US judge keeps White House media ban in place after hearing

A US judge heard arguments on Wednesday but did not rule on whether to temporarily restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, leaving the Trump administration's media ban in place for now. The administration defended the ban, arguing in court filings that White House access is a privilege, not a right, and that the outlets' reporting raised national security concerns by publishing sensitive or classified information. The outlets' lawsuit claims the ban violates their First Amendment rights. The case is assigned to District Judge Timothy Kelly, who previously ordered the restoration of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's credentials during Trump's first term. The administration is also seeking to overturn a 1977 appeals court ruling that barred arbitrary denial of press access.