Paul Farhi

Shout out to you, David!

Trump’s Campaign to Crush the Media The president has launched a frontal assault on the journalism business. So far, he’s winning.

Lawsuits. Executive action. A compliant Congress and regulatory bureaucracy. Trump’s campaign to crush the media is succeeding. Latest by me for @TheAtlantic. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Trump’s Public Radio Cuts Could Mean Calamity for Local Outlets As Hurricane Helene ravaged the mountain communities of western North Carolina last fall, Blue Ridge Public Radio remained a beacon in the storm.

By one estimate, one in 10 public radio stations could go dark under Trump’s plan to eliminate federal funding of public broadcasting. Trump’s Public Radio Cuts Could Mean Calamity for Local Outlets. Latest by me for Medill’s Local News Initiative localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2025/0...

A Revealing Joke in the Oval Office About Getting in Trump’s Good Graces

The most revealing part of this exchange was the reply: “I wish you did.” www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...

Despite MAGA Media’s Teacher’s Pet Status, It’s the Old Guard Churning Out Trump Scoops Top editors from The Wall Street Journal, Axios, and Politico speak with VF about holding Donald Trump’s administration accountable in these nearly 100 days. What’s essential, says the Times’ Carolyn ...

Despite MAGA Media’s Teacher’s Pet Status, It’s the Old Guard Churning Out Trump Scoops. Latest by me for Vanity Fair: www.vanityfair.com/news/story/d...

Much to chew on here. But Ukraine’s soldiers aren’t dying for “no reason.” They’re dying to defend their country from invaders who want to kill them and their families, destroy their culture, erase their history and take over their country.

Year-over-year growth (unique visitors), Nov. 2024 vs Nov. 2023:

—Truth Social, 4.250 million, +39 percent.

—Bluesky, 5.352 million, +1,048 percent  

Source: TheRighting.com, based on ComScore data.

Unaddressed question in ABC-Trump settlement: If ABC (Disney) felt it had to capitulate, why not settle under an NDA? (Trump has used those many times). As is, public disclosure of settlement terms ($15 million, etc.) might set the market for the next claim. Lawyers, any thoughts?

Plus: Editors, copy editors, photographers, etc. Remarkable.

Luigi Mangione, Suspect in CEO Killing, Withdrew From a Life of Privilege and Promise The suspect, Luigi Mangione, was an Ivy League tech graduate from a prominent Maryland family who in recent months had suffered physical and psychological pain.

An amazing piece of journalism, if only for the resources on display. It is the work of:

—Four bylined reporters.

—*19* contributing reporters.

—Three researchers.

Not many news orgs in America (or the world) that can marshal this kind of firepower. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/n...

Though at least these people are experienced professionals. Unlike the amateurs online who are making up their own BS.

Happens after every sensational crime (including this CEO assassination): The TVs put on a bunch of people (profilers, former agents, etc.) to speculate about what might have happened and what’s going to happen. Guesswork.

I don’t know about deliberate. Doesn’t have to be—the economic conditions for local newspapers are so grim that it doesn’t take much to spur cuts of all kinds.

In news deserts, Trump won in a landslide

New: Trump won the popular vote narrowly. But in news deserts—counties where there are no local news sources or reporters —he won in a landslide. Latest by me and @volk_maps for Medill School’s Local News Initiative. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2024/1...

Missing background: Isaacman is an ally/associate of Elon Musk. He is expected to double down on NASA’s reliance on private companies for space flight. Musk owns one such company, SpaceX.

I get all the uproar about this pardon, including the “he lied” criticism. But show me a loving parent who wouldn’t do the same for their child if they had the power.

Missing background: Boulos is Tiffany Trump’s father in law.

Trump pardoned Kushner at the end of his first term.

…secretly recorded the sexual encounter between the two and sent the tape to his sister. Kushner served 14 months in prison. Prosecutor: Chris Christie.

Missing background: In 2005, Kushner pleaded guilty to 18 felony counts, including tax evasion and witness tampering, the latter arising from his retaliation against his brother in law, a witness against him. Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother in law, More….

If my mother had ever sent me anything close to this searing (and thank God she never did), I would consider my life a failure. Absolutely mortifying.

I have some thoughts about this Drake-Kendrick beef, and…Hey, where’d everyone go?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not just the best Thanksgiving-eve-travel-is-hell movie, but the best Thanksgiving movie (admittedly not a big genre).

Here I am. Where’s the bar?

Let the games begin.