A federal judge in Washington has preliminarily blocked the Defense Department from forcing New York Times reporters to be accompanied by escorts while they pursue their challenge to Pentagon press-access restrictions, a ruling that signals meaningful judicial skepticism toward the policy under the First Amendment.

The dispute, now pending as NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY et al v. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE et al, centers on whether the Pentagon can impose differential access burdens on a major news organization in a way that appears to impede routine newsgathering.

A newly filed joint motion in 1:25-cv-01112 in the Middle District of North Carolina suggests the parties are trying to convert an active emergency dispute into a negotiated procedural reset. View full case on Docket Alarm.

From the docket text, the filing asks the court to enter an agreed order that would, first, deny a pending preliminary injunction motion as moot and, second, grant related relief the parties have apparently negotiated.

A federal judge in California has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the proposed $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA, handing enforcers and private challengers a significant early win in one of the most closely watched media antitrust fights in recent years.

The court found that the plaintiffs — including multiple state attorneys general and DirecTV — were likely to succeed on claims that the transaction would lessen competition, giving the combined company greater leverage over distributors and potentially leading to higher prices or worse terms that could ultimately affect consumers.