OpenAI goes quiet amid Scarlett Johansson backlash, Sara Sidner says she will undergo double mastectomy, Prince Harry loses bid to include Rupert Murdoch in hacking suit, "60 Minutes" celebrates TV ratings milestone, Bloomberg News helps to legitimize Steve Bannon's "War Room" show, Bill Maher battles Megyn Kelly, "The Apprentice" director Ali Abbasi brushes off the Trump campaign's legal threat, authorities probe Matthew Perry's death, "Furiosa" eyes $40+ million debut, and more. But first, the A1. |
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CNN Photo Illustration/AP |
Israel must do better.
The Benjamin Netanyahu-led country on Tuesday took the outrageous step of seizing a camera and other video equipment used by The Associated Press to broadcast a live feed of Gaza — a decision the country only reversed amid severe backlash from free press advocates and following a White House request.
"As soon as we learned about the reports, the White House and the State Department immediately engaged with the Government of Israel at high levels to express our serious concern and ask them to reverse this action," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told me, an action that unquestionably played a key role in persuading the Israeli government to publicly backtrack.
The brazen anti-media action against the AP on Tuesday, however, is only the latest from Israel, which over the course of the country's bloody war on the terrorist group Hamas has engaged in a pattern of behavior that calls into serious question its commitment to a free and open press.
The country's leadership has for months evaded questions and calls for accountability over the killing and treatment of journalists in the region as it conducts a protracted military operation in Gaza. Last month, it passed a law that allowed it to shut down the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera network, with authorities raiding the outlet's offices and taking the channel off the air. And on Tuesday, it used that same law to target the AP, ostensibly confiscating its equipment because it provided its video feed to Al Jazeera, one of its thousands of global clients.
Israel is the only democracy in the middle east — and it should act like it. The country should put on proud display the principles and ideals that make up a democratic society, serving as a beacon of light in a region otherwise made up of repressive regimes. And as NSC spokesperson Watson noted to me Tuesday, "The free press is an essential pillar of democracy and members of the media, including AP, do vital work that must be respected."
Unfortunately, the Israeli government's record on the press no longer reflects what one would expect the leadership of a proud and thriving democracy to look like. Its behavior, instead, is starting to resemble the actions of oppressive governments who seek to control the flow of information and quash dissent.
While Israel bowed to pressure on Tuesday and returned the AP's equipment, the government notably offered no public apology to the renowned wire service. Instead, Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi simply said that he had "ordered that the equipment be returned to the AP news agency."
The lack of remorse, coupled with the fact that the new law that was wielded against Al Jazeera remains in effect, speaks volumes about the government's view of the news media amid its devastating war with Hamas. As the AP noted after its equipment was returned Tuesday, the underlying issues are still unresolved.
"While we are pleased with this development," the outlet said, "we remain concerned about the Israeli government's use of the foreign broadcaster law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel." |
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CNN Photo Illustration/Denis Balibouse/Reuters |
Silent About Scarlett: Facing an enormous storm of backlash, OpenAI was silent Tuesday after Scarlett Johansson blasted the Sam Altman-led company for using a voice awfully similar to her own for ChatGPT 4.0. While Altman released a short ChatGPT-like statement Monday night insisting the voice was not Johansson's and saying the company regretted not having "communicate[d] better," OpenAI has otherwise gone underground. It has not answered various questions from reporters about the incident. It has not taken steps to assuage the creative community, which is now even more alarmed than it was prior to the incident. And it has not put any of its executives on television to explain the matter to the public. Instead, the company seems to be taking a page out of the old Big Tech playbook, hoping the crisis simply goes away. It's probably true that it will vanish from the public discourse in the days ahead, but the episode has certainly inflicted damage to its reputation — not something the company, already battling escalating concerns over its technology and power, can really afford. |
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- "The Scarlett Johansson debacle is a microcosm of AI's raw deal: It's happening, and you can't stop it," Charlie Warzel wrote, saying OpenAI "just gave away the entire game." (The Atlantic)
- John Herrman: "OpenAI's lopsided public dispute with one of the most recognizable human beings on earth is the latest in a string of episodes in which OpenAI and Sam Altman have struggled to keep their stories straight." (NY Mag)
- "Tangling with Johansson is a move OpenAI may come to regret," Eammon Jacobs noted. (Business Insider)
- "At the very least, this was boneheaded," argued Shira Ovide. (WaPo)
- SAG-AFTRA: "We thank Ms. Johansson for speaking out on this issue of crucial importance to all SAG-AFTRA members. We share in her concerns and fully support her right to have clarity and transparency regarding the voice used." (Reuters)
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| Sidner to Undergo Surgery: CNN anchor Sara Sidner disclosed to viewers on Tuesday that she will undergo a double mastectomy Wednesday as she battles breast cancer, a procedure that will require her to take off the next few weeks to recover. "What I have learned so far in my cancer journey is treating it is more of a marathon than a sprint," Sidner said. "After five months of chemo, I have not yet become cancer free. The next phase is a double mastectomy." Sidner disclosed earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. We want to send Sidner our love and support as she undergoes this surgery — and we cannot wait to have her back delivering the news. ► Separately, "NBC News Daily" anchor Zinhle Essamuah opened up to Essence's Elizabeth Ayoola about having a fibroid "the size of a grapefruit and the journey to have it removed." |
'60' Celebrates 50: The iconic newsmagazine program "60 Minutes" on Tuesday celebrated its 50th consecutive season as the No. 1 news show in America, averaging 8.35 million viewers in the 2023-2024 season. As CBS bosses George Cheeks and Wendy McMahon noted in a memo, it is "the first time any program on television has dominated for half a century — a record that will likely never be broken." And "60" crossed the milestone in tremendous fashion, with Norah O'Donnell landing an exceptionally rare interview with Pope Francis. |
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- Prince Harry lost a bid to include Rupert Murdoch in his hacking lawsuit. (NYT)
- S.E. Cupp will lead a new politics-focused show for Fox stations, starting June 10. Cupp will remain a CNN contributor. (Variety)
- Google "is warning nonprofit newsrooms that passage of a new California bill would jeopardize the firm's future investments in the U.S. news industry," Sara Fischer reported. (Axios)
- "With annual revenue of $45 million and a staff approaching 200 people, ProPublica has been one of the big journalism winners of the past decade," Joshua Benton noted. (NiemanLab)
- Vox celebrated its 10th birthday, launching a new website and membership program we told you about yesterday in this newsletter, plus a slate of new newsletters and podcasts. (Vox)
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- This is quite the deal! Comcast said its new streaming bundle, which includes Peacock with ads, Netflix with ads, and Apple TV+, will cost $15 for its Xfinity TV or broadband customers. (The Wrap)
- Speaking of advertiser-supported streaming: Lucas Manfredi and Kayla Cobb noted that it "took a huge victory lap" at the upfronts. (The Wrap)
- Pixar cut 14% of its staff, or 175 employees, as it restructures to refocus on films and as part of the broader Disney cuts. (THR)
- Matt Belloni wrote about the importance of those autoplay trailers on Netflix, pointing out that such tools the streamer deploys "have proven that the difference between popular and unpopular has way more to do with technology than name-brand showrunners or third-act twists." (Puck)
- 🏀 David Zaslav planning a buzzer beater? Michael McCarthy cautioned that people shouldn't "count out TNT for NBA rights just yet." (Front Office Sports)
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| - Associated Press hired Steven Grattan as a correspondent. (AP)
- Bloomberg News named David Stringer as a managing editor. (TBN)
- CNBC promoted Sara Salinas to senior editor. (TBN)
- The NYT named Aaron Boxerman a reporter. (NYT)
- Fortune hired Hallie Steiner as director of multimedia growth. (TBN)
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CNN Photo Illustration/War Room |
Bloomberg and Bannon: What on Earth? Bloomberg's Justin Green sat down Tuesday with Steve Bannon for a friendly chat on the right-wing extremist's "War Room" show. It goes without saying that Bannon has a lengthy history promoting dangerous conspiracy theories on a wide array of topics, including election denialism. Bannon, who has launched ugly attacks on the news media, has also spoken openly about a second Donald Trump administration weaponizing government to target perceived political opponents. In fact, just earlier this month, Bannon teased Trump arresting supposed "criminals and traitors around Biden," saying people like Hillary Clinton and Christopher Wray should "be very worried" about the possibility of being arrested. And yet, Bloomberg and Green thought it was acceptable to help legitimize the show by appearing for a conversation defined by friendly banter? I understand that Bannon has been a helpful source over the years to Green (you'll remember he authored the "Devil's Bargain" back in 2017), but are there no standards at Bloomberg governing what programs its journalists are permitted to appear on? Will we see Bloomberg journalists on InfoWars with Alex Jones next? I asked a spokesperson for Bloomberg about Green's appearance on "War Room," but did not hear back. |
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- Can you imagine if it were Joe Biden? By our count, Fox News devoted just 40 seconds on Tuesday to Donald Trump reposting — and then deleting — a Truth Social video that referenced a "unified Reich" if he's re-elected in 2024.
- Megyn vs. Maher: Bill Maher taking on Megyn Kelly's right-wing talking points is worth a watch: "You're obviously someone who looks at a mouse and an elephant and cannot tell which one is bigger," Maher said as Kelly focused on the Hunter Biden laptop vs Donald Trump's democracy threatening behavior. (Mediaite)
- No, Tucker Carlson has not inked a deal for his show to appear on Russian TV, though the government is airing his videos. (Daily Beast)
- Former OAN personality turned Trump operative Christina Bobb pleaded not guilty to conspiring to overturn the election in Arizona. (CNN)
- Florida television meteorologist Steve MacLaughlin blasted the Ron DeSantis-governed "don't say climate change" law. (CNN)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters |
Dismissing the Donald: "The Apprentice" director Ali Abbasi does not seem fazed by Donald Trump's lawsuit threat over the film. During a Tuesday press conference, Abbasi responded to the Trump camp's litigation threat, telling reporters, "Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people — they don't talk about his success rate though, you know?" (Honestly, who knows if he will actually follow through and file a suit?) Regardless, the Iranian director went on to say that he doesn't believe the film, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday and stirred controversy, is one Trump "would dislike." He even offered to "meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie." THR's Patrick Brzeski has more here. ► Jeremy Strong, who stars in the film but couldn't attend the Cannes premiere, released a strongly worded statement supporting it and condemning Trump: "We're living in a world where truth is on assault." |
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| - With 16 reviews in, Kevin Costner's costly "Horizon" is still sporting an ugly 31% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Ouch! (RT)
- A24 nabbed the rights to Michael Sarnoski's "The Death Of Robin Hood," which stars Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer. (Deadline)
- Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly wrote about "economizing" at Cannes, where this year "the rosé still flowed, though not as freely." (Variety)
- Esther Zuckerman has a fun story about how, at Cannes, "the dogs were good again this year." (NYT)
- Moira Haney and Rachel Tashjian compiled the best red carpet looks from the festival. (WaPo)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Kevin Winter/Getty Images |
Probing Perry's Passing: The Los Angeles Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are conducting a joint criminal investigation to determine the source of ketamine that led to the death of Matthew Perry. The news comes some six months after Perry was found dead at his home in October. An autopsy found that the "Friends" actor had died of drowning after suffering the "acute effects of ketamine." CNN's Cindy Von Quednow has more here. |
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- "Furiosa" is eying a $40+ million holiday weekend debut, while "The Garfield Movie" is targeting a $30 million opening. (Variety)
- A24 offered a look at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's astonishing transformation into MMA legend Mark Kerr for the studio's forthcoming "Smashing Machine" film. (Deadline)
- HBO offered a sneak peek at season three of "The Industry," which it said will premiere on August 11. (The Wrap)
- Worry not, "3 Body Problem" fans. The series — which I found to be disappointing and underwhelming — will get multiple new "seasons" to finish out the story. (THR)
- "Bridgerton" keeps getting bigger, with its third season setting a series record for its biggest opening ever. (THR)
- Netflix renewed Shane Gillis sitcom "Tires" for a second season two days ahead of the show's premiere. (The Wrap)
- Glen Powell will star in Paramount's reimagining of "Heaven Can Wait." (The Wrap)
- Netflix released the trailer for the third and final season of its sci-fi adventure series "Sweet Tooth." (YouTube)
- Netflix dropped the tailer for "Trigger Warning," an action flick starring Jessica Alba as a legal special forces commando. (YouTube)
- The Grammys set its 2025 date for Sunday, February 2nd. Nominees will be announced on November 8. (Deadline)
- Liverpool will transform into "Taylor Town" for a week during the Liverpudlian leg of Swift's "Eras Tour." (BBC)
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Thank you for reading! This newsletter was edited by Jon Passantino and produced with the assistance of Liam Reilly. Have feedback? Send us an email. You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. We will see you back in your inbox tomorrow. |
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