For daily news, updates, and analysis, be sure to follow us on Instagram. If you are able to support independent journalism, please make a tax-deductible donation to News Not Noise here.
This is an unprecedented moment.
President Trump kicked CNN, MS NOW, and Politico out of the White House. The outlets are suing. And today, the major television networks banded together and refused to replace CNN in the rotating camera pool that provides live video of the President’s events, leaving Trump without the regular network TV coverage he prizes.
I spoke with Senator (D-VA), who calls the ban a clear violation of the First Amendment, but he sees something potentially promising in the response. The press held the line. Maybe, he says, this could be “the beginning of our institutions holding.”
Warner also sees an opportunity on AI. He has been warning about its risks for years. Now, as the technology accelerates and even the people building it warn about the existential risks, Warner argues Washington can still rein it in. In our conversation he lays out proposals to put guardrails on data centers, add safety protocols for AI’s most powerful models, and implement new protections for kids. It’s less “AI could kill us this year,” and more “here are things Congress can do this week.”
We also talk midterms, where Warner, as vice chair of Senate Intelligence, is preparing for threats he believes could come from the federal government. And I asked him about the Creator Constitution I’ve proposed, and whether standards for this new information world should come from Washington or from creators ourselves.
Press freedom. AI. Elections. Who gets to tell us what to trust. Just a light conversation. Check it out at the top of this email.
If you’d prefer to read a transcript of our conversation, find that here.
Wishing an easy and meaningful fast to all who observe Yom Kippur.
In today’s newsletter: Trump’s CNN ban triggers a TV blackout. The AGs cut a deal with Paramount. Political appointees could get veto power over medical research. U.S. airports have a connectivity problem. ICE shoots an Austin delivery driver with no criminal record. Trump’s arch has an ammunition plan. Cindy Crawford’s son dies at 27. And a tiny tree frog helped wipe out cancer in mice.
Blackout: CNN, MS NOW, and Politicosued Trumpover his decision toban themfrom the White House. Their lawsuitwas assignedto a Trump-nominated judge, whoruled in favorof CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta in 2018, after the White House revoked his press pass. The five major networks — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC — agreed tosuspend their shared TV coverageof Trump in response to the ban. Trump can still use White House cameras or MAGA influencers to get his video out. ( referred to them today as “state tv” in a conversation you can watchhere.) The Washington Post and New York Times joined the protest on the photo side, withholding White House photo images of Trump for the day. There was an immediate downside to Trump’s ban: In video today, without the pool’s microphones, you can barely hear what he’s saying. Check it out for yourself here:
And… Action: Paramountstruck a dealwith thedozen statessuing to block its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing a majorobstacle to the deal. Paramountwill reportedlyestablish two supposedlyindependent editorial boardsfor CNN and CBS News, and will pay a $30 million penalty per film if it fails to meet David Ellison’s pledge to release 30 films per year. Multiple state attorneys general reportedlyopposed the termsof the deal, wanting stricter concessions, but conceded after it became clear that California wasn’t going to lead a protracted legal fight. They reached this settlement just before Paramount was set to start paying millions of dollars a day in fees if the deal remained unresolved.
Sounds Unhealthy: The Trump administration is reportedly considering an executive order that would give political appointees veto power over tens of billions of dollars in health research grants disbursed by the National Institutes of Health, the world’slargest public funderof biomedical research. TheWashington PostandPoliticoreport the plan would create a board that would include Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. Each member would have veto power over grants. This would mark a major shift from the decades-old system in which scientific experts evaluate proposals on their merits. Vought has argued federal research money is being wasted on “woke” topics. Researchers recently filed aclass-action lawsuitagainst the NIH, accusing the administration of canceling or blocking grants based on views it dislikes. Vought previously proposed giving political appointees more power over federal grants government-wide. That move facedbipartisan oppositionand lawmakers blocked it until December. The administration alsoattempted to slashNIH’s budget by 40% for fiscal year 2026, which lawmakers rejected. Bhattacharya and the NIH have pushed back, insisting that “all NIH grant monies will be spent.”SNAFU: The FAAgrounded dozens of flightsat major Northeast airports. Officials claim an Amtrak construction crew in New Jerseyaccidentally cuta backup fiber line needed for air traffic control operations. Theysayrepairs could take 13 hours. I’ve been hearing from folks trapped at the airport with no scheduled departure time. Some flightsresumedMonday afternoon. United Airlines, which operates a hub at Newark,𝕏announced it is cancelinga significant number of flights on its domestic schedule.SUSFU: The Government Accountability Officereleased a reportwarning the FAA’s air traffic and data communications systems are “vulnerable to cyber threats,” which the FAA “hasn’t sufficiently addressed.” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)sayssome of “the technology used by air traffic controllers to communicate with aircraft is incredibly insecure, can be intercepted, impersonated, and jammed” potentially allowing hackers or foreign governments “to disrupt air travel and even put passengers at risk.” Cool, cool.TARFU: Today the Trump administrationbegan rolling outan $875 million AI traffic control tool at Washington DC airports. “Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories,” or SMART, uses AI to predict traffic and help prevent flight delays. Officials stressed it won’t replace human controllers, but will make recommendations they can accept or ignore. Critics argue itwon’t solvethe FAA’s main problems, which include apersistent shortageof air traffic controllers. And they note with concern that the contractwas awarded afterjust four months, an unusually fast timeline. The administration aims to use itnationwideby 2028.
Another Shooting: Hundreds of peopleprotested in Austinafter an ICE agentshot and woundedWilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man who was delivering food when he was stopped by immigration officers. Agents firedat least three shots, hitting him in the back. He was detained, taken to the hospital, and is now in ICE custody.Immigration attorneyKate Lincoln-Goldfinch says he has not been given pain medication or allowed to see or speak to his wife, who has also been denied any updates on his health. His wife and a senior administration official said Garces Perez has no criminal history. Federal immigration officials haveshot atmore than 20 people since the start of Trump’s second term, killing six, including three U.S. citizens.Wrong Guy: Illinois authoritiesare investigatingan incident in which a U.S. citizen was hospitalized after being detained by federal immigration agents. According to apolice statement, the man reported injuries to his head, neck, and teeth; immigration agents said he refused to provide ID and resisted detention, and claimed they released him after determining he was not the person they were seeking.
Saudi Bound: The Trump administrationapproveda $24.3 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets, considered the world’s most advanced, to Saudi Arabia. The deal still needs congressional approval. U.S. intelligenceofficers warnedthe sale could allow China to acquire the technology, either through spying or China’s military partnerships with Saudi Arabia. The sale also comes as Saudi Arabia is againcarrying out airstrikesin Yemen.Arch Nemesis: Trump claims his planned national arch in Washington, DC willalso serveas a “military complex” with drones, snipers and ammunition. Criticsaccused himof once again using national security to justify a controversial project, as he has donemany timesthis term, including with his ballroom. Seems tourist-friendly.How Low Can You Go: Trump’sapproval ratingsunk to 32%, lower than any other point in either of his terms, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Just 17% approve of his handling of the cost of living.
Lost Too Soon: Presley Gerber, 27-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford,died in what police are investigatingas a suspected overdose. Gerberhad been openabout his struggles with mental health and addiction, using his social media to raise awareness. Last yearhe saidhe was dependent on prescription medications, and that he felt heavily medicated after seeing over 15 different psychiatrists. He also revealed on social media that this year he traveled to Mexico foribogaine treatment. It’s an experimental psychedelic being studied as a potential treatment for addiction and other issues. It is not approved for medical use in the U.S., though Health Secretary RFK, Jr haschampioned researchinto its therapeutic potential. His official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Gut Feeling: Over the last three decades, the U.S. cancerdeath ratehas declined 35%, amounting to almost 5 million deaths avoided. In part, that’s due to remarkable advances in cancer treatment. Yet many of those treatments come withbrutal side effects, and those painful life saving treatments aren’t always effective;this yearmore than two million people will be diagnosed with cancer, and over 626,000 will die. But now a team of researchers in Japanmay have discovereda brand new approach to cancer treatment — and it all started with a common tree frog. The scientists were looking at gut bacteria from a few different animals found in Japan. One bacterium from the tree frog,Ewingella americana, stood out. When they injected it into mice with colorectal cancer, the bacterium completely eliminated the mice’s tumors, outperforming chemotherapy and other existing treatments. How? Well,E. americanaappears to thrive in the unique environment of a tumor, where oxygen is lacking and the body’s natural immune defenses are suppressed. In t…