Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino

After completing his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison is facing questions about his relationship with Donald Trump and his plans for CNN. Jon shares what happened when he pressed Ellison directly on the Paramount lot, and Oliver reports on Anderson Cooper’s pointed questions for his new boss at an internal company town hall.

Oliver and Jon also examine what Ellison’s assurances mean for CNN chief Mark Thompson, whose long-term future remains unresolved, and how CNN and Bari Weiss’ CBS News could come together as the company pursues billions in cuts.

Plus, renowned tech journalist Casey Newton, co-host of the upcoming NPR podcast “Machine Gods,” joins the show to defend his decision to return to Elon Musk’s X after a three-year boycott. Oliver and Jon press him on what changed—and his “podmother,” Kara Swisher, delivers a surprise message you won't want to miss.

0:00 Intro

1:29 CNN and CBS News’ Future at Skydance

18:30 Anderson Cooper Questions David Ellison at Internal Town Hall

36:44 Casey Newton Grilled by Oliver, Jon, and Kara Swisher

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The future of CNN is coming into focus…at least for now. David Ellison has opened talks with Mark Thompson about extending his tenure as CNN’s chief. Oliver and Jon break down what the move signals to employees inside the network, what it could mean for CNN’s direction under Ellison, and where it leaves Bari Weiss, both now and down the road.

Plus, Donald Trump is using taxpayer money to run propaganda ads on MS NOW. Oliver and Jon report on the discontent amongst some network staffers who do not believe the progressive outlet should air the ads.

0:00 Intro

1:18 The Future of CNN (For Now)

18:30 Will Bari Weiss Run CNN?

36:44 MS NOW Staffers Furious as Trump Ads Air on Network

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The anonymous source behind one of the stories that the White House used to justify its press ban was none other than JD Vance himself. We detail our exclusive reporting and get into the latest developments on Donald Trump’s war against the media.

Then, we report on the anxiety coursing through CNN as David Ellison’s Paramount strikes a deal with the state AGs to gain regulatory clearance to take over the news outlet’s parentco. We’ll take you inside the network where chief Mark Thompson is facing mounting questions from nervous staffers.

Plus, the owner of POLITICO and Business Insider is facing backlash from staffers for its decision to honor pro-MAGA billionaire Peter Thiel with help from Bari Weiss.

0:00 Intro

1:39 JD Vance Exposed as Politico’s Anonymous Source

15:57 CNN’s Ownership Uncertainty

37:45 Axel Springer’s Peter Thiel Controversy

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CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins turned the tables on Status founder Oliver Darcy for the final interview of the Status Summit. Darcy described what it actually felt like to leave CNN and go independent, including the realization that there’s no undo button once you’ve handed in your badge. They also discuss how sourcing and reporting have changed for both of them since their beginnings in conservative media, and Oliver's plans to grow Status with more journalists, events, and podcasts.

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MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler joined Natalie Korach and Oliver Darcy at the Status Summit to discuss the network's programming and business strategy. Kutler spoke about the network’s new membership program, her perspective on taking Donald Trump live, whether Hasan Piker is welcome on the channel, and more. 

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New York Times chief executive Meredith Kopit Levien and Atlantic chief executive Nicholas Thompson joined Oliver Darcy at the Status Summit for a wide-ranging discussion on the business upheavals reshaping the media industry. The duo discussed their different approaches to A.I. giants, whether news organizations should make deals with prediction markets like Kalshi, Google’s crawler behavior, and more. Plus, Kopit Levien responded to Nicole Kidman’s “Lioness” character attacking The Times for its coverage on democracy being under threat. 

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The numbers are in for the “60 Minutes” premiere under Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton and… they’re not pretty. Oliver and Jon break down the shockingly low ratings, the industry’s reaction, and what it says about the show’s new direction.

Next, an explosive, four-hour-long Elon Musk documentary is set for release in early October, and Universal is feeling the heat. Will the Comcast-owned studio release the film internationally? Or is it getting cold feet?

Finally, the removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's current tour has caused massive backlash and served as yet another example of free speech under attack in Donald Trump’s America. 

0:00 Intro

1:23 ‘60 Minutes’ Season Premiere Flops

23:02 Universal Pulling Plug on Elon Musk Documentary?

35:47 Macklemore-Ed Sheeran Backlash

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New Yorker Editor David Remnick and Associated Press Executive Editor Julie Pace joined Oliver Darcy at the Status Summit to discuss the Trump administration’s assault on the First Amendment. The duo also touched on other topics, with Remnick calling Jeff Bezsos’ stewardship of The Washington Post “unforgivable” and arguing that news leaders without the spine to stand up to intimidation should get out of the business. Pace also detailed the AP's decision to keep calling Lake Ontario by its original name, and delivered an update on the organization's ongoing First Amendment litigation with the White House.

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MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace appeared for a sit-down interview at the inaugural Status Summit, addressing several topics while speaking to Oliver Darcy. The two discussed conservative media’s radical transformation into MAGA propaganda, what it’s like for Wallace to be attacked by a movement that once called her its own, and what the Dominion case revealed about Fox News. Plus, Wallace spoke about her approach to covering Donald Trump, and why she never takes him live on her show.

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CNBC host and Dealbook author Andrew Ross Sorkin sat for an interview at the inaugural Status Summit, speaking to Oliver Darcy on a wide array of topics. In the interview, the two discussed news organization’s striking deals with Kalshi, what it is like to critically cover some of the world’s most powerful moguls, why the Ellisons are making a play for media assets, and whether as “Billions” co-creator he would portray the wealthy in the same light today.

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