iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

While they've spilled gallons of ink to cover concerns about the fate of CBS and CNN, media reporters have focused far less attention on what might be the most consequential news outlet now under the Ellison thumb: Comedy Central. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/b...

nytimes.com

Paramount Closes Its Deal for Warner Bros. Discovery

After a legal battle, Paramount has finally acquired Warner Bros. Discovery. The new company, Skydance, combines Hollywood studios, streaming services and cable networks.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

On Friday, David Ellison posted a sizzle reel for his new media conglomerate, writes @passantino.bsky.social, "opening with the curious choice of a scene from James Cameron’s 'Titanic'—a film about overly confident wealthy people who set sail on an “unsinkable” ship."

status.news

Ellison’s Media Titanic

David Ellison has acquired another media conglomerate to add to his new burgeoning media empire. Now comes the hard part: brutal cost cuts to make the economics work.

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

@freepress.bsky.social and #BlocktheMerger allies have worked tirelessly to challenge the Ellison family takeover of Warner Bros. This week we lost, and I've been reflecting on the unfair advantage that billionaire oligarchs have in our media and our politics. pressingissues.org/tech-barons-...

pressingissues.org

Loss Leaders: Tech Barons Buy Up Media Outlets to Hide Grifts

Billionaires are amassing control of our information environment to manipulate and control politics

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

... In that government officials are choosing to censor themselves in the service of the billionaire-run AI sector. Something I wrote about for Pressing Issues last month. Check it out: pressingissues.org/watching-wis...

pressingissues.org

Watching Wisconsin’s Secretive Data Centers

How local independent news outlets are alerting communities to the threats posed by Big Tech

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

House Dems (under @raskin.house.gov's lead) launch an investigation into Big Data's widespread use of NDA's to muzzle local government officials and stifle public discussions of data center projects in communities across the country. This is an under-reported story with a 1st Amendment wrinkle...

democrats-judiciary.house.gov

Ranking Member Raskin Probes Big Tech’s Use of Non-Disclosure Agreements to Prevent Local Officials From Discussing Data Center Projects With Constituents

Washington, D.C. (September 30, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, launched an investigation into Amazon, Google, Meta and Oracle over their use of non-disclosur...

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Global Project Against Hate and Extremism @globalextremism.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Elon Musk’s support for the far right goes well beyond the AfD. He has endorsed or promoted far-right and authoritarian figures across Europe & Latin America, including Vox, Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele. His interventions illustrate his growing role in amplifying extremist politics across borders.

globalextremism.org

Beyond AfD: Tracking Elon Musk’s Support for the Global Far Right

Elon Musk is backing the far right across multiple continents. From Germany’s AfD and France’s Marine Le Pen to Spain’s Vox, Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the tech billionai...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Now if we could just figure out a way to employ them in this work after they receive their diplomas.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's good to see some in media understanding their role in a democratic society. It's the others who need to relearn this lesson. In this (and many other) case(s), the students are the teachers: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/n...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

"There is ... a more prosaic reasons for the public’s dislike of AI: This is a technology of, by & for oligarchs, with hardly any of the benefits trickling down to regular Americans," writes @pkrugman.bsky.social. The surging hatred of AI may have a midterm impact, even, turning red states blue.

paulkrugman.substack.com

One More Reason Americans Hate AI: It Does Nothing for Them

Trillions of dollars in spending, higher interest rates, hardly any jobs

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

3. Tues. afternoon: The White House censors America(dot)gov; it no longer answers the price question. Judd Legum with the dirty details: popular.info/p/watch-trum...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

2. Tues. at noon: America.gov starts answering questions, including debunking Trump's own lie about grocery prices going down. (They aren't).

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

1. Tues. morning: Trump — with Elon Musk at his side — unveils America.gov, an AI-enabled website designed to answer questions about the government.

america.gov

America.gov

Find answers from official government sources and clear next steps for the services you need with America.gov.

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Ruth Livier, PhD @rlivier.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Our immigration system is unfair, despotic, racist. My @freepress.bsky.social Pressing Issues Q&A w/UCLA’s Dr.Hernández’s re her book, RACIST BY DESIGN, which unearths how we got here. pressingissues.org/us-immigrati... editors @juliorvarela.com @notaaroncraig.bsky.social @timkarr.bsky.social

pressingissues.org

The U.S. Immigration Regime Is ‘Racist by Design’

A conversation with historian Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernández about the historic whites-only system driving the U.S. immigration machine

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Wishful thinking. The report that is the source for this "news" is a speculative nothing burger.

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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

as a satire on so-called late stage capitalism how could one beat investors pouring a trillion into a company offering to wipe out humankind

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

"...as consolidation accelerates across the landscape—and media companies become more intertwined with the powerful figures they cover—the consequences are becoming more apparent," Darcy concludes.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Catch and kill? @oliverdarcy.bsky.social on David Ellison's curious, multi-million-dollar efforts to acquire a documentary that potentially includes compromising footage of ... David Ellison. www.status.news/p/paramount-...

status.news

Ellison’s Graham Doc Grab

Paramount is nearing a deal to pay an eye-popping sum for a documentary about the late Lindsey Graham that is also said to contain candid footage involving David Ellison himself, Status has learned.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I have quibbles w/Cummins-Smith's main argument but this paragraph resonates. Yes, billionaires use wealth to amass power. Their usual means to that end is control of the media, which they distort to serve their narrow interests, the rest of us be damned. www.liberalcurrents.com/tax-the-weal...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Scathing editorial by the all-female editorial board of the student-run Cornell Daily Sun. Naming names: www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The AI bubble is set to burst. Don't let it take the U.S. economy down with it, writes @deanbaker13.bsky.social: "If the demand for the frontier AI models doesn’t justify the trillions in investment currently scheduled, &/or the risks outweigh the benefits, we should stop it as soon as possible."|

deanbaker22.substack.com

If AI Is Crashing, the Story Should be Jail In, Not Bail Out

We shouldn’t get fooled again

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

CNN gets in a few final licks — reporting the truth about Trump's plummeting approval rating — before the Paramount Bros. move in on the newsroom. It's hard to see this story making air under CNN's new owners, even with it's feckless oversight board in place.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt tella Sean Hannity it’s “scary” that networks can “make the editorial decisions themselves” over whether to carry Trump’s speeches live. Yes, First Amendment freedoms are "scary" to autocrats. That's the point.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

... And while nepo-baby David Ellison "gets his binky," to quote a colleague, Paramount Skydance's share price is down nearly 30 percent for the year. The collective wisdom is that this mega-merger is bad for shareholders. So it will likely be far worse for everyone else. //ends

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

... These concessions amount to nothing that wouldn't have happened had the two entities remained separate and gone about their business — with the exception of the feckless oversight board. How'd that work for Facebook? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/b...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Cowardly California Attorney General Rob Bonta has led other state AGs to accept the weakest possible terms & greenlight Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros. CNN is now under the yoke of the Trump-aligned Ellisons. Layoffs to come as the news network tacks further & further to the far right.

freepress.net

Attorney General Bonta Caves to Pressure from Billionaires and Gavin Newsom, Paves Way for Disastrous Paramount-Warner Bros. Mega-Merger

"The capitulation marks a new low," says Jessica J. González. "It’s a sad day for all of us because it will cut jobs & raise prices, as it consolidates the media even more to enable authoritarians."

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

According to Bloomberg, the deal is sealed and it's incredibly weak. Here's @freepress.bsky.social's take on this disappointing cave. From the bottom of my heart, I thank the hundreds of thousands of you who showed up to #BlockTheMerger. We will not stop fighting with you for a better media system.

freepress.net

Attorney General Bonta Caves to Pressure from Billionaires and Gavin Newsom, Paves Way for Disastrous Paramount-Warner Bros. Mega-Merger

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Mark Ruffalo @markruffalo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Don’t you dare @agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov, do not cave. 5670 film makers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks. Please sign to send a message to the AG’s and Paramount. noparamountconcessions.com

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The fact that Jeff Bezos ruined the Washington Post for nothing is just peak 2026

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Local, independent media have become early-warning systems exposing for communities the many harms of data centers being built in their backyards. I spoke to @jmalewitz.bsky.social about the great work Wisconsin Watch is doing to shed light on Big Tech's efforts to keep these harms from public view

pressingissues.org

Watching Wisconsin’s Secretive Data Centers

How local independent news outlets are alerting communities to the threats posed by Big Tech

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Russia, Russia, Russia. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"I don’t make any exceptions for AI," award-winning cartoonist @claytoonz.bsky.social tells @juliorvarela.com. "I don’t care how funny you might think it is. But wherever they use AI ... it shows why they’re not professional cartoonists, because the writing is terrible."

pressingissues.org

Saying No to AI Slop — and The Baltimore Sun

Certain journalistic lines just can’t be crossed

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

“We are very much are at risk, but this isn't really a story about Skynet, it's a story about corruption and ordinary human greed … while a bumbling kakistocracy dismantles all remaining public interest guardrails.” — @karlbode.com

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Mike Masnick @masnick.com · 14/09/2026

So "free speech absolutist" Elon Musk is threatening to sue basically everyone connected to Alex Gibney's documentary. But Alex Spiro's blustery threat letter appears to admit the key part: that Musk told his girlfriend that he has access to space lasers.

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Only line that matters in this whole story: "commissioned by Paramount itself" This official-sounding "study" was bought and paid for by the extortionists themselves.

hollywoodreporter.com

Leaked Report Details Fallout if Paramount Follows Through on California Exit Threat

Nearly 58,000 jobs and $21 billion in annual losses are on the line as the Oct. 1 merger deadline approaches.

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Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The press has been woefully inadequate in covering how Trump is trying to subvert the midterms. @sulliview.bsky.social nails it here: margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/the-truth-...

margaretsullivan.substack.com

The truth about the midterms — and the media’s failure to convey it

Plus: the most distressing media news of the week and the most encouraging

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Bu... bu.. bu.. but Hunter's laptop

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Jimmy Kimmel's streaming interview of James Talarico now has more than $3.1 million views. On an average night "Jimmy Kimmel Live" has approximately 2.9 million television viewers. Once again, the Trump FCC has failed to silence opposing views. #StreisandEffect youtu.be/WLDE9LrGpNk?...

youtu.be

Jimmy Kimmel’s Interview with James Talarico That the FCC Doesn’t Want You To See

YouTube video by Jimmy Kimmel Live

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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 11/09/2026

Making a powerful person mad by demanding an answer they don't want to provide is precisely the job description.

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Jessica J. González @jgo4justice.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This. This is what responsible, disciplined FCC leadership looks like. Thank you @agomezfcc.bsky.social, the only one speaking common sense at the agency right now.

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

At @contrariannews.org, Rachel Antell exposes possible linkages between the Ellisons, Bari Weiss' THE Free Press & astroturf group Neighbors for Strong Communities. She calls on NSC to reveal funders & audit every message its AI-engine sent in the name of supposedly everyday Americans. Damning:

contrariannews.org

Before Astroturfing for Paramount, Did This Firm Flack for Flock?

Positive feedback only, please

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Would you forfeit your rights to a democracy for a promise of $5,000 in Trumpcoin? Let's hope the answer for everyone is a deafening "NO." But I imagine there are many short-sighted among us, blinded by dollar sign$$$. www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...

pbs.org

Trump promised $5,000 checks if Republicans win the midterms. How would that work?

President Donald Trump promised on Wednesday to send every American adult a $5,000 check if Republicans keep control of the U.S. House and Senate after the midterm elections. "If the Republicans win, ...

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