Ahmed Zidan

We obtained the first publicly released satellite image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound in Tehran, after it was struck by Israel/US. There are several destroyed buildings. Current whereabouts of Iran's supreme leader are unknown; compound used as his official residence. 🛰️📸: @airbus.com

States Can Block the Paramount-Warner Deal - The American Prospect But thanks to some clever maneuvering, they are already running out of time.

“Paramount/Warner Bros is not a done deal. These two Hollywood titans have not cleared regulatory scrutiny—the California Department of Justice has an open investigation, and we intend to be vigorous in our review,” CA AG says.

Via @prospect.org

Paramount and Warner Bros' deal is about merging studios, and a whole lot more The nearly $111 billion marriage would unite Paramount and Warner film studios, streamers and television properties — including CNN — under the control of the wealthy Ellison family.

David Ellison "will readily throw the First Amendment, CNN's reporters and HBO's filmmakers under the bus if they stand in the way of expanding his corporate empire and fattening his pockets," FPF Seth Stern said.

Read more from @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social:

A federal judge is furious at the DOJ over withholding info on the raid on a Washington Post journalist’s home.

Plus, Florida plans to have its own spy quads to monitor views it doesn't like.

Watch @trevortimm.bsky.social highlight these stories and more, and subscribe: freedom.press/newsletters

New: As David Ellison prepares to take control of CNN, legendary CBS News producer Mary Walsh, who is exiting, sent a goodbye note to colleagues.

In the note, Walsh writes, "We’ve been told to aim our reporting at a particular part of the political spectrum. Honestly, I don’t know how to do that."

Calls mount for release of Palestinian protester held by ICE for nearly a year Leqaa Kordia was taken into custody last March, nearly a year after being arrested at a protest at Columbia

I I hope our principled Mayor @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social can do something about it!

#FreeLeqaa

As relieved as I am by the news of Ellie Aghayeva’s release, I’m equally horrified by the lawlessness of that federal agency that continues to run rampant — detaining innocent students and migrants and upending their lives.

I hope Aghayeva uses her platform to demand #FreeLeqaa.

JUST IN: A federal judge says the Trump administration has been “terrorizing” refugees — violating the promise America made to them when they fled persecution at home — by locking them up illegally. He blocked the policy for those in MN storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

“It does not take a scholar of legal ethics to conclude that government lawyers should not be allowed to make up a violent and organized terrorist invasion of a major American city," @freedom.press' @seth-stern.bsky.social

He rightly calls the government claims "nonsense" and "fabricated hysteria"

DOJ lawyer falsely cited terrorism to justify press freedom violations FPF complaint seeks accountability for government lawyer who undermined Constitution with fabricated hysteria

@freedom.press Thursday filed an attorney disciplinary complaint against a DOJ lawyer ridiculous remarks to a federal judge in Chicago that ICE violations of protesters and journalists’ rights were justified by “a riot with violent terrorist organizations attempting to dox ICE" and their families.

Censorship is bad for business Plus, order restricting Natanson search didn’t go far enough

📩 Read in our weekly newsletter (and subscribe):

- When profit is paramount — and press freedom isn’t
- Order restricting Natanson search didn’t go far enough
- Government lawyers: Don’t make up terrorist attacks
- Learn how to FOIA from the pros
- Plus, get to know what we’re reading...

YouTube video by Freedom of the Press Foundation Top security lessons from the FBI’s Washington Post raid

A little-read set of court docs from the FBI’s WaPo raid in Jan. show the risks journalists and sources face if devices are seized.

They also reveal key lessons on how small precautions can make a big, big difference.

Watch @trevortimm.bsky.social explain and subscribe: freedom.press/digisec

"Ellison has already shown his cards."

"Censorship is bad for business."

WBD exes, shareholders should recognize that selling companies that depend on 1A to censorial WH is not only morally wrong but harmful to their bottom line.

@seth-stern.bsky.social sends a moral warning that WBD should heed.

Detained Columbia student released after Mamdani talks with Trump Ellie Aghayeva confirms freedom hours after Department of Homeland security agents access residence hall

“The level of civil rights violations that took place is staggering.”

“These are the tactics of the brownshirts.”

Separately, Columbia — reeling from irreparable reputational damage caused by its shameless capitulation and concessions to an authoritarian administration — should do better.

DHS agents detain Columbia student after entering University-owned residence, Shipman reports <i>This is a developing story. Check back for updates. </i>

Terrifying

Record 129 press members killed in 2025; Israel responsible for 2/3 of deaths - Committee to Protect Journalists Key findings Introduction At a time when armed conflict has reached historic levels around the world, journalist killings also reached an all-time high primarily due to the actions of one government: ...

New @pressfreedom.bsky.social report shows that a record 129 journalists, media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, with Israel responsible for over two-thirds of those killings.

And drone killings of journalists spiked from two in 2023 to 39 in 2025 — with Israel responsible for 28 of the 39.

News outlets "likely hesitated to publish important leaks after seeing what happened" to Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, whose home the government raided, FPF's Seth Stern said.

Read more from @brianstelter.bsky.social:

The Century-Long Capture of U.S. Media | On the Media | WNYC Studios As media empires, from The Washington Post to CBS News, continue to be dealt significant blows, uncertainties abound about the remaining strength of a once robust American press lands...

Journalism is a public good and "shouldn't be left up to the mercy of ... market logics."

More in @onthemedia.bsky.social:

The Century-Long Capture of U.S. Media | On the Media | WNYC Studios As media empires, from The Washington Post to CBS News, continue to be dealt significant blows, uncertainties abound about the remaining strength of a once robust American press lands...

@victorpickard.bsky.social discusses the capitalistic, oligarchic and authoritarian media capture in the U.S.

Unlike the BBC and CBC models, there is a "deeply [read:flawed] American fear that if government gets involved in funding our media, we're on ... a slippery slope towards totalitarianism."

It's just insane the degree to which the federal government has simply declared war on a U.S. state. A punitive war with no discernible objective other than to immiserate its people. bsky.app/profile/apne...

@freedom.press and a coalition of nine other advocacy organizations sent a letter Wednesday to @governor.ny.gov urging NY state to provide the same support for non-profit news outlets as it does for commercial ones.

"If commercial news outlets deserve state subsidies, so do non-profit outlets."

Anxiety is normal in an unjust society.

One of the shoes I’ve been waiting to drop is that Trump has weaponized every other part of the federal government, but we’ve as yet heard fairly little about abuse of the IC’s vast surveillance capabilities. I doubt this is because they’re too scrupulous to do that sort of thing.

Today’s order didn’t go far enough.

Judge Porter should have required all of Natanson’s materials seized pursuant to the deceptive warrant application to be returned to her.

And he shouldn't have credited the admin’s claims that any of seized materials posed a natsec threat.

Our full statement:

Hümeyra Pamuk @humeyra_pamuk SCOOP: The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal that will enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments, a move Washington views as a way to counter censorship, three sources familiar w/the plan tell me @Simondlewis @G_Slattery

Hümeyra Pamuk @humeyra_pamuk · 17h The site will be hosted at "http://freedom.gov," former DOGE member Edward Coristine, aka “Big Balls”, is also involved in the effort which is being spearheaded by State Department’s top public diplomacy official Sarah Rogers — an outspoken critic of EU content policies. https://freedom.gov/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us-plans-online-portal-bypass-content-bans-europe-elsewhere-2026-02-18/

The administration who literally locked a woman up for nothing other than an oped in a student newspaper criticizing Israel can stfu forever about free speech.

MAGA supporters are always in our comments cheering on Trump’s attacks on press freedom.

But they really should be the first to *oppose* Trump anytime he violates the First Amendment.

And to prove it, let's imagine a 2029 Gavin Newsom administration…

Dutch outlet @decorrespondent.nl, as well as @ftm.eu, announce they aim to reduce their dependence on U.S. tech.

Such dependence resulted in "increasing pressure on press freedom, open attacks on journalists, outright censorship, and ... politically motivated persecution of critical voices."

🔴 LIVE NOW: Join our webinar with public records experts
@laurenleharper.bsky.social, @mattacpc.bsky.social, and Mukta Joshi to learn about prying loose documents the government doesn't want seen.

Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-y5...

Blizzard prompts Boston Globe management to call off printing paper for first time in 153 years A record-setting snowstorm has prompted managers of The Boston Globe to call off printing their daily newspaper for the first time in its 153-year-old history.

Blizzard prompts @bostonglobe.com management to call off printing paper for first time in 153 years

When the State Represses Cultural Life  | Essay In the U.S., an Egyptian Exile Contemplates Yet Another Battle Against Authoritarianism

“In Egypt, when I was persecuted and imprisoned … exile was an option … But there is no such exit from the current U.S. regime’s reach. Its superpower ambition is global,” @ahmednaji.bsky.social writes in a powerful article for @zocalopublicsquare.bsky.social.