Chris Licht (Chris #2) is doing the interview rounds again as rumors fly about CNN’s interest in adding some comedy flavor to its programming.  WaPo’s Fred Ryan is facing some heat as business continues to stumble and scientists are eating legos to see . . what comes out the other end. Tune in for more “other end” conversations!

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

Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps: 

02:31 Front Page

51:26 Obsessions

1:00:29 Reader Mail

1:09:49 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes: 

LA Times: CNN boss Chris Licht on restoring trust and why he deleted his Twitter account 

Washington Examiner: CNN to begin airing Bill Maher's Overtime amid reports of a comedy venture

Puck News: Will Gayle King Bite on CNN?

New Yorker: What Happened to the Washington Post?

Philadelphia Inquirer: The NYT should tell readers whether it helped crooked FBI agents get Trump elected in 2016 

WaPo: GOP report shows plan to ramp up focus on disproven election fraud claims 

WaPo: 'Environmental racism' and the mysterious cars rusting in D.C. woods 

WaPo: Hunter Biden’s lawyers, in new aggressive strategy, target his critics

Matt Feeney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_feeney/status/1621087095577272321

Wapo: Opinion | Britain’s proposed online safety rules defy common sense

NPR:  6 doctors swallowed Lego heads for science. Here's what came out 

Free Beacon: The Political Targeting of George Santos Is Inextricable From His Sexual Orientation and Latinx Heritage 

Politico: 16 Hours With George Santos: Dunkin’ Donuts, 27,000 Steps and a Scolding

NYT: Bobby Hull, Hockey Hall of Famer, Is Dead at 84

NYT: Bobby Hull’s Golden Hockey Career Diminished by His Troubling Dark Side

NYT: How Parenting Today Is Different, and Harder

The Verge: Lauren Sánchez will lead an all-woman crew to space on Blue Origin

NYT: In the Fight Over Gas Stoves, Meet the Industry’s Go-To Scientist

Andrew Sullivan on Substack: Rod Dreher On His Crises Of Faith And Family

WTAE: Groundhog Day 2023: Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction 

WSJ: Missing Dallas Zoo Monkeys Found in Closet of Abandoned Home

We’ve got a BIG front page this week. From $50 million contract disputes to shrinking news rooms, media companies are feeling the heat this week. We also want to give a major shoutout to all of those who sent us their media swag. Keep it coming!

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

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps: 

02:19 Front Page

50:19 Obsessions

55:44 Reader Mail 

1:00:47 Favorite Item of the Week 

Show Notes: 

NYT: Jeff Bezos Visits The Washington Post as Layoffs Loom

NYT: Washington Post Lays Off 20 Journalists

WaPo:Opinion section at The Washington Post expands its roster with seven new contributors

NYT: Media Start-Up Semafor Plans to Buy Out Sam Bankman-Fried’s Investment 

NYT: Rupert Murdoch Backtracks on Plan to Merge Fox and News Corp

Daily Beast: Nate Silver and FiveThirtyEight Are on ABC’s Chopping Block 

Mediaite: Steven Crowder Daily Wire Rant Epitomizes Conservative Betrayal Complex 

American Firebrand on Twitter: “Tucker's full monologue exposing the deep state's control over the government: "Permanent Washington is in charge”

WaPo: Opinion | Tucker Carlson's messages with Alex Jones are revealed: 3 takeaways

CBS News: M&M's puts spokescandies on "indefinite pause" in wake of uproar over changes to green M&M 

NYT: Good morning. “The 1619 Project” continues to provoke national debate about race and history.

WaPo: Doomsday Clock hits 90 seconds to midnight, its most dire prediction eve

Newsweek: I'm Gay. Leave Ivan Provorov Alone | Opinion

WSJ: The Chess World’s New Villain: A Cat Named Mittens

NYT: Opinion | Nancy Pelosi, Liberated and Loving It

NBC News: Highlights from the Ticketmaster hearing: Senators criticize 'monopoly' over Taylor Swift fiasco 

Fox News: Longtime Fox News Channel executive Alan Komissaroff dead at 47 

Free Beacon: Al Sharpton, Lionized

The classified documents saga continues this week on Ink Stained Wretches. We’re also looking into CNN’s comedy exploration, NYT’s slip up and how Daily Wire is doing at the box office.

Watch this episode on YouTube

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

Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps: 

05:15 Front Page

43:11 Obsessions

53:07 Reader Mail

57:40 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes: 

WaPo: The Biden documents scandal is a test for the media — and an opportunity 

Semafor: CNN is serious about getting into comedy

WaPo: Climate change puts more women at risk for domestic violence

Vice: Blockbuster NYTimes Story Accidentally Leaked Phone Numbers of Russian Soldiers Criticizing War 

Free Beacon on Twitter: Andrea Mitchell chides a reporter for using the term "pro-life"

WaPo: Opinion | D.C.'s crime bill could make the city more dangerous

WaPo: D.C. Council overrides Bowser veto of crime overhaul bill

The Dispatch: The Strangeness of Psychotic Jew-Hatred 

The Atlantic: Take Detransitioners Seriously 

National Review: The Second Annual Best Coffee Cup in Conservatism Contest

Alex Thompson on Twitter: Personal news: I'm joining the amazing team at @axios

The Free Beacon: The UAE Has Donated Millions to the Atlantic Council. They Just Got a Glowing Op-Ed From the Think Tank's Chief.

AVClub: Gina Carano and Ben Shapiro's filmmaking relationship is going about as well as you'd expect

Indie Wire: Gina Carano's New Ben Shapiro-Produced Movie Is Somehow Still Too Woke for Some Right-Wingers 

CNBC: Op-ed: Making the case for oil CEO Sultan Al Jaber to lead the UN climate conference this year

Ellen Fleming on Twitter: Sometimes that Boston accent slips out when you least expect it

Financial Times: Tyler Cowen: ‘Economists can’t predict the effects of new technologies. Surely that should humble us a bit?’

We’re ranting about everything from classified documents to fine dining. We’ve also got more on CNN, Ron Destantis coverage and following up on congressional housing. Welcome in!

Watch this episode on YouTube

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

Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps:

02:24 Front Page

46:00 Obsessions

56:07 Reader Mail 

1:00:26 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes:

WaPo: Justice Dept. reviewing classified documents found in Biden's post

CNN Politics on Twitter: There are clear distinctions between the two classified documents cases involving President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump

Mediaite: Contributor Ben Domenech as a 'Moron' and a 'Buffoon' for His Speakership Take 

NYT: Can Ron DeSantis Avoid Meeting the Press? 

NYT: Opinion | The Party’s Over for Us. Where Do We Go Now? 

Wapo: Environmentalists have a blind spot in the debate over gas stoves 

ABC 6 News: 'Kraken' strain causes new COVID concerns 

Wapo: New survey finds antisemitic views are widespread in America 

NYT: Blake Hounshell, ‘On Politics’ Editor at The Times, Dies at 44 

NYT: Noma, Rated the World’s Best Restaurant, Is Closing Its Doors

NYT: Opinion | Noma and the Fizzle of Too-Fine Dining 

The Daily Caller on Twitter: CNN’s Jim Sciutto: "Is election denialism a new U.S. export?"

CBS Sunday Morning: Extended interview: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and more 

Noah Smith on Substack: Why Paul Ehrlich got everything wrong

NYT: Another Big Boomer Effect

NYT: A Hamline Adjunct Showed a Painting of the Prophet Muhammad. She Lost Her Job

New Year. Same Us. We’re getting the Speaker news cycle out of the way first so we can jump into some of our favorite stories like homophobic telescopes and white supremacist exercise.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

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

Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps: 

03:30 Front Page

43:24 Obsessions

49:03 Reader Mail 

53:48 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes:

NYT: How Naming the James Webb Telescope Turned Into a Fight Over Homophobia

NYT: How a Dog’s Killing Turned Brooklyn Progressives Against One Another

New York Times on Twitter: In the Bahamas, a Lingering Sympathy for Sam Bankman-Fried

The Cut: Representative Delia Ramirez Knows the Housing Struggle 

AEI: WaPo’s Apologia for School Library Porn 

TIME: The White Supremacist Origins of Exercise, and 6 Other Surprising Facts About the History of U.S. Physical Fitness 

NY Post: How ESPN handled broadcast during horrifying Damar Hamlin injury 

NYtimes: There Has Never Been a Better Time to Be Short

WaPo: Art at Capitol honors 141 enslavers and 13 Confederates. Who are they?

The Princetonian: 3 Princeton DEI staff members resign, alleging lack of support

WSJ: When Mary Met the Angel

The Wrap: Semafor to 'Redeem' Sam Bankman-Fried Investment - In Other Words, Return It (Exclusive)

Chris’s NewsNation colleague, Chris Cuomo, joins him and Eliana this week for a special interview episode. We jump in to Chris’s early days at Fox News, what he learned at ABC as well as CNN. We’re closing out 2022 with Chris x2! Talk to you all in 2023!

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

Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

With layoffs at Wapo, Tucker attacking Zelenskyy, and an ABC producer going rogue, the holiday season is less than jolly for the media. Tune in to also catch up on Disney drama and the menopause gold rush.

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected]. Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps:

2:12 - Front Page

34:52 - Obsessions

42:08 - Reader Mail

44:50 - Favorite Items of the Week

Show Notes: 

Politico: Playbook PM: WaPo braces for more layoffs

Puck: Post-Apocalyptic 

WaPo: Your 2022 News Print

NYT: In Testimony, Hannity and Other Fox Employees Said They Doubted Trump’s Fraud Claims

WSJ: Bob Iger vs. Bob Chapek: Inside the Disney Coup

Hollywood Reporter: Disney Analyst: Spinning Off ESPN, ABC Is “Best Path Forward”

NPR: She was an ABC News producer. She also was a corporate operative

Slate: I Think I Found Kyrsten Sinema’s Side Hustle

WSJ: The Stanford Guide to Acceptable Words

Yahoo: 'Disgusting!': 'New York Times' slammed after crossword puzzle resembles swastika

NYT: Welcome to the Menopause Gold Rush

Coindesk: Divisions in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Blur on His Trading Titan Alameda’s Balance Sheet

The Economist: Crypto’s last man standing

WSJ: The 30-Year-Old Spending $1 Billion to Save Crypto

Bloomberg: This Crypto CEO Says He Made $20 Billion Just to Give it All Away

WSJ: Tech Live summit: What’s Next for Crypto

Dispatch: Life Is Too Short For Hating Harry & Meghan

New York Magazine: Fall of the Progressive Boy King

NY Post: Man with WWI explosive lodged in his rectum sparks bomb scare, hospital evacuation

We are finally getting to the Twitter Files and Brittney Griner coverage this week. On top of those items, we’re checking in on ex-CNN President Jeff Zucker, updates from the NYT walkout and EOY media lists.

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected]. Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps: 

2:33 Front Page

49:14 Obsessions 

56:00 Reader Mail

58:13 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes: 

Axios: Exclusive: Bari Weiss reveals business plan for buzzy new media startup

WSJ: Jeff Zucker, Former CNN President, to Lead Sports-and-Media Investment Firm RedBird IMI

Mediaite: Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2022 

Semafor: New York Times DC Reporters are skipping the walkout

NYT: With End of Griner’s Detention, a New Wave of WNBA Activism Begins 

WaPo: From Mexican cartel labs to U.S. streets, a deadly fentanyl pipeline

Puck News: The Obamas’ Hollywood Education

NYT: The 93 Most Stylish ‘People’ of 2022 

WSJ: Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Crash

WSJ:  Sam Bankman-Fried’s Parents Were There for FTX’s Rise, and Now Its Fall

The Onion: Nation Forgives Harvey Weinstein After He Gets Really Good At Football 

Commentary:  How Disinformation Journalists Practice Disinformation

This week we’re saying “Welcome in” to all new and returning listeners. NYT faces a strike, Facebook may be facing congress and CNN says goodbye to staffers and contributors. Most importantly, we’re sharing our new favorite story from The Washington Post.

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected]. Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps:

03:09 Front Page

40:03 Obsessions

49:13 Reader Mail 

55:00 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes:

NYT: New York Times Union Holds One-Day Strike 

WSJ:  Facebook Threatens to Pull News From Platform if Congress Passes Bill Helping Publishers 

Truth on the Market: Imposed Final Offer Arbitration: Price Regulation by Any Other Name

NYT: Defamation Suit Against Fox Grows More Contentious

Twitter: Taylor Lorenz on China Lockdown

Twitter: Taylor Lorenz reacting to WaPo article

DOJ: Lawyer Michael Avenatti Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Millions of Dollars from Clients and Tax Fraud

Free Beacon: Fashback: The Media Was Obsessed with Michael Avenatti

WaPo: Calling out of the blue: Why would you do this to someone you love? 

WaPo: Discovery’s Shark Week needs diversity, more positive science, study says 

NYT: 12 Dinner Parties Around the World, From Tokyo to Paris

Twitter: Bill Spindle leaves Semafor 

Fox News: James Woods fires back at Twitter, vows to sue over censorship on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight'

The Spectator World: Kirstie Alley, the woman left out in the cold 

Smith Mountain Eagle: Gary's Corner: Soul Mate

NYT: Hans Niemann Is the Bad Boy of Chess. But Did He Cheat?

Filling in for Eliana this week is Christine Rosen, Chris’s colleague from AEI. We have lots to catch up on this week from Kanye West’s Mar-a-Lago dinner to the media’s treatment of SBF.

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at [email protected]. Receive show notes directly in your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Time Stamps: 

03:19 Front Page

1:02:00 Obsessions

1:05:36 Reader Mail 

1:11:18 Favorite Item of the Week

Show Notes: 

Fox News: Rep. Boebert’s apparent midterm victory makes liberal pundits eat their words

The Atlantic: Just Wait Until You Get to Know Ron DeSantis

Reuters: Trump ally Devin Nunes can sue NBCUniversal for defamation - judge

WaPo: Elon Musk and the hardcore cult of Diet Coke

WaPo: Musk's Twitter no longer bans covid misinformation

Fox News: Taylor Lorenz rips Elon Musk on BBC: He has made Twitter a 'disaster'

Good Morning America: George Stephanopoulos sits down with FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried

NYT: Sam Bankman-Fried Blames ‘Huge Management Failures’ for FTX Collapse

Axios: Sam Bankman-Fried's "underdressed genius” look

The Atlantic: The Black Investors Who Were Burned by Bitcoin

Bloomberg: NPR Hiring Freeze, CNN Cuts Are Latest Signs of Media Crunch

Axios: CNN Layoffs Begin

The Daily Beast: AP Fires Reporter Behind Retracted ‘Russian Missiles’ Story 

NYT: President Biden Is Turning 80. Experts Say Age Is More Than a Number.

WaPo: Rise in Iranian assassination, kidnapping plots alarms Western officials

DailyMail: EXCLUSIVE: From co-stars to lovers: GMA anchors Amy Robach, 49, and T.J. Holmes's, 45, romance is revealed

The Guardian: Delaware man sentenced for joining US Capitol riots while on Tinder date 

WaPo: She has 13 cats in a two-bedroom condo. Here's her litter-box advice. 

Quartz: Apple hobbled a crucial tool of dissent in China weeks before widespread protests broke out 

Politico:‘No path’ forward: Biden calls on Congress to avert rail strike

WaPo: Union Station has fallen on hard times. Can it be saved?

NYT: San Francisco Considers Allowing Use of Deadly Robots by Police