Trump says he is banning CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House, a blow to press freedom that lands just as new reporting on hidden Iran war deaths and rising anger over living costs put his administration on the defensive.

• Trump called the outlets "fake news" and said the ban should go "as far as you can," but could not explain what it means in practice — badges, press pool, or Oval Office access.
• The move comes as the Washington Post reports more US troops have died in the Iran war than the Pentagon has admitted, with hundreds wounded, and Trump has threatened to ban the Post and New York Times too.
• Trump brushed off questions about a wealthy donor paying for his son's wedding, saying such gifts are common and that Don Jr. paid the money back.
• A Fox poll finds 71% of Americans say the administration has no clear plan to end the war, while Marjorie Taylor Greene's own poll found most of her audience now calls itself "politically homeless."
• Everyday costs are driving the backlash: diesel near $6 a gallon, grocery and bread prices well above 2016 levels, record home foreclosures, and airfares and hidden fees squeezing people who feel stuck between low wages and monopoly pricing.

Outlook: Expect legal and political fights over press access and voting — the NAACP has sued to keep federal agents away from polling places — as Trump's $43 million war chest starts flowing into the midterms.