Top News:
New York Times:
Sources: the White House directed FBI director Kash Patel to personally oversee the probe into NYT reporting about Air Force One, before subpoenas were issued — The F.B.I. director spent about eight hours at the White House Friday focused on the effort, which led to the subpoenaing …
Discussion:
@royermattw, @2xaught7.ing, @kimmasters.bsky.social, @markharris.bsky.social, Military.com, HuffPost, @portlandken.bsky.social, The Independent, @dianaresists.bsky.social, @doctoralex.bsky.social, Letters from an American, @michael-feinberg.bsky.social, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, @amyalexca.bsky.social, @tomsclark.bsky.social, @schooley.bsky.social, @samlitzinger.bsky.social, @ndhapple.bsky.social, @bizazzle.bsky.social, @simko-bednarski.bsky.social, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, @jeffsharlet.bsky.social, Daily Mail, twitchy.com, International Business Times, The Intellectualist, Associated Press, The Wrap, @monaburns.bsky.social, @newsjennifer.bsky.social, New York Sun, Reuters, Raw Story, Crooks and Liars, The Indian Express, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, NewsMax.com, ZeroHedge News and Clash Report
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Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
The Trump administration issued subpoenas to several NYT reporters after the outlet reported on security concerns involving the new Qatari-donated Air Force One — The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
Discussion:
Associated Press, CNN, The Hill, Committee to Protect …, The Reporters Committee …, ZeroHedge News, National Press Club, New York Magazine, The Asia Business Daily, @jeremymbarr, Ben Werdmuller, @pandanook.bsky.social, HuffPost, @brianstelter, @gavinnewsom, @jeremymbarr, @balint.house.gov, The Last Refuge, @bymikebaker, @maxwelltani, @davidfolkenflik, The Warning with Steve Schmidt, Stephen Adler on LinkedIn, Sky News, Politico, Daniel Drepper on LinkedIn, @marcelias.bsky.social, @alexberenson, @amy_siskind, @kenbazinet.bsky.social, @aclu.org, RedState, @kenvogel, @jamiedupree, Los Angeles Times, emptywheel, The Independent, @niallstanage, Al Jazeera, Salon, @kenroth, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, TMZ.com, The Wrap, Straight Arrow, Benzinga, Breitbart, @thebluenami.bsky.social, Lawyers, Guns & Money, One America News Network, NPR, The Post Millennial, Raw Story, Baller Alert, NBC News, @trumpstaxes.com, NewsGuild of New York, Mock Paper Scissors, Newser, @christopherjm, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, @freedomofpress, @briankrebs@infosec.exchange, Mother Jones, Fox News, @farhip, The Guardian, To the Contrary, @beyerstein.bsky.social, New York Daily News, New York Post, NOTUS, @rpsagainsttrump, @timmarchman.bsky.social, @nytimes, Mediaite, @portiamcgonagal.bsky.social, @grynbaum, Washington Examiner, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, Deadline, @katiephang.bsky.social, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social, CNBC, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, CBS News, Investigative Reporters …, @spignal.bsky.social, Townhall, @clarajeffery.bsky.social, @harrylitman.bsky.social, Clash Report and @rmac.bsky.social
New York Times:
Sources: California is preparing to file a lawsuit to block Paramount's WBD merger as soon as this week, joined by NY, WA, CT, and possibly other states — State attorneys general are preparing to file a lawsuit as soon as this week to halt the $111 billion deal, a potential major obstacle.
Discussion:
@markruffalo.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, Status, Gadget Review and r/MediaMergers
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Rohan Goswami / Semafor:
Sources: David Ellison's advisers are urging him to move Paramount's HQ and much of its spending out of California if AG Rob Bonta sues to block the WBD merger — The Scoop — As California tries to derail Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery …
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Oregon's AG withdraws a motion to delay the Paramount-WBD merger while he sought company documents; EU agencies and some state AGs are still examining the deal — An ODOJ spokesperson tells TheWrap that the David Ellison-led media giant thinks they're “above the law” after refusing to comply …
Discussion:
Deadline, The Verge, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, Media Play News, Reuters, Variety and Benzinga
Corbin Bolies / Variety:
Meta says it will discontinue a feature that allowed users to generate images in Meta AI using public Instagram accounts, following days of criticism — Meta said on Friday it would discontinue an AI feature that allowed users to generate images using public Instagram accounts following days …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, AdNews News, Inc.com, The Asia Business Daily, SFist, Sweden Herald, The Mac Observer, Business Insider, Washington Times, iThinkDifferent, The Decoder, The Independent, Forbes, Dexerto, @mikeisaac, The Indian Express, @dylanbyers, Fortune India, The Hans India, Digit, Ubergizmo, Reuters, ANI News, PetaPixel, Fox Business, @dmacalvert.bsky.social, @jenncutter.bsky.social, Engadget, New York Times, The A.V. Club, BBC, Outlook Business, TechCrunch, Digital Trends, Reuters, Deadline, 9to5Mac, Times of India, The Peninsula Newspaper, YouTube Privacy Union, NBC Bay Area, Dallas Express, The Verge, Semafor, NBC Palm Springs, Tech in Asia, The Tab, Outlook India, The Economic Times, USA Today and The Hindu, more at Techmeme »
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Ina Fried / Axios:
Privacy advocates, CAA, and SAG-AFTRA slam Meta's Muse Image, which lets users create AI images using the likenesses of people with public Instagram accounts
Privacy advocates, CAA, and SAG-AFTRA slam Meta's Muse Image, which lets users create AI images using the likenesses of people with public Instagram accounts
Discussion:
Mashable, GMA News Online, Kotaku, The Hill, Far Out Magazine, Associated Press, Deadline, iLounge, Memeburn, Forbes, Deadline, صوت …, The Oldham Times, The Movie Blog, PCMag, The Wrap, New York Post, OloriSuperGal, CBC News, The Deep View, What's Trending, NonStop Local Tri …, Variety, Tubefilter, Macworld, LAmag, Page 4 - The Tab, WPXI-TV, Gadget Review, Los Angeles Times, The Independent, DIY Photography and The Guardian
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
Q&A with veteran media reporter Peter Kafka on the unbundling of Comcast and NBCUniversal, Versant's future, YouTube, net neutrality, Hollywood's fate, and more — Business Insider's Peter Kafka on the Comcast split, and why the dream of content plus pipes keeps failing.
Discussion:
@kcoxdc.bsky.social
Jake Kanter / Deadline:
BBC Director General Matt Brittin says he will review BBC's foreign content acquisition strategy amid criticism over outbidding rivals for shows like Scooby-Doo — Matt Brittin said he wished to examine whether the BBC is getting the “balance right” with buying in content …
Discussion:
@rwmead.bsky.social and @eddierobson.bsky.social
Scott Roxborough / The Hollywood Reporter:
Q&A: Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti on the All3Media merger, plans to expand beyond TV into live events and sports, preserving flexible company culture, and more — The Banijay chief discusses the opportunities created by the new $8.5 billion super indie, expanding beyond TV and whether ITV Studios is on his radar.
Discussion:
Deadline, Variety, The National, The Wrap and Financial Times
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Report: Letterboxd's owners have held early talks with potential buyers, including Netflix, Sony Pictures, Paramount, and PE giant TPG — Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount and Alexis Ohanian also supposedly eyeing movie social platform — Could Letterboxd, the popular film-review social network …
Discussion:
The Wrap, @baileylikemovie, @_zeets, @maddiewhittle, @marvelousdeath, @zakfilm, Inc.com, @joshuadysart.bsky.social, @thereeljon.cryptoanarchy …, @moviessilently.bsky.social, @thecoratee.bsky.social, The Guardian, @okwithmydecay@en.osm.town, @matt.evil.gay, IndieWire, @asiahoe.com, Polygon.com, 9to5Mac, Nerdist, @aleixpitarch.bsky.social, @mhwilliams.bsky.social, @normwilner.bsky.social, @dansheehan.bsky.social, Digital Trends, Far Out Magazine, Kotaku, @mtsw.bsky.social, @colettearrand.bsky.social, @coreyatad.com, The A.V. Club and ScreenRant
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Alisa Bowen, president of Disney+ since late 2022, is leaving to become CEO of Disney-controlled Fubo, succeeding David Gandler, who led Fubo for over a decade — Alisa Bowen, who has served as president of Disney+ since September 2022, is leaving that role to become CEO of Fubo …
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Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
As Hollywood looks for its next Obsession-type hit, 11 studios bid on YouTube series The Mandela Catalogue and sources say WBD paid $1M for rights to Siren Head — Creator of monster called Siren Head scores rich deal as studios hunt for next ‘Backrooms’-style hit
Discussion:
The A.V. Club
Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:
Sources: over 50 Scripps-owned local TV stations returned to DirecTV's satellite and streaming platforms after a distribution dispute ended on Friday — The new deal brings more than 50 Scripps-owned local stations back to DIRECTV's platforms, but the broadcaster is staring …
Discussion:
TV Tech, USA Today, Deadline, The Wrap, Cord Cutters News, Bloomberg and Radio & Television …
