Journalists from MS NOW, CNN and Politico were denied access to the White House grounds Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump said on social media that he had banned the news outlets over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.”
MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said her White House badge did not work when she arrived Saturday morning and that she was asked to hand it over to security. CNN reporter Betsy Klein was later turned away when she attempted to enter the grounds, and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett was also denied access.
The White House is facing mounting accusations that it violated the First Amendment with the move. Jameel Jaffer, director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, told NBC News that it was “pretty clearly unconstitutional” and predicted that a potential legal challenge would succeed.
Of the multiple, high-level current and former White House staff members who spoke to NBC News, none said they were aware of Trump’s plan ahead of time.
Ed Sheeran calls situation in Gaza ‘unjustifiable’ in first concert since Macklemore controversy
Ed Sheeran addressed the situation in Gaza during his first concert since artist Macklemore was dropped as an opening act.
The singer said Saturday that the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel were “horrific” but that the plight of civilians in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” Sheeran also acknowledged that some of his decisions were mistakes and apologized, adding that he will continue the tour to honor his commitment to fans.
Ahead of the show, dozens of people gathered outside the stadium to participate in a pro-Palestinian demonstration. One man told NBC News he was there to take a stand against “an unjustifiable attempt to squelch free speech,” referring to Macklemore’s removal.
But others were unperturbed by the controversy. “You’re here to see the headliner, not really so much the opening act,” a concertgoer said.
‘Meet the Press’
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on Sunday downplayed concerns that President Donald Trump may have violated the Constitution when reporters from Politico, MS NOW and CNN were banned from covering the White House on Saturday.
Asked directly whether the president had violated the Constitution, Barrasso said, “No, I believe the press has an obligation to report fairly.”
Pressed again on whether he agreed with Trump’s ban, Barrasso said, “We all respect and value the freedom of the press — it’s in the Constitution.”
Politics in brief
- Trump’s arch: The president said in a Truth Social post Sunday that he would convert plans for a Washington, D.C.-area arch to include a complex housing drones and snipers at the request of the military, citing “national security.”
- AI task force: Trump announced that he will appoint a czar to take point on artificial intelligence and will also create an AI task force, but added: “We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry.”
- Trump and Mamdani: President Trump will meet with the New York City mayor on Monday, the mayor’s office said.
- Boat strikes: The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people and raising the total death toll in these boat strikes to 231.
What might an AI doomsday look like?
A small but dedicated group of AI experts has been warning for years that increasingly powerful AI systems could cause catastrophic damage or even lead to human extinction. Now, an explosion of interest worldwide has magnified long-simmering questions about how exactly an AI doomsday scenario could materialize.
In interviews, AI researchers, analysts studying the intersection of AI and the military, and biologists studying AI-mediated risks said that worries about the technology’s growing capabilities are not the stuff of science fiction. Instead, they said, humans acting
There are many ways in which this could go very badly and result in everyone dead.
Peter Barnett, a technical AI researcher at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute
alone or with state support could soon use AI systems to cause potentially catastrophic harm.
AI safety researchers also predict that self-improving AI systems — which AI leaders say could emerge in the coming years — could coordinate complex influence campaigns to gain control of military systems and execute a coup against human governments.
And those are just the scenarios experts can currently envision.
ICE officer shoots man in Austin, Texas
An ICE officer shot and wounded a person Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas, officials said.
The victim, who was identified as a man, was transported to a local hospital and is in “serious but stable condition” after being shot in the torso, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said at a news conference.
It was not immediately clear what the victim’s nationality is and whether he was a target of an ICE operation. Those questions “still need to be answered,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said.
In case you missed it
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he plans to stay in office after his party’s historic loss in state elections on Sunday, and again doubled down on the government’s plans for potentially painful reforms to Europe’s biggest economy.
- Comedian Carrot Top is hospitalized and recovering, his representative said, without disclosing the reason for his hospitalization.
- Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams left Sunday’s game against Minnesota in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury.
- Saudi Arabia on Saturday confirmed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile, the first targeting of Riyadh since an escalation in fighting with the Tehran-backed rebels that has opened a new front in the Iran war.
- Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has accused King Charles of gaslighting him after Buckingham Palace pushed back at his claims about the monarch’s conduct.
