Dearest Wretches, we’re stepping away from the mic. But before we go, Chris and Eliana dig into Trump’s legal battles with CBS and the Pulitzer board, Elon Musk’s Washington exit, Democrats’ hunt for lost masculinity, and the waning influence of BLM. We’ll miss the community that’s grown with us over the years—thanks for wretching with us.
Time Stamps:
1:55 - Front Page
37:50 - Obsessions
46:51 - Reader Mail
52:24 - Favorite Items
Show Notes:
The Wall Street Journal: Paramount Has Offered $15 Million to Settle CBS Lawsuit. Trump Wants More.
New York Post: Shari Redstone in ‘tough spot’ as Paramount board fears settling with Trump will open Pandora’s box on bribery lawsuits: sources
The New York Times: A Disillusioned Musk, Distanced From Trump, Says He’s Exiting Washington
CBS News: Elon Musk says he's "disappointed" by Trump's "big, beautiful bill" and what it means for DOGE
The New York Times: Trump Pardoned Tax Cheat After Mother Attended $1 Million Dinner
The New York Times: Six Months Later, Democrats Are Still Searching for the Path Forward
The Washington Free Beacon: EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Democratic Party’s Strategic Efforts To Enhance Receptivity in Masculine-Coded Heteronormative Cohorts Through Data-Driven Holistic Outreach
Vulture: Fame and Frustration On the New Media Circuit
Fox News: Washington Post announces another buyout program targeting veteran staffers, other departments
The Washington Post: Struggling to declutter? Try the ‘poop rule.’
The New York Times: 5 Years After George Floyd’s Murder, the Backlash Takes Hold
The Wall Street Journal: Six Friends Tried to Plan a Girls’ Trip in a Group Chat. Things Went Sideways.
Law360: Pulitzer Board Can't Pause Trump Defamation Suit In Florida
Semafor: Inside the identity crisis in anti-woke media
The Weekly Dish: Claire Lehmann On Staying Independent
Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY: In Memoriam: Tom Robbins (1949-2025)
The Wall Street Journal: How a Lawyer in the Hamptons Became the King of DWI Cases
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58:21
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58:21
Amber Alert: Dem Joe Rogan
This week, we’re unpacking the rollout of Original Sin, the irony of the left’s search for their very own Joe Rogan, the CBS newsroom shakeup, and stick around for Eliana’s experience serving on the Pulitzer jury. Wretch on!
If you have a story you want to discuss with us, email us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts dot com.
Time Stamps:
4:10 - Front Page
1:06:38 - Obsessions
1:19:04 - Reader Mail
1:20:57 - Favorite Items
Show Notes:
Jewish Insider: Two Israeli embassy employees killed in shooting outside D.C. Jewish Museum
The Guardian: Jon Stewart on CNN’s Biden book: ‘Selling you a book about news they should have told you’
The Washington Post: Biden diagnosis draws well-wishes, questions and conspiracy theories
Mediaite: Taylor Lorenz Openly Celebrates Joe Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis: ‘Hopefully He Rots in Hell and Rests in Piss’
The New York Times: Democrats Throw Money at a Problem: Countering G.O.P. Clout Online
The Hill: Trump hits South African president with video ‘genocide’ claims: 5 takeaways
NBC News: White House purges transcripts of Trump's remarks from its website
Mediaite: ‘What Changed Patel and Bongino’s Minds?’ Glenn Beck Calls Out Trump’s FBI Brass Rejecting Epstein Conspiracy
The Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk to Cut Back Political Spending
The Daily Beast: Musk Insults Interviewer for Daring to Ask About His Big DOGE Promise
The New York Times: Head of CBS News Is Forced Out Amid Tensions With Trump
The New York Times: Can C-SPAN Pull Off ‘Crossfire,’ but With Civility?
Semafor: Shapiro solicits backers — or buyers — for a built-out Daily Wire
The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Sesame Street’ Saved, Inks New Streaming Deal With Netflix
NBC 4: Kermit comes home: UMD commencement and NBC4 history
The Washington Free Beacon: ANALYSIS: Jordon Hudson Outshined and Outclassed by Historic Transgender Contestant at So-Called Beauty Pageant
The Washington Free Beacon: ‘We Occasionally Misjudge’: Pulitzer Board Told Me I Was out of Line When I Asked Why the Organization Gave an Award to Palestinian ‘Poet’ Who Made Hateful Comments About Israeli Hostages
Politico: Two House Republicans missed the big vote
Chicago Tribune: Chicago Sun-Times Sunday insert contains 10 AI-generated fake books in summer reading list
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1:26:17
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1:26:17
Chair Force One
Watch This Episode on YouTube!
It’s oh so good to be back in the studio. We’re kicking off with Trump’s Gulf tour, the scoops about the scoops on the Biden books, “Mar-a-Lago face,” and much more. Wretch on!
If you have a story you want to discuss with us, email us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts dot com.
Time Stamps:
2:00 - Front Page
50:29 - Obsessions
57:28 - Reader Mail
1:00:12 - Favorite Items
Show Notes:
Mediaite: WHCA Rages as Trump Excludes Major News Wire Services From Middle East Trip
I Might Be Wrong: The Qatari Plane Scandal is Different Because Morons Understand It
Newsweek: Saudi Arabia Rolls Out Custom Mobile McDonald's for Trump Visit
The Daily Beast: Biden Aides Had a Secret Plan to Get the President a Wheelchair, New Book Claims
Axios: Exclusive: Biden aides discussed wheelchair use if he were re-elected, new book says
CNN: First on CNN: New book reveals how Biden’s inner circle kept Cabinet from him in final two years of presidency
The Dispatch: The Temptation and the Fall of the Media
The New Yorker: Is Jeff Bezos Selling Out the Washington Post?
The Washington Post: Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson and the making of a PR disaster
The Washington Post: MLB reinstates Pete Rose and others, paving way for Hall of Fame consideration
The New York Times: Can I Wear a Sheath Dress Without Looking Like a MAGA Woman?The Free Press: How Qatar Bought America
The Dispatch: Feelings, Facts, and Our Crisis of Truth
Teen Vogue: News Influencers Are Reaching Young People, and the Media Is Trying to Keep Up
Politico: The First Thing George Santos Should Do in Prison
The Washington Free Beacon: The Surprising Ways That Siblings Shape Our Lives
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1:04:09
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1:04:09
Deep Dish on The Pope
This week, we say hello to a new pope and goodbye to Nate Moore—Chris’s AEI research assistant, but more importantly, a fellow wretch who’s been a big part of the podcast. We also talk about the Pulitzer winners and the media’s coverage of the declining health of John Fetterman and Joe Biden. Wretch on!
Time Stamps:
Front Page: 02:22Obsessions: 27:43Reader Mail: 36:10Favorite Items: 38:53
Show Notes:
New York Magazine: The Hidden Struggle of John Fetterman
AP News: Sen. John Fetterman raises alarms with outburst at meeting with union officials, AP sources say
BBC: Five takeaways from Biden’s BBC interview
The Pulitzer Prizes: 2025 Pulitzer Priz
Herald Leader: The favorite didn’t win the KY Derby again. Here’s what happened behind Sovereignty
The Washington Free Beacon: Exclusive Analysis: Kamala’s Stepdaughter, ‘Textile Artist’ Ella Emhoff, Skips Leg Day as Often as She Shaves Her Armpits (Never)
Politico: Biden enlists veteran Democratic operative to help defend his reputation (edited)
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42:58
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42:58
Dudes, man
Chris and Eliana are back, starting with Trump’s 100-day media blitz, Tim Walz’s code-switching, the private group chats shaping American politics, and—most importantly—the origin of Jo Jo potatoes. Wretch on!
Time Stamps:
Front Page: 1:29
Obsessions: 1:03:31
Reader Mail: 1:11:31
Favorite Items: 1:18:36
Show Notes:
The Atlantic: Read The Atlantic’s Interview With Donald Trump
Time: Read the Full Transcript of Donald Trump’s ‘100 Days’ Interview With TIME
Axios: Scoop: White House launches Drudge-style website to promote Trump
The Atlantic: The War That Would Not End
Semafor: The group chats that changed America
The New York Times: A Progressive Mind in a Body Made for the ‘Manosphere’
The Wall Street Journal: Questioning Biden’s Capacities Was Taboo a Year Ago. Now It’s Everywhere.
The New York Times: The Dispatch Buys SCOTUSblog, a Supreme Court Mainstay
The New York Times: A Hot Accessory, at the Intersection of Faith and Culture
The New York Times: Vietnam on The Move
Awful Announcing: Bill Belichick issues statement defending Jordon Hudson’s actions during CBS interview
ESPN: Son of Falcons coordinator Ulbrich admits to Sanders prank
The New York Times: How Ozempic Is Shaping Weddings
The New York Times: ‘60 Minutes’ Chief Resigns in Emotional Meeting: ‘The Company Is Done With Me’
The New York Times: Paramount Board Clears Possible Path for Settling Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit
The Washington Post: She tried to expose Russia’s brutal detention system — and ended up dead
The Washington Post: Streaming services should step up to make C-SPAN great again
The New York Times: The Unabomber’s Brother Turned Him In. Then Spent 27 Years Trying to Win Him Back.
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.
Brasil