Top News:
Yasmin Khorram / Politico:
The US DOJ approves Paramount's $111B purchase of WBD without forcing divestitures or behavioral remedies; state AGs could still try to block the move — The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paramount did not respond to a request for comment.
Discussion:
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Liv McMahon / BBC:
The UK social media ban will apply to Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, and will require platforms to stop children from livestreaming — The UK has announced it is going to ban social media for under-16s. — Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the ban would take effect in early 2027.
Discussion:
BBC, Daily Star, Newsweek, Daily Trust, PetaPixel, TechRadar, The Tab, LADbible, Euro Weekly News, New York Times, Business Today, Politico, Geekout Newsletter and Gamereactor UK, more at Techmeme »
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Reuters:
Keir Starmer says the UK will ban social media for under-16s to “give kids their childhood back”, using an Australia-like model, in effect by next spring — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would ban social media sites for under-16s and impose restrictions …
Discussion:
Reuters, BBC, The Guardian, Associated Press, Variety, IGN, Al Jazeera, The Indian Express, The Register, HuffPost, The Sun, Metro.co.uk, The Economic Times, GB News, RTÉ, Mirror, The Spectator, Daily Record, Deadline, CNBC and Sydney Morning Herald, more at Techmeme »
Axios:
Sources: WH officials believe NYT's Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained audio recordings of Situation Room meetings for their upcoming book Regime Change — Top White House officials believe New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained audio recordings …
Discussion:
@emptywheel.bsky.social, @andrewjweinstein.com, Raw Story, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, Daily Mail, @michaelkruse.bsky.social, @unauthorizedbeast.bsky.social, The Independent, NewsMax.com, @swin24.bsky.social, The Wrap, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social, @pamspaulding.bsky.social, Mediaite, MS NOW, The Nation, PREVAIL, HuffPost and Baller Alert
Max Tani / Semafor:
The NYT says it is reviewing columnist Nick Kristof's work that favorably mentioned former donors to his 2022 Oregon governor bid, including Bill Gates — The Scoop — When The New York Times announced that columnist Nick Kristof would return following a scuttled 2021 bid for governor of Oregon, the paper made a promise to readers.
Discussion:
@jeradwalker.bsky.social
Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
A profile of Sarah Longwell, founder of opinion news site The Bulwark; source: its revenue was $20M+ in 2025 and is on track to increase by ~50% this year — Sarah Longwell's profitable startup, the Bulwark, approaches the news with a raw candor subscribers crave
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Sources: BBC News will announce hundreds of job cuts next week, in the first part of a broader plan to cut ~10% of costs and ~2,000 jobs across BBC departments — Cuts likely to affect specific radio shows as part of corporation plans to reduce costs — The BBC is set to cut hundreds …
Discussion:
BMI
Bloomberg:
South Korean media giant JoongAng files for court rehabilitation after its broadcaster JTBC defaulted on a ~$13M loan tied mostly to sports broadcasting rights — South Korean media giant JoongAng Group has filed for court rehabilitation after its broadcaster defaulted on a loan …
Discussion:
Seoul Economic Daily and The Asia Business Daily
Bloomberg:
Sources: Roku is in talks to sell itself; its shares have risen about 24% this year, giving the company a market value of $19.9B — Roku Inc., the streaming video platform, is in talks to sell itself, people with knowledge of the matter said. — The San Jose, California-based company …
Erica Ryan / Reporters' Lab:
Duke Reporters' Lab reports a global drop in fact-checking projects from 464 in 2024 to 441 in 2025; US projects fell from 65 in 2024 to 61 in 2025 — Three times as many fact-checking projects stopped as started in 2025, but the majority are weathering money woes, political attacks
Discussion:
Bill Adair on LinkedIn
Andrew Webster / The Verge:
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, there is still no clear replacement for “Sports Twitter”, which was a perfect second-screen experience during live events — The current landscape of social media networks just isn't the same for big moments like this.
Discussion:
@kennysmith.org and @andrewrweb.bsky.social
Marah Eakin / Current:
Fred Rogers Productions launches a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood YouTube channel, curating content based on monthly themes and focusing on reach over monetization — Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is finally making its official foray into the world of YouTube. — With the launch …
