Busfield was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance Wednesday, a day after he turned himself in to face charges stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in New Mexico.

A judge will hold a detention hearing on Tuesday to determine whether Busfield will remain in jail.

Albuquerque police issued a warrant for his arrest last week on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in the city.

In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the allegations lies. Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething.”

According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police department says the child reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8.

The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

Busfield's attorneys said in court filings that the allegations against him emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive. The filings detailed what the attorneys said was a history of fraud by both the father and mother.

They cited an investigation by Warner Bros. into the allegations, which they said prosecutors didn't include in their criminal complaint, found the allegations unfounded. Independent witnesses supported the report's conclusions, the court filings said.

Busfield also submitted letters vouching for his character. His passing of the polygraph test aligns with the other information submitted, his attorneys said.

Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission.

Domingo was fresh off the Golden Globes red carpet, Hemsworth took a break from the ski slopes, and Schnapp just wrapped the “Stranger Things” finale. Ralph Lauren's runway collection for next winter was Americana, featuring layered outerwear, Texan suiting and hand-knit ski sweaters.

Hundreds of screaming fans waited outside the brand's Milan palazzo for K-pop star Mark Lee, rushing his vehicle as he stepped out to give fans a big heart sign. The Canadian-born singer said that K-pop’s massive appeal continues to catch him off guard.

“It surprises me even to this day. I was born in North America, and even then K-pop wasn’t this big,’’ Lee said from the front row before the show. “I am honored to be able to be a part of this phenomenon. I feel like it’s kind of my responsibility to share the good influences that I have in K-pop, for the world.’’

During the show, singer Nick Jonas and actor Tom Hiddleston flanked David Lauren, the fashion house’s brand and innovation leader who will be back in Milan as Team USA is fitted for the opening and closing ceremony looks for the Feb. 6-22 Games.

After the release of Stranger Things’ final season, Schnapp said he is reading scripts and looking perhaps beyond the sci-fi world. “I’m pretty proud of what we have done. I am happy to close it out. I think it’s time. I am excited about what’s to come,’’ the 21-year-old actor said before the show.

“I love Italy, I love the Italian people, and I love this brand,’’ said Schnapp, wearing a smart double-breasted Navy jacket with golden buttons. The University of Pennsylvania senior said he would be back in Italy in a couple of weeks to watch some Olympic ice hockey games with his Canadian-born parents.

“They made sure I was educated in the hockey culture,’’ Schnapp said.

Domingo turned heads at the Golden Globes with a lapel full of Boucheron diamonds. For Ralph Lauren, he wore Boucheron stud earrings to accompany his three-piece suit with a matching overcoat flung jauntily over his shoulders.

Domingo, a darling of the fashion world who won an Emmy for “Euphoria,” said the collection felt “very modern.”

“We were watching sort of Texas tuxedos and cowboy hats, cowboy boots, we’re looking at Navajo prints, at beautiful jewelry. Things that look vintage and things that are looking forward. We’re looking at mountaineer boots — which I thought was very bold to put in the conversation as sort of effortlessly luxurious,'' the actor said.

Domingo said he admired the American versatility in collection, as at home outdoors as at a cocktail party.

“I think that is the most beautiful expression of Ralph Lauren. You feel the aspirational American values in your clothing,’’ Domingo said.

With the update that went into effect Tuesday, YouTube videos that dramatize or cover issues including domestic abuse, self-harm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, abortion and sexual harassment without graphic descriptions or imagery are now eligible for full monetization.

Ads will remain restricted on videos that include content on child abuse, child sex trafficking and eating disorders.

The changes were outlined in a video posted to the Creator Insider YouTube channel on Tuesday, and the advertiser-friendly content guidelines were also updated with specific definitions and examples.

“We want to ensure the creators who are telling sensitive stories or producing dramatized content have the opportunity to earn ad revenue while respecting advertiser choice and industry sentiment,” said Conor Kavanagh, YouTube's head of monetization policy experience, in the video announcing the changes. “We took a closer look and found our guidelines in this area had become too restrictive and ended up demonetizing uploads like dramatized content.”

The update also makes personal accounts of these sensitive issues, as well as preventative content and journalistic coverage on these subjects, eligible for full monetization.

The Google-owned company said the degree of graphic or descriptive detail in videos wasn’t previously considered when determining advertiser friendliness.

Some creators would attempt to bypass these policies on YouTube and other platforms by using workaround language or substituting symbols and numbers for letters in written text — the most prevalent example across social platforms has been the use of the term “unalive.”

YouTube has updated its policies in response to creator feedback before. In July, the company eased its monetization policy regarding profanity, making videos that use strong profanity in the first seven seconds eligible for full ad revenue.

Dressed in a gray suit and black turtleneck, a diamond-encrusted Peacock pendant resting on his chest and purple Chuck Taylor sneakers with gold laces nodding to his lifelong Los Angeles Lakers allegiance, Snoop didn’t rush. He didn’t posture. He waited for his moment to shine as an NBA analyst alongside Reggie Miller and Terry Gannon for Peacock’s recent Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers broadcast during the second half.

With an AP reporter trailing him through the arena for an all-access, behind-the-scenes look at his preparation — including time in the green room ahead of the broadcast — Snoop made it clear that this wasn't a cameo.

“I don’t believe NBC would have gave me this opportunity if they thought I was coming in there playing games,” said Snoop, who won over global audiences during the Paris Olympics in 2024. “It's not so much about me. It's so much about what the game is needing right now.”

In recent months, Snoop underscored his ease in live, unscripted settings across major TV stages. He continued his work on NBC’s “The Voice,” performed during Netflix's Christmas Day NFL broadcast, went viral at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl and presented and did interviews at Sunday's Golden Globes — where Amy Poehler and Stephen Graham praised his presence. That visibility has coincided with a deepening relationship with NBCUniversal, which continues to expand his role across sports and entertainment with next month's Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, including NBA coverage.

Before opening tip of the Jan. 5 game, Snoop sat in production meetings and joined the coaches' meetings with Steve Kerr and Tyronn Lue. He lingered near the Golden State Warriors’ locker room, occasionally dancing as his own music blared from inside, patiently waiting to interview Warriors star guard Stephen Curry a couple hours before the game.

Snoop’s approach resonated with the players he covered.

“He can find his way anywhere in any environment,” Curry said. “It was cool to see all the different versions of Snoop.”

How Snoop makes his presence felt on the biggest stages

Curry has seen Snoop's ability to move comfortably between worlds long before this night. The sharpshooting guard recalled seeing Snoop around Team USA during the Paris Olympics, where he blended seamlessly into the basketball environment while connecting easily with players away from the court.

“He caught me off guard at the beginning because he gave me three really straightforward basketball questions,” Curry said of Snoop’s Warriors-Clippers pregame interview. “Then I heard he got to it on the broadcast. … He was a great addition.”

Whether Snoop is on a global broadcast, major streamer or a sideline, he reads the room in real time. That feel showed up again at the Arizona Bowl, when he snagged a deep kickoff mid-interview, losing a shoe but securing the ball. It was a spontaneous moment that quickly went viral and showed why he continues to resonate in live settings.

Moments like that help explain why Snoop's presence keeps widening. He's set to be part of NBC’s coverage of the upcoming Winter Olympics, further extending a presence that now spans sports, entertainment and generations of viewers.

Miller, who played 18 years with the NBA's Indiana Pacers, said Snoop's versatility and seriousness stood out even behind the camera.

“He’s authentic,” Miller said. “Questions that he asked in the coaches meetings, stepping up and asking informed questions of Steve Kerr and Ty Lue. He could have just sat back and listened. No, he's getting his hands dirty.”

Gannon echoed those sentiments.

“It's not like he's just showing up and saying ‘I’m here,'” he said. “He put in the work and effort. The broadcast was seamless because of that.”

How Snoop built a bridge between the game and a broader audience

Snoop said he studied legendary broadcasters, particularly the late Chick Hearn, who was the play-by-play announcer for more than 40 years with the Lakers. The rapper viewed his role as someone who understands basketball deeply but speaks from outside the traditional broadcast lineage.

“I represent the average Joe, despite being me being a well-known celebrity,” he said. “The NBA has moved forward to where it deserves to have people like me who understands the game, know the game and can speak to the game and also bring new viewers.”

Snoop's perspective showed up immediately once he went on air.

He called out the Warriors' Draymond Green for taking — and missing — too many 3-pointers, while praising his ability to function as a point-forward. He noted Curry’s ability to play through an ankle injury in the third quarter. He labeled on-court chemistry “cookies and cream like they about to open up a cookie shop,” dubbed Curry “Stephisticated” and punctuated a scoring burst with “two-piece chicken nuggets.”

When Warriors coach Steve Kerr was ejected after disagreeing with referees on a goaltending call, Snoop’s bold personality cut through the moment, shouting “Inglewood” as the crowd roared inside the Intuit Dome, which is located in Inglewood, California.

“When the lights are on, that's when I shine the brightest,” Snoop said.

What's next for Snoop?

Snoop said he'd welcome more opportunities to call NBA games, viewing the analyst role as a natural extension of a career built on curiosity and evolution. He's eager to immerse himself in the Winter Olympics, where he'll once again be an NBC correspondent and join Team USA as an honorary coach.

He'll serve as an ambassador and supporter for American athletes in the lead-up and throughout the Games. He's also hosting an event with Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard during NBA All-Star week next month.

“I feel like I'm progressing myself as a full-on entertainer,” Snoop said. “This is a part of entertainment, being able to pull people into things they may or may not be interested in. I would love to do more of this.”

Snoop is certainly living a dream with a simple through line: Show up, do the work and stay open to what comes next.

“When you master who you are,” he said. “you understand that you're not one dimensional. You evolve.”

On Thursday morning, the entertainment company BigHit Music shared on social media that the septet — RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and j-hope — will release a new album on March 20 titled “ARIRANG.” It is their fifth album.

So, what can listeners expect?

What we know about the new BTS album, ‘ARIRANG’

In addition to news of the album title, the retailer Target announced it was partnering with BTS for exclusive preorder editions of “ARIRANG.” Starting at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, fans can preorder 10 different vinyl album editions. And for fans of CDs, there are two exclusive editions with collectible photocards.

Other than that, details are limited. BigHit Music shared a link on social media Thursday morning that led to WeVerse, the online fan platform owned by BTS management company HYBE. The webpage included international pre-order details for “ARIRANG” but appeared to omit all album artwork.

Earlier this month, BigHit Music shared a somewhat cryptic note on X: “March 20 comeback confirmed.” It wasn't much to go off, but it did further confirm news from last summer, when the group teased a world tour and announced that a new album would be released in the spring of 2026. At the time, they said they would begin working on the project in July 2025.

Will BTS tour soon?

On Tuesday, the band announced a 2026-2027 world tour, kicking off in South Korea in April and running through March 2027 with over 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Europe.

This marks the group’s first headline performances since their 2021–22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour. See the full tour dates here.

Why was BTS on hiatus for so long?

All seven members of BTS were tasked with completing South Korea’s mandatory military service.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18-28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea.

The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren’t subject to such privileges.

Rapper Suga was the last group member to be released — from his duties as a social service agent, an alternative to serving in the military that he reportedly chose because of a shoulder injury. That was in June 2025.

The six others, RM, V, Jimin, Jung Kook, Jin and j-hope, served in the army.

BTS tiered their enlistments, giving ample time for its members to focus on solo projects while the group was on a break.

Jin, the oldest member, was the first to enlist in 2022. He was also the first to be discharged, in June 2024.

Media reports from earlier this week alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas between January and October 2021. A day later, Spanish prosecutors said they were studying the allegations.

“With deep sorrow, I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked at my home. I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness," Iglesias said on Instagram.

Spanish news outlet elDiario.es and U.S. television network Univision Noticias published the joint, three-year investigation on Jan. 13 into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.

A Spanish high court received formal allegations against Iglesias on Jan. 5, officials said. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to its press office.

A rights group representing the two women said they were accusing Iglesias of “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment” and of “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude." Women's Link Worldwide said the two women had presented the complaint to the Spanish court.

The 82-year-old is one of the world’s most successful musical artists, having sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages. After making his start in Spain, Iglesias won immense popularity in the U.S. and wider world in the 1970s and 1980s. He is the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.

In 1988, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance for his album “Un Hombre Solo.” He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.

“I had never experienced such malice, but I still have the strength for people to know the full truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious affront,” Iglesias wrote on social media.

He thanked those who had sent messages of support.

That message, in a social media post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's spokesman, is short on specifics and does not mention the news outlet's legacy of independence from government and military leadership. It comes a day after The Washington Post reported that applicants for jobs at Stars and Stripes were being asked what they would do to support President Donald Trump's policies.

Stars and Stripes traces its lineage to the Civil War and has reported news about the military either in its newspaper or online steadily since World War II, largely to an audience of service members stationed overseas. Roughly half of its budget comes from the Pentagon and its staff members are considered Defense Department employees.

The outlet's mission statement emphasizes that it is “editorially independent of interference from outside its own editorial chain-of-command” and that it is unique among news organizations tied to the Defense Department in being “governed by the principles of the First Amendment.”

Congress established that independence in the 1990s after instances of military leadership getting involved in editorial decisions. During Trump's first term in 2020, Defense Secretary Mark Esper tried to eliminate government funding for Stars and Stripes — to effectively shut it down — before he was overruled by the president.

Call for newspaper to be ‘custom tailored to our warfighters’

Hegseth's spokesman, Sean Parnell, said on X Thursday that the Pentagon “is returning Stars and Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters.” He said the department will “refocus its content away from woke distractions.”

“Stars and Stripes will be custom tailored to our warfighters,” Parnell wrote. “It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints.”

Parnell did not return a message seeking details. The Daily Wire reported, after speaking a Pentagon spokeswoman, that the plan is to have all Stars and Stripes content written by active-duty service members. Currently, Congress has mandated that the publication's publisher and top editor be civilians, said Max Lederer, its publisher.

The Pentagon also said that half of the outlet's content would be generated by the Defense Department, and that it would no longer publish material from The Associated Press or Reuters news services.

Also Thursday, the Pentagon issued a statement in the Federal Register that it would eliminate some 1990s era directives that governed how Stars and Stripes operates. Lederer said it's not clear what that would mean for the outlet's operations, or whether the Defense Department has the authority to do so without congressional authorization.

The publisher said he believes that Stars and Stripes is valued by the military community precisely because of its independence as a news organization. He said no one at the Pentagon has communicated to him what it wants from Stars and Stripes; he first learned of its intentions from reading Parnell's social media post.

“This will either destroy the value of the organization or significantly reduce its value,” Lederer said.

Jacqueline Smith, the outlet's ombudsman, said Stars and Stripes reports on matters important to service members and their families — not just weapons systems or war strategy — and she's detected nothing “woke” about its reporting.

“I think it's very important that Stars and Stripes maintains its editorial independence, which is the basis of its credibility,” Smith said. A longtime newspaper editor in Connecticut, Smith's role was created by Congress three decades ago and she reports to the House Armed Services Committee.

It's the latest move by the Trump administration to impose restrictions on journalists. Most reporters from legacy news outlets have left the Pentagon rather than to agree to new rules imposed by Hegseth that they feel would give him too much control over what they report and write. The New York Times has sued to overturn the regulations.

Trump has also sought to shut down government-funded outlets like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that report independent news about the world in countries overseas.

Also this week, the administration raided the home of a Washington Post journalist as part of an investigation into a contractor accused of stealing government secrets, a move many journalists interpreted as a form of intimidation.

The Post reported that applicants to Stars and Stripes were being asked how they would advance Trump's executive orders and policy priorities in the role. They were asked to identify one or two orders or initiatives that were significant to them. That raised questions about whether it was appropriate for a journalist to be given what is, in effect, a loyalty test.

Smith said it was the government's Office of Personnel Management — not the newspaper — that was responsible for the question on job applications and said it was consistent with what was being asked of applicants for other government jobs.

But she said it was not something that should be asked of journalists. “The loyalty is to the truth, not the administration,” she said.

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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

The Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that it will now turn to Dave Filoni to steer “Star Wars,” as president and chief creative officer, into its sixth decade and beyond. Filoni, who served as the chief commercial officer of Lucasfilm, will inherit the mantle of one of the movies marquee franchises, alongside Lynwen Brennan, president and general manager of Lucasfilm’s businesses, who will serve as co-president.

“When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” said Kennedy. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm."

Kennedy, Lucas’ handpicked successor, had presided over the ever-expanding science-fiction world of “Star Wars” since Disney acquired it in 2012. In announcing Thursday's news, Bob Iger, chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Co. called her “a visionary filmmaker.”

Kennedy oversaw a highly lucrative but often contentious period in “Star Wars” history that yielded a blockbuster trilogy and acclaimed streaming spinoffs such as “The Mandalorian” and “Andor,” yet found increasing frustration from longtime fans.

Under Kennedy’s stewardship, Lucasfilm amassed more than $5.6 billion in box office and helped establish Disney+ as a streaming destination — achievements that easily validated the $4.05 billion Disney plunked down for the company. But Kennedy also struggled to deliver the big-screen magic that Lucas captured in the original trilogy from the late 1970s and early 1980s, and her relationship with “Star Wars” loyalists became a saga of its own.

Filoni has established himself almost entirely on the small screen, entering the franchise with the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and creating the tepidly received Disney+ series “Ahsoka.” Filoni, who first collaborated with Lucas on “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” has also been an executive producer on “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Skeleton Crew.”

Both will report to Alan Bergman, Disney Entertainment co-chairman.

“From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling on-screen that we have ever seen,” said Filoni. “I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”

Before joining Lucasfilm, Kennedy was one of Hollywood’s most successful producers ever. In 1981, she co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and her eventual husband, Frank Marshall. She produced “E.T.,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Jurassic Park” and the “Back to the Future” trilogy.

At Lucasfilm, her biggest hit came at the start, with 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The J.J. Abrams-directed film grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. But the subsequent installment, Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” (2017), was bitterly divisive. The third film, Abrams’ “The Rise of Skywalker” (2019), was widely panned by critics and fans, alike.

After “The Rise of Skywalker,” “Star Wars” went dark on the big screen despite a litany of announced projects. The dry spell is set to be broken in May by Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian & Grogu.” The intervening years have been marked by streaming successes in “The Mandalorian” and “Andor,” but the future of “Star Wars” has felt increasingly uncertain.

Struggles over tone and vision have been frequent. The 2018 Han Solo spinoff “Solo: A Star Wars Story” saw its directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, fired during production and replaced by Ron Howard. Most found the mixed-and-matched result blandly disappointing.

More recently, Adam Driver, who played Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy,” divulged to The Associated Press last year that he and Steven Soderbergh had developed a Ben Solo film with Kennedy and Lucasfilm’s support for two years before Disney chief Bob Iger nixed it. Fans were so irate that a plane was flown over Disney’s Burbank studios with a banner reading “Save ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’”

Instead, the only “Star Wars” movie of Kennedy’s stewardship to win widespread and prevailing approval from fans was arguably 2016’s “Rogue One.” Gareth Edwards’ spinoff was also a troubled production, leading to Tony Gilroy, eventual creator of “Andor,” overseeing reshoots. Yet despite that, “Rogue One” — taking place within “Star Wars” but outside of the main Jedi storyline — might be the only film of Kennedy’s “Star Wars” reign that managed to both stay true to the space odyssey’s tone and to break new ground.

Kennedy's fingerprints will be on many of coming “Star Wars” projects for years to come. That includes Shawn Levy's “Star Wars: Starfighter,” with Ryan Gosling, due out in May 2027, and a fleet of other projects in various stages of development.

“I am honored to join Sundance Institute as CEO to steward an organization that is essential to independent artists, the broader creative community, and culture at large,” Linde said in a statement.

His role will include overseeing the Sundance Film Festival’s transition to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027, as well as managing the year-round Sundance Institute programs, including artist labs, grants and fellowships.

A Hollywood veteran, Linde has worked across television and film for decades, cofounding Focus Features and overseeing numerous Oscar nominees and winners in his various roles. During Linde’s time at Participant, which shuttered in 2024, the company produced two best picture winners: “Spotlight” and “Green Book.” He also produced “Arrival.”

Sundance has been operating under an interim CEO, Amanda Kelso, since early 2024 when Joana Vicente stepped down. Vicente had replaced Keri Putnam in 2021. The Institute’s most high-profile event, the annual Sundance Film Festival, is gearing up for its last edition in Park City, Utah which will kick off next week.

Ebs Burnough, board chair of the Sundance Institute, said in a statement that, “David brings a rare combination of industry fluency, social cause management, and deep commitment to artists, positioning the organization to build on our legacy while advancing our mission for the future.”

Hannah Natanson, nicknamed the “federal government whisperer” at the Post for her reporting on President Donald Trump's changes to the federal workforce, had a phone, two laptops and a Garmin watch seized in the Wednesday search of her Virginia home, the newspaper said.

A warrant for the raid said it was connected to an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials, said Matt Murray, the Post's executive editor, in an email to his staff. The Post was told that Natanson and the newspaper are not targets of the investigation, he said.

In a meeting Thursday, Murray told staff members that “the best thing to do when people are trying to intimidate you is not be intimidated — and that's what we did yesterday.”

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said Thursday it has asked the U.S. District Court in Virginia to unseal the affidavit justifying the search of Natanson's home.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the search was done at the request of the Defense Department and that the journalist was “obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.”

“If the attorney general can describe the justification for searching a reporter's home on social media, it is difficult to see what harm could result from unsealing the justification that the Justice Department offered to this court,” the Reporters Committee said in its application.

Government raids to homes of journalists highly unusual

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, has been working on press freedom issues for a decade and said a government raid on a journalist's home is so unusual he couldn't remember the last time it happened. He said it can't help but have a chilling effect on journalism.

“I strongly suspect that the search is meant to deter not just that reporter but other reporters from pursuing stories that are reliant on government whistleblowers,” Jaffer said. “And it's also meant to deter whistleblowers.”

In a first-person piece published by the Post on Christmas Eve, Natanson wrote about how she was inundated with tips when she posted her contact information last February on a forum where government employees were discussing the impact of Trump administration changes to the federal workforce.

She was contacted by 1,169 people on Signal, she wrote. The Post was notably aggressive last year in covering what was going on in federal agencies, and many came as a result of tips she received — and was still getting. “The stories came fast, the tips even faster,” she wrote.

Natanson acknowledged the work took a heavy toll, noting one disturbing note she received from a woman she was unable to contact. “One day, a woman wrote to me on Signal, asking me not to respond,” she wrote. “She lived alone, she messaged, and planned to die that weekend. Before she did, she wanted at least one person to understand: Trump had unraveled the government, and with it, her life.”

Natanson did not return messages from The Associated Press. Murray said that “this extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concern around the constitutional protections for our work.”

The action “signals a growing assault on independent reporting and undermines the First Amendment,” said Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program director at the advocacy group PEN America. Like Jaffer, he believes it is intended to intimidate.

Sean Spicer, Trump's press secretary at the beginning of his first term, said the concerns are premature. If it turns out that Natanson did nothing wrong, then questions about whether the raid was an overreach are legitimate, said Spicer, host of the political news show “The Huddle” on streaming services.

“If Hannah did something wrong, then it should have a chilling effect,” he said.

A law passed in 1917 makes it illegal for journalists to possess classified information, Jaffer said. But there are still questions about whether that law conflicts with First Amendment protections for journalists. It was not enforced, for example, when The New York Times published a secret government report on U.S. involvement in Vietnam in 1971.

“It’s the government’s prerogative to pursue leakers of classified material,” the Post said in an editorial. “Yet journalists have First Amendment rights to gather and publish such secrets, and the Post also has a history of fighting for those freedoms.”

Not the first action taken against the press

The raid was made in context of a series of actions taken against the media during the Trump administration, including lawsuits against The New York Times and the BBC. Most legacy news organizations no longer report from stations at the Pentagon after they refused to sign on new rules restricting their reporting set by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Funding for public broadcasting has been choked off due to Trump's belief that its news coverage leaned left.

Some news outlets have also taken steps to be more aligned with the administration, Jaffer said, citing CBS News since its corporate ownership changed last summer. The Washington Post has shifted its historically liberal opinion pages to the right under owner Jeff Bezos.

The Justice Department over the years has developed, and revised, internal guidelines governing how it will respond to news media leaks. In April, Bondi issued new guidelines saying prosecutors would again have the authority to use subpoenas, court orders and search warrants to hunt for government officials who make “unauthorized disclosures” to journalists.

The moves rescinded a policy from President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations.

“Leaking classified information puts America’s national security and the safety of our military heroes in serious jeopardy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X. “President Trump has zero tolerance for it and will continue to aggressively crack down on these illegal acts moving forward.”

The warrant says the search was related to an investigation into a system engineer and information technology specialist for a government contractor in Maryland who authorities allege took home classified materials, the Post reported.

The worker, Aurelio Perez-Lugones, is accused of printing classified and sensitive reports at work, and some were found at his Maryland home, according to court papers. He was arrested last week on a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents.

Perez-Lugones made a brief appearance in a Baltimore courtroom on Thursday. His attorney said they weren't prepared to proceed with a hearing to determine whether he should remain jailed until a trial.

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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker in Washington and Michael Kunzelman in Baltimore contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.