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The top photos of the week by AP photojournalists

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The top photos of the week by AP photojournalists
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The top photos of the week by AP photojournalists

2026-07-03 06:14 Last Updated At:06:31

June 26 - July 2, 2026

This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Anita Baca, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published by The Associated Press in the past week.

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Fans celebrate during a watch party for a World Cup soccer match against Bosnia at the KC Live! entertainment district Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Fans celebrate during a watch party for a World Cup soccer match against Bosnia at the KC Live! entertainment district Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Fans of President Donald Trump wait for him to speak at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's policy conference at the Washington Hilton, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Fans of President Donald Trump wait for him to speak at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's policy conference at the Washington Hilton, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Images are projected onto the Washington Monument, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

Images are projected onto the Washington Monument, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

A youngster jumps in a river as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for most parts of the country, outside 1 Decembrie, Romania, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru)

A youngster jumps in a river as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for most parts of the country, outside 1 Decembrie, Romania, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru)

England's Harry Kane (9) and Congo's Chancel Mbemba (22) react to a referee Adham Makhadmeh's decision during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

England's Harry Kane (9) and Congo's Chancel Mbemba (22) react to a referee Adham Makhadmeh's decision during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Serena Williams of the United States plays a forehand against Maya Joint of Australia in their first round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

Serena Williams of the United States plays a forehand against Maya Joint of Australia in their first round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

A participant wearing shoes with heels measuring at least 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) walks during the annual high-heel race held as part of Madrid's Pride Week in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

A participant wearing shoes with heels measuring at least 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) walks during the annual high-heel race held as part of Madrid's Pride Week in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

Danielle Grisolano brings her dogs Lincoln and Pepper with her to vote in the Democratic primaries at Denver Public Library, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)

Danielle Grisolano brings her dogs Lincoln and Pepper with her to vote in the Democratic primaries at Denver Public Library, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)

Dog walker Nahuel Meneghini walks dogs dressed in jerseys of the Argentine national soccer team in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Dog walker Nahuel Meneghini walks dogs dressed in jerseys of the Argentine national soccer team in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Parents of students at Lassa Day Secondary School protest following the abduction of their children after gunmen raided the school on Monday, in Askira-Uba area, northeastern Nigeria, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

Parents of students at Lassa Day Secondary School protest following the abduction of their children after gunmen raided the school on Monday, in Askira-Uba area, northeastern Nigeria, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, are seen behind a screen as they await the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, are seen behind a screen as they await the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Newly consecrated Bishops, from left, Marc Hanappier, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, Michael Goldade and Pascal Schreiber wearing their miters and holding their pastoral staffs, stand at the end of their consecration ceremony in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Newly consecrated Bishops, from left, Marc Hanappier, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, Michael Goldade and Pascal Schreiber wearing their miters and holding their pastoral staffs, stand at the end of their consecration ceremony in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A military band conductor leads during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A military band conductor leads during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

An Israeli soldier works on a tank near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An Israeli soldier works on a tank near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Palestinians collect food from the wreckage of their tents following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians collect food from the wreckage of their tents following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People participate in a rally marking 1,000 days to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People participate in a rally marking 1,000 days to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

Elderly Liudmyla Tsapkova sits in her damaged apartment after the Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

Elderly Liudmyla Tsapkova sits in her damaged apartment after the Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Washington Monument, reflected in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, is seen behind fencing, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

The Washington Monument, reflected in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, is seen behind fencing, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A girl cools off in a public fountain in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A girl cools off in a public fountain in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A boy washes his hair and face after playing in the mud in a paddy field during Asar Pandra, the annual paddy planting festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A boy washes his hair and face after playing in the mud in a paddy field during Asar Pandra, the annual paddy planting festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Rescue workers stand on the rubble of a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Houses in the Caribe neighborhood are seen at the top. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers stand on the rubble of a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Houses in the Caribe neighborhood are seen at the top. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Identification cards and photographs of missing people are left on the window of a dirt-covered car by relatives searching for information in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Saturday, June 27, 2026, three days after twin earthquakes struck the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Identification cards and photographs of missing people are left on the window of a dirt-covered car by relatives searching for information in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Saturday, June 27, 2026, three days after twin earthquakes struck the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

A boy sleeps outside earthquake-damaged homes in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A boy sleeps outside earthquake-damaged homes in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Rescue workers carry a man rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers carry a man rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

See last week's top photos

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Fans celebrate during a watch party for a World Cup soccer match against Bosnia at the KC Live! entertainment district Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Fans celebrate during a watch party for a World Cup soccer match against Bosnia at the KC Live! entertainment district Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Fans of President Donald Trump wait for him to speak at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's policy conference at the Washington Hilton, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Fans of President Donald Trump wait for him to speak at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's policy conference at the Washington Hilton, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Images are projected onto the Washington Monument, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

Images are projected onto the Washington Monument, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

A youngster jumps in a river as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for most parts of the country, outside 1 Decembrie, Romania, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru)

A youngster jumps in a river as the National Weather forecaster issued an extreme heat code red warning for most parts of the country, outside 1 Decembrie, Romania, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru)

England's Harry Kane (9) and Congo's Chancel Mbemba (22) react to a referee Adham Makhadmeh's decision during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

England's Harry Kane (9) and Congo's Chancel Mbemba (22) react to a referee Adham Makhadmeh's decision during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Serena Williams of the United States plays a forehand against Maya Joint of Australia in their first round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

Serena Williams of the United States plays a forehand against Maya Joint of Australia in their first round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

A participant wearing shoes with heels measuring at least 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) walks during the annual high-heel race held as part of Madrid's Pride Week in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

A participant wearing shoes with heels measuring at least 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) walks during the annual high-heel race held as part of Madrid's Pride Week in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

Danielle Grisolano brings her dogs Lincoln and Pepper with her to vote in the Democratic primaries at Denver Public Library, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)

Danielle Grisolano brings her dogs Lincoln and Pepper with her to vote in the Democratic primaries at Denver Public Library, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)

Dog walker Nahuel Meneghini walks dogs dressed in jerseys of the Argentine national soccer team in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Dog walker Nahuel Meneghini walks dogs dressed in jerseys of the Argentine national soccer team in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Parents of students at Lassa Day Secondary School protest following the abduction of their children after gunmen raided the school on Monday, in Askira-Uba area, northeastern Nigeria, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

Parents of students at Lassa Day Secondary School protest following the abduction of their children after gunmen raided the school on Monday, in Askira-Uba area, northeastern Nigeria, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, are seen behind a screen as they await the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, are seen behind a screen as they await the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Newly consecrated Bishops, from left, Marc Hanappier, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, Michael Goldade and Pascal Schreiber wearing their miters and holding their pastoral staffs, stand at the end of their consecration ceremony in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Newly consecrated Bishops, from left, Marc Hanappier, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, Michael Goldade and Pascal Schreiber wearing their miters and holding their pastoral staffs, stand at the end of their consecration ceremony in a tent set up outside the Society of St. Pius X seminary in Econe, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

A military band conductor leads during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A military band conductor leads during a ceremony to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

An Israeli soldier works on a tank near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An Israeli soldier works on a tank near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Palestinians collect food from the wreckage of their tents following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians collect food from the wreckage of their tents following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People participate in a rally marking 1,000 days to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People participate in a rally marking 1,000 days to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

Elderly Liudmyla Tsapkova sits in her damaged apartment after the Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

Elderly Liudmyla Tsapkova sits in her damaged apartment after the Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)

Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Washington Monument, reflected in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, is seen behind fencing, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

The Washington Monument, reflected in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, is seen behind fencing, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A girl cools off in a public fountain in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A girl cools off in a public fountain in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A boy washes his hair and face after playing in the mud in a paddy field during Asar Pandra, the annual paddy planting festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A boy washes his hair and face after playing in the mud in a paddy field during Asar Pandra, the annual paddy planting festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Rescue workers stand on the rubble of a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Houses in the Caribe neighborhood are seen at the top. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers stand on the rubble of a building that collapsed during the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Houses in the Caribe neighborhood are seen at the top. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Identification cards and photographs of missing people are left on the window of a dirt-covered car by relatives searching for information in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Saturday, June 27, 2026, three days after twin earthquakes struck the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Identification cards and photographs of missing people are left on the window of a dirt-covered car by relatives searching for information in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Saturday, June 27, 2026, three days after twin earthquakes struck the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

A boy sleeps outside earthquake-damaged homes in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A boy sleeps outside earthquake-damaged homes in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Rescue workers carry a man rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers carry a man rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene after a judge ordered an $800-a-day fine for a former Fox News reporter if she refuses to reveal her confidential source for stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.

The high court rebuffed an emergency appeal from Catherine Herridge. The veteran investigative reporter has been held in civil contempt as part of a lawsuit that scientist Yanping Chen filed against the government over the leak.

Chief Justice John Roberts previously put a short-term hold on the fine as the court considered the appeal. On Thursday, the court said it was denying Herridge's bid to stay the fine. Justice Brett Kavanaugh supported granting the application for a stay, the court said.

Herridge published a series for Fox News in 2017 that examined Chen’s ties to the Chinese military and raised questions about whether the scientist was using a professional school she founded in Virginia to help the Chinese government get information about American servicemembers.

Fox News Media expressed disappointment in the decision.

“Protecting the confidentiality of journalistic sourcing and the integrity of the newsgathering process is fundamental to a free and functioning democracy. While we are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decision, our commitment to defending these critical First Amendment principles remains unwavering and we will be reviewing our options to further fight this injustice," the network said in a statement.

Herridge’s attorneys did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The stories relied on what Chen’s lawyers say were items leaked from the probe into statements she made on immigration forms related to work on a Chinese astronaut program.

Those include snippets of an FBI document summarizing an interview conducted during the investigation, personal photographs, and information taken from her immigration and naturalization forms and from an internal FBI PowerPoint presentation, according to court documents.

The six-year probe never resulted in charges against Chen, and in 2018 she sued the FBI and the Justice Department.

Her suit said that both her personal and professional life were upended amid a wave of negative media attention after the leak, leading to hate mail and death threats. She accused the government of violating the Privacy Act, which prohibits the public disclosure of private information about individuals without their consent.

A judge ordered Herridge to answer questions about her source or sources in a deposition with Chen’s lawyers. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington ruled that Chen’s need to know for the sake of her lawsuit overcame Herridge’s right to shield her source.

Herridge was interviewed under oath but declined to answer questions about her sources. The judge eventually held her in contempt, and the fine was set to begin after the order was upheld by an appeals court panel.

The case has been closely watched by media advocates, who say forcing journalists to betray a promise of confidentiality could make sources think twice before providing information to reporters that could expose government wrongdoing.

“Journalists facing contempt should not have to muster large payments to the court while they seek to vindicate First Amendment rights," said Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "And forcing them to betray source confidences always has a harmful impact on the free flow of information to the public.”

Chen’s lawyers say they have exhausted other ways to identify the leaker, and the identity is key to making their case that the Privacy Act was violated. Attorney Andrew Phillips said they hope Thursday's decision will help bring the matter to a close.

“Dr. Chen, like any other American citizen, is entitled to discover the identity of the federal official(s) who abused their access to an American’s private information and leaked it to cause her harm. That type of corrupt, unlawful conduct is exactly what the Privacy Act was designed to address," he said.

Herridge reported for Fox News and CBS News before recently becoming an independent journalist.

The Supreme Court is seen Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Supreme Court is seen Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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