to repair the peeling lining.
Trump said multiple people had been arrested for vandalism and blamed the condition of the pool on someone pouring “corrosive and destructive chemicals” into the pool and that “They took some form of knife or blade, and put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade of what took so much work, competence, and money to build and complete.”
An administration official said on Sunday that as of Saturday night, five individuals had been arrested for vandalism, and five others had been issued citations.
The official added that 14 police reports had also been filed for alleged vandalism, including the alleged crime Trump described.
Hearn said he has “a lot of support.”
“I have several very respectable law firms who are offering to provide pro bono counsel, and we will be vigorously defending against these charges,” he said.
