Top News:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Bluesky has 20M+ users after hitting 15M on Nov. 13; Appfigures: it's been #1 in US App Store since Nov. 13; Similarweb: its DAU gap with Threads is narrowing — Bluesky, the social network and X competitor has been benefiting from a surge of departures from the Elon Musk-owned app formerly known as Twitter.
Discussion:
Engadget, The Hollywood Reporter, Washington Times, @lif3asmaj.bsky.social, Similarweb, @tkaz99.bsky.social, @willoremus@threads.net, @mosseri@threads.net, @aarnegranlund.bsky.social, @henrymance.bsky.social, @timboard.bsky.social, Business Insider, @jay.bsky.team, @paleofuture.bsky.social, @nachristakis.bsky.social, @conorsen.bsky.social, @o.simardcasanova.net, @keithedwards.bsky.social, @oremus.bsky.social, @evankirstel.bsky.social, theJasmineBRAND, @johnspurlock.com, The Irish Times and Forbes, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
The Economist, The Week, ITV News, and others have joined Bluesky in the past week, while Politico, Semafor, Tortoise have resumed their activity on the site — A wave of news publishers have arrived on Bluesky in recent days, following audiences and journalists departing X/Twitter.
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Sources: MSNBC's Morning Joe meeting with Trump was driven by fears of retribution from the incoming administration, including governmental and legal harassment — New York CNN — — “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski announced Monday, in dramatic fashion …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Independent, The Guardian, Newsweek, Mediaite, New Jersey Online, @keitholbermann, @brianstelter, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, @wjcarter, @mediaevan, @emmavigeland, @adamjohnsonchi, Variety, @prettybadlefty, Raw Story, @brianstelter, @schooley.bsky.social, @marceelias, @cherijacobus, The Wrap, @daveweigel, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @meidastouch.bsky.social, @mattwelch, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @timfullerton.bsky.social, @brendannyhan.bsky.social, @jeffgoldesq, Adweek, Washington Examiner and Eschaton
RELATED:
Brian Stelter / CNN:
MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski face criticism after revealing they went to Mar-a-Lago to meet President-elect Donald Trump
Discussion:
Mediaite, Mediaite, RADAR, @katiephang, RedState, New York Post, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Fox News, New York Times, Washington Examiner, @brianstelter, @joenbc, @froomkin, @bristei, Status, @nick_field90, @brianstelter, @iamchanteezy, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, @j_fassler, @chrisfromga68, @wendyday5013, @thetnholler, @jeffjarvis, Daily Mail, HuffPost, Politico, @jeffjarvis, @brianstelter, freebeacon.com, The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, One America News Network, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Caller, People, Breitbart, Trending Politics …, Alternet.org, IJR, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @kfile.bsky.social, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, TVLine, Newsbusters, HotAir, Vanity Fair and @samsteindc.bsky.social
New York Times:
Filings: The Onion's Infowars bid was $7M, including backing from Sandy Hook families and $1.75M in cash; Alex Jones-linked First United's bid was $3.5M in cash — A hearing is scheduled for Monday to review the auction process, which is being contested by a losing bidder associated with Alex Jones, the Infowars founder.
Discussion:
Politico and Business Insider
RELATED:
Aaron Katersky / ABC News:
Filing: Alex Jones asks a judge to halt the sale of Infowars; a company affiliated with him, which was the losing bidder, seeks to disqualify The Onion's bid — Jones called The Onion's winning $1.75 million bid “sheer nonsense.” — Alex Jones of Infowars talks to the media while visiting …
Discussion:
CNN, Austin American-Statesman, @passantino@threads.net, @benmullin, Bloomberg Law, Associated Press, Reuters and New Republic
Sean Burch / The Wrap:
In a statement, Jay Penske says The Hollywood Reporter has replaced co-EIC Nekesa Mumbi Moody with Shirley Halperin, following staff cuts in June and August — Halperin recently resigned as editor of Los Angeles Magazine — The Hollywood Reporter replaced co-editor in chief Nekesa Mumbi Moody …
Discussion:
Reuters, Talking Biz News and The Hollywood Reporter
Dave Lawler / Axios:
Trump picks TV personality and 2022 US Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — - Kennedy, Trump's pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, would be Oz's boss if both are confirmed by the Senate.
Discussion:
CNN, Mediaite, The Wrap, Variety, The Guardian, New York Times, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, NBC News, USA Today, The 19th, FierceHealthcare, Politico, Alternet.org, Raw Story, Healthcare Dive, @jakesherman, Trending Politics …, The Independent, STAT, @joel_montfort@threads.net, @BrianJopek@mastodon.world, TVNewsCheck, NPR, @ronfrankl.bsky.social, @pnwdreadpirate.bsky.social, @petermorley.bsky.social, @davidmwessel.bsky.social, Rolling Stone, @ejfagan.com, @keithboykin.bsky.social, People, @timobrien.bsky.social, CBS News, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Business Insider, New York Post and WHEC.com
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Spines, an AI-powered self-publishing service for book authors that provides suggestions on edits, cover design, more, raised a $16M Series A after a $6.5M seed — Generative AI has upended how we write things, or even if we write at all. Now a startup wants to be the main character …
Discussion:
Michael Eisenberg on LinkedIn, Oren Zeev on LinkedIn and Spines
Apple:
The NYT's The Daily tops Apple Podcasts' most popular US shows in 2024, followed by Crime Junkie, The Joe Rogan Experience, Dateline NBC, and SmartLess — Today, Apple shared the most popular podcasts of 2024, with year-end charts localized for listeners in nearly 100 countries and regions.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, The Information, AppleInsider, BGR, @alexweprin and 9to5Mac
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Donald Trump selects Fox Business' The Bottom Line co-host and former congressman Sean Duffy to be his nominee for secretary of transportation — Duffy, a former congressman, is the co-host of Fox Business' The Bottom Line and is a contributor to the news network.
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, @seanduffywi, Fox News, Associated Press, TVNewsCheck, TheTruthAboutCars, Hollywood Life, AV Club, @mattyglesias, @challengeteamtv, @timjacobwise, @brianstelter, @emilmichael, NBC News, Barrett Media, BBC, Newsweek, Reuters, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Axios, CNN, Variety, WPR, USA Today, New York Times, NPR, The Wrap, The Guardian, Politico, Axios, Bloomberg, New York Post, Must Read Alaska, Talking Biz News, Washington Post and Yahoo Finance
Charlotte Klein / New York Magazine:
Sources detail continued financial losses at WaPo, internal competition for the top newsroom job, and staff dissatisfaction with a new return-to-office policy — Even before 250,000 digital readers unsubscribed from the Washington Post in protest, the paper was on track to lose at least as much money as it lost last year: $77 million.
Discussion:
New York Post, @nymag, @claeshs.bsky.social and @charlottetklein.bsky.social
Bloomberg:
Source: Microsoft signs a deal with News Corp's HarperCollins to use nonfiction titles to train an unannounced AI model; HarperCollins says authors can opt out — - Nonfiction books will be used for training AI models — AI companies and publishers have butted heads in lawsuits
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly, The Guardian, Music Ally, @nicolap.bsky.social, @amykristinsanders.bsky.social, The Verge, @kagan@wandering.shop, @samleecole.bsky.social, @tylerking.bsky.social, @uwestenderphd.bsky.social, @adrienneleigh.bsky.social, @felixgillette.bsky.social, @parodius.bsky.social, The Bookseller, BGR and Library Journal infoDOCKET, more at Techmeme »
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