Justice Department opens antitrust probe as White House press-access fight escalates

The U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into whether the White House television press pool's decision to suspend coverage of President Donald Trump violated antitrust laws. The Justice Department said in a statement that it is examining whether the White House TV press pool — a group of broadcasters including CNN, Fox News, ABC, CBS and NBC — violated the Sherman Act by temporarily halting pooled TV coverage of Trump. The Sherman Act is a federal law that prohibits certain agreements that unreasonably restrain trade. Introduced in the 1890s, the law has rarely been applied to media organizations, particularly regarding their coverage.