Ink Stained Wretches

Will Trump join the debate later this month? Does he have a good reason to sit the first one out? If you are asking these questions, then join us for an early episode this week. We’re cooking up a forecast on first GOP Presidential debate, coverage John Fetterman, STEM in journalism and a serving a robust Facile File. Wretch on!

Time Stamps: 

1:38 Front Page

46:01 Obsessions

54:50 Reader Mail

1:00:32 Favorite Item of the Weeks

 If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Show Notes:

Mediaite: Fox & Friends Implores Trump Not to Snub Republican Debate

NYTimes: DeSantis Upends Campaign Leadership as Trump Looms and Urgency Grows

AP News:DeSantis is defending new slavery teachings. Civil rights leaders see a pattern of 'policy violence'

People: President Biden Speaks Out on Hunter's Daughter, 4, with Ark. Woman: 'Jill and I Only Want What's Best' (Exclusive) 

Politico:  Who at 1600 Penn is making bank?

Free Beacon: Biden Monkeypox Adviser Says White House Supports ‘Joy’ of ‘Risky’ Sex

Free Beacon: WATCH: Biden Monkeypox Adviser Makes Taxpayer-Funded Appearance in BDSM Harness 

NYTimes: John Fetterman, Hoodie and All, Is Adjusting to Life in the Senate - The New York Times 

WSJ: New York Times Earnings: Publisher Adds 180,000 Digital Subscribers

AP News: Residents are at a loss after newspaper that bound community together shuts in declining coal county

Poynter: A technical question: Should journalism be designated STEM?

The Guardian: Racism at heart of US failure to tackle deadly heatwaves, expert warns

LA Times: Remote work gave them a reprieve from racism. They don't want to go back

The Daily Beast: Lizzo Was Never as Progressive as We Wanted Her to Be 

The Athletic: Ghiroli: Orioles’ unforced error with announcer Kevin Brown dims team’s shine at wrong time

Bethenny Frankel on Instagram: “I spend money so you don’t have to”

Free Beacon: How MIT Helped Develop Tech for a Chinese Company That Surveils Uyghurs

NYT: How a U.S. Tech Mogul Used Nonprofits to Sow Chinese Propaganda

Reason: Studies Keep Finding That Social Media Algorithms Don't Increase Polarization. Why Is the Press So Skeptical? 

WSJ: A Nevada Town Where the West Is Still Wild

NYTimes: The Secret Hand Behind the Women Who Stood by Cuomo? His Sister.

It’s in the title, folks! We are joined by our friend and Nebulous colleague, Eli Lake, to discuss our favorite books and films in the genre of journalism. We have comedies, we have dramedies and we have some picks that are as dramatic as they get. We hope you are able to add a few movies and books to your queue!

Books:

Personal History, by Katherine Graham 

What it Takes, by Richard Ben Cramer

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren

Scoop, by Evelyn Waugh

Movies:

The Paper

All The President’s Men

Broadcast News

Shattered Glass

Call Northside 777

We’re early this week! And in case you haven’t heard, DeSantis is cooked . . . or at least that’s the latest take from the media. We’re breaking down the latest 2024 news, controversial curriculum in Florida, Hunter Biden, and stick around for great moments in fact-checking.

Time Stamps:

41:03 - Style Section

47:36 - Obsessions

53:30 - Reader Mail

54:59 - Favorite Items

Show Notes:

NBC: Note cards and shorter stairs: How Biden's campaign is addressing his age

NYPost: Biden’s dog Commander sent Secret Service officer to hospital, bit 6 others after replacing first pooch Major

CNN: DeSantis cuts additional campaign staff in effort to ‘streamline operations’

Politico: New Florida teaching standards say African Americans received some ‘personal benefit’ from slavery

Washington Examiner: Truth is the first casualty of liberal media’s war on DeSantis

Politico: Political consultant backing Tim Scott spewed the N-word during card game

Washington Post: Tuberville’s tales about his father in World War II have false elements

New York Times: Study of Elite College Admissions Data Suggests Being Very Rich Is Its Own Qualification

New York Times: In Florida, Swimmers Brave an Ocean That Feels Like Steamy Syrup

Washington Post: Five ways to sleep better during a heat wave without blasting the AC

New York Times: Would You Drink Wastewater? What if It Was Beer?

Washington Post: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s charged mission of healing

Variety: Inside the Battle for CNN: Jeff Zucker, David Zaslav, Chris Licht and 18 Months of Crazy Backstabbing

Washington Post: Black Lives Matter images deleted from Jason Aldean’s ‘Small Town’ video

Washington Post: Tracy Chapman, Luke Combs and the complicated response to ‘Fast Car’

The Atlantic: What’s the Matter With Barbie?

New York Times: I Saw ‘Barbie’ With Susan Faludi, and She Has a Theory About It

Wall Street Journal: How Allbirds Lost Its Way

New York Times: Is the Cure to Male Loneliness Out on the Pickleball Court?

Business Insider: Exclusive: Hunter Biden's gallery sold his art to a Democratic donor 'friend' whom Joe Biden named to a prestigious commission

AP News: ‘Mama bears’ may be the 2024 race’s soccer moms. But where the GOP seeks votes, some see extremism

Chalkbeat: Politicians and pundits say parents are furious with schools. Polls say otherwise

NYPost: Gen Z cries ‘time blindness’: Is being late a real medical condition? 

The Stanford Daily: Stanford president resigns over manipulated research, will retract at least three papers

Wall Street Journal: Deadly School Fire Casts Light on Sexual Exploitation in Guyana Mining Town

We are delighted to be joined by Andrew Sullivan of The Weekly Dish. He takes us on a journey through his upbringing in traditional media to his days blogging alongside Matt Drudge in the early 2000s and how he ended up on Substack. Andrew’s story teaches us about how journalists connect with audiences and how one finds their voice. Wretch on!

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

No small talk this week, we’re diving straight into the front page and it’s packed. We’re looking at all things Biden, Clarence Thomas, the fall of The New York Times Sports section and the state of men. Wretch on!

Watch this episode on YouTube

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Time Stamps:

1:27 Front Page

56:37 Obsessions

1:01:30 Reader Mail

1:05:40 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes:

The Hill: Secret Service ends probe of White House cocaine discovery with no suspect

NYT: Opinion | It’s Seven Grandkids, Mr. President 

The New Republic: What Do Bidenomics and the President’s Grandchild Have to Do with Each Other? Everything.

NYT: DeSantis Confronts a Murdoch Empire No Longer Quite So Supportive 

RealClearPolitics: California Gov. Newsom: FOX News "Contributes To The Mental Health Crisis" But I Can't Stop Watching It | Video

Newsweek: How's Twitter Working Out for Tucker Carlson? 

NYT: The Case That Could Be Fox’s Next Dominion 

Politico: The testosterone primary of 2024 is ‘getting out of hand’ 

WaPo: Opinion | How today’s Twitter has made conservative boycotts more successful

NYT: The Elite Circle Clarence Thomas Entered That Led to the Supreme Court 

The Guardian: Lawyers with supreme court business paid Clarence Thomas aide via Venmo 

National Review: Rand’s Latin American Campaign Stop

NYT: Transgender Care Bans Leave Families and Doctors Scrambling

Mediaite: CNN Apologizes After Getting Slammed for Misgendering Dylan Mulvaney In Bud Light Segment

NBCNews: Kidney stones are rising among children and teens, especially girls, research shows 

NYT: Climate Disasters Daily? Welcome to the ‘New Normal.’

WaPo: A dip in the ocean this summer? No thanks. 

NYT: The New York Times to Disband Its Sports Department 

Poynter: We should’ve seen it coming: The New York Times dismantles its sports department

Awfulannouncing:Northwestern’s student newspaper lauded for breaking football program hazing story 

Bethenny Frankel on Instagram: I love SPECIAL pieces. Do you like? 

Variety:'Dark Side of the 2000s' Premiere Date, Trailer From Vice TV

Huffpost:  I Started A Nudist Magazine. I Didn't Expect How Badly I'd Be Treated Because Of It.

Obsessions: 

NYPost: Jake Tapper defends CNN over Trump town hall: 'We can't ignore him' 

AEI: Could News Bloom in News Deserts?

Favorite Item: 

WaPo: Opinion | Christine Emba: Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.

WSJ: How to Make Money by Losing $300,000 a Year on Slot Machines 

What does the word “Patriot” mean to you? Did you go outside to celebrate our nation’s Birthday? Well, the American news media believes these are questions worth debating. Join us on Ink Stained Wretches where we go deep on these topics and other malarky the press had for us this week.

Watch this episode on YouTube

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Time Stamps:

2:37 Front Page

35:58 Obsessions

42:35 Reader Mail

49:52 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes:

Bloomberg: Biden Appeal Opens a New Front in Battle Over Internet Speech

NYT: Ruling Puts Social Media at Crossroads of Disinformation and Free Speech

NYT: A ‘Cage Match’ Between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg May Be No Joke

Wapo: Secret Service investigating suspected cocaine found in White House 

Politco: White House cocaine culprit unlikely to be found: Law enforcement official

Mediaite: Joy Reid Says She Wouldn't Go Out on July 4 'Because America is Awash With Guns' 

NPR: Heat is making squirrels 'sploot' — a goofy act that signals something serious

Wapo: How hot dog contestants went from eating 10 to 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes 

Hollywood reporter: ESPN Cutting On-Air Talent as It Seeks Additional Cost Savings 

WSJ: Food Is Meh, Décor Is Bland, Parking Nonexistent: Must Be D.C.’s Most-Exclusive Restaurant

The Atlantic: The Harry and Meghan Podcasts We’ll Never Get to Hear

Obsessions: 

NYT: Ms. Rachel the YouTube Star Wants to Sing With Her Littles 

Wapo: An unlikely provocateur, Miss Texas, takes on the state's GOP leaders 

Favorite Items:

NYT: Hunter Biden’s Daughter and a Tale of Two Families

We’re shaking things up and starting the show with praise this week regarding Hunter Biden coverage. After that, we break down the aftermath of Trump’s Fox Interview, RFK Jr., and the benefits of micro dosing.

Watch this episode on YouTube

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Time Stamps:

3:26 Front Page

45:46 Obsessions 

52:30 Reader Mail

58:34 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

NBC: Biden warns top aides against offering him political advice about Hunter

NYT: Opinion | The Meaning of Hunter Biden

Politico: Playbook: Mike Pence’s plan to go further on abortion

The Hill: Trump rips ‘nasty’ Bret Baier after Fox News interview

Vanity Fair: Fox News Is Scrambling to Get Donald Trump on the Debate Stage: “He Despises the Murdochs” 

WaPo:Jesse Watters gets Tucker Carlson’s 8 p.m. slot in Fox News shake-up 

The Atlantic: Inside the Mind of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

NYT: - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wants to Be President. Cheryl Hines Is Along for the Ride.

WSJ: ​Canada Passes Law Forcing Facebook, Google to Pay Media for Links

AP News: Smoke from Canada wildfires is increasing health risks in Black and poorer US communities

Scientific American: Climate-Friendly Cocktail Recipes Go Light on Ice

The Atlantic: The Comic Strip That Explains the Evolution of American Parenting 

Reuters: More Than 100 U.S. Political Elites Have Family Links to Slavery

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candace Millard

NYT: How Migrants Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Came to Call It Home

NYT: ‘Hava Nagila,’ the Jewish Folk Song, is a Hit at Clubs, Bars and Even Mets Games

Obsessions:

NYT: Why Did Jenna Lyons Join the Rebooted RHONY?

WSJ: Magic Mushrooms. LSD. Ketamine. The Drugs That Power Silicon Valley.

Favorite Item: 

WSJ: This Small Oil Town Has an Extravagant Obsession: Million-Dollar Home Renovations

Yahoo Sports: US judge throws out high-profile chess cheating lawsuit

We’re going big for Grimace’s birthday today on Ink Stained Wretches. We’re sipping on some purple shakes while breaking down the Hunter Biden coverage, Brett Baeir’s interview with Trump, Robert Kennedy and much more. 

Watch this episode on YouTube

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Time Stamps:

3:37 Front Page

1:08:12 Obsessions 

1:13:10 Reader Mail

1:14:47 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

National Review: The Intentionally Provocative Hunter Biden Plea Deal

The Dispatch: Night of the Hunter 

Mediaite: Bret Baier Earns Bipartisan Praise for Grilling Trump on Classified Docs: 'An Extraordinary Interview' 

Chicago Tribune: Victor Shi: Cameras must be allowed during Donald Trump’s trial 

Mediaite: Jake Tapper Says CNN Won't Cover 'Potentially Dangerous' Trump Speech — One Month After Network Held Town Hall for Him 

The Wrap: Gavin Newsom Tells Sean Hannity He Was Blasted by Left for ‘Incredible Relationship’ With Trump During COVID (Video) 

Commentary Magazine: The End of Cable News? - Christine Rosen

WaPo: The life and power of Casey DeSantis 

WaPo: Gov. Ron DeSantis used secretive panel to flip state Supreme Court

News Nation: Joe Rogan challenges vaccine expert to debate anti-vaxxer 

National Review: The Real Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

Daily Beast: The Lost Titanic Sub Didn't Even Have a Basic Safety Beacon

New Republic: OceanGate CEO Missing in Titanic Sub Had History of Donating to GOP Candidates | The New Republic 

WaPo: Fred Ryan to leave Washington Post after nine years as publisher

WaPo: Tesla 'Autopilot' crashes and fatalities surge, despite Musk's claims 

WaPo: Inside a conservative confab for young women, where feminism is a lie

TIME: Tequila Is Eclipsing Vodka as U.S.'s Most Popular Spirit

Michigan Daily: The whiteness of green spaces: The cyclical nature of exclusion in environmental professions 

Mens Health: Are You Gynosexual? Here's What It Means, According to Experts 

NYT: Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabia and the Deal That Paid Off for Both Sides 

NYT: Why Do Team Owners Raise the Championship Trophy First?

Mediaite: Andy Reid Raves About Food At Chiefs' White House Visit

WSJ: Prince Harry and Meghan, Spotify End Podcasting Deal

Variety: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Labeled 'F—ing Grifters' by Spotify Exec Bill Simmons After Deal Ends 

NYT: A Flight Attendant’s 12 Etiquette Rules for Summer Travel

Obsessions:

Public on Substack: First People Sickened By COVID-19 Were Chinese Scientists At Wuhan Institute Of Virology, Say US Government Sources

WSJ: U.S.-Funded Scientist Among Three Chinese Researchers Who Fell Ill Amid Early Covid-19 Outbreak 

National Review: When the Scandal of the Century Has No Consequences 

The Atlantic: Lara Logan’s Break With Reality 

The Dispatch: When Public Opinion Is Irrelevant 

NYT: Tracking Major Supreme Court Cases in 2023: Affirmative Action, Elections and More

Favorite Items: 

Inquirer: Two Rhode Island officials visited Philly. They were so rude their state launched two separate investigations. 

Sports Illustrated: Stephen F. Austin Bowling Coach Quits After Affair With Player Is Revealed

Today we are joined by Yahoo News’s Jon Ward. Chris dives deep into Jon’s new book, Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation. Outside of the book, Chris and Jon also open up about their beginnings in journalism and the rise of digital media. Wretch on!

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Strap in, Wretches. We’re going deep into the firing of CNN Chief, Chris Licht. We also breakdown Chuck Todd’s exit, Tucker’s full Twitter debut and the origins of McDonald’s Grimace. 

Time Stamps: 

2:00 Front Page

56:37 Obsessions

1:00:50 Reader Mail 

1:03:56 Favorite Item

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected].

Sign up for our Newsletter

Watch the full episode here

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Show Notes:

The Atlantic: Inside the Meltdown at CNN 

NYT: Could Jeff Zucker Fix CNN? He Seems to Think So.

Semafor: CNN lost trust over COVID coverage, internal report found

Politico: The Real Reason Chris Licht Got Fired From CNN

The Information: The Real CNN Drama is Cable News' Growing Irrelevance 

NYT: Chuck Todd to Leave ‘Meet the Press’

National Review: NYT: GOP’s Diverse Field Just a Sign of GOP Racism

The New Republic: The Arrogance of Already Crowning Trump the Republican Nominee

The Daily Beast: Casey DeSantis Is the Walmart Melania Trump 

WaPo: Let Ron DeSantis identify however he wants

Mediaite: Jen Psaki, James Comey Envision Trump in an Ankle Bracelet 

Deadline: Tucker Carlson Debuts Twitter Show To Big Numbers, Threatens To Leave Elon Musk-Owned Platform If Anyone Calls Him Out

Semafor: Inside the high-stakes clash for control of Ukraine’s story

NYT: Nazi Symbols on Ukraine’s Front Lines Highlight Thorny Issues of History 

Mediaite: Is Anyone Going to Retract Their Baseless Claims That Fox News Leaked the Tucker Tapes? 

APNews: As conservatives target schools, LGBTQ+ kids and students of color feel less safe 

NYT: Pat Robertson, Who Gave Christian Conservatives Clout, Is Dead at 93

Daily Mail: Mark Zuckerberg denies that he was choked out during Jiu-Jitsu tournament

NYT: With Hannah Gadsby’s ‘It’s Pablo-matic,’ the Joke’s on the Brooklyn Museum

VinePair: Behold the Nostalgic, Purple Silliness That Is McDonald's Grimace Shake

Obsessions: 

NYT: The Complicated Reality of Joe Biden, America’s Oldest President

The Guardian: Amazon and Google fund anti-abortion lawmakers through complex shell game

Favorite Items:

WaPo: The fugitive heiress next door: Why Brazil is fascinated by Margarida Bonetti

Semafor: Did Washington underestimate Kevin McCarthy?