Month: April 2023

Longtime anchor CNN announced in a tweet published Monday morning that he has been fired by the network. The news came hours after Lemon co-hosted “CNN This Morning” alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. Lemon wrote: “I was informed this morning by my agent I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.” Lemon ended his statement with a thank you to his colleagues: “With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”

The network first tweeted in a statement: “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”  However, CNN Communications later issued a pointed rebuttal at Lemon’s remarks on Monday afternoon, releasing a statement via Twitter claiming Lemon’s version of the events that led up to his firing were “inaccurate” – “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”

The 56-year-old anchor’s exit comes months after he received backlash for comments he made during a Feb. 16 episode of CNN This Morning, while discussing politicians’ ages in a segment with co-hosts Harlow, 40, and Collins, 30. Speaking about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s remarks that politicians over the age of 75 should be forced to take mental competency tests, Lemon said: “This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down …She says … politicians are not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”  (Haley is 51). Lemon later apologized on social media for his comments, and did not appear on air during the next three broadcasts. CNN chairman Chris Licht told staffers that Lemon had agreed to undergo training after a “frank and meaningful conversation” and Lemon returned to CNN This Morning in February.

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Fox News announced Monday morning that the network and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. In a statement the network said “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.” Fox said Carlson’s last day hosting his show was Friday; the network did not provide further details on the reason for Carlson’s departure.

Beginning Monday evening, the network will air Fox News Tonight as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is determined. Until a new host takes over, Fox News Tonight will be anchored by a rotating group of Fox News personalities.

The 53-year-old Carlson began hosting Fox News Tonight in 2016; and has yet to publicly comment on his departure. The announcement of Carlson’s exit comes nearly a week after Fox reached a massive $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in a last minute effort to avoid a trial in its defamation case. Carlson featured prominently in the lawsuit, which was the subject of conspiracies of widespread election fraud and other wrongdoing in the wake of the November 2020 presidential election. Despite the settlement agreement between the network and Dominion, controversial text messages and emails by Carlson and other network personalities were made public as part of court filings.

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Comcast announced on Sunday that NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is stepping down following an investigation by outside counsel after a complaint of “inappropriate conduct.” Comcast said Shell’s departure, “effective immediately,” followed an investigation led by outside counsel into a complaint, but offered no further details, nor did the say who will succeed Shell. Comcast and Shell jointly announced the news, noting that the two mutually agreed on the decision.

Shell, who had been with the company since 2004, said in a statement: “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege.”

Shell was named CEO of NBCUniversal in January 2020. According to the company website, he oversaw the company’s portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television and sports production operations, and a leading television stations group. He also oversaw the company’s theme parks and their streaming service Peacock, launched in 2020.

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On CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to meet with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when the expected 2024 presidential candidate visits Israel this week. Netanyahu is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump; DeSantis announced he is traveling abroad on a global trade mission in Israel, Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. DeSantis will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other government officials in Japan, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in South Korea and Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly.

Asked by host Margaret Brennan whether he would meet with DeSantis, Netanyahu replied: “Of course, I’ll meet with everyone. Why not? I’ll meet with Republican governors and Democratic governors. I’m not avoiding the question. And actually, I’m, I’m rushing right into it. I’d meet with every American representative, governor, senator, members of Congress. And I think it’s- it’s my job. And I think it’s important for Israel’s bipartisan support in the United States. I make a point of it.”  DeSantis met with Netanyahu during a visit to Jerusalem in 2019, calling Florida “the most pro-Israel state in the nation.”

DeSantis’ visit to Israel coincides with protests over Netanyahu’s plans to tighten controls on the country’s Supreme Court. Netanyahu’s plans for judicial reform were paused last month after strikes and mass demonstrations. The proposals would give the government effective control over appointment of Supreme Court judges and allow parliament to overrule many decisions of the court. When asked why he would not withdraw the planned reforms, Netanyahu said there was a “broad consensus” to fix the Israeli judicial system: “I’ve actually said that I will not accept a blanket ability of the parliament to overcome judicial Supreme Court decisions, just as we don’t accept that the Supreme Court can abrogate any decision by the parliament or the government.”

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