Top News:
Jana Winter / Reuters:
FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick for defamation, seeking $250M, over an article that claimed he had a drinking problem — FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick following the publication …
Discussion:
The Hill, @_ericaknight, Mediaite, Deadline, Politico, @fbidirectorkash, CNN, Reason, @theatlanticpr, @jbinnall, One America News Network, RedState, The American Bazaar, @acyn, crypto.news, International Business Times, HotAir, New York Magazine, Salon, Bloomberg, Axios, Associated Press, Daily Mail, @artcandee, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, @grza.bsky.social, @brianstelter, NBC News, NextDraft, @tedlieu, Raw Story, @paleofuture.bsky.social, @dylanbyers, @scottnover, TMZ.com, Washington Post, MS NOW, Straight Arrow News, @asfleischman, New York Sun, Wall Street Journal, twitchy.com, CBS News, @murderedbybluesky.bsky.social, New York Times, Poynter, @jeremymbarr, @timkarr.bsky.social, @atrupar, Washington Examiner, American Greatness, Wonkette, The Gateway Pundit, The Hollywood Gossip, @davejorgenson.bsky.social, The Guardian, New York Post, Just Jared, ZeroHedge News, Sandra Rose, UPI, @jeremymbarr, @ninaburleigh, Agence France-Presse, @adamsteinbaugh, Law and Chaos, Newser, @annabower, @jimmycarson43.bsky.social, @andrewjweinstein.com, Courthouse News Service, Washington Times, The Stranger, IJR, @sschwinghamer.bsky.social, @eoinhiggins.bsky.social, @nycjim, Above the Law, Advocate, The Indian Express, Deseret News, The Wrap, PBS NewsHour, Variety, New Republic, Forbes, CNBC, Suggest, Fox News, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Independent, France 24, Washingtonian, Newsweek, The Daily Wire, Celebrity Insider, Black America Web, HuffPost, SpyTalk, Breitbart, NewsMax.com, Joe.My.God., Townhall and American Thinker
New York Times:
Filing: The Onion proposes a new deal for Infowars, licensing Infowars.com for $81,000 per month for six months initially; the deal requires a judge's approval — When Infowars, the website founded by the right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones, came up for sale two years ago, an unlikely suitor stepped up.
Discussion:
The Onion, CNN, Chicago Sun Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Mediaite, The Wrap, NBC News, NPR, them., Mother Jones, The Present Age, Daily Kos, Newser, Block Club Chicago, Hollywood Life, Houston Public Media, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, @pablotorre, @agoldmund, @digiphile.bsky.social, Courthouse News Service, @rwmead.bsky.social, @benmullin.bsky.social, @mattsheffield@mastodon.social, @agoldmund, @canteverdie, Newsweek, Raw Story, The A.V. Club, @christiannightmare …, Consequence, Politico and Joe.My.God.
a16z:
A new media company called MTS launches for “monitoring the situation” across tech, business, politics, and culture, with backing from a16z and others — Thrilled to announce our investment in a new media company called MTS — Thrilled to announce our investment …
Discussion:
Gazetteer SF, @mtslive, @jbillinson, The Information, @nikitabier, @tylermcbrien, @knowerofmarkets, @nickheer@c.im, @a16z, @sporadica, @netcapgirl, @devahaz, @taylorlorenz, @dwr, @balajis, @taylorlorenz, @taylorlorenz, @semaforben, @matt_slotnick, @davelee.me and @taylorlorenz, more at Techmeme »
Matthew Gault / 404 Media:
A Forbes story about a Louisiana man killing 8 children contained a ForbesPredict box asking readers to predict whether Congress would pass new gun safety laws — In another sign that the depravity economy has no bottom, Forbes published a story about a Louisiana man that killed 8 children …
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Deezer says AI-generated tracks now account for 44% of daily uploads, totaling ~75K tracks per day and 2M+ per month, but account for just 1%-3% of consumption — Deezer announced on Monday that AI-generated tracks now represent 44% of all new music uploaded to its platform.
Bloomberg:
A look at Chinese streamer iQiyi's overhaul effort to be the industry's biggest AI adopter, as it aims to release a successful GenAI film as soon as summer 2026 — IQiyi Inc. expects AI to create a big chunk of its films and shows virtually from scratch someday soon, a monumental industry shift …
Discussion:
Tech in Asia, The Wrap, Gizmodo, Media Play News, Digital Trends, Yahoo Finance, The Economic Times and NextBigWhat
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
More than 250 ex-broadcast journalists urge WHCA dinner organizers “to forcefully demonstrate opposition” to Trump's “efforts to trample freedom of the press” — The prospect of President Trump delivering a speech at this Saturday's White House Correspondents …
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Bill Ackman proposes merging UMG with his SPAC and naming Michael Ovitz as chair, an offer UMG is likely to reject; UMG stock is down 20% since 2021 — Bill Ackman has offered to buy Universal Music Group. What he really wants is for the stock to go up.
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Forbes plans its “first foray” into e-commerce with Forbes Wine, a fully owned-and-operated wine section and shop, set to launch later this year — Wine seen as opportunity to build community in move away from scale. — Forbes is making its “first foray” …
Discussion:
InPublishing
Nick Vivarelli / Variety:
The European film industry opposes the EU's plans to change its Creative Europe funding program by combining culture and media under the AgoraEU initiative — European trade organizations representing the full film industry sector spectrum are up in arms against the EU Commission's plans …
Charles Pulliam-Moore / The Verge:
A Japanese court sentences a website administrator to prison for posting spoiler-heavy movie summaries, ruling such spoilers constitute copyright infringement — The Tokyo District Court has ruled that publishing plot details of films and series is a form of copyright infringement.
Discussion:
Tom's Hardware
Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
Sources: the Daily Mail broke an embargo on Prince Harry and Meghan's Australia trip; the outlet later took the article down after the royals' team complained — Exclusive: Publication broke embargo on confidential briefing note about the royal couple's movements five days before they arrived in Melbourne for their Australia visit
Discussion:
Sky News Australia, Cele|bitchy, HELLO!, SheKnows and Wonderwall
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