Judge blocks Trump’s White House press ban; Pope Leo recovers from lung cancer surgery

A federal judge blocks Trump's White House press ban and says the president likely violated the Constitution by punishing news outlets for their coverage. Plus more explosions in Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks escalate. Now Trump is weighing whether to bring the U.S. into the fight. And new details about Pope Leo's cancer diagnosis, what the Vatican is revealing about his surgery, and how he's doing now. The stories that matter. The facts you can trust. From across the country to around the world, this is Unbiased Updates from Straight Arrow. Hey everybody, I'm Christian Bryant in Washington. Hope your morning is off to a great start. Let's get you caught up on what's happening in the world. We begin with a federal judge blocking President Trump's ban on three news outlets from the White House and finding the president likely violated their constitutional rights. The ruling came late Tuesday from a judge Trump himself appointed. It means reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico can keep accessing the White House grounds while their lawsuit moves forward. The administration argues the outlets violated professional standards and raised national security concerns. But the news organizations say Trump targeted them because he didn't like their coverage. And U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly says the ban likely violated both their First Amendment and due process rights. In his ruling, Kelly wrote, It is likely that President Trump's revocation of plaintiffs' hard passes is the sort of action that would deter a reasonable reporter or news organization from publishing stories to which he objects. Last month on Truth Social, Trump said his administration would appeal any ruling against the ban. More explosions overnight in Saudi Arabia's capital as Iran-backed Houthi rebels keep up their attacks, and President Trump is now weighing whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes against the rebels in Yemen. The Saudi-led military coalition says it intercepted another ballistic missile headed toward Riyadh overnight. That follows earlier interceptions that sent missile debris falling into residential neighborhoods, injuring four people and damaging 15 homes. The Houthis are also claiming attacks on Saudi oil facilities, including one operated by energy giant Aramco. And Riyadh's main international airport has been hit repeatedly in recent days. The rebels say more attacks are coming. Meanwhile, Trump says he's been in touch with Saudi leaders, but won't say whether he's offered military help. He's considering joining the Saudi-led strikes in Yemen, a move the Houthis have warned would bring a swift response. When asked whether he's made a decision, here's what the president said. They're behaving very badly. What are you going to do about that? I mean, if I told you I made a decision, that wouldn't be good. The Houthis have acted very badly. The fighting is also pushing oil prices higher, with Brent Crude trading around $106 a barrel and the U.S. benchmark near 94. Now to Italy, where Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The Vatican confirmed the diagnosis Tuesday after surgeons removed part of his right lung. And the good news this morning, the operation was successful with no complications. The 71-year-old pontiff walked into Rome's Gemelli Hospital Tuesday, waving to well-wishers outside. He spent about three hours in the operating room with the surgery itself lasting roughly 90 minutes. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung after tests raised concerns about a cancerous growth. The Vatican says the procedure confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer. Surgeons used a video-assisted technique to remove the affected part of his lung. The Vatican says Leo regained consciousness normally and returned to his hospital room. Leo had told the crowd in St. Peter's Square on Sunday that doctors found a small nodule during routine tests. He said it was caught very early and appeared to be well-contained. His public events have been canceled through October 20. The Vatican expects him to need about a week to recover. For now, the Pope remains in the hospital and his day-to-day Vatican operations will continue. President Trump is cutting ties with one of his most high-profile ambassadors, Kimberly Guilfoyle. She's out as U.S. Ambassador to Greece after a series of reports raising questions about whether she used her position for personal gain. The White House confirmed Tuesday that Trump asked Guilfoyle to resign. The Wall Street Journal reports she accepted private jet travel and luxury hotel stays from a shipping magnate. It also reported she sought a $100,000 payment from a Trump donor ahead of her confirmation hearing. Guilfoyle denies the allegations. And Trump, who once called her a longtime friend, was asked about her departure. She was almost a member of your family. How surprised were you to learn about these allegations? No, she wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago, but she wasn't. No, she went to Greece. She was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading. What did you make of those allegations? Mr. President! Excuse me, Mr. President! Did you speak with Kimberly Guilfoyle personally, and what did she say to you? I didn't speak to her, no, but she will not be there. I didn't like what I read. Guilfoyle was engaged to Donald Trump Jr. before the couple split. The Journal reports she tried to save her job by reaching out to administration officials and Trump allies. But the president, as you just heard there, made the decision without speaking to her directly. Guilfoyle called the ambassadorship the honor of a lifetime. A new national poll finds most Americans believe President Trump is putting his own business interests ahead of the country. And a majority also believe he's profiting from the presidency in ways that are either unethical or illegal. That's according to a new Associated Press-NORC poll of more than 2,000 adults. Take a look at the top line here. 56% overall say Trump has prioritized his personal business interests a lot since returning to office. Just 23% say he's given that much attention to the country as a whole. Among Republicans, though, 54% say Trump has put a lot of emphasis on the country as a whole. question of personal profit, 41% believe Trump has done something illegal. Another 18% say his actions have been unethical, but not illegal. But 18% say he's done nothing wrong. The White House rejects the accusations, insisting Trump has no conflicts of interest and acts only in the country's interests. The poll comes as Trump's family has expanded its crypto businesses and signed new overseas real estate deals. But some Republicans also see a double standard, pointing to Hunter Biden's business dealings while his father was vice president. Opinions are sharply divided by party. Nearly 8 in 10 Democrats believe Trump has broken the law, compared with just 7% of Republicans. The poll was conducted in late September, with a margin of error of about 3 points. The first flight of migrants deported from the U.S. to Jamaica, even though they're not Jamaican, has arrived. It's part of the Trump administration's third country deportation policy, which the Supreme Court has allowed to continue while legal challenges play out. The 22 adult migrants arrived at Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport Tuesday. They were processed and then taken by bus to an undisclosed location. It's the first flight under an agreement signed in June that allows the U.S. to send migrants who aren't Jamaican to the island before they're transferred to their home countries or elsewhere. Jamaican officials say they expect about 25 deportees every two weeks. They also stress that Jamaica is not intended to be their permanent home. Finally this morning, some pretty great video out of Indonesia. Eight orangutans rescued from wildfires are back in the wild and they didn't waste any time getting there. Watch as they come right out of their transport cages and head straight for the trees. The group includes two young males and three mothers with their babies. All eight were rescued after wildfires threatened their habitat on the Indonesian island of Borneo. Indonesia is battling its worst wildfires in 11 years, with El Niño conditions making things even worse. And for these animals, every rescue matters. Orangutans are critically endangered, largely because of habitat loss. Fewer than 130,000 remain in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The rescue group says the relocation gives these eight orangutans, quote, a chance to return to living naturally. Before we head out, here's what we're tracking today. President Trump holds a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, later this afternoon at 4 Eastern. In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Tallarico takes questions at a CNN town hall. Ken Paxton has also been invited. Then later tonight, the president then heads to Montana for another rally at 815. Folks, we are the fastest, fairest few minutes in news. Watch us anytime on the Straight Arrow app or join us on Spotify or your favorite podcast app. We're glad to be a part of your morning routine. And tomorrow, it's time for Offscript. That's our new show where we talk to Straight Arrow reporters about their stories. That's available on SN.com or the app. You can also find us on Spotify and YouTube. That's Unbiased Updates for this Wednesday. For the Unbiased Updates team and all of us at Straight Arrow, I'm Christian Bryant. Thank you so much for watching. Have a good one. See you again tomorrow.