Mediagazer: Baltimore Sun Media Group, owned by Tronc, plans to close 40-year-old City Paper later this year (Brandon Weigel/Baltimore City Paper)

3:20 AM ET, July 8, 2017

Top News:

Joe Pompeo / Politico:

BuzzFeed EIC Ben Smith criticizes CNN for not defending Andrew Kaczynski, says along with recent resignations of three reporters, it sends a “terrible signal” — A CNN REBUKE FROM BEN SMITH - We were emailing yesterday and he had some thoughts on the latest CNN debacle …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Slate, @jaysunsilver, Media Matters for America, The Daily Caller, The Root, Mediaite, @reaganbattalion, @kelseymsutton, @jayrosen_nyu, Talking New Media, WBUR, The Wrap and New York Times

Michael Calderone / HuffPost:

Senator Amy Klobuchar asks AG Jeff Sessions whether White House contacted his office about AT&T/Time Warner deal, says any interference is unacceptable — If the White House interfered with the AT&T-Time Warner merger, Sen. Amy Klobuchar said, it would violate the First Amendment.

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Washington Post

Michael Calderone / HuffPost:
Report: White House won't support pending AT&T-Time Warner merger if Zucker remains president of CNN, according to a source

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, Fortune, AOL, DSLreports, @joeberkowitz, The Week, @jayrosen_nyu, @aynrandpaulryan, @totalbiscuit, @brianstelter and Washington Post

J.K. Trotter / Gizmodo:
Sources: a CNN executive vice president, Rick Davis, wrote the line that caused a furor in Andrew Kaczynski's CNN/Trump video story to explain sourcing decision

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Slate, Engadget, Salon, Motherboard, @ggreenwald, @abbydphillip, sandiegouniontribune.com, MediaFile, @yipe, @max_fisher and The Daily Beast

Brandon Weigel / Baltimore City Paper:

Baltimore Sun Media Group, owned by Tronc, plans to close 40-year-old City Paper later this year — The Baltimore Sun Media Group plans to close City Paper later this year. No official end date has been announced for the alt-weekly, now in its 40th year.

Discussion: wbal.com, @notrivia and Talking New Media

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

Rachel Maddow warns other media that her show received a tip with a bogus document about Trump-Russia, in what she thinks was an effort to discredit her — It wouldn't have been the first time that a major media organization had reported a stunning development that turned out to be untrue.

Discussion: The Intercept, The Wrap, @csmcdaniel, The Daily Caller, @benjaminwittes, @andymschneider, @paulmd199, @benjaminwittes, emptywheel, Salon, HuffPost, The Daily Caller, TVNewser and YouTube

Associated Press:

Milo Yiannopoulos says he is suing Simon & Schuster for breach of contract after publisher canceled book deal; publisher dismisses suit as publicity stunt — NEW YORK (AP) — Polarizing right-wing writer Milo Yiannopoulos filed a $10 million lawsuit against a New York publishing company on Friday over a canceled book deal.

Discussion: Publishers Weekly, The Daily Caller, TMZ.com, New York Daily News, Conservative News Today, USA Today, Washingtonian, Hollywood Reporter, @samfbiddle, The Daily Caller, Page Six and The Wrap

Lynne Marek / Chicago Business:

Sources: Chicago Sun-Times owner Wrapports is prepared to close the newspaper if plan to sell to Eisendrath falls through and then DoJ contests a sale to Tronc — The owners of the Chicago Sun-Times are prepared to shut down the paper if a deal with an investor group falls through …

Edward-Isaac Dovere / Politico:

AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace says undermining the press is central to Trump's agenda; NYT's WH correspondent says journos could be physically attacked — Two veteran White House correspondents, Peter Baker and Julie Pace, on what it's like covering a president like none other.

Discussion: @michaelkruse

Richard Horgan / Adweek:

Founders of VerySmartBrothas.com, Damon Young and Panama Jackson, fold their indie site into Gizmodo Media Group's The Root, will become senior editors — Young says Gizmodo Media Group was among a number of recent suitors — Damon Young decided to have some fun with the format …

Discussion: VSB, Fusion Media Group, Bulletin | BLAVITY and The Root

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Fusion Media Group announces it is rebranding as Splinter, will launch SplinterNews.com on July 24, will focus on news and political commentary — Fusion Media Group announced Friday that their digital publication FUSION will relaunch as “Splinter” (splinternews.com) on Monday, July 24.

Discussion: Business Insider, @dodaistewart, @dodaistewart, Fusion Media Group, Variety, Adweek, Fast Company, @mekosoff, @owillis, @kwameopam, @jbarro, @grisuy, @clarajeffery, @dylanbyers, @mlcalderone, @brettlogiurato, @elongreen and @athertonkd

Tom Ley / Deadspin:

SB Nation removed a post written by an editor, that alluded to a Boston Celtics player coming “out of the closet” but won't confirm if the editor was fired — On Tuesday night, the editor of SLC Dunk, SB Nation's Utah Jazz blog, posted an article about Gordon Hayward signing with the Boston Celtics.

Jonathan Randles / Wall Street Journal:

Univision says it will fight the defamation suit brought by Charles Harder for a Deadspin post about Randall Busack of Pregame.com — Univision Communications Inc. said it will fight a new defamation lawsuit, guided by Hulk Hogan's lawyer, over a Deadspin story the company acquired last year …

Discussion: @john_mehaffey and @itsdavidford

Laura Jarrett / CNN:

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson releases report saying leaks damaging to national security have risen dramatically, lists 125+ news stories from Jan. 20 to May 25 — The start of a Trump crackdown on leakers? — Story highlights — (CNN)The Republican chairman of the Senate Homeland Security …

Discussion: Washington Times, Committee to Protect …, Fox News and Politico

Jon Levine / Mediaite:

In a series of tweets sent on Friday, Fox Business anchor Charles Payne vehemently denies sexual harassment allegations against him, calls them “an ugly lie” — Fox Business anchor Charles Payne took to Twitter Friday morning to respond to explosive allegations of sexual harassment recently leveled against him.

Discussion: The Wrap, AOL and Media Matters for America