justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 3hIt's important to note that with David Ellison pledging editorial independence, the day the Paramount merger closed, he visited the CBS newsroom and said he didn't want to politicize the company. Staffers at the time credited him for saying all the right things. We know how that turned out for CBS. 0254
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 12h"Anderson’ s role today speaks volumes," a CBS insider tells me about Cooper moderating the town hall, noting it shows there's "no Bari at CNN" and "calms everyone down" at the network.@justinbaragona.bsky.social@justinbaragona.bsky.socialAnderson Cooper has been tasked with interviewing David Ellison in this first Skydance town hall. “You’re pledging not to interfere with editorial at CNN?” Cooper asks Ellison early on, with Ellison pledging to support news independence. 200
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 14hAnderson Cooper has been tasked with interviewing David Ellison in this first Skydance town hall. “You’re pledging not to interfere with editorial at CNN?” Cooper asks Ellison early on, with Ellison pledging to support news independence. 200
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 16hTrump looking to appease the "Radical Left" by shifting from one illegal act to another.@normeisen.bsky.social@normeisen.bsky.socialTrump ran $10M+ in TV ads promoting himself, paid for w/ your tax dollars Facing backlash, he now says his super PAC will cover it Small problem: presidents can't direct super PAC spending either I'll get into it w/ @ms.now at 11AM ET👇 -TNnytimes.comFacing Backlash, Trump Says His Super PAC Will Pay for Taxpayer-Funded AdsThe president said that his PAC, MAGA, Inc., would pay for TV ads promoting him that had been paid for with taxpayer money. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 16hFollowing the merger, Fitch has downgraded Skydance's credit rating due to the “materially higher leverage after the acquisition and significant execution and integration risks.” www.fitchratings.com/research/cor...fitchratings.com 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 17hTrump, who is currently banning Politico, CNN and MS NOW for supposedly being too one-sided to the point of creating a "national security issue," is once again raging at Fox News -- who just hired his sycophantic press secretary -- for giving airtime to the "other side." 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 18hIt's official now. Paramount has now completed its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, and the new combined company is Skydance. www.prnewswire.com/news-release...prnewswire.comPARAMOUNT COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, CREATING A NEW GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT LEADER, SKYDANCEThe combination builds on the storied history of two of the world's most recognizable entertainment companies, forming a single creative powerhouse. The... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 06/10/2026I already see us getting a news cycle parsing through Trump's "let 'em take out Los Angeles" comments, with media folks straining themselves to give the most charitable interpretation of what he actually meant. But one thing's clear - that Nebraska crowd cheered on the prospect of LA getting nuked. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 06/10/2026The weird thing about that whole portion of the speech is he began by riffing about high gas prices being a "small price" to pay for winning the war, before going on a tangent about which American cities he'd be okay with Iran destroying.@baylisswagner.bsky.social@baylisswagner.bsky.socialBREAKING: In Nebraska rally, Trump just suggested he would be unbothered to see Iran "take out" LA or San Diego: “They could take out a city,” he said. “Let them take—Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. That’s—this is a very small price to pay." 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Just waiting for someone to insist that this isn't what Trump said and he's being taken out of context.Aaron Rupar@atrupar.comTrump: "With the war, it's just artificial. It's a little bit high. It's a small price to pay ... let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay." 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 06/10/2026In the White House press guidance for tomorrow they have CNN listed as the TV pooler but also list RAV, which has positioned itself as a MAGA alternative to the pool, as the secondary TV crew for both in-town and out-of-town. My money's on Trump excluding CNN, even if Air Force One's not involved. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026What is really interesting in this exchange is that he fully put Martha MacCallum on the defensive to the point where she was trying to act like she hasn't been a cheerleader for this war -- which anyone who has watched her program the past year can say in unequivocably false.Aaron Rupar@atrupar.comEl-Sayed on Fox: "There is this argument you try to make often is that the best way to take this problem on is more war. How has that worked out for us? The war in Iraq which this channel spent years and years pressing -- has that made us safer? Are we more safe because of the war in Iran?" 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026"The WSJ put out a piece the other day that said we're almost a level of getting oil out of the Strait that we were at before the war started." What she didn't add is the WSJ also reported that attacks on ships have resurged, making that shipping a lot riskier again. www.wsj.com/world/middle...Aaron Rupar@atrupar.comEL-SAYED: Now you've got a situation with the Strait of Hormuz where we can't move oil and gas-- FOX: That's not true. The WSJ put out a piece the other day that said we're almost a level of getting oil out of the Strait that we were at before the war started AES: So why are gas prices so high? 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026"All you have to do is look at the crowds we're drawing."Aaron Rupar@atrupar.comQ: Your approval rating with Latino voters has dropped down to 27% TRUMP: You're fake news. You're CNN. My poll numbers are great. All you have to do is look at the crowds we're drawing. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Also, he's mixing up Shawn McReesh's report on the Mobile rally -- which DID have a lot of empty seats and was in a smaller arena than the last time he was there -- with the Ohio event. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...@mattgertz.bsky.social@mattgertz.bsky.socialThe president of the United States says that "the New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested" for denying that the arena in which he spoke had empty seats. It's really bad! www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Poor Zaz will only get a golden parachute of more than a half-billion dollars, after he spent the past few years cutting Warner Bros to the bone so it could get gobbled up by another company (and retire with a massive pay package). variety.com/2026/film/ne...variety.comDavid Zaslav Bids Farewell to Warner Bros. Employees in Video on Eve of Skydance Merger Close: ‘It’s Been a Great Honor to Be Alongside All of You’David Zaslav, who will be departing as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery with Paramount's takeover to form Skydance, shared a farewell message to employees. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Considering the White House is barring Politico from boarding Air Force One today, leaving it unable to fulfill its out-of-town travel press pool duties, it seems very likely that CNN is gonna get rejected again this week when its turn comes up (twice) in the TV pool. www.cnn.com/2026/10/05/m...cnn.comWhite House blocks Politico from Air Force One amid press access lawsuit | CNN BusinessThe White House is refusing to allow Politico on Air Force One on Monday, which means the news organization cannot fulfill its press corps pool responsibilities. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026You know, she may not be the best messenger when it comes to criticizing cringe-posting. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Harris Faulkner: "We have a society now that’s losing its grip and respect and need for the truth. Which is why the disinformation and misinformation and the conspiracy theories are so popular and they break through on social media. People have a complicated relationship with the truth." uh huh... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026This might be the least surprising news of the day. Leavitt has been on Fox repeatedly since leaving the White House and Hannity has constantly joked about her having her own show. Plus, as we all know, there's a revolving door between the Trump admin and Fox News. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/b...nytimes.comKaroline Leavitt, Trump’s ‘Machine Gun,’ Has a New Gig at Fox NewsA fierce and nimble speaker, Ms. Leavitt is the second of Mr. Trump’s former press secretaries to join the cable news network. 200
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 05/10/2026"I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for." Mark Thompson tells staffers he's staying as CNN chief and will report to David Ellison and new Skydance co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 04/10/2026CNN is back in the White House TV press pool rotation this week (their turn comes up twice). But that was also the case last Sunday when the schedule was released, only for Trump to bar CNN from Air Force One. There is also a court hearing this week on the press ban lawsuit, so I guess we'll see. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 04/10/2026"The Department of Homeland Security agreed to pay the donor’s firm $108 million for a Boeing 737 airliner that had been converted into a massive private jet, complete with a stand-up bar, two bedrooms, marble showers and a table covered in manta ray skin." www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/u...nytimes.comKristi Noem’s Agency Gave Her Donor a Lucrative Contract Just Before She Left (Gift Article)The Homeland Security Department signed a multi-million dollar agreement to buy five aircraft from a company owned by a political contributor of the secretary on her last day, documents show. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 04/10/2026🎵So ya thought ya Might like to go to the show To feel that warm thrill of confusion That space cadet glow 🎶@patblanchfield.bsky.social@patblanchfield.bsky.socialnew wolfenstein looks like shit 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 04/10/2026The talking points have been handed down from the White House to paint the bad polling numbers as a psyop.@thebulwark.com@thebulwark.comHassett: "Ahead of an election cycle, the fact that there's possibly partisan pollsters telling us that the people are really, really depressed, it's a classic Democrat move and I just don't buy it." 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 03/10/2026So he did exactly what we thought he did -- instructing his aides to use taxpayer dollars to fund his propaganda ads. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...nytimes.comTrump Directed Use of Taxpayer Money for Ads Praising His PresidencyThe government-funded ads show just how much President Trump has been able to use federal money for his own aims. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Enjoying a glass of pinot by the fire tonight. Is there any better season than autumn? 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Republicans are already giving up in North Carolina -- just 2 weeks after Trump held a campaign rally in the state for the GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...nytimes.comRepublicans Pull Money From North Carolina Senate Race As Midterm Prospects DimAs the Republicans try to hold their majority, the Senate Leadership Fund is diverting resources to Kansas, which has become a growing concern for the party. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 02/10/2026The very first image in David Ellison's tweeted video announcing that the new merged company's name is Skydance is the Titanic, the ship that was too big to sink. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 02/10/2026And now that CNN's rotation has passed in the TV pool, the White House has FOX listed as tomorrow's TV pooler. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 01/10/2026We've had at least one smaller pollster have Trump reach the 20s in job approval. How soon before we have one of the established pollsters break that barrier? Seems like it's right around the corner, and could happen before the midterms.Sahil Kapur@sahilkapur.bsky.socialNew AP poll: Trump’s job approval rating falls to 31%, while 69% disapprove. • His approval rating on the economy: 26% • On the cost of living: 17% • On Iran: 28% • Trade negotiations: 38% • AI: 31% • Immigration: 39% • Border security: 48% apnorc.org/wp-content/u... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 01/10/2026So @willsommer.bsky.social got hold of the script for The Daily Wire's upcoming pro-ICE movie, which is centered in Minneapolis. It has a scene with a Renee Good stand-in, who is described as a "fat blue-hair," but this time she kills an ICE agent with her car. www.thebulwark.com/p/daily-wire... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Hearing a lot of sighs of relief from CNN folks over this report that Bari Weiss won't be involved with the network "at close of the deal," and that Ellison wants to keep network chief Mark Thompson in place. www.wsj.com/business/med...wsj.comExclusive | David Ellison Asks CNN CEO to Stay After Paramount-Warner Deal ClosesBari Weiss isn’t expected to have a role involving CNN at close of the deal, people familiar with Ellison’s thinking said. 200
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Of course Natalie Harp was in the room during Trump's interview with Time. time.com/article/2026... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 01/10/2026It was supposed to be CNN's turn in the TV press pool tomorrow, and they were listed when the week's rotation was released on Sunday, but tomorrow's press guidance from the White House has no listing for the TV feed. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 01/10/2026The anticipated closing date of the Paramount-Warner merger is Tuesday, October 6th. ir.wbd.com/news-and-eve...ir.wbd.comParamount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery Announce Anticipated Closing Date of Paramount MergerParamount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PSKY) ("PSKY") and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBD) ("WBD" or "Warner Bros. Discovery") today announced that the merger (the "Merger") contemplated by... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026According to two CBS sources, Matt Gutman has been sent to Israel to crash a '60 Minutes' story about the attempted plane hijacking for this Sunday. (Crash is '60 Minutes' shorthand for turning around a news story in a matter of days.) 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026In tonight's Ragebait, I look at how MAGA media has responded once the Schmitt hit the fan. After Hannity and other MAGA luminaries quickly covered up their tracks after initially cheering on Eric Schmitt's debacle, Fox News has all but ignored the fiasco. zeteo.com/p/what-snl-g... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026NEW in Ragebait: What ‘SNL’ Gets So Wrong About Mamdani’s Social Media Strategy It may have been nothing more than a half-assed throwaway joke, but it’s definitely rubbed New Yorkers the wrong way – as well as Zohran Mamdani’s team. And for good reason. zeteo.com/p/what-snl-g...zeteo.comWhat ‘SNL’ Gets So Wrong About Mamdani’s Social Media StrategyThe establishment is totally clueless about why the NYC mayor thrives online. Plus, breaking news on the WarnerMount merger, and MAGA media embarrasses itself after the Eric Schmitt faceplant. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Netanyahu is also booked for Hannity tonight.@justinbaragona.bsky.social@justinbaragona.bsky.socialHearing from CBS sources that Tony Dokoupil will interview Benjamin Netanyahu on tonight's CBS Evening News. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Hearing from CBS sources that Tony Dokoupil will interview Benjamin Netanyahu on tonight's CBS Evening News. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Ynon Kreiz, the ex-chairman of Mattel, is an Israeli-born businessman who served in the IDF for years before going to Tel Aviv University. He and his wife also wore hostage dog tags on the red carpet at the 2024 Academy Awards, so he very much shares the Ellisons' pro-Israel stance.@justinbaragona.bsky.social@justinbaragona.bsky.socialMattel chairman Ynon Kreiz has joined the newly merged company and will serve as co-CEO alongside David Ellison. ir.paramount.com/news-release... 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Mattel chairman Ynon Kreiz has joined the newly merged company and will serve as co-CEO alongside David Ellison. ir.paramount.com/news-release...@justinbaragona.bsky.social@justinbaragona.bsky.socialThe final hurdle has been cleared in the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, as a federal judge approved the settlement ending the attorneys general's antitrust lawsuit and said the consent decree is fair and reasonable. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026The final hurdle has been cleared in the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, as a federal judge approved the settlement ending the attorneys general's antitrust lawsuit and said the consent decree is fair and reasonable. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026The "no radicals" thing is kinda negated by everything he said before that.Aaron Rupar@atrupar.comHegseth: "It's worth saying again so the fake news understands it. We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that -- no fatties no trannies no beardos no weirdos no wimps no radicals. Just warriors." 6800
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026"Additionally, decreasing the number of broadcasting languages may lessen USAGM’s impact on advancing U.S. national interests, supporting democratic values, and countering disinformation in closed societies." Read what the IG said about the dismantling of VOA: www.stateoig.gov/uploads/repo...stateoig.gov 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026"the patriotic cowboys are in..."Aaron Rupar@atrupar.comHegseth: "The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top." 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Guys, he rages about Fox News like once a week at this point, claiming MAGA hates it and they're unfair to him and blah blah blah. And then he goes on Hannity or Fox & Friends the next day. He's not "turning" on Fox, just like he hasn't the thousand times he's done this before. Rinse and repeat. 000
justinbaragona.bsky.social @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Setting aside the fact that Trump has now singlehandedly mired the United States in a separate quagmire in Iran, it was Joe Biden that struck this withdrawal agreement with Iraq in 2024 and Trump was forced to meet the September 30 deadline. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/w... 000
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