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UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 30: Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, right, chairman of the China Task Force, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., conduct a news conference on the China Task Force report in the Capitol’s Rayburn Room on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. The report outlines bipartisan action to combat threats from China. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 30: Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, right, chairman of the China Task Force, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., conduct a news conference on the China Task Force report in the Capitol’s Rayburn Room on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. The report outlines bipartisan action to combat threats from China. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
The Special Master Thing Prime Badge
09.05.22 | 2:31 pm

I don’t think we should be too concerned about President Trump convincing a judge to appoint a special master to evaluate the documents seized from his villa in Florida. Mostly this is simply a delay — a boon for the former President but not a huge one. The special master will review the materials for attorney-client privilege documents which the DOJ has already done. There’s no reason to believe the results will be any different.

For Labor Day Prime Badge
09.04.22 | 1:14 pm
CNN to the GOP: Please Love Us Prime Badge
09.02.22 | 2:35 pm

CNN’s low energy purge of its news staff continues apace. John Harwood apparently got the news this morning that he was out. The clearest explanation of what’s happening is that the company is now under Republican management, specifically top shareholder and Trump donor John Malone. Many at CNN believe his understanding of and exposure to CNN is essentially what he sees of it through Fox News. They’re probably right. But there’s a deeper structural issue at play that is also important to keep in mind.

News networks like CNN are not designed, purchased or run to be niche operations or only to serve a portion of the public. Their potential market is supposed to be everyone. One might say this is impossible in an era of polarization. There’s some truth in that too. But that’s not exactly it either.