By Craig Saueurs AP
Published on 19/08/2026 – 12:03 GMT+2
In a long‑simmering free‑speech battle, Disney is punching back at the Trump administration.
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On Tuesday, Disney and ABC sued the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, alleging that the Trump administration is threatening the network’s broadcast licences in retaliation for its speech.
Filed by ABC, its parent company Disney and eight ABC‑owned stations, the lawsuit challenges an unusual FCC order in April that required the stations to apply for early licence renewals, years ahead of their scheduled 2028 renewals.
The FCC cited its investigation into ABC’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices as the reason for ordering the reviews. ABC contends the action is part of a campaign by the Trump administration to punish the network for content it dislikes.
“Again and again, the Administration has attacked ABC’s speech – the stories its journalists report and the viewpoints its network programs air,” the network said in its lawsuit. “Over time, those attacks have escalated into express demands that ABC be stripped of its broadcast licenses because of its speech.”
Pressure mounts for U.S. media
Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, ordered the reviews after ABC late‑night host Jimmy Kimmel drew the ire of Donald Trump with jokes about his wife, Melania Trump. Trump called for Kimmel to be fired, while Carr later warned broadcasters there could be consequences if they did not take disciplinary action against him.
Carr defended the FCC’s actions, saying broadcasters have a duty to “operate in the public interest” in exchange for subsidized access to public airwaves. After Trump raised the heat on Kimmel, Carr added, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Disney and ABC’s lawsuit describes the situation as an “existential threat” for U.S. media.
“If the Administration gets its way, the message to every media company in the country will be unmistakable: tell only the stories the Administration deems favorable, or face the coercive machinery of the federal government. In such a world, the press could in no way be described as free,” the network said.
Under Carr, the FCC has also targeted ABC’s The View over its exemption from federal equal‑time rules and opened investigations into CBS News and NBC News.
“Look, as a country, we should have a trusted, respected news media, and we’re not there,” Carr said. “So I hope more broadcasters return to their public‑interest obligations.”
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- Djibouti Football Federation Under Scrutiny Amid Allegations of Fund MisuseThe tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti is embroiled in a football corruption row after a government audit accused its federation, largely funded by FIFA, of favoritism and inadequate competitive bidding.The recent success of Cape Verde – which reached the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – has shown that small African nations can succeed with the right organisation.Djibouti footballers are furious, however, at their federation over allegations it has misused money from world football governing body FIFA, which provides the vast majority of its funding.Funds provided by Saudi Arabia for a new headquarters for the Djibouti Football Federation are also said to have been misused.One local club manager, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency that his team would boycott this year’s league unless there was a change in leadership.“The (Djibouti federation’s) resources are not used for the development of football,” he alleged.“When I see what Cape Verde is capable of achieving… I tell myself there is a structural problem within our federation,” he added.Djibouti’s national football teamThe allegations stem from a 2024 government inspector’s report, recently obtained by AFP, that accuses the federation of “favouritism” in awarding the contract for the headquarters and overpricing for many elements of the contract.FIFA, which along with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) provides more than $1m a year to Djibouti’s federation, did not respond to queries from AFP.A member of Djibouti’s federation, Mohamed Elmi Farah, resigned from its executive committee on August 12 August, expressing “concerns regarding the management and use of the federation’s resources”.Souleiman Hassan Waberi, the longtime head of the Djibouti Football Federation, told AFP it had been cleared of all wrongdoing by FIFA.“FIFA has officially confirmed to us that, to date, its monitoring mechanisms have revealed no indication of wrongdoing regarding the funds it disbursed,” said Waberi, who also serves on the FIFA Council as a representative of CAF.Djibouti fans during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Africa qualifier against EgyptCAF is a major supporter of FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, who has recently courted controversy with plans to open the World Cup to private investors.Waberi acknowledged “shortcomings regarding competitive bidding” in “certain operations”, but blamed the limited availability of many items in Djibouti and said procedures had since improved.Djibouti, which has a population of just one million, has been ruled by President Ismael Omar Guelleh since 1999. It ranks 124th out of 182 countries on Transparency International’s corruption perception index.
