The Gulf of Mexico: A Name That's Causing Waves

In a surprising move, the White House has decided to ban the Associated Press (AP) from covering events in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. Why? Because the AP refused to use the new name for the Gulf of Mexico, which the White House has decided to call the "Gulf of America. " The White House has been pushing for this change for a while. The President announced it last month, and it has been adopted by some government agencies. However, other countries are not on board, and AP has clients all over the world. So, they are sticking with "Gulf of Mexico" while acknowledging the new name. The White House has been making a big deal about this. They have been criticizing the AP for not following the new name, calling it "misinformation" and "divisive. " The White House says that the AP's decision to stick with the old name is not just a matter of disagreement, but a sign of their commitment to "misinformation. " The White House has also said that the AP will still be allowed to have credentials to the White House grounds, but they will not be allowed to cover events in the Oval Office or on Air Force One. This means that the AP will not be able to participate in the "press pool, " which is a group of reporters who travel with the president and share information with the wider press corps. The AP has been a member of the pool since 1881, when it was first created. The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) has spoken out against this decision. They say that it is a violation of the First Amendment and the president's own executive order on freedom of speech and ending federal censorship. The WHCA represents the press corps and determines which outlets are part of the pool rotation. The AP is included every day, but with the ban in place, that may change. The AP has not responded to the White House's statement, but they have been preparing a legal challenge. One AP staffer said, "It's hard to come up with a clearer case of viewpoint discrimination. " This is not the first time that the White House has had a dispute with the press. The press has been a constant presence in the White House since the beginning of the republic. The first known instance of a so-called pool reporter inside the White House was in 1881, after President James A. Garfield was shot. As the chief executive lay in bed, AP reporter Franklin Trusdell sat outside his sick room, listening to him breathe and sharing updates with other correspondents. The AP has been a member of the pool ever since. The AP is a cooperative that transmits news to thousands of clients. The press pool is a crucial part of White House coverage. The AP has been a member of the pool ever since. The White House has been making a big deal about this. They have been criticizing the AP for not following the new name, calling it "misinformation" and "divisive. " The White House says that the AP's decision to stick with the old name is not just a matter of disagreement, but a sign of their commitment to "misinformation. " The AP has been preparing a legal challenge. One AP staffer said, "It's hard to come up with a clearer case of viewpoint discrimination. " The WHCA has spoken out against this decision. They say that it is a violation of the First Amendment and the president's own executive order on freedom of speech and ending federal censorship. The WHCA represents the press corps and determines which outlets are part of the pool rotation. The AP is included every day, but with the ban in place, that may change. The AP has not responded to the White House's statement, but they have been preparing a legal challenge. One AP staffer said, "It's hard to come up with a clearer case of viewpoint discrimination. " This is not the first time that the White House has had a dispute with the press. The press has been a constant presence in the White House since the beginning of the republic. The first known instance of a so-called pool reporter inside the White House was in 1881, after President James A. Garfield was shot. As the chief executive lay in bed, AP reporter Franklin Trusdell sat outside his sick room, listening to him breathe and sharing updates with other correspondents. The AP has been a member of the pool ever since. The AP is a cooperative that transmits news to thousands of clients. The press pool is a crucial part of White House coverage. The AP has been a member of the pool ever since.