FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s latest financial report said Paramount gave him tickets to the 2025 Kennedy Center gala worth $12,390. He and his wife sat in skybox seats. Such seats sold for $125,000 a piece, according to Kennedy Center guidelines.

FCC Commissioners Face Ethics Complaints for Taking Luxury Gifts From Paramount

Citing a ProPublica report on Paramount providing luxury Kennedy Center gala tickets to FCC officials, the complaints note that commissioners accepted the gifts while the FCC was reviewing or about to...

propublica.org

The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 in favor of allowing TV station ownership groups to own more outlets, easing the way for more consolidation.

FCC votes in favor of lifting limits on TV station ownership

The 2-1 vote allows station ownership groups to expand their coverage beyond 39% of the U.S.

latimes.com

Addiction treatments are safe, effective — and rarely offered to patients. That's because many doctors and nurses still view people with alcohol or drug addiction with suspicion and hostility. n.pr/4fFpY98

How deep-rooted medical bias creates deadly consequences for addiction patients

Addiction treatments are safe, effective — and rarely offered to patients. That's because many doctors and nurses still view people with alcohol or drug addiction with suspicion and hostility.

n.pr

Breaking News: The Justice Department said it would withdraw subpoenas that sought phone records and grand jury testimony from New York Times journalists.

U.S. to Withdraw Subpoenas Issued to New York Times Journalists

A federal judge raised questions about the government’s handling of the subpoenas, which The Times said were an attempt to intimidate the free press.

nyti.ms

The top federal prosecutor in Seattle who was fired last week less than an hour after being sworn in sued over his termination Tuesday, teeing up a legal challenge to the Trump administration's efforts to control who occupies the powerful Justice Department posts.

He was fired by the White House right after being sworn in. Now a top federal prosecutor is suing

The top federal prosecutor in Seattle who was fired last week less than an hour after being sworn in sued over his termination Tuesday, teeing up a legal challenge to the Trump administration's efforts to control who occupies the powerful Justice Department posts.

kuow.org

Special prosecutor concludes there's probable cause to impeach #Florida mayor following an investigation of whether she improperly benefited from taxpayer-funded relief intended for struggling businesses. www.wftv.com/news/local/p... via @wftv.bsky.social

Probable cause found to impeach Mayor Jackie Espinosa

Mayor Espinosa faces impeachment recommendation after probe into Boost 2.0 COVID relief fund misuse.

wftv.com

State Department issues a new security alert to U.S. citizens living in or traveling to the Middle East that there is the "potential for unforeseen escalation" and to "monitor embassy and consular security alerts and the news for breaking developments." travel.state.gov/en/internati...

apnews.com/article/tate... media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami, US Marshals Service tells AP

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami, US Marshals Service tells AP

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been arrested by federal authorities Saturday in Miami, according to U.S. Marshals Service.

apnews.com

www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

Video: How Criminal Cases Against ICE Protesters Are Crumbling

Our investigative reporter Danny Hakim describes how the government has lost or abandoned hundreds of criminal cases against protesters and immigrants.

nytimes.com

Accepting tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala compromises FCC commissioners’ impartiality, ethics experts told ProPublica. The agency’s chair, Brendan Carr, has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of tickets by CBS or its parent company.

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals

Accepting tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala compromised the commissioners’ impartiality, ethics experts told ProPublica. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of ticket...

propublica.org

Before his sudden death Saturday, Lindsey Graham shared details of an ambitious push to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Here's what he was working toward.

Inside Lindsey Graham's final push for Saudi-Israel peace

Graham saw Saudi-Israel normalization as the defining prize of a broader postwar settlement.

axios.com

Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/b...

Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media

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.”

nytimes.com

Five-byline alert: 🚨 “.. Patel abruptly cancelled a planned flight Friday to see his girlfriend in Chicago this weekend, after top administration officials frustrated with Patel summoned him to the White House ..” @ms.now www.ms.now/news/kash-pa...

By Eileen Sullivan and Rebecca Davis O’Brien Eileen Sullivan covers the federal work force, and Rebecca Davis O’Brien reports on organized labor.

As Trump spending on vanity/legacy projects consume at least a billion... Across the federal government, employees are working in buildings with persistent health/ safety problems, the result of decades of backlogged maintenance that totals as much as $50 billion www.nytimes.com/2026/06/28/u...

Rats, Leaks and Broken Elevators: Repair Backlog Plagues Federal Buildings

nytimes.com

A few things that stand out: Sullivan tried to register as Dan S. Sullivan, which isn’t his name — it’s the name of the incumbent — and he’s always registered as a voter under the name Daniel, not Dan. He’s also never registered as a Republican before, and his campaign uses similar iconography.

Breaking: The Alaska Division of Elections has officially disqualified Petersburg’s Dan Sullivan from the state’s US Senate election, citing irregularities that indicate Sullivan deliberately intended to confuse voters: www.elections.alaska.gov/wp-content/u... #Alaska #akleg

A federal judge just ordered the Trump administration to reinstall exhibits and signs relating to slavery ​and climate change that it ⁠had removed from ​parks and monuments nationwide

Trump administration must restore history, science materials at parks, US judge rules

A federal judge ordered the ​Trump administration on ‌Friday to reinstall exhibits and signs touching on ​topics like slavery ​and climate change that it ⁠had removed from ​parks and monuments nationw...

reuters.com

So worth watching: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/m...

Scott Pelley on the Bari Weiss Era and His Last Days at ‘60 Minutes’

nytimes.com

Here’s a link to all the new SPJ Diamond Award finalists (southern US contest). Congrats to all! (They don’t reveal which awards until the ceremony.) And cheers to them for keeping entry fees affordable and equitable for newsrooms of all sizes unlike some contests. arkansasspj.org/2026-diamond...

2026 Diamond Journalism Awards Finalists

FINALISTS BY NAME/DIVISION PRINT/ONLINE  Aarron Fleming, Jane Donahoe, The Daily Memphian Ainsley Platt, Antoinette Grajeda, Sonny Albarado, Arkansas Advocate Alex Thomas, Ella McCarthy, Neal …

arkansasspj.org

BIG news for the @mississippifreepress.org and Mississippi! We just learned that every member of our 2025 editorial team is honored in this year’s Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Award! This brings our honors in 2026 to at least 18 including AAN Publisher, NABJ and Nonprofit News Awards🏆

Trump says 'maybe we'll never ever' take down UFC arena on White House lawn reut.rs/3RNqdWa

Trump says 'maybe we'll never ever' take down UFC arena on White House lawn

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he might ​keep the Ultimate Fighting Championship cage-fighting arena being built ‌on the lawn of the White House as a permanent fixture.

reut.rs

Exclusive: The disgraced former congressman allegedly bet on whether he would appear at the State of the Union address, prompting federal investigations.

DOJ is investigating former congressman George Santos for insider trading on Kalshi

The disgraced former congressman allegedly bet on whether he would appear at the State of the Union address, prompting federal investigations.

n.pr

NEW: Trump administration appears to back off $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund after rare GOP backlash DOJ says it'll "abide by" court ruling blocking it. Democrats don't buy it, and say they'll continue to push legislation to kill the fund permanently. www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

Trump administration appears to back off $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund after rare GOP backlash

The Justice Department said Monday it will abide by a court ruling that blocked the fund as the White House seeks to restart stalled legislation to fund ICE and Border Patrol.

nbcnews.com

Based on what's been released/reported so far, at least one of the groups suing over Trump's $1.8B fund arrangement said this isn't enough to drop the litigation. Democracy Forward's Skye Perryman: "Until the administration fully abandons the scheme...we will be in court challenging it."

Exclusive details from inside an acrimonious "60 Minutes" meeting today where we obtained audio of Scott Pelley accusing Bari Weiss of “murdering” the newsmagazine and the newsman relentlessly grilled newly installed EP Nick Bilton. A must-read from @status.news www.status.news/p/scott-pell...

Pelley’s ‘60 Minutes’ Revolt

In a stunning confrontation, Scott Pelley accused Bari Weiss of “murdering” the newsmagazine and relentlessly grilled her newly installed executive producer, Nick Bilton, over the show’s recent firing...

status.news

Pelley took direct aim at Bari Weiss, the network’s controversial editor-in-chief. “She’s murdering 60 Minutes,” Pelley said, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. “She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that.”

60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley lays into CBS leadership over cuts

Pelley reportedly rebuked ousting of show’s executive producer, executive editor and two top correspondents

theguardian.com

Great!

Milwaukee Record@milwaukeerecord.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Good morning from the Bob Uecker mural in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

BREAKING: The rookie federal prosecutor and former GOP committeeman who brought the James Comey seashells photo case to the grand jury has stepped away from the prosecution. www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

Lead federal prosecutor in James Comey seashells photo case steps aside

Matthew Petracca, a former Republican county committeeman, was the rookie federal prosecutor who brought the highly criticized case to a federal grand jury.

nbcnews.com

Trump bought stock in the UFC’s parent company while promoting fights set to take place at the White House on his birthday, HuffPost has learned

Trump Bought Stock In UFC's Parent Company As He Promoted White House Fight

The president purchased as much as $50,000 of TKO Group Holdings even as he heavily promotes an Ultimate Fighting Championship event for his birthday.

huffpost.com