Agency watchdogs shouldn’t be bullied into keeping secrets. USAID’s acting inspector general should release the reports while it has the power to do so — or the public might never see them. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/27/usaid-trump-gaza-aid-probe/

Trump "wants news outlets to be dependent on his whims and favors so he can dictate coverage," Seth Stern tells DW News. "It allows the White House to dangle access over journalists' heads and punish those who don't toe the line."

Turns out Biden's DOJ misled Congress about a secret UK order requiring Apple to break encryption. How many times will government agencies hide or lie about surveillance powers before Congress holds them accountable? https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/02/26/intelligence-chief-tulsi-gabbard-will-fight-egregious-apple-back-door-order/

"Let this be a lesson: if you try to silence one voice in America, a hundred more will take up the call." Great work by the FIRE responding to this assault on the First Amendment and helping to get it dropped. And thanks to every news outlet that covered it.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

VICTORY: Mississippi town votes to drop lawsuit that had forced newspaper to take down editorial

The government can’t censor individuals for criticizing government officials. But that’s exactly what happened last week in the Mississippi Del...

Good. It's hard to imagine government documents of greater concern to the public than police disciplinary records. https://www.courthousenews.com/ny-top-court-rejects-carveouts-to-shield-old-nypd-disciplinary-records/

📩 Social platform X temporarily blocked @Signal links, which federal workers use to talk to journalists about the Trump administration. Learn how to make a Signal username, which is harder to block, in our digital security newsletter (and subscribe):

Freedom of the Press

X temporarily blocks Signal links

While X might be able to block links, it will have a tougher time blocking Signal usernames

Kash Patel wants to "come after" the press. The Senate shouldn’t give him the keys to the FBI to do it.

Freedom of the Press

Senate should not confirm Patel for FBI director

The Senate shouldn’t give Patel the keys to the FBI so he can 'come after' the press

If fear of liability stops CBS's owner from bribing Trump with settlement payments, great. But something's very wrong when liability risk is the only thing giving news executives pause about bribing public officials their journalists cover. https://www.wsj.com/business/media/paramount-executives-ask-could-they-be-sued-for-settling-trumps-20-billion-cbs-lawsuit-228604a2?mod=media_news_article_pos3

🫶 You’re the one I trust with my secret key! Learn all about encryption at the link below. #Valentinesday @npub1606n...yxcd

Freedom of the Press

Encryption toolkit for media makers

Defending press freedom for the next generation

This White House doesn’t care about free speech or informing the American people. It cares about controlling the narrative by shutting out the press and punishing anyone who challenges it in even the smallest of ways. All Americans should object to this unconstitutional ban on The Associated Press.