Media News Daily: Top Stories for 08/09/2026

Don Lemon Seeks Dismissal of Protest Charges

Journalist Don Lemon has asked a federal judge in Minnesota to dismiss criminal charges tied to his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul. Lemon’s lawyers argue the indictment is a vindictive prosecution that violates the First Amendment and could chill critical reporting on protests. His legal team, led by Abbe Lowell, claims the Justice Department acted on President Trump’s hostility toward Lemon and falsely alleged in affidavits that he was “chanting with agitators” inside the church. The motion also criticizes federal agents for arresting Lemon at midnight in Los Angeles rather than arranging a voluntary surrender. (Read More) (CBS News Rating)

Judge Rejects SPLC Vindictive Prosecution Claim

A federal judge in Alabama rejected the Southern Poverty Law Center’s attempt to dismiss a Trump administration case on claims of vindictive prosecution. The SPLC argued the Justice Department’s case was motivated by political animus, but the judge found the organization had not met the legal standard needed to show the prosecution was driven by improper retaliation. The ruling allows the case against the civil rights nonprofit to move forward, even as questions continue over the Trump administration’s use of federal power against organizations it views as political opponents. (Read More) (The Hill Rating)

VDARE Libel Case Against New York Times Dismissed

A New York trial court dismissed VDARE Foundation’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times under the state’s anti-SLAPP law. VDARE sued over several articles that referenced terms such as “racist,” “white supremacist,” “hate website,” and alleged anti-Semitic references. Judge Lisa Headley ruled that VDARE failed to show actual malice by clear and convincing evidence and found that terms such as “racist” and “white supremacist” are generally non-actionable opinion in this context. The court granted the Times’ anti-SLAPP motion and said the newspaper is entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees. (Read More) (Reason Rating)