White House TV pool is back in operation after a dayslong ban of news outlets from grounds

The White House video pool resumed operations Friday, days after President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the grounds in a dispute over press access. That pool—five major broadcast outlets that rotate shooting and sharing footage—had gone dark when the other four networks refused to participate in solidarity with CNN, which is itself a pool member. A federal judge temporarily blocked the ban on Thursday, letting reporters from the three outlets back onto White House grounds, but the pool held off resuming coverage even after that ruling, since it didn't specifically address pool operations, according to PBS NewsHour.

By Friday, the pool was back online, timed to a joint appearance by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the National Archives. CBS was listed among the pool assignments on the White House's daily schedule, and CNN also had an assignment, with an Associated Press journalist observing the network setting up on site. CNN's media analyst, Brian Stelter, reported on social media that the network had received White House approval for its credentials and had been slotted into the pool coverage of the Archives visit. CNN did not comment further, pointing to its own published coverage. A person familiar with the arrangement, speaking anonymously due to the fast-moving situation, said "all systems are go."

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →