Court appears unlikely to spare former Fox News reporter in contempt fight

A federal appeals court panel appears unlikely to rescue a former Fox News reporter facing fines — and potentially jail time — for refusing to identify her source for a series of stories about a woman with ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

The case involving reporter Catherine Herridge could become the first big showdown over press freedom during President Donald Trump’s second term.

As president, Trump will lack the power to directly waive the fine or potential jail time that Herridge faces, but he could order the Justice Department to settle an underlying lawsuit filed by the woman, Yanping Chen. Settling the suit would wipe away the fines and any other punishment against Herridge.

Trump has long praised and amplified Herridge’s reporting on other topics, especially her stories that raised questions about the investigations he faced in 2017 and 2018 over his presidential campaign’s cont