memeorandum: Proud Boys saw themselves as 'Trump's army,' U.S. says in trial closings (Washington Post)

3:25 PM ET, April 24, 2023

Top Items:

Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox News — The bombastic host received the largest audience on the conservative network. — In a shocking announcement on Monday morning, the Fox News Channel announced that prime-time host Tucker Carlson is leaving the network.

Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:

Tucker Carlson departs Fox News, pushed out by Rupert Murdoch — Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox News. — The network announced the departure of its top-rated and most provocative conservative prime-time host Monday with no explanation. His last show was Friday.

Discussion: Daily Mail, Washington Post, The Guardian, The Independent, Raw Story, Joe.My.God., The Gateway Pundit, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Wrap, Twitchy, acecomments.mu.nu, BizPac Review, Balloon Juice, HuffPost and Political Wire

Oliver Darcy / CNN:

Tucker Carlson out at Fox News — Fox News and Tucker Carlson, the right-wing extremist who hosted the network's highly rated 8pm hour, have severed ties, the network said in a stunning announcement Monday. — The announcement came one week after Fox News settled a monster defamation lawsuit …

Discussion: Alternet.org, NPR, TVLine, Law & Crime, USA Today, The Wrap, Mediaite, One America News Network, The Root, Reuters, The Information, The Daily Caller, Financial Times, New Republic, acecomments.mu.nu, DCReport.org, Ad Age and The Mahablog

Rolling Stone:

Fox News Staffers Celebrate Tucker Carlson's Departure: ‘Pure Joy’ — “I fear management will replace him with someone who is just like him, so there probably won't be any real change,” a producer warned of the shocking split — FOX NEWS AND Tucker Carlson have parted ways.

Discussion: The Hill, El País, Alpha News, Gizmodo, PoliticusUSA, Alternet.org, The Daily Caller, Semafor and The Post Millennial

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Tucker Carlson out at Fox News … - A slew of material was uncovered during pre-trial discovery implicated Carlson. … - A former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, who is suing the network for allegedly trying to manipulate her testimony during pre-trial discovery for the Dominion case …

Discussion: American Greatness, Lawyers, Guns & Money, ABC13 and The Hollywood Reporter

Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite:

BREAKING: Tucker Carlson OUT at Fox News in Shocking Ouster — Tucker Carlson, the top-rated host at Fox News, is exiting the network. — The abrupt departure of the controversial prime time figure comes a week after Fox News reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems …

Discussion: Forbes, RedState, Breitbart, One America News Network, The American Spectator, IJR, The Daily Caller, The Post Millennial and Twitchy, more at Mediagazer »

Semafor:

Tucker Carlson has left Fox News — Tucker Carlson has left Fox News, the network that made him a right-wing political and media juggernaut. — Carlson's executive producer Justin Wells is also out at the network, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Discussion: Media Matters for America, Fox News, The Hill, Insider, The Daily Beast, The Post Millennial, Washington Press, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, al.com, Adweek, Deadline, IndieWire, Mother Jones, Daily Kos and TheBlaze

Bailey Lipschultz / Bloomberg:

Tucker Carlson's Fox News Exit Wipes Out $690 Million in Value — Tucker Carlson, one of the most popular Fox News prime-time hosts, was worth more than $690 million to the parent company. At least that is what trading in the stock indicates. — Shares of Fox Corp. sank as much as 5.4% Monday …

Discussion: The Hill, Breitbart, RedState, Raw Story and Forbes

Lillian Rizzo / CNBC:

Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News in wake of Dominion defamation settlement — Fox News announced it parted ways with right wing host Tucker Carlson. His last program aired Friday. — The host is leaving Fox News days after the network reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation lawsuit.

Discussion: The Hill, RedState, Jezebel, Mock Paper Scissors and Talking Points Memo

Sarah Rumpf / Mediaite:

‘It Was a Firing’: Tucker Carlson's Exit from Fox Was NOT Voluntary, Sources Say — Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox News was not voluntary, multiple sources told Mediaite. — Fox News shocked the media world Monday morning with a statement announcing the network and its top-rated host “have agreed to part ways.”

Discussion: Chicago Sun Times and Babylon Bee, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:
Live Updates: Fox News Parts Ways With Tucker Carlson

Discussion: Raw Story, Insider, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, UPI, Quartz, Fortune, Forbes, Patterico's Pontifications and FOX8 WGHP

Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Fox News Breaks Up With Tucker Carlson In Exit Surprise

Discussion: NBC News, Talking Points Memo, National Review, The Wrap, The Wrap and The Daily Caller

Emily Shapiro / ABC News: Tucker Carlson out at Fox News

Kierra Frazier / Politico:
Broadcast bloodbath: Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon are out in major media shake-up

New York Times:

Don Lemon, CNN Star Anchor, to Leave the Network — Mr. Lemon, one of the network's most recognizable stars, had been under scrutiny since an uproar over on-air remarks he made about women and aging in February. — Don Lemon is out at CNN. — CNN said on Monday that it was parting ways with Mr. Lemon …

Zoe Tillman / Bloomberg:

Clarence Thomas's Billionaire Friend Did Have Business Before the Supreme Court — Justice Clarence Thomas said he was advised he didn't have to disclose private jet flights and luxury vacations paid for by billionaire Harlan Crow because, although a close friend, Crow “did not have business before the court.”

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, Joe.My.God., Law Dork with Chris Geidner and Boston Herald

Dan Mangan / CNBC:
Sen. Wyden asks billionaire Harlan Crow for list of gifts to Supreme Court Justice Thomas

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill, Roll Call, The Guardian, Joe.My.God., Alternet.org, NPR and Political Wire

James Downie / MSNBC:

Kevin McCarthy's clown car is headed right into a debt ceiling crisis — The House speaker's tenure has been a kaleidoscope of incompetence. — The clown car that has been Rep. Kevin McCarthy's speakership spluttered to a halting start over 15 long ballots in January and hasn't had a second of a smooth ride since.

Discussion: The Editorial Board and Raw Story

Punchbowl News:
McCarthy's gigantic week

Discussion: Politico, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, RedState and Reuters

Politico:
'Nobody knows when it's going to happen': Wall Street wakes up to default threat.

Discussion: Digby's Hullabaloo

Hillary Clinton / New York Times:
Republicans' Debt-Ceiling Games Threaten National Security

Discussion: The Hill and The Daily Caller

Carol E. Lee / NBC News:

Susan Rice to step down as Biden's domestic policy chief — Rice's departure next month will bring to a close her prolific, wide-ranging and at times controversial tenure. — President Joe Biden's domestic policy adviser, Susan Rice, is stepping down from her post next month …

Discussion: Reuters, Washington Free Beacon, Axios, New York Times, Politico, Breitbart, American Greatness, Twitchy, New York Post, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Hill, CNN and Eschaton

Kierra Frazier / Politico:
Susan Rice to step down as domestic policy adviser

Discussion: The White House, USA Today, acecomments.mu.nu, Bloomberg, Associated Press, UPI, Washington Examiner, Forbes, RedState, Washington Times, Just The News, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Kit O'Connell / The Texas Observer:

Ag Commissioner Sid Miller's New Transphobic Dress Code — Transgender and gender nonconforming employees of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) received an unwelcome surprise last Monday: a new dress code that continues Governor Greg Abbott's campaign of anti-LGBTQ+ oppression.

Nicholas Grossman / Bulwark+:

Why the Anti-Anti-Trumpers Need Ron DeSantis — IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THAT Ron DeSantis looked like Donald Trump's heir apparent—beloved by the base, but with mainstream appeal, basically “Trump without the baggage.” Now the narrative has flipped. DeSantis is struggling: Back in January …

Discussion: VICE, Wall Street Journal, Alternet.org, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, Florida Politics and Digby's Hullabaloo

Isaac Chotiner / New Yorker:
Why Trump Is Beating DeSantis Among D.C. Republicans

Discussion: New York Post, Associated Press, RedState, FiveThirtyEight, Joe.My.God., Summit News, The Gateway Pundit and Digby's Hullabaloo

Washington Post:

Proud Boys saw themselves as 'Trump's army,' U.S. says in trial closings — Closing arguments are underway in the seditious conspiracy trial of five Proud Boys leaders accused of spearheading the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — The far-right Proud Boys saw themselves …

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, CBS News, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Raw Story, Iowa Starting Line, CBS News, NBC 6 South Florida and Joe.My.God.

Robert Greenall / BBC:

China disowns ambassador's remarks questioning Ukrainian independence — China has distanced itself from the remarks of one of its envoys who questioned the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet countries. — Paris ambassador Lu Shaye's comments last week caused widespread outrage, leading on calls to Beijing to clarify.

Discussion: New York Times, HotAir, Financial Times, CNN, Breitbart, Cyprus Mail, Bloomberg, Reuters, PJ Media, NBC News, The Guardian, Blogs of War and Wall Street Journal

Washington Post:

At U.S. behest, Ukraine held off anniversary attacks on Russia — Kyiv's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, planned bold strikes deep behind enemy lines that unnerved officials in Washington — In February, with the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine days away …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Human Events, The Daily Caller and Fox News

Ben Smith / Semafor:

It's back to the future for a diminished digital news business — What year is it? Consider the following: — The Drudge Report is the biggest political website in the country. — Jonah Peretti, a digital media entrepreneur, is focused on building the homepage traffic of HuffPost.

Brynn Tannehill / New Republic:

The End of Trans America Comes Into Focus — Republicans have made it clear that their number one legislative and cultural priority is the “eradication of transgenderism from public life,” as was stated by Daily Wire host Michael Knowles at the Conservative Political Action Conference this year.

Arek Sarkissian / Politico:

Florida surgeon general altered key findings in study on Covid-19 vaccine safety — Joseph Ladapo defended the move, saying revisions are a normal part of assessing such analysis. — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo personally altered a state-driven study …

Discussion: Centers for Disease Control …

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

Florida school district bans dozens of books based on proposed bill — Schools in Clay County, Florida, are withholding dozens of books from students, citing legislation that has been proposed but not approved by the state legislature or signed into law. — In a spreadsheet published …

Discussion: National Review

Christopher Cadelago / Politico:

Eleni Kounalakis first to launch campaign for California governor in 2026 — The state's lieutenant governor has assembled an A-team of political strategists and fundraisers for her run. — SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis on Monday launched her campaign to become …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Daily Caller, Raleigh News & Observer, Sacramento Bee and KRON4

Washington Post:

Democrats reluctant about Biden 2024, but they see no other choice — They are lukewarm about picking Biden as their nominee, but many believe he may be the best hope of preventing a second Trump term and fighting extremism — The leftover pizza was divvied up, the Girl Scout cookies had been exchanged …

Discussion: New York Times, Associated Press, NBC News, Mediaite, Reuters, El País, Talking Points Memo, Summit News, New Republic, Wide World of News, HuffPost, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg

Marist Poll:

Medication Abortions and the U.S. Supreme Court — NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll — Nearly Two in Three Oppose Banning Abortion Pill... Many Believe in FDA's Final Approval of Prescription Drugs — With the U.S. Supreme Court weighing in on access to mifepristone …