Journalists at the Pentagon turned in access badges and cleaned out their workspaces on Wednesday, the price for refusing to agree to new restrictions on their jobs at the seat of U.S. military power. The refusal was near-unanimous, from trade publications, wire services, television networks and newspapers, and included outlets that appeal largely to conservatives like Fox News Channel and Newsmax. Many of the reporters chose to turn in their badges together at the 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department to vacate the building. Reporters said their work will continue despite the loss of access.

Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon. Fox signed on to a statement with ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN saying they would not agree to Hegseth's new rules. It said "the policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections." So far, only the conservative One America News Network has said its reporters would follow the new regulations. Hegseth has said that outlets who don't agree to the new rules by the end of Tuesday, which restrict reporting on news not specifically approved by his team, will be evicted from the Pentagon on Wednesday.

FBI Director Kash Patel says DNA on a towel wrapped around a rifle found near where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated matches that of the 22-year-old accused in the killing. Patel told Fox News Channel on Monday investigators also have used DNA to link suspect Tyler Robinson with a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired. Authorities in Utah are preparing to file capital murder charges against Robinson as early as Tuesday in the killing of Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics. Patel says Robinson wrote in a note before the shooting that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk. Robinson's family has declined to comment.

The voting technology company suing Fox News for defamation is now entangled in a widening bribery investigation. Federal prosecutors in Miami last year charged Smartmatic's co-founder Roger Pinate with bribing the elections chief in the Philippines in exchange for a contract there. In a new filing this month, prosecutors say Pinate diverted proceeds from a $300 million elections contract with Los Angeles County to a slush fund used to bribe foreign officials. Pinate has pleaded not guilty. Smartmatic has not been charged. Fox News is nonetheless using the allegations to question Smartmatic's business reputation. L.A. County maintains it was unaware of any illegal activity and that Smartmatic complied with contractual obligations.

First lady Melania Trump is demanding that Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. She threatens to sue if he does not. Biden made the comments in an interview this month, claiming Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump. Melania Trump's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, calls the statements false and defamatory. Brito says the comments have been widely shared on social media, causing harm to the first lady's reputation. Biden attributed the claim to author Michael Wolff, whom Trump has criticized. The Trumps have long said they were introduced by a modeling agent in 1998.

A broken promise to release more information about the Jeffrey Epstein case has sparked outrage among some of President Donald Trump's loyal supporters. Right-wing influencers were once bolstered by Trump's own claims on this case, but are now feeling their demands are being squelched by his administration. Figures like commentator Tucker Carlson, activist Laura Loomer and Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon claim the government's handling of the case shows a lack of transparency. Anger over the case threatens to divide the MAGA faithful.

President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are showing no signs of reconciling on Friday, but Republicans are increasingly urging them to settle their dispute. They know what's at stake — a massive tax and border spending bill from the Republican Party that Musk has been railing against for days. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says he hopes "that both of them come back together." Still, the feud between Trump and Musk is probably best described as a moving target. One person familiar with the president's thinking says Musk wants to speak with Trump, but that the president doesn't want to do it — or at least, not on Friday.