Folded News

Tag: American media

  • The Pentagon is squashing freedom of the press

    The Pentagon has been the source of news regarding war since 1947, post-WWII. The Pentagon, where the Department of War currently operates, has long granted journalists access throughout military conflicts in which the United States was involved. Now, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the rules have changed. On Friday, March 20th, 2026, a federal judge blocked the restrictions the Pentagon placed on journalists seeking transparency for the world. The Pentagon did not follow the new rules set out. Instead, the Pentagon imposed restrictions on journalists, requiring escorts and the closure of the press wing. The Trump administration has been moving toward a more favorable reporting stance, with right-wing publications having access to the information since the Iran war started. Now, as we are nearly a month into the United States / Israel and Iran war, millions of Americans are asking for answers, but the government is restricting access to information.

    Many are calling for the impeachment or resignation of key members of the Trump administration, such as Hegseth, Bondi, and, with Noem losing her position, the American public is one step closer to transparency and core leadership that represents the American interest and the values of the long-standing experiment on democracy in the western hemisphere.

    One cool symbol of that relationship was the “Correspondents’ Corridor,” a section of the Pentagon where journalists had desks right next to defense officials. By 2012, people were already saying the corridor was about 40 years old, which would date it to the early 1970s.

    That access has always expanded and contracted during conflict, demonstrating the complex relationship between military operations and the media. In the 1991 Gulf War, for example, the military’s use of pools and tightly controlled briefings became a major flashpoint, raising significant questions regarding transparency and information dissemination.

    Press-freedom advocates later described the Gulf War as one of the most restrictive modern conflicts for journalists, with the Pentagon channeling information through official briefings and largely limiting independent newsgathering. This careful orchestration of communication was intended to control the narrative and prevent misinformation, yet it ultimately led to widespread criticism from various media organizations and civil liberties groups, who argued that such restrictions undermined the essential role of a free press as a watchdog in a democratic society.

    The same battles over access, escort rules, and message control carried into later wars, including Afghanistan and Iraq, where similar restrictions were imposed, often leading to heated debates about the rights of journalists in war zones and the implications for democratic transparency. These debates intensified as technology advanced, enabling citizens to capture and disseminate information instantaneously, thus further complicating the notion of controlled narrative.

    The ongoing struggle for journalistic access highlights the tension between national security interests and the public’s right to know, a narrative that continues to evolve with each new conflict, revealing the critical balance that must be struck between safeguarding sensitive information and upholding the foundational principles of democracy. The lawsuit by the New York Times in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleged that the Defense Department’s policy changes last year gave it free rein to freeze out reporters and news outlets for coverage it did not like, in violation of the Constitution’s protections for free speech and due process. The government disputed that characterization and said the policy is reasonable and necessary for national security, arguing that the increasing complexity of modern warfare necessitates such measures to ensure that operational security is not compromised while still attempting to facilitate some level of transparency where possible.

    U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said in his ruling “more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is ​doing”

    The memo outlining the changes can be found below:

    IMPLEMENTATION-OF-REVISED-MEDIA-IN-BRIEFDownload

    With all these changes, does the Department of War honor the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of the press?

  • Music for a Modern Resistance

    Many people underestimate the power of music. Melodies that raise the hairs on your arms. Beats that sync up with your heart. Words that feel like they could have come from your own brain. Music is made with the intention to make you feel something. Whether it be the pain the musician is going through, the joy they’re experiencing, or the hope they are trying to inspire, they want to stir the listener’s emotions, hoping you feel the way they felt while creating their masterpiece. 

    For times of resistance, there is protest music. These compositions are made to keep you going, even when it feels like the fight is impossible. That music is made to help you feel less alone in your fight; to let you know that there are others in this journey with you. When everything around you feels like it’s falling apart and no one is noticing, resistance songs are there to let you know that you aren’t crazy.

    Protest music and resistance songs aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around for centuries. In 1774, Dr. Joseph Warren wrote “Free Americay”, a popular song for the American Revolution against British tyranny. “Woodman, Spare That Tree!” by Henry Russell in 1837 was one of the first songs used to help advocate for environmentalism. The Hutchinson Family Singers created “Get Off The Track!”, a ballad that called for emancipation in 1844. A Pro-Suffrage song named “The Suffrage Flag” was written in 1884 by William. P. Atkinson proclaimed how much better the world would be when women were granted the right to vote (which wouldn’t happen for another 3 decades). Joe Hill, a labor activist, wrote “The Preacher and the Slave” in 1911 as a condemnation of the Salvation Army. There were songs that helped enslaved people find their way to freedom. Songs to reconnect those kidnapped people with the cultures they were robbed of, or deal with the grief of the family members they lost. These few songs are just a fraction of the protest music that emerged in the centuries leading up to the 21st, and every single one of them was important in its time. Some are still pertinent to the world we live in. (source)

    Cover depicts a gentleman talking to a farmer holding an axe underneath a large tree. The farmer’s house and water well are visible. Russell, Henry, 1812-1900 (Composer)
    Morris, George P. (Lyricist)

    Songs of resistance are still being made today. Music that tackles issues like women’s rights, healthcare reformation, and pushing back against harmful governments is alive and well in 2026. The main problem is that the musicians who create them are often overlooked in favor of popular mainstream artists whose only goal is to make another hit. Many radio stations stick to the fun songs, the dance tracks, the ballads about ex-lovers; anything that is deemed safe for the general population and won’t rock the boat with the people in charge. 

    Luckily, we no longer need to rely on radio stations that handpick the “more palatable” songs in an effort to keep us under a false sense of security or placate the conservative powers-that-be. We live in a modern age where we can discover new music from around the world and create our own playlists that reflect how we actually feel. Here are 5 songs for you to add to your modern resistance collection.

    “Labour” by Paris Paloma 
    Hard hitting lyrics: 
    “All day, every day, therapist, mother, maid
     Nymph, then a virgin, nurse, then a servant 
    Just an appendage, live to attend him 
    So that he never lifts a finger
     24/7 baby machine 
    So he can live out his picket-fence dreams 
    It's not an act of love if you make her 
    You make me do too much labour”
    “Take My Country Back” by Enter Shikari 
    Hard hitting lyrics: 
    “Get up, get up and feel the rising tide 
    I’m fed up, fed up with all the cyanide. 
    Don’t want to take my country back 
    I want to take my country forward”
    “Dead Men Don’t Rape” by Delilah Bon 
    Hard hitting lyrics: 
    “They get so offended when I say 
    Dead men don't rape 
    But where is their anger when I say 
    Women are women are women are dying”
    “THREAT LEVEL ORANGE” by Earth to Eve 
    Hard hitting lyrics: 
    “Ain't it obvious 
    The person in the office is 
    A racist 
    Bride came in the mail, but he opposes immigration 
    That's someone's abuelita 
    Not a foreign armed invasion 
    That would be the masked men raiding graduation ceremonies 
    Unmarked vans snatching people off the street 
    Broke amendments 5, 10 and 14 
    At least 
    But please, tell me again how this is still democracy”
    “G-U-I-L-L-O-T-I-N-E” by HummusVacuum
    Hard hitting lyrics: 
    “G-u-i-l-l-o-t-i-n-e 
    Yeah, what might seem barbaric is a last resort to me 
    ‘Cus we waited for our crumbs to trickle down so patiently 
    And now we get to cosplay like it's 1933”

    Protest music hasn’t gone anywhere. Sometimes you just need to search a little harder to find it. When you do, let the beat lead your steps. Let the words give you the courage to continue the fight. Let the songs of resistance deliver the message that you, and we, are not alone in this revolution.

  • The Government Arrested a Journalist for Covering ICE. Here’s Everything Wrong With That.

    Estefany María Rodríguez Florez fled death threats in Colombia, followed all legal procedures in the U.S., and was detained by federal agents the morning after covering an ICE raid. A federal judge is now demanding answers, and so are we.

    Let’s clarify what actually happened, as the government is trying to obscure it.

    On March 4, a Nashville Fugitive Operations Team — a surveillance unit, not a patrol — followed Rodríguez, her husband, and their seven-year-old daughter from their home. They waited until the daughter was at her bus stop, then surrounded their car, which bore their news outlet Nashville Noticias logo, and took Rodríguez into custody. No warrant was shown, and her husband, a U.S. citizen, wasn’t given an explanation.

    Her name is Estefany María Rodríguez Florez. The day before her arrest, she was reporting on ICE agents detaining a man in a Nashville parking lot.

    This is not coincidental. Her lawyers, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, a retired immigration judge, and a federal judge — who has ordered the government to clarify her detention by Monday — all agree something is amiss.

    Who Is Estefany Rodríguez, and Why Does That Matter?

    Rodríguez, 35, holds a journalism degree from Colombia, where she reported on government corruption, armed groups, and agencies, which earned her death threats. These threats were serious enough to warrant police involvement and a security detail. Clearly putting a target on Rodríguez.

    When her daughter was one, she moved legally to the U.S. on a tourist visa in March 2021. Before its expiry, she filed for asylum internally, as permitted by law, and married a U.S. citizen, applying for permanent residency. During a time when most of the government was stressed from a pandemic she followed the rules to stay. Yet the government now is trying to force her to leave. She now has a work permit valid through 2029.

    In 2022, she joined Nashville Noticias and reported for Univision 42 Nashville, covering social issues, families, health, police, and immigration — especially ICE enforcement in Middle Tennessee. The TIRRC praised her for courageously telling about the harms caused by ICE. Journalism written for the voice of Latino communities proves to bring notice and awareness in an understanding way that Latino readers engage with when participating in their community and exercising political rights.

    Her attorney, Joel Coxander, noted that she always understood she might be detained simply for being present at enforcement operations, yet she reported on them anyway. ICE classified her as a fugitive.

    Why the Location of Her Arrest Matters

    Rodríguez was detained at a gym on Murfreesboro Pike — a diverse community in Antioch and South Nashville.

    This area’s demographics include 35.3% Black, 32.2% White, and 22.1% Hispanic residents. The Hispanic population here is more than twice Nashville’s citywide average, and a large percentage of schoolchildren are Hispanic, indicating a community shift. Nearly 29% of residents are foreign-born, more than doubling the metro average. Over a third speak a non-English language at home, mostly Spanish. With a large population speaking languages other than English, there is a barrier to every aspect of community use.

    The median household income is $72,233, and about 10.7% of families live in poverty. Median household size is slightly above average at 2.5 people. A clear indication of a diverse community and the known threat of ICE activity from the Trump administration.

    These are working-class families — including immigrants, many undocumented or in the process of immigration. Rodríguez’s reporting focused on her local community, not outsiders covering a foreign crisis. This distinction is crucial for understanding her work and why the government may have wanted to stop her.

    The Setup: Two Appointments ICE Can’t Explain

    ICE’s justification for calling Rodríguez a “flight risk” hinges on a story that unravels under scrutiny.

    In January 2026, ICE requested her appearance at their Nashville office. Winter Storm Fern canceled the appointment, and ICE rescheduled for February 26. Her husband and her attorney’s office checked, and the agency said she wasn’t in the system and shouldn’t come. A new appointment was set for March 17.

    ICE then used these missed appointments to justify her detention and arrest.

    Her attorney explained, –

    “She’s being told, ‘We’re holding it against you that you didn’t do this thing we told you you didn’t have to do,’”

    -and noted her team went to ICE ahead of the appointment.

    The Warrant Issue: A Crumpled Photo

    When her attorneys challenged the warrantless arrest, ICE responded with a photo of a crumpled warrant dated March 2 — two days before the arrest. The document lacks a file number, and the certificate of service is blank, indicating it was never served.

    Records confirm she was never presented with a warrant from the moment she left her home until her detention.

    Her lawyers called it an “unserved, unexecuted, and crumpled-into-a-ball warrant,” offering no legal cover. The government disputes this, and a judge is now examining the matter.

    Retaliation, Press Freedom, and a Pattern

    The Columbia Journalism Review highlighted a concerning pattern: journalists like Rodríguez working for Spanish-language outlets, with less prominence, covering immigrant communities and facing potential risks from enforcement actions.

    State Rep. John Ray Clemmons called her arrest alarming, especially given her reporting on anti-immigrant laws. Rebbeca Aguilar, a longtime journalist, emphasized that all journalists must do their work without fear of retaliation.

    Her attorneys have asked the court to declare her arrest a First Amendment violation. The case is actively being considered.

    Her Current Status and What’s at Risk

    Rodríguez is held at Etowah County Jail in Alabama, with plans to transfer her to Louisiana. Her husband, Alejandro Medina III, hasn’t spoken with her since her detention, and he is urgently trying to reunite with her so they can finally take their postponed honeymoon.

    Her daughter waits, and her scheduled green card appointment on March 17 can’t proceed while she’s detained.

    A judge has demanded the government justify her continued detention in writing by Monday midnight. A hearing could happen as soon as Tuesday.

    Understand that ICE detains more people than ever, with over 70,000 held in January 2026 — a 75% increase from the previous year, with higher arrest rates and community arrests skyrocketing. Most detainees have no criminal convictions.

    This case exemplifies how enforcement policies affect real lives — in a community along Murfreesboro Pike, where many families are building lives and hopes, now threatened by unjust detention based on a flawed warrant and administrative mishandling.

    The court has until Tuesday to rule. We will keep reporting on what unfolds next.

  • Education | Beyond the Celebration: Facing the Brutal Truths of Black History

    This Black History Month, let’s look at the history of the Black disenfranchisement of a community that built the country we call home.

    The struggle and generational trauma passed down in Black Communities started with The Middle Passage. The maritime journey that brought millions of Africans to the Americas was under brutal conditions.

    The country was built on the ownership of the people, and the government knew that.

    Millions suffered during The Middle Passage, and stories have been passed down through generations, paving the very month we recognize the Black Resistance and protest for equality and equity.

    A famous poet, Robert Hayden, wrote the “Middle Passage” in 1962. (Quotes to emphasize the name).

    The poem begins by naming the slave ships, which are primarily named Desire, Starlight, and Fortune.

    Black People were the cargo. An inhumane act of creating property from humans.

    The poem is illuminating. Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

    Jesus, Estrella, Esperanza, Mercy:
    Sails flashing to the wind like weapons,
    sharks following the moils of voices
    shouting, and the weals, the whirlpools of the dead.
    Deep in the festering hold thy father lies,
    of his bones New England pews are made,
    those are altar lights that were his eyes.

    The beginning of the resistance and fight for true freedom.

    The poem begins to describe the testimony of traders and finally The Amistad Rebellion.

    The Amistad Rebellion in 1839 was a revolt on board the Amistad. Led by Cinqué. Hayden signifies this rebellion as a historical event for the Black Community. The people who were considered cargo fought back to gain humanity.

    Poem Excerpt:

    But Cinqué!
    A night-smelling flower of the desert,
    a song of the sun,
    a soul who would not be a slave.

    In 1787, the Constitution included the Three-Fifths Compromise. A dehumanized, codified count of enslaved people as only being worth 3/5 of a person for legislative representation.

    From there followed decades of struggle.

    The Civil War is a turning point in the Black Resistance in America. The war was the deadliest in American history, with roughly 750,000 deaths.

    The Underground Railroad operated primarily during the first half of the 19th century, reaching its peak around 1850.

    Resistance existed as long as slavery existed in the United States. Organizers began gathering in the late 18th century among Quaker communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

    During peak, it is estimated that 1k people per year successfully escaped using the network.

    During the fugitive slave act, the federal law required that even in free states, slaves were captured & returned.

    New Jersey played a critical role in the Underground Railroad due to its geography. Serving as a vital “bridge” between the slave holding states and the South with the safety of New York City and Canada.

    The Greenwich Line crossing was the Delaware Bay, where people landed in Cumberland County or Cape May.

    The Jersey shore provided refuge for those moving toward NYC.

    Committees called Vigilance were the backbone of the movement, providing food, clothing, and legal services.

    Famous conductors include Harriet Tubman (Born in Dorchester County, Maryland), who led 13 trips into Maryland to free enslaved people.

    A lesser-known conductor was Abigail Goodwin, a “Birthright Quaker” committed to abolition so strongly that she was eventually ejected from the Orthodox Quaker Meeting in Salem.

    Some Quakers felt the Underground Railroad was “too radical” or “broke too many laws.” Abigail disagreed, believing human freedom superseded government decree. Famous conductors include Harriet Tubman (Born in Dorchester County, Maryland), who led 13 trips into Maryland to free enslaved people.

    After the war the “Reconstruction” era began from 1865-1877, Black Men saw the right to vote until federal troops withdrew from the south leading to the Jim Crow era a a century of state sanctioned violence which included segregation, disenfranchisement and extrajudicial violence (Lynching, murders, bombings)After the war the “Reconstruction” era began from 1865-1877, Black Men saw the right to vote until federal troops withdrew from the south leading to the Jim Crow era a a century of state sanctioned violence which included segregation, disenfranchisement and extrajudicial violence (Lynching, murders, bombings)

    The foundation of Black History Month began in 1926 as “Negro History Week” in February by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

    Woodson chose February and the second week to be precise because it encompassed the Birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb 12th) and Fredrick Douglass (Feb 14th)

    Two figures celebrated in Black Communities.The foundation of Black History Month began in 1926 as “Negro History Week” in February by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

    Woodson chose February and the second week to be precise because it encompassed the Birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb 12th) and Fredrick Douglass (Feb 14th)

    The following years, before the shift to a month and the recognition nationally in 1976, were superseded by the civil rights movement. A act of resistance which resulted in rebellions fueled by resisters who dignified themselves as humans.

    Thousands of people died.

    Two notable Figures include Ross Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.

    During the 1976 United States Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month for the first time at a federal level.

    He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history”.

    In 1986, it was codified into law.

    Law 99-244During the 1976 United States Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month for the first time at a federal level.

    He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history”.

    Since 2026 would mark the 100th anniversary of Carter G. Woodson’s original 1926 version, it is the first time a president has not recognized the month in decades.

    Donald Trump has caused undue harm to the black community by perpetuating stereotypical culture and racism.

    We must all fight to continue this pledge to honor the history of Black People in America and end systemic oppression.

  • New Epstein files link Trump to Mar-a-Lago ‘Calendar Girl’ auctions. 3.5M documents released by DOJ reveal ties to Elon Musk and Jack Lang.

    Grappling with the president’s involvement in the Epstein case

    The Department of Justice released over 3.5 million additional files from the Epstein Files mandated by law. This comes 45 days after they were required to release the documents in a press conference held by Deputy AG Blanche. He states that all photos of women have been redacted, but the DOJ made redaction errors, took files down in real time, and links began expiring. The government partnered with Akamai to deliver the files using a content delivery network. As the files were indexed, President Trump was mentioned over 38,000 times.

    Controversy arose when initial files showed witnesses attesting to “Calendar Girls,” an auction at Maralago, where Trump auctioned off girls measuring their vulva by placing a finger to see tightness. The tip implicates multiple Trump family members, including Elon Musk. In June of 2025, Elon posted on X (Formerly Twitter) stating that the files had not been released because they contained Donald Trump’s material.

    Elon asked to visit Epstein at his New Mexico ranch along at his island.

    Screenshot

    As more digging is happening, the Truth will be uncovered. The victims over the years have participated in interviews, with many committing suicide, under the pressures of surviving horrendous suffering at the hands of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

    Trump recently has distanced himself from Epstein and has called the files a Democratic hoax. Evidence suggests close ties between Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, with Trump even calling Epstein a terrific guy.

    “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Mr. Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

    Portrait Jeffrey Epstein (left) and real estate developer Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida on February 22, 1997. Davidoff Studios/Getty Images

    George Houraney and his girlfriend attended a dinner with Trump in 1992, during Trump’s first presidential bid in 2016. Houraney participated in an interview and made an assertion that he had to ban Jeffrey Epstein from his events and could not sign on to deals because of Epstein’s conduct. Houraney also goes on to explain the business deals that failed due to Trump’s inappropriate conduct with girlfriend, Jill Harth.

    Donald Trump with Jill Harth in 1992.Credit…George Houraney

    Jan. 24, 1993, Harth and Houraney visited to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for a contract-signing celebration, At the request of Trump “Calendar girls” were brought along. He offered Harth a tour of the estate and then pulled her into the empty bedroom of his daughter Ivanka. In the FBI tips released in the latest files calendar girls can be attested by multiple sources. Trump has denied this claim.

    Screenshot

    NY Times reporter Nicholas Kristof asked Harth in 2016, “Why would a woman who accused Trump of attempted rape ever go out with him?”

    Harth replied

    “I was scared, thinking, ‘what am I going to do now?’” she says. “When he called me and tried to work on me again, I was thinking maybe I should give this a try, maybe if he’s still working on me, I should give this rich guy a chance.”

    Documents released as part of this new trove of files showed prominent international figures such as Prince Andrew and Jack Lang working with Epstein. Lang began a non-profit, with Epstein spearheading the founding and an initial donation of $75,000. Sylvie Aubry, A long-time friend of Jack Lang and a co-founder of the non-profit, also runs a floral business in France. Jack Lang was previously the minister of Culture, who also states that the non-profit was created to fund a movie. The movie funding was never disclosed. Other Associates of the non-profit, such as the president, treasurer, and secretary, were described as long-term staffers or friends of Lang.

    Bill Gates can be seen in multiple photos with Epstein and world leaders, with some of the pictures of Gates with redacted women discovered during an FBI raid of Epstein’s Island. Recently, in the files, documents state that Gates contracted an STI from Russian girls, but Gates has denied the claims.

    Gates on emails released from files:

    “These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false,” a spokesperson for Gates said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

    Further, Gates’s statement states that the files show only Epstein’s frustration at not obtaining a long-term business partnership with Gates.

    Screenshot

    As more information comes out from the files, be sure to check back at this article for updates.