Media News Daily: Top Stories for 08/23/2026

Trump Threatens $5 Billion Lawsuit Against Nonprofit

President Donald Trump threatened to sue the Center for American Progress unless it retracts a report concluding that his National Guard deployments did not measurably reduce violent crime. Trump’s attorney demanded a retraction by Friday or threatened a $5 billion lawsuit, calling the report false and defamatory. CAP President Neera Tanden refused, saying the threat was an attempt to silence the organization. The nonprofit said its findings were based on crime data analysis, while First Amendment advocates characterized the legal threat as part of a broader pressure campaign against critics. (Read More) (PBS NewsHour Rating)

Appeals Court Overturns Damages Against Project Veritas Founder

A federal appeals court overturned a $130,000 damages award against Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe and undercover reporter Alison Maass tied to a 2016 investigation of Democratic political consultants. The D.C. Circuit ruled that the damages improperly punished O’Keefe and Maass for publishing the “Rigging the Election” video before the 2016 presidential election. The court did not give undercover reporting blanket protection, finding that some information was gathered through fraudulent means, but said the First Amendment barred damages based on publication of the story. (Read More) (Washington Examiner Rating)

ActBlue Co-founder Invokes Fifth Amendment in House Deposition

ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination multiple times during a closed-door deposition before House committees investigating the Democratic fundraising platform. Republican-led committees are examining whether ActBlue’s fraud-prevention practices allowed fraudulent or foreign donations into U.S. political campaigns and whether the platform accurately described its safeguards to Congress. ActBlue denies wrongdoing and says it has improved verification measures, while Democrats argue the investigations are partisan efforts to weaken their campaign finance infrastructure before the 2026 midterms. (Read More) (Washington Examiner Rating)