Happy President's Day. Here's the latest on Elon Musk, "60 Minutes," Karoline Leavitt, Truth Social, James Murdoch, Meta, Grok 3, and more...
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Here's a name that should be more prevalent in the media coverage of President Trump's second term: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Puzzled by some of Trump's actions? Study up on Orbán's last 15 years of rule, and what's happening in the U.S. will make more sense.
Orbán is "the kind of strongman – unencumbered by legal and political restraints – that he'd like to be," CNN's Stephen Collinson wrote last year.
Orbán "first won power through a democratic election, then proceeded to weaken the institutions of that democracy by eroding the legal system, firing civil servants, politicizing business, attacking the press and intimidating opposition parties and demagoguing migration."
Collinson's piece was prophetic. And a pair of new stories show the value of putting this American moment into Hungarian context.
Last week The Guardian's David Smith connected the dots, writing about "alarming signs that the Orbánisation of America has begun."
Over the weekend The AP's Justin Spike (filing from Budapest) and Nick Riccardi wrote about the similarities (and a few differences), finding "striking parallels" between the U.S. and Hungary, including a campaign of retribution and a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.
"There also are parallels in dealing with the media," The AP wrote. "Orban undermined his country’s independent media as deep-pocketed allies who benefited from generous state contracts bought out influential news outlets. Trump, too, has put pressure on the media in the United States through lawsuits and regulatory threats." Read The AP's full story here...
>> Flashback: In 2021 Reliable Sources said Tucker Carlson's pilgrimage to Hungary shows the right's "evolution into authoritarianism." In 2022 we highlighted Orbán's call for Carlson-style shows to be televised "24/7..."
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Musk wants '60 Minutes' team in prison |
Last night "60 Minutes" led off its broadcast with a Scott Pelley report about Trump's first four weeks, with a focus on USAID and the human impact of the USAID cuts. Elon Musk did not respond to the newsmag's requests for an interview. But he weighed in overnight on X, replying to a "60 Minutes" post promoting the report and saying, "60 Minutes are the biggest liars in the world! They engaged in deliberate deception to interfere with the last election. They deserve a long prison sentence."
Musk attached a clip of last fall's Kamala Harris interview. His journalists-in-jail fantasy is disturbing on its face, and contradicts his claims about being a "free speech absolutist." It's newsworthy because of his deep pockets, his platform, and his proximity to the president.
>> Related: I made the point on CNN last night that many of the arguments about "free speech" nowadays are really about "favored speech" versus "disfavored speech." The AP and "60 Minutes" are disfavored by the administration.
>> "Conservatives who just moments ago abhorred any form of censorship are now 100% chill with the government banning words," Rex Huppke wrote for USA TODAY yesterday.
>> Speaking of "60 Minutes" and speech... Last night's Sharyn Alfonsi report about Germany's hate speech laws is well worth a watch or read.
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TV news exec turned Substack-ing media critic Jennifer Schulze says "this moment feels a lot like those frightening early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were scrambling for reliable information about the growing health emergency. Then, like now, the Trump administration was at the heart of a propaganda effort fueled by right wing media and hellbent on spreading lies and misinformation."
In this new column, Schulze urges Democrats to fight the "information war" with "a daily briefing by the Democrats."
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During Trump's second term, "everything is amazing, actually," The Federalist editor in chief Mollie Hemingway says.
That's definitely the tone on Fox News. I kept Fox on in the background all weekend long, and I heard that Trump is keeping his promises; he's saving you money; and he's driving Democrats nuts. Liberals have "DOGE derangement syndrome," Dr. Nicole Saphier said. Anti-Trump courts are trying to stop Trump from reining in the "subterranean government," Mark Levin shouted. The media's too obsessed with the Trump-Musk relationship, Brian Kilmeade said.
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Political media notes and quotes |
>> "One of the big reasons President Trump is limiting AP reporters' White House access is to protest what aides see as years of liberal word choices that the wire service's influential stylebook spread across mainstream media," Marc Caputo reports. (Axios)
>> Karoline Leavitt's "first two weeks behind the lectern have showcased both her precocious skills and a tendency to amplify her boss’s exaggerations," Joshua Chaffin and Meridith McGraw write. "Trump is said to adore" her... (WSJ)
>> At Leavitt's only briefing last week, "at least 10 of the 18 reporters" that were called on "work for partisan rightwing outlets." (Guardian)
>> FCC chair Brendan Carr was at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. (X)
>> Truth Social is losing more money, and its revenue is declining, according to its 2024 results. (CNBC)
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Tuesday: Oprah Winfrey announces her next book club selection on "CBS Mornings," and the day's new nonfiction releases include "Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live" by Susan Morrison.
Tuesday night: Sean Hannity airs his sit-down with Trump and Musk.
Thursday: The conspiracy thriller "Zero Day" premieres on Netflix.
Saturday: The 56th NAACP Image Awards take place in Pasadena.
Sunday: "The Americas" debuts on NBC.
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>> Unlike Trump's trip to the Super Bowl, "where he appeared on-camera for just a few seconds during the national anthem, he had a commanding presence during Fox Sports' Daytona 500 broadcast, from the very moment his motorcade arrived at the speedway," Arthur Weinstein wrote. (Awful Announcing)
>> Paramount and YouTube TV inked a new deal and averted a blackout. (THR)
>> The WSJ reported that some Paramount execs are concerned that settling Trump's lawsuit against CBS could expose them "to future legal threats, such as accusations of bribery." (WSJ)
>> Baynard Woods described how "Baltimore is fighting the right-wing takeover" of The Sun. (Rolling Stone)
>> And this happened:
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😮 James Murdoch breaks his silence |
Rupert Murdoch "will, despite his most fervent wishes, die one day. And when he does, he will leave behind a family at war with itself—a bevy of estranged children and ex-wives exchanging awkward greetings at an expensive funeral."
That's one of the many key points in "Growing Up Murdoch," McKay Coppins' riveting piece about James Murdoch. It's The Atlantic's next cover story and is based on a year's worth of interviewing and reporting.
As you read, pay attention to the part about how he would overhaul Fox News, if he ever has the chance. "The one thing James has said consistently is that any reforms he might seek would focus on corporate and editorial governance, not political orientation," Coppins writes.
>> During one of the interviews, Coppins "asked James if The Wall Street Journal 's editorial page might serve as a model for a more responsible Fox News. He winced and said he hoped they could do better than that."
>> On another occasion, James' wife Kathryn said "she wasn't sure if Fox News could still be reformed. 'It doesn't have a clear purpose in the ecosystem anymore,' she said."
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>> Musk says his Grok 3 chatbot will be released tonight with a live demo. He previewed it over the weekend by showing a Grok 3 result insulting The Information, a best-in-class tech news brand. (Business Insider)
>> Meta is making a "major investment into AI-powered humanoid robots." (Bloomberg)
>> CNN tech editor Lisa Eadicicco's analysis: "Meta keeps trying to invent the future. It hasn’t worked yet." (CNN)
>> The Guardian is the latest news outlet to license content to OpenAI. (Press Gazette)
>> Apple is "planning to add Apple Intelligence to its Vision Pro headset," plus other upgrades to "boost interest in the device," Mark Gurman writes. (Bloomberg)
>> Amazon is "killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books." (The Verge)
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"SNL" played "all the hits" last night's "starry, sentimental" 50th anniversary special, Bill Carter writes for LateNighter. "Mostly the show reminded viewers why they've stuck with this iconic show through the years. It was revolutionary when it began and somehow has stayed relevant and strong and essential."
CNN's Sandra Gonzalez recapped all the best moments here. Personally I liked the musical "tribute" to NYC the most!
>> Apologies: On Friday I wrote that NBC was reairing "SNL50: The Homecoming Concert," but no, the concert is a Peacock exclusive. Subscribers can check it out here.
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Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World" was "a runaway No. 1 at the global box office over the weekend," the NYT's Brooks Barnes writes. But will it have legs? It received "the Marvel Cinematic Universe's lowest-ever grade (B-minus) from ticket buyers in CinemaScore exit polls." |
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>> "Conclave" and "The Brutalist" each won four awards at the BAFTAs last night. (CNN)
>> "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story," which aired on CNN earlier ths month, won the BAFTA for best documentary. (Deadline)
>> A notable winner at the WGA Awards: "The Penguin." (IndieWire)
>> Harvey Weinstein is still filing lawsuits. (AP)
>> Shakira is hospitalized in Peru. (CNN)
>> And saving the latest news for last: Kamala Harris "will receive the NAACP's prestigious Chairman's Award during the 2025 NAACP Image Awards" on Saturday, the group just announced. (THR)
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