DHS used an obscure 1930s tariff law to secretly obtain journalist Georgia Fort’s phone records without a warrant, after judges rejected the government’s earlier attempts to unmask her sources. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the full investigation.
Press Freedom
Posted inLocal & State
IWMF Honors Minneapolis Journalist Georgia Fort with Courage in Journalism Award
Minneapolis independent journalist Georgia Fort, founder of BLCK Press and facing federal felony charges for her coverage of a St. Paul protest, has been named a 2026 Courage in Journalism Award recipient by the International Women’s Media Foundation.
Posted inLocal & State
Trump DOJ tried to surveil Minnesota journalists. A judge said no.Â
The Trump Justice Department twice tried and failed to obtain search warrants for the YouTube accounts of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, with a federal judge rejecting all five applications and ordering them unsealed after finding the government failed to disclose a key press freedom law.
Posted inLocal & State
Gunfire, criticism and a walkout that never happened
A gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, forcing an evacuation and sparking criticism of Minnesota attendees including Mayor Jacob Frey for normalizing an administration that has repeatedly attacked the free press.
Posted inLocal & State
Protesters Plead Not Guilty in FACE Act Case Stemming From Cities Church Demonstration
Nekima Levy Armstrong FACE Act charges advance after she and Don Lemon pleaded not guilty in federal court over a January protest at Cities Church.
Posted inOpinion
History Will Remember Who Spoke and Who Hid
The arrest of Black journalists during live protest coverage signals a dangerous escalation against press freedom, raising urgent questions about the future of the First Amendment in America.
Posted inOpinion
NNPA Stands With Georgia Fort, Don Lemon, And All Arrested, And Demands All Charges Be Dropped
The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort echo a long history of targeting the Black Press in attempts to silence witnesses and suppress truth.
Posted inLocal & State
Federal Officials Accused of Breaking Surrender Agreement in Arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong
The arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong followed a reversed surrender agreement, prompting renewed concerns about due process, press freedom, and federal accountability.
Posted inNews
Independent Journalist Georgia Fort arrested covering Cities Church protest, and others
Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort was arrested after federal agents linked her to coverage of a St. Paul church protest.
Posted inNational
PBS and rural TV station sue TrumpÂ
PBS and Lakeland PBS are suing President Trump, alleging his executive order cutting public broadcasting funds violates free speech protections.