SPECIAL EDITION: Oliver Darcy here, filling in for Brian Stelter... Scroll down for new details about Vox Media's acquisition of New York Media, Tucker Carlson's feud with Shep Smith, Kevin Feige's new "Star Wars" movie, and more. But first...
Buckle up for Thursday's breaking news | | "The integrity of U.S. democracy depends on how Congress and the nation respond."
That's how WaPo's editorial board spells out the situation the country finds itself in.
We've seen the rough transcript of President Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. We're about to see the whistleblower's report. And what we already know is disturbing.
Thursday's Post front page opens with this headline: "Trump offered Justice's aid for a probe of Biden." And in the back of the A section, the Post's editorial board calls the readout a "devastating indictment" of Trump.
"That Mr. Trump believed that this exchange would somehow exonerate him from charges that he abused his office is astonishing," the editorial board said... "Trump has confirmed that, at a minimum, he heavily pressured a foreign leader to intervene in the 2020 election, while dangling a political favor and withholding congressionally approved aid."
NYT: July phone call "only a slice" of Trump's Ukraine obsession
More details are continuing to emerge about Trump's dealings with Ukraine. In a story published Wednesday night, the NYT reported that the July phone call "showed only a slice of Trump's obsession with Ukraine." The Times reported that Trump had placed a phone call to the Ukrainian president in April, and urged him to work with Rudy Giuliani to investigation "corruption." The details of that phone conversation had not been previously reported...
When will we see the whistleblower complaint?
Several Democrats who have read the complaint have said it is shocking. Chuck Schumer said he was "even more worried" after reading the document. Eric Swalwell told Wolf Blitzer it is a "five alarm concern," adding, "it's actually shocking that so many people saw this conduct and didn't come forward."
Jackie Speier told Rachel Maddow the complaint is "nothing short of explosive. It is so much more than the summary of the telephone call that has been presented by the White House." And Ben Sasse, a lone wolf in the GOP, warned fellow Republicans that they "ought not to be rushing to circle the wagons" given "there's obviously lots that's very troubling" in the report.
So when will we get to see it? Here is what CNN's Dana Bash reported shortly before midnight: "Two sources confirm" that the report "has been declassified. However the report will not be released at least until Thursday morning."
>> Dan Rather tweeted: "This story is moving faster than a hummingbird's wings..."
When will the whistleblower testify?
The still-anonymous whistleblower "has tentatively agreed to meet with congressional lawmakers," CNN reported Wednesday night. Thus far, "Lawmakers have not been told the identity of the whistleblower or where the complainant works in the government," the story said. But a meeting, according to the correspondence obtained by CNN, could take place if the acting director of national intelligence "approves appropriate security clearances for the individual's legal counsel so that they can accompany their client."
Thursday will be another dramatic news day
Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire is set to testify at 9am ET Thursday before the House Intelligence Committee. The hearing will be carried live on all the cable news networks.
--> Also happening Thursday morning: Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy will be holding their weekly pressers...
Right-wing media still loyal
Don't expect any of this to change the tune of Trump's allies in right-wing media. I don't expect they'll break with the President. Trump's friends on Fox and in the conservative media universe are remaining largely loyal to him. On Wednesday, Fox personalities, websites like Breitbart, and talk-radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh all defended Trump in their own ways.
That trend continued into Wednesday night, with Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham all showing support for Trump in their different styles. A lot of the talking points Trump's right-wing media allies are using were noticeably aligned with the talking points the White House sent to its allies.
>> Related: When Juan Williams noted that Fox personalities were using many of the talking points pushed by the White House, "The Five" panel nearly imploded...
...but one big exception
Notably, the influential Drudge Report has continued to spotlight news critical of the Trump administration. The website, operated by recluse Matt Drudge, who was at one point extremely supportive of the president, highlighted critical commentary on Wednesday from George Conway and Judge Napolitano.
>> It's also worth mentioning: Sites like the National Review and Washington Examiner also featured a mix of commentary on Wednesday, including some which were sharply critical of Trump.
The Trumpworld leaks continue...
Brian Stelter emails: The NYT's Trip Gabriel made an astute point after reading this story, "Trump's Not-So-Excellent Day," written by three of his colleagues: "On one of his most challenging days in office, intimates of POTUS continue to reveal -- anonymously -- inside details to well sourced NYT reporters."
The story, by Maggie Haberman, Michael Crowley and Katie Rogers, cited aides who said Trump's "anger and anxiousness took over his day..."
Will the Dems command the TV stage?
Brian Stelter emails: Numerous Democratic lawmakers gave floor speeches and interviews on Wednesday. Will this continue in the weeks ahead? The onus is really on House Democrats to make their case. It's been proven that Trump knows how to communicate with his supporters incredibly effectively. As for Democratic leaders, well, it's debatable. Will lawmakers be holding daily press events? Televised hearings? What will they do to rally public support for the impeachment inquiry? We shall see...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- Chris Cuomo sparred with Trump attorney Jay Sekulow Wednesday night: This is quid pro quo...
-- In an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Joe Biden said "it's awful hard to avoid the conclusion that it is an impeachable offense..."
-- Jake Tapper on CNN's 11pm special report: "Whether he's gaslighting or truly of the belief that there was nothing inappropriate about his actions, POTUS tried to argue today that the transcript, the rough transcript, would exonerate him." But it "did not exonerate the president..."
-- Here is the NYT's Thursday front page, with the banner headline "TRUMP ASKED FOR 'FAVOR' IN CALL, MEMO SHOWS:" | |
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST...
A weekday evening podcast about 'all things impeachment'
"Given my experience in the Clinton White House during impeachment proceedings and the Words Matter podcast platform that I'm hosting now, we'll be launching a daily end-of-day podcast on all things impeachment from the perspective of those who are involved now and those who've been through it," Joe Lockhart says. The to-be-named pod will be introduced in the beginning of October... it'll include a mixture of interviews and analysis... and it'll be produced by the current Words Matter team...
A presser full of disinformation
I'm sure you saw it unfold live. A visibly deflated POTUS gave a long speech and fielded a few questions on Wednesday afternoon... and it was carried live on ABC, NBC, CBS as well as cable news. The sheer amount of deception and disinformation led some critics to wonder if the TV networks were doing a disservice to the listening audience.
That leads us to MSNBC's decision: After a few minutes of listening to Trump ramble, 4pm host Nicole Wallace cut away. "We hate to do this, really," Wallace said. "But the president isn't telling the truth." Wallace resumed a discussion with her panel. Later in the hour, when Trump asked Mike Pompeo to speak at the podium, CNN's Jake Tapper also cut away from the event. He began by saying that "a lot of things" Trump said "were not true."
Resuming the debate: How should TV cover Trump's live events?
Most networks -- outside Fox -- have moved away from covering Trump's rallies live, only dipping in when he makes actual news. But press conferences and pool sprays are still mostly aired unfiltered, and expose viewers to Trump's raw rants which are often drenched with misinformation.
I wrote about this tension back in January, noting that media critics on both sides of the political spectrum believe networks should rethink carrying Trump live as he delivers remarks. NYT's Michael Grynbuam also wrote about this discussion on Wednesday...
--> Brian Stelter offered some pushback on Twitter, pointing to last Sunday's "Reliable" segment with Lenore Taylor, the Australian journalist who was gobsmacked by Trump's incoherence last week. She said there IS some value in making sure viewers see the "rambling," confusing statements...
Tucker Carlson mocks Shep Smith for defending Judge Napolitano
This is a level of Fox infighting that we have not seen in some time. On Wednesday night, Tucker Carlson used his program to mock colleagues Shepard Smith and Judge Andrew Napolitano.
Earlier in the day, Smith had taken issue with a comment frequent guest Joe diGenova had made on Carlson's Tuesday night show. During that show, diGenova had referred to Napolitano as a "fool" for saying Trump had already admitted to committing a crime. Smith said on his program that "attacking our colleague...on our in, in our home, is repugnant."
Carlson used his Wednesday night show to fire back. While hosting diGenova for another segment, Carlson said, "Apparently our daytime host, who hosted Judge Napolitano, was watching last night and was outraged at what was said." Carlson played a clip of Smith condemning diGenova remarks, then said while laughing, "Repugnant! Not clear if that was you or me, but someone was repugnant!"
Fox stays silent
I checked in with Fox spokespeople on Wednesday night. I didn't get a comment back...
A growing trend
Fox stars did battle during the Roger Ailes days, for sure, but in the past few years, there's been an uptick in this kind of public infighting. It's hard to imagine that Ailes would have put up with his stars trading barbs like this...
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- CNN and NYT contributor Wajahat Ali interrupted the "chaos with joyous news" on Wednesday: His young daughter "has a new liver in her belly! She underwent liver surgery yesterday thanks to an anonymous live donor. Both her & the donor are recovering nicely..." (Twitter)
-- "Treating individual donors and major givers alike, Mother Jones is on track to raise $25 million in its first major campaign," Christine Schmidt reports... (NiemanLab)
-- Alex Jones has filed a lawsuit against The Young Turks... (Law & Crime)
-- Leaked documents reveal how moderators at Chinese-owned TikTok are instructed to censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, or other things "that do not please Beijing..." (Guardian)
New York's purchase price: $105 million
Kerry Flynn emails: The NYT, which originally broke the news of the deal between Vox Media and New York Media, reported it was an all-stock transaction. On Wednesday, WSJ reported that the deal was worth $105 million, citing people familiar. Per the WSJ, the deal gives New York Media 12% ownership of the combined company...
--> Important: "Vox Media was valued at about $750 million in the deal, the people said. The company was valued at roughly $1 billion in its latest funding round in 2015," Ben Mullin and Lillian Rizzo wrote...
Staffers are anxious, confused, annoyed, confused | | Flynn writes: Media Twitter was lit with stills from HBO's "Succession" after news broke on the merger. But the real mood from staffers at both companies was anxious, concerned, annoyed and confused. While the NYT's story said there would be "no editorial layoffs," staffers told me they didn't believe it ... at least not in the long-term. More in my story...
New York mag union "deeply unsettled"
Flynn adds: New York Mag Union, which is represented by NewsGuild, said in a statement that it was "encouraged that management is excited by the merger and wants to preserve the quality and integrity of New York Magazine." BUT, the union added, "We're deeply unsettled by the disrespectful manner in which they informed our staff -- after the New York Times story was published and after the press release was issued."
--> VF's Joe Pompeo has a full story on "agita" at the magazine about Pam Wasserstein's decision...
--> Vox's Peter Kafka interviewed Wasserstein and Jim Bankoff about the deal for this episode of the "Recode Media" podcast...
A smart business strategy
One more note from Flynn: Nieman Lab's Joshua Benton described the merger as a "deal that makes sense." While staffers were concerned about overlap, Benton agreed with the leadership's phrasing of "complementary." Related: Noah Mallin of ad agency Wavemaker told me he saw Vox Media's strength in podcasting and digital video whereas New York Media has a brand of deeply reported content. New York Media also has a print and digital subscription business. Both run events...
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
-- Discovery's big streaming announcement: Food Network Kitchen is launching next month. Todd Spangler says it is the company's "most ambitious U.S. subscription-streaming concoction to date." The service will have live, interactive cooking shows, plus instructional videos, recipes, and an integration with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant... (Variety)
-- Another angle that makes this deal interesting: Food Network Kitchen subscribers "can use the app to buy ingredients for recipes shown in classes through an integration with Amazon Fresh and other food-delivery services such as Peapod and Instacart..." (WSJ)
-- "A group of women with fresh claims of sexual harassment against Matt Lauer has spoken out for the first time to Ronan Farrow," Page Six reported on Wednesday... (Page Six)
-- Farrow's book "Catch and Kill" comes out on October 15. He tweeted on Wednesday that any leaks are likely coming from "parties with an interest in spinning or downplaying their role are putting out inaccurate characterizations of that reporting," so "take it with a grain of salt." Hmm... (Twitter)
BBC says host breached rules when she called out Trump for "go back" comments
The BBC said Wednesday its complaints unit had ruled that one of its hosts had breached the organization's guidelines when she criticized Trump over his "go back" comments. A spokesperson said host Naga Munchetty "went beyond what the guidelines allow for" when she shared that "as a woman of color" every time she had been told to "go back" it was "embedded in racism."
"Bewilderment" and "some anger" among staffers
The decision from the BBC has caused "bewilderment" and "some anger" among staff, according to a tweet from BBC correspondent Sangita Myska. BBC reporter Dave Lee added that he was "extremely disappointed" in the BBC's decision. Others have praised Munchetty.
A BBC spokesperson said the complaints unit's decision would ultimately be posted online, and that it would "include a note of any action taken as a result of the finding." Stay tuned...
Al Franken's radio comeback
Al Franken is getting a Saturday morning radio show on SiriusXM Progress, starting this weekend. Chris Rock will be his first guest.
"The move is the biggest step Franken has taken in his attempted comeback so far," Millie Dent writes for CNN Business. Reactions were mixed on Wednesday, with some people criticizing SiriusXM's decision and Franken fans welcoming the news. Sirius says he'll also appear on other shows and contribute to election coverage...
O'Donnell sits down with MbS
| | A huge get for Norah O'Donnell: CBS News said Wednesday that O'Donnell interviewed Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Tuesday in Jeddad. The interview will air on the 52nd season premiere of "60 Minutes" on Sunday...
News Emmy winners
At the 2019 News & Documentary Emmys on Tuesday night, the "biggest winner was HBO, with 10 awards," THR notes. "PBS grabbed nine honors during the ceremony, and CBS came in third place with six wins." CNN won five awards. Five of HBO's ten awards were for "VICE News Tonight," which was notable since HBO dropped the series over the summer. It is moving over to Vice's cable channel.
--> One of the evening's highlights: Andrea Mitchell was honored "with the Lifetime Achievement Award 'for her groundbreaking 50-year career covering domestic and international affairs...'"
| | Kevin Feige developing 'Star Wars' movie
Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige "is going to be developing a Star Wars movie as Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy makes new plans for a wave of projects set in the universe," THR's Kim Masters scooped Wednesday night. Here's her story with all the details...
'This Is' more of 'Us' | | The headline on Sandra Gonzalez's latest: "'This Is Us' expanded its world massively in the season premiere."
Stelter told me he just watched the season premiere with Jamie and he was blown away...
| | | Thanks for reading! Send me feedback via email and/or find me on Twitter. Stelter will be back tomorrow... | | | |
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