White House restores full press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta
Washington, Nov 20: The White House has restored the full press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, less than two weeks after it temporarily suspended them following the journalist's altercation with President Donald Trump during a news conference.
The Trump administration's decision came after a judge ordered that Acosta could continue reporting at the White House.
Following the decision, CNN announced to withdraw its lawsuit against the White House.
Announcing its decision on Monday, the White House also issued "rules governing future press conferences". The new rules are for reporters covering the news conferences of either President Trump or senior administration officials.
"This afternoon we have notified Jim Acosta and CNN that his hard pass has been restored. We have also notified him of certain rules that will govern White House press conferences going forward," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.
Reacting to the decision restoring his pass, Acosta said he was looking forward to returning to the White House.
"Thanks to everybody for their support. As I said last Friday... let's get back to work," tweeted the Chief White House Correspondent of CNN.
Acosta's hard pass was temporarily suspended after his argument with Trump during a news conference on November 7.
CNN challenged the decision in the court. After a federal district court overruled the White House's order, Acosta's hard pass was temporarily restored on Friday.
As per the new White House guidelines, a reporter can ask a single question and permission for a follow up will be subject to the discretion of the individual holding the news conference.
Any violation of the rule might result in revocation of the press credentials, Sanders said, as she announced restoration of full access to Acosta.
Listing out the three new rules, Sanders said a journalist will ask a single question and then yield the floor to other journalists.
Secondly, at the discretion of the President or other White House official taking questions, a follow-up question or questions may be permitted.
Finally, "yielding the floor" includes, when applicable, physically surrendering the microphone to White House staff for use by the next questioner, Sanders said.
"Failure to abide by any of rules may result in suspension or revocation of the journalist's hard pass," she warned.
Shortly after the White House's decision, CNN announced to withdraw its lawsuit against the Trump administration.
"Today the White House fully restored Acosta's press pass. As a result, our lawsuit is no longer necessary. We look forward to continuing to cover the White House," CNN said.
The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) welcomed the decision of the Trump administration and asserted that a free and independent news media played a vital role in the health of a republic.
"The White House did the right thing in restoring Jim Acosta's hard pass," Olivier Knox, WHCA President said.
"The White House Correspondents' Association had no role in crafting any procedures for future press conferences," he said.
"For as long as there have been White House press conferences, White House reporters have asked follow-up questions. We fully expect this tradition will continue. We will continue to make the case that a free and independent news media plays a vital role in the health of our republic," Knox said.
However, in her lengthy statement, Sanders noted that White House created the new rules with a degree of regret.
For years, members of the White House press corps have attended countless press events with the President and other officials without engaging in the behaviour Acosta displayed at the November 7 press conference, she said.
"We would have greatly preferred to continue hosting White House press conferences in reliance on a set of understood professional norms, and we believe the overwhelming majority of journalists covering the White House share that preference. But, given the position taken by CNN, we now feel obligated to replace previously shared practices with explicit rules," she said.
During the news conference, a White House intern tried to take the microphone from Acosta as he attempted to ask the president a follow-up question.
Trump called Acosta "a rude, terrible person" and the reporter was barred from entering the White House a day later.
Sanders said the White House was mindful that a more elaborate and comprehensive set of rules might need to be devised, including, for example, for a journalist conduct in the open (non-press room) areas inside and outside the White House and for Air Force One.
"At this time, however, we have decided not to frame such rules in the hope that professional journalistic norms will suffice to regulate conduct in those places. If unprofessional behaviour occurs in those settings, or if a court should decide that explicit rules are required to regulate conduct there, we will be forced to reconsider this decision," she said.
"The White House's interaction with the press is, and generally should be, subject to a natural give-and-take," Sanders said.
"President Trump believes strongly in the First Amendment, and a free press and is the most accessible President in modern history. It would be a great loss for all if, instead of relying on the professionalism of White House journalists, we were compelled to devise a lengthy and detailed code of conduct for White House events," she said.
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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
