Eliana Johnson and Chris Stirewalt love the news business but they hate a lot of what’s happening to it these days. Using their decades of experience in print, ...
Happy Thursday! We’re coming to you a day early with MAGA infighting, a showdown at Columbia University, a media vibe shift, and the story behind the original Egg McMuffin. Wretch on!
Time Stamps:
2:26 - Front Page
55:10 - Obsessions
1:04:39 - Reader Mail
1:08:51 - Favorite Items
If you have a story you want to discuss with us, email us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts dot com.
Show Notes:
The New York Times: The Populist vs. the Billionaire: Bannon, Musk and the Battle Within MAGA
The New Republic: Why Don’t Plutocrats Care That Trump Is Tanking the Economy?
The Wall Street Journal: Capitol Hill’s Republican Sycophant Caucus
National Review: Does Trump Know Why He Was Elected?
Axios: Trump vows to "lead the charge" to unseat GOP Rep. Massie
AP News: Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’
The Wall Street Journal: Faculty-on-Faculty War Erupts at Columbia as Trump Targets Elite School
NPR: A top 'Washington Post' columnist resigns, accusing publisher of killing piece
The New York Times: MeidasTouch Pops on Podcast Charts as Progressives Search for Answers
The New York Times: Can the Media’s Right to Pursue the Powerful Survive Trump’s Second Term?
The New York Times: The Future of News Looks Niche
The Wrap: Wall Street Journal Cuts Tech Reporters and Editors in Media Reconfiguration of Coverage
Sports Illustrated: Yankees’ Wives Carrying On Team’s Abandoned Battle Against Beards
CNN: Trump official tasked with defending DOGE cuts posted fashion influencer videos from her office
The Wall Street Journal: How Foundation and Eyeliner Became a Political Battleground
WGN9: An early version of the Egg McMuffin included a surprising condiment
Axios: MAGA's antisemitism divide
BBC: Russian spy ring's plans to kill journalist 'beyond imagination'
The Atlantic: Mitch McConnell and the President He Calls ‘Despicable’
The Wall Street Journal: The High-Pressure Tactics Attorney Gloria Allred Uses—On Her Own Clients
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1:13:23
Actually, it’s a Digital Beanie Baby Reserve
Watch this episode on YouTube!
The Wretches are back in the studio, and it feels so good. This week, we’re covering Trump’s joint address to Congress, tariffs, ‘based’ Newsom, and much more. Wretch on!
1:55 - Front Page
29:07 - Obsessions
37:24 - Reader mail
42:26 - Favorite Items
Reuters: Storm clouds gather over US economy as Trump kicks off trade war
CBS News: Poll on Trump's 2025 joint address to Congress finds large majority of viewers approve
National Review: When the Left Is Too Smug Even for the New York Times
The New York Times: During Trump’s Rowdy Speech to Congress, the Quiet Moments Said the Most
The Wall Street Journal: The ‘Hustling Expert’ Behind Argentina’s $250 Million Crypto Scandal
The Wall Street Journal: The Two-Headed Monster Stalking the Economy Has a Name: Stagflation
Politico: Gavin Newsom breaks with Democrats on trans athletes in sports
Deadline: Tom Llamas To Succeed Lester Holt As ‘NBC Nightly News’ Anchor
Nieman Lab: FiveThirtyEight is shutting down as part of broader cuts at ABC and Disney
Mediaite: Despite Bezos’ Efforts to Shove WaPo Opinion to the Right, Op-Eds Still Taking Defiantly Anti-Trump, Anti-Musk Tone
Axios: Patch scales to 30,000 U.S. communities with AI newsletters
The New York Times: She’s a Foot Soldier in America’s Losing War With Chronic Disease
The New York Times: When This Professor Got Cancer, He Didn’t Quit. He Taught a Class About It.
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46:24
Of Fools in Pools
Happy Saturday from your favorite band of Wretches! We’re diving deep into the latest from the White House Press Pool, Jake Tapper’s Biden book, shake-ups at MSNBC, and a true obsession with Gene Hackman. Wretch on!
Time Stamps:
2:36 - Front Page
42:25 - Obsessions
55:09 - Reader Mail
57:37 - Favorite Items
National Journal: White House wrests control of pool coverage away from reporters
Axios: Judge upholds Trump's right to block AP for now
Semafor: Reuters and Associated Press among outlets barred from Trump’s first cabinet meeting
The Dispatch: Donald Trump, Woodrow Wilson, and the Problems of a Free Press
Reason: Trump tries to carve out a First Amendment exception for 'fake news'
The Washington Free Beacon: MNSBC's Newest Anchor Eugene Daniels Is a 'Kamala Harris Expert' and 'Walking Beyoncé Encyclopedia' Who Has Revolutionized the DC Fashion Scene
The Hollywood Reporter: Trump Targets Comcast CEO Brian Roberts As MSNBC Plans New Lineup
The New York Post: Jen Psaki comes out on top of MSNBC shakeup as network axes shows by 3 more lefty anchors, Joy Reid ouster
The New York Post: MSNBC host Rachel Maddow rips own network for axing Joy Reid's show and other 'non-white' hosts' programs
The New York Times: Lester Holt to Leave ‘NBC Nightly News’ Anchor Role
Unherd: Jeff Bezos rebrands Washington Post as billionaire's think tank
Good Morning America: How a community rallied for trans and nonbinary recovery homes following LA fires
The New York Times: In an Age of Right-Wing Populism, Why Are Denmark’s Liberals Winning?
The New York Times: Gene Hackman, Hollywood’s Consummate Everyman, Dies at 95
The Atlantic: How the Woke Right Replaced the Woke Left
The Wall Street Journal: The Business Conference Where Dignity Goes to Die
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1:02:46
Murdoch Outfoxed?
We’re kicking off with the biggest story in American news media: the Murdoch family. We’re also discussing Hamas, Ukraine, and Mayor Karen Bass’s masterclass in spin. Wretch on!
Timestamps:
4:28 - Front Page
46:35 - Obsessions
55:55 - Reader Mail
57:21 - Favorite Items
Show Notes:
The Atlantic: Growing Up Murdoch
The New York Times: ‘You’ve Blown a Hole in the Family’: Inside the Murdochs’ Succession Drama
The New York Times: Hamas Releases What It Said Were the Bodies of 4 Israeli Hostages
Free Beacon: WATCH: As Gazans Celebrate the Murder of Jewish Women and Children, NPR Calls the Scenes 'More Somber and Much Less Celebratory'
Commentary Magazine: What Did Trump Just Say About Ukraine? WHAT???
The Wall Street Journal: How the Trumps Turned an Election Victory Into a Cash Bonanza
The New York Times: How Trump’s Directives Echo Project 2025
The Hill: Washington Post backs out of ‘Fire Elon Musk’ ad order
Jeremy Barr on X: NBCUniversal is settling a lawsuit filed by obstetrician gynecologist Mahendra Amin
Collin Rug on X: NEW: LA Mayor Karen Bass says she’s investigating why she was allowed to go on a trip to Ghana days before the LA fires.
The New York Times: As a White Man, Can I Date Women of Color to Advance My Antiracism?
NPR: Performers protest Trump leadership at Kennedy Center with dance
CBS News: Online searches for gambling addiction surge as sports betting expands, study finds
The New York Times: What Should I Wear to Protest an Unspoken Dress Code?
The Telegraph: Margaret Brennan's CBS humiliation exposed everything that's wrong with the Left-wing media
The New York Post: CBS News exec Adrienne Roark, who reprimanded anchor over Israel interview, plans to exit network
The Wall Street Journal: Inside Amazon’s Messy Push to Bring Everyone Back to the Office
I Might Be Wrong on Substack: I’m Such a Hopeless Libtard That It Bothers Me When We Side With the Authoritarian Predator State
The New York Times: Art Adviser. Friend. Thief.
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59:49
Gulf of Sighs
Watch this episode on YouTube.
We’re back in person, and it feels good. Today’s theme is “crisis”—or the lack thereof. Whether it’s a crisis in the White House press room, the FBI, the FCC, or a general “constitutional crisis,” we’ve got it covered. Plus, Chris gets nostalgic about Ajit Pai. Wretch on!
Time Stamps:
2:06 - Front Page
43:05 - Obsessions
49:05 - Reader Mail
50:52 - Favorite Items
Mediaite: White House Bans Associated Press Reporter From Trump and Musk Oval Office Event, Editor Says
TIME: Calling 'Em Out: The White House Takes on the Press
The New York Times: Trump’s Actions Have Created a Constitutional Crisis, Scholars Say
The New York Times: High School Trans Athletes Challenge Trump’s Executive Order in New Hampshire
The New York Times: CPI Report: Inflation Rose Unexpectedly in January
The Washington Post: Sinkhole of bureaucracy
Semafor: ‘Almost like surrender’: Steve Bannon on the media in Trump’s ‘Days of Thunder’
The Washington Post: Hegseth’s visit to U.S. base in Germany met with student walkout
The Washington Post: U.S. intelligence, law enforcement candidates face Trump loyalty test
The New York Times: Serena Williams’ Super Bowl appearance with Kendrick Lamar ends a Drake tennis culture feud
The Daily Beast: MAGA Melts Down Over Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Jewish Insider: CNN inks deal with Qatar to launch network hub in Doha
Semafor: Fake, viral conspiracies on X stump politicians, media
The Times: Was I enraged by America’s controversial commentator on race? No, I was bored
The Washington Free Beacon: Toobin's New Beat: Renowned Masturbator Joins New York Times
The Washington Free Beacon: The Historical Case for Trump’s Riviera
Eliana Johnson and Chris Stirewalt love the news business but they hate a lot of what’s happening to it these days. Using their decades of experience in print, digital and TV news they tell the story behind the stories, always on the lookout for bias, sloppy reporting and, well, just plain wretched journalism. Every week they help you to be a better, smarter news consumer.
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