“This ban on the free press harms the American people, who are entitled to rigorous, fact-based coverage of the President of the United States. The law is on our side across the board, and we look forward to presenting our arguments to the court as soon as possible.” FIN

“The President has been explicit that this ban is intended to punish reporting he doesn’t like and to intimidate journalists and news organizations covering him and his administration. /2

NEW: Statement of Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr, attorney for CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO:   “The President’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House is a direct assault on the First Amendment and a blatant violation of due process. /1

BREAKING: MS NOW, CNN and Politico are suing Trump and senior officials over White House ban. The lawsuit alleges the president violated the First Amendment by blocking reporters’ access to the White House. READ MORE: ms.now/news/ms-now-cnn-polit…

Today’s action revoking access for journalists from CNN, POLITICO, and MSNOW violates the First Amendment. The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future. The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably.  That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting. The WHCA calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues' access. - Jacqui Heinrich, WHCA President

BREAKING: MS NOW denied access to the White House. Statement from MS NOW. piped.video/Q3GaZKuWwZk?is=NNaL… via @YouTube

.@msnownews statement on its journalists being denied access to the White House grounds:

NEW: As we watch the federal government flout and/or circumvent court orders, it's worth asking: What are the real consequences to the violators? Historically, not that much. My latest analysis for @MSNOWNews: ms.now/news/news-analysis/if…

In the meantime, here's the declaration from the woman working on the case: storage.courtlistener.com/re…. Stay tuned. FIN.

Rep. Beatty has already filed an emergency motion to prevent the Center's closure, and the judge overseeing the dispute has directed Trump and the other defendants to respond to her motion -- and the declaration referenced in this thread -- by 10:00 a.m., after which he could call a hearing. 4/

She does not say whether the forklift's hitting the pillars was accidental. But her observation about the forklift running into and hitting the building's pillars makes it sound as if the construction work seemingly underway at the Kennedy Center involves elements of demolition. 3/

She also says she saw one forklift carrying what looked to be more permanent fencing "run into and hit the pillars on the building several times." 2/

NEW: A woman working on Rep. Joyce Beatty's Kennedy Center lawsuit visited the center this morning and found it not only closed but watched as forklifts trucked in the kind of gates that surround construction sites. 1/

In other words, the court concludes the evidence shows Trump and his largely handpicked board bear responsibility for the same financial crisis they now claim Trump alone can fix. FIN.

"The renaming of the Center coincided with declines in revenue and contributions, as artists cancelled performances, the Washington National Opera ended its 50-year residency, and ticket sales and viewership of the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast dropped precipitously," he observes. 4/

And while Cooper ultimately determines the current financial status of the Kennedy Center is irrelevant to whether his prior order and the relevant statute were violated, Judge Cooper rejects the notion that Trump has rescued or will rescue the Kennedy Center from impending insolvency. 3/

"Linguistic gymnastics cannot extricate the Kennedy Center’s Board from an operative judicial order or the governing statute it was designed to enforce." 2/

NEW: Minutes before today's Kennedy Center board meeting, Judge Casey Cooper makes plain in a new opinion that putting Trump's name on the building or renaming the plaza, even as "recognition" for his restoration efforts, "bucks" his prior injunction and the relevant statute. 1/

NEW: From me and @caseyagannon: What keeps Democratic attorneys general up at night in advance of the midterms? The answer might surprise you. ms.now/news/what-keeps-democ…

Others have flagged that she dissolved her prior TRO, so indeed, the appeals process will start over. . . .