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

4:20 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.

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, PoliticusUSA, Alternet.org, Gizmodo, The Daily Caller, Semafor and TheBlaze

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 …

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: The Gateway Pundit, Lawyers, Guns & Money, ABC13 and The Hollywood Reporter

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: Rolling Stone, Fox News, The Hill, Insider, The Daily Beast, Big League Politics, The Post Millennial, The Daily Caller, Washington Press, al.com, Adweek, Deadline, TheBlaze, American Greatness, IndieWire, Mother Jones and Daily Kos

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, The Daily Caller, IJR, Twitchy and The Post Millennial, more at Mediagazer »

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: The Western Journal and Babylon Bee, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Live Updates: Fox News Parts Ways With Tucker Carlson — Mr. Carlson has been one of the network's top-rated hosts for many years. — Here is the latest on Tucker Carlson's departure from Fox News. — Fox News said Monday that it was parting ways with Tucker Carlson, its most popular prime time host.

Discussion: Insider, Cyprus Mail, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, UPI, Quartz, Talking Points Memo, Chicago Sun Times, Fortune, Forbes, FOX8 WGHP and Patterico's Pontifications

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

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

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

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

Gideon Rubin / Raw Story: Russian state outlet RT reaches out to Tucker Carlson

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Tucker Carlson, Fake Populist and Genuine Racist

Discussion: Washington Post and Daily Kos

Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America:
Tucker Carlson's departure is great news for America (and terrible news for Fox)

Discussion: New Republic, The Hill, The Guardian, Raw Story and The Daily Caller

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

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

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: Alternet.org, USA Today, The Hill, Joe.My.God., Politico, 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: The Hill, Washington Post, UPI, Washington Times, Roll Call, The Guardian, Alternet.org, NPR, Joe.My.God. 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: Wall Street Journal, Politico, 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

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 … and Joe.My.God.

Siladitya Ray / Forbes:

Ex-Louisville Officer Who Fatally Shot Breonna Taylor Begins New Law Enforcement Job — Myles Cosgrove, the former police officer who shot and killed Breonna Taylor—a death that garnered national attention and triggered widespread protests against systemic racism and police brutality—has landed a new law enforcement job.

Discussion: Law & Crime, The Root, WHAS-TV, New York Post, Jezebel, Insider, CBS News, Raw Story and Mother Jones

Associated Press:
Kentucky sheriff's office hires former officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor

Discussion: NPR, Alternet.org, Joe.My.God., New York Times, Associated Press, Political Wire, Courier-Journal, RADAR and al.com

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: Politico, Axios, New York Times, Reuters, Washington Free Beacon, One America News Network, The Western Journal, American Greatness, Breitbart, 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, UPI, The Gateway Pundit, Forbes, Bloomberg, Just The News, Associated Press, RedState, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller 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.

Discussion: The Texas Tribune

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, Financial Times, HotAir, CNN, Breitbart, Bloomberg, Cyprus Mail, Crooks and Liars, Reuters, PJ Media, NBC News, The Guardian, Blogs of War and Wall Street Journal

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

Ryan Cooper / American Prospect:

Republicans' War on Their Own Public Health — Tens of thousands of conservatives died because they believed anti-vaccine lies. Now the GOP is bringing back measles and polio. — Readers might be surprised to learn that Mississippi has the highest child vaccination rate of any state in the country.

Discussion: Fox News and TASS

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.