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☆ Justice Department opens criminal hacking probe into leaked Tucker Carlson videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

After Fox News fired Carlson in April, the progressive watchdog Media Matters published embarrassing behind-the-scenes video of Carlson making crude remarks while joking with staff and denigrating the Fox Nation streaming service. The Justice Department specifically said in its letter to Fox News that the criminal probe it is conducting is connected to the leaked video published by Media Matters. In a statement to CNN on Friday, Media Matters reiterated its decision to report on newsworthy material. The Justice Department letter stressed that it was not “making any suggestions or allegations of wrongdoing” against the publishers of the leaked videos. The Justice Department letter to Fox News made no mention of Burke.

☆ Anheuser-Busch loses top LGBTQ+ rating over its Bud Light response
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Last year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch a top rating for LGBTQ+ equality. Bud Light sales dropped in the ensuing weeks. Bud Light has been embroiled in controversy since April. But Bud Light hasn’t gotten the benefit of support for its initial deal with Mulvaney because of its subsequent reaction. During the discussion, he mentioned that Bud Light is just one brand within the company’s broad portfolio, which has not changed its full-year outlook.

☆ $787 million settlement with Fox News rested on an unwritten agreement to fire Tucker Carlson: Variety
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tucker Carlson's ouster at Fox News was reportedly linked to a secret deal with Dominion Voting Systems. According to Variety, Dominion made Carlson's departure an unwritten condition of its settlement with Fox. Variety cited multiple unnamed sources who were aware of an April 26 conversation Carlson had with an unnamed member of Fox Corporation's board who reportedly told Carlson about the agreement. Instead, Carlson's ouster as the highest-rated cable news host was based on a verbal agreement. "That condition was intended to hurt Fox, and Tucker is just collateral damage," a source told Variety.

☆ Voting technology company Smartmatic subpoenas Trump campaign as part of $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The voting technology company Smartmatic has subpoenaed Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign for a wide array of documents as part of its $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News over its airing of election lies. Once served, the Trump campaign can fight it in court. CNN reached out to Trump’s 2024 campaign for comment and was directed to the 2020 campaign. It was unclear who, if anyone, was still affiliated with the 2020 campaign. A New York judge in 2022 rejected Fox News’ motion to dismiss Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit, allowing the case to move forward to discovery.

☆ Disinformation researcher who led now-defunct DHS unit sues Fox News for defamation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The researcher, Nina Jankowicz, briefly served in the Biden administration as head of the now-defunct Disinformation Governance Board, which was housed in the Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of high-profile defamation cases brought against Fox News in recent years. The network last month settled a lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, the largest publicly known settlement in US history. Smartmatic’s case survived a motion to dismiss filed by Fox News last year and continues to move through the court system. Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of Fox Corporation, the parent company of the right-wing channel Fox News, said on Tuesday that the company will fight Smartmatic’s lawsuit.

☆ Tucker Carlson announces plans to relaunch his show on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Right-wing extremist Tucker Carlson announced Tuesday that he will relaunch his program on Twitter, which he praised as the only remaining large free-speech platform in the world after Fox News fired him late last month. Carlson made the announcement in a video posted to the social media website, which Elon Musk acquired last year. Twitter has devolved in recent months into a chaotic platform where the traditional press has come under assault from the billionaire. He did not mention Musk has censored speech on Twitter, including banning several prominent reporters from the website just last year. Although Carlson did not directly address his abrupt firing from Fox News in the video, he strongly alluded to it.

☆ Carlson, Still Under Contract at Fox, Says He Will Start New Show on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, declaring, “We’re back,” said on Tuesday that he was starting a new show on Twitter, a sign that negotiations to reach an amicable separation with the network, where he is still under contract, had broken down. Mr. Carlson offered no details of when his new program would begin or what kind of content it would have — questions that highlight the uncertainties surrounding his departure from Fox News, which ultimately could block any attempt by the host to return to a prominent role in conservative media. A representative for the Fox Corporation, which has been engaged in negotiations over the details of Mr. Carlson’s exit from the network since he was taken off the air last week, had no comment. Mr. Carlson’s remarks, posted on Twitter, consisted of a three-minute monologue delivered directly to the camera. The post itself could violate the terms of his contract with Fox, which prevent Mr. Carlson from hosting a show on an alternate network.

☆ Fox’s Costs From Defamation Suit Lead to a Quarterly Net Loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lachlan Murdoch, the executive chairman of the Fox Corporation, conceded on Tuesday that a Delaware judge’s pretrial rulings against the company “severely limited our defense at trial” and contributed to his decision to settle the landmark defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Mr. Murdoch, on a call with investors and analysts, called the $787.5 million settlement — believed to be the largest in the history of defamation law — “a decision clearly in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.”In a remark that echoed the trademark defiance of his father, Rupert Murdoch, he also defended the conduct of Fox News personnel, saying the settlement “in no way alters Fox’s commitment to the highest journalistic standards across our networks, or our passion for unabashedly reporting the news of the day.”His remarks came after Fox revealed a real-world consequence of the landmark settlement: The company swung to a net loss in the first three months of the year, its quarterly revenue erased — and then some — by payments associated with resolving the lawsuit with Dominion, an election technology firm.

☆ As earnings season winds down, investors turn to Tuesday's debt ceiling meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

With only a small fraction of the S & P 500 left to report quarterly earnings, investors are now turning their focus to another major hurdle for the markets and economy: the debt ceiling crisis. Earlier this week, we looked back to debt limit crisis of 2011 for potential lessons. The protracted fight ultimately ended in an agreement in early August of that year, but it was a choppy summertime ride for investors. Within the portfolio, Wynn Resorts will report Tuesday, after the closing bell, and Disney will report on Wednesday, after the closing bell. Estee Lauder (EL) and Emerson Electric (EMR) reported earnings before the opening bell.

☆ Fox demands Media Matters stop publishing leaked Tucker Carlson videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jon Passantino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Fox sent a cease-and-desist letter on Friday to Media Matters, the progressive watchdog, and its president, demanding that it take down embarrassing behind-the-scenes videos of Tucker Carlson attacking Fox News’ streaming service and making crude remarks while joking with staff. “For Fox to argue otherwise is absurd and further dispels any pretense that they’re a news operation. Carlson referred to a Dominion lawyer as a “slimy little motherf**ker” and confessed to his producer “the hate” that he felt for him. It’s totally bad for you to feel that way,” Carlson said. “But that guy, he triggered the sh*t out of me.”The footage also showed Carlson trashing the right-wing network’s streaming service Fox Nation, expressing frustration that the platform “sucks” and complaining that its “unbelievable” shortcomings were a “betrayal” of his efforts.

☆ Tucker Carlson texted 'It's not how white men fight,' New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jon Passantino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —In a newly revealed text message, ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson made a racist comment and said he found himself briefly rooting for a mob of Trump supporters to kill a person, according to the New York Times. The text message alarmed Fox’s board of directors and played a role in Carlson’s abrupt firing last month, the paper reported. Tucker Carlson did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. At the end of his text, Carlson reportedly continued that he does not condone violence. “What’s not news is the fact that Tucker Carlson is a white nationalist,” Greenblatt tweeted.

☆ Trump Agrees to Return to CNN, Ending a Long Boycott
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fox was the first network to do so. The move is also a way of drawing a sharp contrast with one of his expected opponents in the race, Gov. Lately, Mr. Trump has fumed about the release of private emails that show how Rupert Murdoch, chairman of Fox Corporation, expressed derision and contempt for him and his false claims of being cheated in the 2020 election. Mr. Trump lashed out at Mr. Murdoch and Fox for “aiding & abetting the DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA” on his social media platform, Truth Social. Mr. Trump also plans to skip at least one of the first two debates with his rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination, according to several people familiar with his plans.

☆ Tucker Carlson's history of alleged workplace sexism stretches back to 2015, long before Abby Grossberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Possible rationales include Murdoch's contempt for Carlson's religiosity and Carlson's insistence on hewing to conspiracy theories about the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Internal correspondence unearthed in a defamation lawsuit against Fox News showed Carlson used sexist expletives to refer to a female Fox executive and a guest. The company last week agreed to pay $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Carlson was one of many Fox News hosts who promoted false election conspiracies, the subject of the defamation suit, on their shows. Fox News is still facing a similar defamation suit from another voting machine manufacturer.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene says that 'everyone I've talked to' is boycotting Fox and deleting its app after Tucker Carlson's ousting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene said "everyone" she talks to is shunning Fox News after Tucker Carlson's exit. They have deleted Fox News on their phones and canceled their Fox Nation subscriptions, she said. Fox Corporation stock fell as much as 5% on Monday after Carlson's shock departure was announced. Fox News said on Monday that the network and Carlson, who was their top-rated host, had "agreed to part ways." "That's what they think they're doing to Tucker Carlson.

☆ Fox agrees to give more Murdoch docs to Smartmatic in its defamation case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Fox News has agreed to give voting technology company Smartmatic additional documents about Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and other senior corporate executives. “We will produce the materials as quickly as we are able to,” Fox lawyer Winn Allen said. These materials will include deposition transcripts and exhibits, apparently from the recently settled defamation case involving Dominion Voting Systems, a Smartmatic lawyer said in court. The monster case pits Smartmatic against Fox News, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Fox hosts Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, and former host Lou Dobbs, who all promoted the baseless lie that Smartmatic rigged the 2020 election. An appeals court recently dropped Fox Corp. as a defendant, but Smartmatic refiled its lawsuit and is trying to re-add the parent company.

☆ Tucker Carlson breaks his silence but does not address his departure from Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Tucker Carlson broke his silence on Wednesday evening, posting a short video online after his abrupt firing from Fox News earlier in the week, but did not directly address his departure from the network nor his future. “Trust me as someone who has participated.”Carlson concluded the video with an opaque message, “Where can you still find Americans saying true things? Without Carlson, Fox News has seen its ratings dip during the hour. Fox News announced earlier in the week that the network and Carlson had severed ties. The decision to part ways with Carlson was made Friday evening by Fox Corporation chief executive Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott, a person familiar with the matter said.

☆ Crypto is either dead in the water or about to notch new records as soon as next year - it depends on who you ask
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

You can scroll a bit further down for the market's reaction to the stunning Tucker Carlson announcement, but for today, we're turning our attention to crypto. If you ask Chamath Palihapitiya, that's because crypto crossed the wrong people and now it's dead, at least in the US. While crypto may be "dead in America," bitcoin is still going to $100,000. The housing market is close to bottoming and that could stave off a bad recession. That's according to Morgan Stanley, which wrote in a research note that housing is linked to broader business cycles.

☆ Tucker Carlson has now parted ways with 3 major cable news networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Chris Kaye | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tucker Carlson has parted ways with Fox News, the media network announced Monday. Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News and no definitive reason has been given by him or his former employer. "FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways," the network said in a Monday statement. The New York Times reported on Monday that Grossberg's legal team would depose Carlson "in the very near term." "I'm not defending it as the smartest choice, but I think it's the most interesting," Carlson told the Washington Post at the time.

☆ Analysts are torn on how Fox News' ratings will be affected after Tucker Carlson's ousting craters the company's stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tucker Carlson's exit from Fox News wiped $962 million from the network's market value on Monday. But analysts are torn about the long-term impact of the host's ouster on Fox Corp stock. But financial analysts are torn about the impact Carlson's departure will have on Fox Corporation's stock — which lost about $962 million in market value on Monday after news broke of the departure. Matthew Tuttle, the CEO and CIO of Tuttle Capital Management, told Bloomberg that Carlson's exit is "definitely going to leave a mark on Fox." But not all analysts shared the gloomy projection for Fox Corp stock in the long term.

☆ Rupert Murdoch Made the Decision to Ouster Tucker Carlson: LA Times Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sources told an LA Times reporter that Rupert Murdoch himself made the decision to fire Tucker Carlson. Meanwhile, other outlets reported that Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott made the call. Murdoch was tired of Tucker Carlson's conspiracy theories about the January 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol. Fox News has not addressed the specific reasons the network and Carlson parted ways, saying in a Monday morning statement: "FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. Editor's note, April 24: This story has been updated to include recent reporting from Axios, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

☆ Tucker Carlson found out Fox News ouster while he and his staff were preparing Monday's show: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tucker Carlson was abruptly dropped by Fox News on Monday. Carlson's staff was prepping for the day's show, fellow former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said. After a decade-plus career at the network, Tucker Carlson was let go just 10 minutes before Fox News released a statement announcing his departure, sources told The Wall Street Journal. The producers of "Tucker Carlson Tonight" were still planning the evening's broadcast, fellow former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly said Monday on his show "No Spin News." "They were in the middle of that," O'Reilly said of the planning, and, "boom: Tucker Carlson is history at the Fox News Channel.

Dropping anchorsFox News’s firing of Tucker Carlson, the most popular prime-time host in cable news, sent shock waves through the media and political spheres yesterday. Few had thought that repercussions from Fox’s $788 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems would reach Mr. Carlson, who commanded a following of millions and has the ear of Donald Trump. But Fox and Rupert Murdoch, who are used to courting controversy and legal settlements as the costs of doing business, may be betting that getting rid of Mr. Carlson is the smarter financial move. Since gaining his prime-time show in 2017, Mr. Carlson became the brightest star in the Fox News orbit, with “Tucker Carlson Tonight” averaging over three million viewers every night. (Shares in Fox Corporation fell 3 percent yesterday — more than they did after the company settled with Dominion last week.)

☆ What Tucker Carlson Leaves Behind as He Is Shown the Door
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Nicholas Confessore | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Carlson’s departure upended Fox’s lucrative prime-time lineup and shocked a media world far more accustomed to his remarkable staying power. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Mr. Carlson’s show frequently promoted the Kremlin’s point of view, attacking U.S. sanctions and blaming the conflict on American designs for expanding NATO. The drought of premium advertisers on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” — driven away by boycotts targeting his more racist and inflammatory segments — did not seem to dent his standing within the network, so long as the audience stuck around. Disdainful of the cable network’s top executives, Mr. Carlson cultivated the impression that he was close to the Murdoch family and, perhaps, untouchable. But he prospered in tandem with Mr. Trump’s presidency, as the New York real estate tycoon made frank nativism and seething cultural resentment the primary touchstones of conservative politics.

Carlson, the highest-rated single host at Fox News, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The decision to part ways with Carlson was made Friday evening by Fox Corporation chief executive Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott, a person familiar with the matter said. During his time as a prime time host on Fox News, Carlson ascended to become one of the most influential figures inside the GOP. In a text on Nov. 5, 2020 — two days after the 2020 election — Carlson wrote his producer Alex Pfeiffer: “We worked really hard to build what we have. Last month, she sued Fox News, Carlson, his executive producer Justin Wells and other figures, as well as Fox’s parent corporation.

☆ Media insiders would often gossip about which anchor was about to leave Fox News. None of them guessed Tucker Carlson.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Dominion lawsuit was an embarrassment to Fox, airing text messages the company would rather have kept private. Tucker Carlson's departure is a huge surprise. Like a plot twist in "Succession," the departure of Tucker Carlson from Fox News is one we didn't see coming. The news of Carlson's departure almost immediately wiped close to $1 billion off of Fox Corporation's market capitalization. Upon confirmation that Carlson had left Fox, veteran media reporter Sarah Ellison simply wrote: "Incredible."

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