PRESSING MATTERS: The five major television news networks suspended their participation in the White House press pool in protest of President Trump kicking three outlets out of the White House press corps.

  ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC usually provide television coverage in the pool, the tighter group of journalists who travel with the President or crowd into the Oval Office. The pool shares their video, photos, notes, and recordings with the rest of the press corps.

  The five networks issued a joint statement saying: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

  Trump is still getting on television as his trip to New York is covered by local media.

  CNN, MSNOW, and Politico yesterday sued to have their White House credentials restored, writing in their complaint, “This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles.”

 While claiming he loves a free press, Trump yesterday wrote on his Truth Social that the “FAKE NEWS,”  is “corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”

  Answering questions about the ban last week Trump did not point out any particular stories that earned his enmity. He said, “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last two years. You get sick of it.” 

GODZILLA RETURNS: Paramount reached a settlement with a group of states that had sued to block a $111 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery arguing that the deal would concentrate too much movie, television, and news under one company.

  The completed deal would make David Ellison, the chief executive of Paramount and a friend of the Trump White House, one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry.  Ellison’s Skydance bought Paramount in 2024 giving it control of CBS news and the new deal adds CNN to his portfolio. 

  The entertainment behemoth agreed as part of the settlement to establish a board to ensure the editorial independence of CNN and CBS News and committed to distributing 30 movies in theaters every year. The company also pledged to spend an additional $1.5 billion on film production over the next five years and guaranteed an increase in the number of movies that are made in America.

LA MIGRA: Immigration and Customs Enforcement is removing the names of immigrants with final deportation orders from a searchable database, leaving families and lawyers unable to know where someone has been taken.

  The policy bars immigration officers from sharing information about a detainee’s location with their lawyers or relatives by phone, The NY Times reports according to two former Homeland Security officials briefedon the change. ICE did not issue a public announcement about the new policy, which took effect September 15th.

  It’s part of the Trump administration’s effort to speed the deportation of as many as one million immigrants, often to countries with which they have no connection. Immigration lawyers say they can’t file federal lawsuits challenging a detainee’s arrest if they don’t know where they are.

ICE, ICE, BABY: The Venezuelan immigrant shot by an ICE agent in Austin, Texas told reporters by telephone that he was sent to sleep on the floor of a detention center with a bullet still lodged near his spine. Wilber Garcés Pérez said he was quickly discharged from a hospital before being fully treated. 

  Garcés Pérez was shot Sunday in a traffic stop through the right rear window of his car. Video shows that no ICE  agent appeared to be in immediate danger at the moment of the shooting.

IT’S POLITICAL: New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a lightning rod of the progressive movement, is considering stepping up in the political world. She told The NY Times that she might run to succeed Sen. Chuck Schumer, or even for president in 2028.  

  “There’s an argument that some make that this is a very unique political window and, oftentimes in politics, you do only get one shot,” she told the Times. “And you don’t — and just in life in general — life doesn’t wait for you to be ready for things. Sometimes life just makes things ready for you.”

  At 36, “AOC” as she’s known, is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and is now in her eighth year representing parts of the Bronx and Queens. 

THE WAR ROOM: The United Russia Party won 355 out of 450 seats in the Duma in national elections, putting a stamp of approval on Vladmir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

  Analysis by the Institute for the Study of War says that, “Putin will likely use the Duma election results to justify increased demands on Russian society, such as mobilization in some form, and claim societal approval for further aggression against Ukraine and potential future aggression against NATO.”

  In a message to Russian citizens, Ukraine during the election fired 1,000 missiles and drones into Russia, including hundreds toward Moscow.

THE SPIN RACK: — The death of model Cindy Crawford’s son, Presley, in a rehab facility is being investigated as an overdose. — The DoorDash food delivery service has agreed to pay $131.5 million to New York City  after it underpaid or failed to pay 264,000 delivery workers. “We screwed up,” the company said in a statement, “and our mistakes meant some NYC Dashers were underpaid or paid late.” — Illinois Gov. JB Pritkzer says he has lost 80 pounds taking the weight reduction medicine GLP-1 since he was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. Okay, so he’s going to run for president.

BELOW THE FOLD: In the midst of President Trump’s fight with the news media, The White House announced the launching of “Trump TV,” a 24 hour feed in which you can watch and listen to Donald Trump unfiltered. They are hoping this is more successful than Trump Steaks.

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