Extra, Extra
Paramount a Resistance? For big corporations, news divisions are a rounding error, one many of them are willing to tarnish or sell out for (potential) returns down the road. The latest example: Paramount in Settlement Talks With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit. “When Donald J. Trump sued CBS for $10 billion days before the 2024 election, accusing the company of deceptively editing a ’60 Minutes’ interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, many legal experts dismissed the litigation as a far-fetched attempt to punish an out-of-favor news outlet.” (60 Minutes used to refer to an investigative news show. Now it refers to how long it took corporate America to bend the knee..)
+ Aircraft Collision: More than 40 bodies have been recovered following the midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger plane approaching Reagan International. Investigators have also retrieved the black box. Here’s the latest from CNN and AP. NYT (Gift Article): Washington Crash Renews Concerns About Air Safety Lapses. “Even before an official cause is determined, there were signs Wednesday that pilots and air traffic controllers at Reagan National were not operating under optimal conditions.” And, not that reality matters anymore, but Trump launched air controller diversity program that he now decries. And, don’t let all the DEI talk distract you from the larger plan to gut the federal government. The New Yorker: What’s the Point of Trump’s War on D.E.I.?
+ More of the Trump Dump: White House says Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will come Saturday. A headline for the ages: Trump administration moving to fire FBI agents involved in investigations of Trump. Trump’s FCC chief opens investigation into NPR and PBS. And NYT (Gift Article): How the World Is Reeling From Trump’s Aid Freeze. Enough about our elected king. Let’s talk about our unelected king. Elon Musk is reportedly taking control of the inner workings of US government agencies. (I know, I know. This is a lot of Trump news. Believe me, there’s a hell of a lot more out there. I’m filtering as fast as I can.)
+ On the Button: “Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s great innovators and promoters, the man responsible not only for inventing the flying camel spin but describing it to generations of fans.” Dick Button, Olympic great and voice of skating, dies at 95.
+ A Look Below the Belt: “Transporting sand to petroleum frackers is often expensive—and dangerous. A big bet on a mammoth machine aims to change that.” What’s this new-fangled technology? A conveyor belt. Texas Monthly: The World’s Second-Longest Conveyor Belt Is Rolling in West Texas. (How the hell is this thing not in the show Landman?)