The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge on April 9 said the Pentagon had not done enough to comply with an earlier order restoring reporters’ access to the building. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman concluded that the Defense Department’s revised rules still ran afoul of his March ruling and set a deadline of April 16 for a sworn update on what the department had done to fix the problem. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/6487d7bf4a4a87ad1bf9864a275b5239?utm_source=openai))

The dispute centers on a narrow but consequential question: whether the Pentagon can replace one set of press restrictions with another that has the same practical effect. Friedman’s earlier ruling found the department’s credential policy unconstitutional, and his April 9 order said the follow-up policy did not cure the defect. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/c8a7355a603d57a2c0d56997afba8592?utm_source=openai))

The new order requires the government to restore access for the newspaper’s reporters and to file a sworn declaration from an official with personal knowledge by April 16 describing the steps taken to comply. That puts the case in a compliance phase for now, with the court demanding proof rather than more argument about the same policy. ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/04/09/judge-pentagon-press-access/?utm_source=openai))

The fight matters because press access at the Defense Department shapes what reporters can observe, who they can question and how quickly the public learns about military decisions. Friedman’s latest ruling leaves the Pentagon with a choice: meet the order in full or keep explaining why its revised rules still do not pass muster. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/6487d7bf4a4a87ad1bf9864a275b5239?utm_source=openai))