Leavitt turns tables on Obama after he warns voter ID will disenfranchise Americans
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is making an example of former President Barack Obama for encouraging voters and lawmakers to reject adopting national voter ID laws.
“You know how badly the Democrats are panicking when they bring out Obama to spread lies about voter ID,” Leavitt posted to X Thursday. “The fact is that nearly 90% of voters support” voter ID laws, she continued before posting two screenshots showing two polls reflecting that Americans support such laws at around 83% support to 84% support.
Leavitt’s comments follow the House passing a massive election integrity overhaul bill Wednesday, which includes requiring voters to show a photo ID when casting ballots in federal elections. The bill overall aims to prevent noncitizens from voting in U.S. federal elections, with all but one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, voting against it.
Obama was among prominent Democrats encouraging House lawmakers to vote against the measure, claiming it will disenfranchise voters.
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“Republicans are still trying to pass the SAVE Act—a bill that would make it harder to vote and disenfranchise millions of Americans,” he posted to X Wednesday evening. “Join @RedistrictAct and tell your member of Congress to vote no.”
Democrats have argued that voter ID laws can disenfranchise eligible voters because they often require specific, current government-issued IDs that may be a struggle to obtain due to costs, paperwork hurdles or limited DMV access. Republicans have rejected that argument, calling the requirement a common-sense safeguards that would boost confidence in elections, while simultaneously noting that most Americans already need IDs for everyday tasks.
In another post, Leavitt shared that Obama presented his own driver’s license to vote in the 2012 election. Obama voted early that cycle and was seen on camera pulling his Illinois driver’s license from his wallet to flash to poll workers.
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“Here is Barack Obama showing his photo ID to vote in a past election,” Leavitt posted. “Why are Democrats in Congress so opposed to making this a requirement across the country? Voter ID laws are common sense.”
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers added that IDs are frequently used by Americans to buy alcohol or get on a plane, which she said shows the hypocrisy of Democrats pushing against the election security overhaul.
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“Barack Obama and the rest of the Democrats think Americans are stupid, which is why they are blatantly lying about the commonsense election integrity provisions in the popular SAVE Act,” Rogers told Fox News Digital.
“Americans need to show ID to buy alcohol, get on a plane, and even get into the Democratic National Convention — but these hypocrite Democrats don’t want voters to show their ID to cast a ballot. Congressional Democrats’ opposition to the SAVE America Act is indefensible and wildly out of step with the views of the American people.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office Thursday for comment but did not immediately receive a reply.
Called the SAVE Act, the legislation would additionally require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls, as well as enable the Department of Homeland Security to pursue immigration cases if non-citizens were found to be listed as eligible to vote.
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If passed, the new requirement could be implemented for the November midterm elections. It must first pass the Senate before it could land on President Donald Trump‘s desk.
Judge orders return of deported TdA suspects and says US must cover travel costs
Alleged members of “foreign terrorist cartel” Tren de Aragua are set to be brought back to the U.S. after their deportations in 2025 — and it could come at taxpayers’ expense.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador in 2025, called CECOT.
Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants’ airfare back to the U.S., meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill.
Boasberg argued that it’s “unclear why Plaintiffs should bear the financial cost of their return in such an instance,” noting that, “this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them.”
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTED VENEZUELANS TO BE RETURNED TO US
The ruling comes as part of a nearly year-long saga, when the federal judge attempted to halt the Trump administration’s deportations of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025.
The Supreme Court ultimately allowed the Trump administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations in April, but ordered that detainees receive notice and an opportunity to challenge allegations.
Boasberg has since been wading through legal avenues with the men in El Salvador, issuing a ruling in December that the Trump administration denied them their due process.
It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the U.S., with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens “would be detained upon arrival” back to the U.S.
Similar to Boasberg’s ruling, another federal judge this month ordered the Trump administration to pay for the return of three migrant families that the judge ruled ICE unlawfully deported by a 2023 humanitarian-parole settlement.
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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital on Thursday in response to the ruling that the illegal aliens in El Salvador were removed under proper legal authority, before taking a shot as Boasberg.
“Nothing has changed; in addition to being in our country illegally, these aliens are foreign terrorists designated as alien enemies by the President,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital when asked about the ruling.
TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS
“They were removed under the proper legal authorities. This case is no longer about the facts or law, but about Judge Boasberg’s crusade to stop President Trump from doing the will of the American People. He has been shut down by appellate courts again and again on this case,” she continued.
Boasberg has become a prime target for Republicans over a string of rulings tied to Trump-era policies — including the Trump administration backing a potential judicial impeachment of the judge, and other “rogue” judges, in January.
The migrants in El Salvador were removed under The Alien Enemies Act, which is a 1798 wartime immigration law that the Trump administration invoked to deport violent gang members with alleged ties to criminal organizations, such as Tren de Aragua (TdA).
TdA, as well as MS-13, were additionally designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration’s State Department in February 2025.
The administration has described those deported to the notoriously secure prison in El Salvador as “violent savages” and terrorists who pose a threat to U.S. security.
A previous analysis of 238 migrants deported to El Salvador found six faced attempted murder, assault, armed robbery, gun possession or domestic battery charges in the U.S., the Texas Tribune reported in May 2025, while 32 other deportees had been convicted in the U.S. of crimes, many of which were nonviolent, according to the outlet.
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DHS has defended that deportees labeled “‘non-criminals” by the media are “terrorists, human rights abusers, gang members and more — they just don’t have a rap sheet in the U.S.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s wife reveals why she banned pop star from husband’s NASCAR bus
Long before wedding bells rang for either of them, Jessica Simpson once joked about marrying NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a dream.
During a candid conversation about the early days of her relationship with the sports legend, Amy Earnhardt joked that the pop star “tried to fish my man.”
“It’s 2008, maybe [2009]. We had just started dating, and I think I’m still living in Jacksonville, but I come up to Daytona to hang out with Dale. And I hear that Jessica Simpson’s at the racetrack. We’re the same age. We both came from Texas, so I’ve always kind of been a fan of hers,” Amy recalled on her “Bless Your ‘Hardt” podcast.
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At the time, she said she was excited about the possibility of meeting the “I Wanna Love You Forever” singer.
“And I’m like, ‘Hey, Dale, do you think that you could get Jessica Simpson to come to the bus so I could meet her?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t think that’d be a really good idea.’ And I was like, ‘Why not?’”
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“And he shows me this clip … of her doing an interview earlier that day, how she had had a dream that she and Dale Jr. got married in a treehouse.”
Amy then drew the line.
“And I’m like, ‘Yeah… don’t bring that b—- over here. It’s a good idea,” Amy joked as Dale laughed.
She added that the moment left a lasting impression.
“I haven’t bought a Jessica Simpson shoe or a bag — you know, how she’s got all the things — ever since then. I was like, she was f—ing trying to fish my man … Yes, she was. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
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The alleged near run-in happened in the late 2000s, when Amy and Dale Jr. were just starting their relationship and Simpson was rising to pop stardom.
Simpson later met former NFL player Eric Johnson in May 2010. The two got engaged six months later and married in 2014 after welcoming their first two children, Maxwell and Ace. They welcomed daughter Birdie in 2019.
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In November 2024, Johnson was spotted without his wedding ring as Simpson focused on a music comeback.
“She’s working on music and splits her time between Los Angeles and Nashville. Eric spends all of his time in LA, where the kids go to school,” a source told People at the time.
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“Jess and Eric very much live separate lives.”
Meanwhile, Dale Jr. and Amy tied the knot in 2016 and now share two daughters, Isla, 7, and Nicole, 5.
DNA-confirmed blood near Nancy Guthrie home points to foul play: expert
A key piece of evidence could provide investigators with additional context surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance from her Tucson, Arizona, home as the search for the missing 84-year-old stretches into its second week.
Photos taken by Fox News Digital show blood droplets on the ground in front of Nancy Guthrie’s front door and in her driveway, painting an eerie picture of what could have led to her disappearance.
“Nancy Guthrie is bleeding from some area, either the hands or the face,” forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden told Fox News Digital. “The nature of the blood spots with little pale centers or donut shapes are typical for drops that come from the nose or mouth, because they’re mixed with air.”
“That means she’s coughing up blood or dripping from the nose. Otherwise, there would be a dripping from a cut from above, possibly from the hands or face.”
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Law enforcement previously confirmed DNA analysis of the droplets confirmed the blood belonged to Nancy Guthrie.
Baden added the blood droplets signify Nancy Guthrie was either unable or did not attempt to stop the bleeding as she moved from the front of her house to the driveway.
“This blood dropped onto the porch area during an abduction,” Baden said. “They indicate that it did not occur by innocent means.”
“They happened not in a normal, innocent way where it could be covered up or have iodine and bandages put on it.”
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Baden pointed to the nature of the blood droplets and the location in which they were found suggest she was bleeding as she was being abducted.
“These are not innocent droplets. From the shape, number of droplets and the place of the droplets outside the house on the porch, they are entirely consistent and indicative of occurring during an abduction.”
Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 1. She was reported missing later the same day after she did not attend a weekly livestream of her church with friends.
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In a statement, the FBI said it continues to seek the public’s help.
“We appreciate the assistance and support we have received from the Tucson community. The FBI continues to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie. You can help by submitting tips to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI,” the agency said.
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Authorities have not named any suspects or persons of interest in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, and no arrests have been made.
Republican resignation could shift power balance in Homeland Security battle
Democrats believe a zero-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities as rumors circulate that yet another Republican may cut his time in office short.
A Republican majority hangs by a thread as questions continue to circulate over whether Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will resign his seat in the coming days.
To members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., that prospect strengthens Democrats’ hand.
“Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country,” Jayapal said Wednesday evening.
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It’s unclear when Dunn, who has wrestled with health concerns in the past, might come to a decision.
If Dunn steps aside, Republicans will have just a one-seat majority — and a no-vote margin for error that will prevent them from passing most pieces of legislation unless they maintain perfect party unity or secure help from Democrats.
With persistent rebels like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the mix, Democrats are willing to bet they’ll be asked for help.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., believes that even just one less vote changes how Republicans have to think about DHS funding and the list of demands Democrats have made for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“This place runs on numbers,” DeLauro said. “I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable.”
Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements and an end to paramilitary policing practices. Gridlock over those demands looks poised to force a partial government shutdown as lawmakers run up against a funding deadline Friday without a compromise in sight.
“Let’s look at what we can get done,” DeLauro said.
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While control of what legislation ultimately goes to the floor likely won’t change amid an even tighter majority, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., believes Democrats could press their priorities through the amendment process.
Most bills have what’s called a “closed” rule process, where only preapproved amendments are considered.
Olszewski hopes that’s one area where Republicans could allow some give.
“I have, in good faith, tried to offer amendments to make bills better and potentially able to support,” Olszewski said. “I know that many of my colleagues have done that. And so, I guess, you know, if we’re serious about coming together and finding solutions — especially on the cost of living crisis that’s crushing America — maybe we’ll see that.”
“I don’t think that’s a good way to get Democratic support for anything to continue to shut them out of the process.”
When asked if he sees Democrats locking down legislative efforts Republicans can’t unite on, Olszewski said he hopes that’s not how things play out.
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Olszewski said. “Since I’ve been sworn in, I’ve been pleading to Speaker Johnson and the Republican majority to strike a more bipartisan tone.”
Jayapal believes previous votes that Republicans and Democrats have forced together indicate that there’s more room for collaboration.
“I mean, you’ve seen the success with discharge petitions,” Jayapal said, referring to the legislative process Republican rebels have used to force votes over the objection of the chamber’s leadership.
Notably, the legislation that ultimately forced the release of the Epstein files came about through a discharge petition effort.
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Lawmakers have filed 16 discharge petitions this Congress. Of those, four have reached the needed 218 signatories to advance.
While Dunn’s picture remains uncertain, Republicans can expect to add to their razor-thin majority when Georgia holds its special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on March 10. Greene resigned from Congress in January.
The heavily Republican district was last won by Greene by a 28.8% margin of victory.
US Olympic skating power couple breaks silence on judging controversy
Madison Chock and Evan Bates have responded to questions over judging in the recent Olympic ice dance pairs final.
The couple was looking to defend their gold medal, but came in second to the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
A French judge graded Beaudry and Cizeron higher than Chock and Bates, which ultimately helped thrust the French team to gold over the Americans. The judging has been the topic of controversy on social media, with some arguing that Chock and Bates should have graded higher.
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Chock and Bates were asked by NBC News how they felt about the judging.
“We’ve certainly gone through a roller coaster of emotions, especially in the last 24 hours,” Chock said. “And I think what we will take away is how we felt right after our skates and how proud we were of what we accomplished and how we handled ourselves throughout the whole week. Putting out four great performances at the Olympic Games is no small feat, and we’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
Chock and Bates were trailing the French couple by 0.46 of a point entering the free dance Wednesday night, and they were searching for their first ice dance Olympic medal with hopes that it would obviously be gold.
Their matador routine, dancing to a rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black” drew cheers from the crowd, and they finished with tears in their eyes.
They finished with 224.39 after notching a 134.67 score in their free dance.
Chock and Bates are two-time team gold winners after Sunday’s Team USA victory, but they had to watch one more routine to see if they could capture gold when Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron took the ice.
But the judges decided the French duo did enough to defeat the Americans in the end.
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Beaudry and Cizeron scored a 135.64 in the free dance for a total of 225.82.
Chock and Bates were looking to experience receiving their gold medals on the podium after a delayed reception of their medals in the 2022 games.
Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.
It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.
Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.
“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”
Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”
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Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics in summer 2024.
Friends say James Van Der Beek’s final days included sunset talks and ‘sacred moments’
James Van Der Beek‘s friends are sharing memories they made with the actor in his final days after he died Wednesday at the age of 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
In an Instagram post shared shortly after his death was announced, retired WWE star Stacy Keibler shared a photo of herself looking up at Van Der Beek as they sat outside together watching the sunset. In the photo, the actor appears to be sitting in a wheelchair.
“Spending these final days with you has been a true gift from God,” she wrote in the caption. ”I have never been so present in my life. When you know time is sacred, you don’t waste a single breath. You don’t rush. You don’t scroll. You don’t worry about tomorrow. You sit. You listen. You hold hands. You watch the sky change colors and you let it change you too.”
She went on to say that, in the past few days, Van Der Beek taught her “more about being present than any book ever could,” and showed her “what it looks like to trust God’s plan, even when it breaks your heart.”
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“The other night we watched the sunset together as you shared your wisdom, your hopes, and the promises we made to each other,” she added. “We talked about how this world can feel upside down…and how maybe heaven needs your spirit now to help steady us down here. And just as the sun slipped away, a shooting star crossed the sky…as if to remind us that none of this is random.”
Keibler then called the actor “a gift” as well as “an incredible husband” and “an extraordinary dad,” adding that it “was a blessing to witness” how “steady, strong [and] devoted” he was to his wife and six children.
“It has been an honor to stand beside your family in these sacred moments,” she added. “It’s pretty incredible how someone can fight so hard for so long, travel the world battling so much, and somehow still look so handsome doing it 🙂 That smile never left you. You have given this world so many gifts. Your presence was a bright light in my life, and in so many others.”
“And while your physical body may no longer be here, I know your spirit is doing big things. I feel it already. We may have lost a good one here on earth… but heaven gained something extraordinary. I will think of you every time I watch a sunset. Every time I see a rainbow stretch across the sky. I’ll know you’re there.”
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She ended the lengthy tribute by saying that the lesson Van Der Beek left her with is that “the present moment is everything” and to “love the people in front of you.”
“Say the words. Watch the sunset. Trust God, even when you don’t understand,” she concluded. “Thank you for changing me. I will carry you with me. Always 🤍”
Keibler wasn’t the only one of the actor’s friends to visit him in his final days.
Designer Erin Fetherston took to Instagram Wednesday to share a photo of her own visit with Van Der Beek. Among the carousel of photos she posted was one of her holding hands with the actor and smiling down at him as he lay in bed smiling back at her.
“Brother James, You were loved by the whole world, but to us — you were Uncle James,” she wrote. “Thank you for your friendship. For always showing up. For being the one who would go the extra mile. When our dog died in the middle of the night, you were the one who came over with a shovel. When our babies were born, you and @vanderkimberly were the very first visitors — you didn’t just celebrate our milestones, you were part of them.
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“What an honor it was to have a seat at your table and to call you a best friend. The space you leave behind can never be filled, but we will do our best to shower your beautiful family with love and remember to keep dancing in your honor — because you always knew the importance of joy. We love you. Always. 🤍”
“The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” star Alfonso Ribeiro commented under Van Der Beek’s wife’s Instagram post announcing the actor’s death, saying he felt “lucky I got to be there to say goodbye.”
He later shared a tribute of his own on his personal account, which included a photo of him and Van Der Beek sitting side by side and smiling for the camera. In the caption, Ribeiro confirmed he visited Van Der Beek in his final days of life, writing, “Being able to say goodbye this weekend will always live with me.”
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“I’m so broken right now with the passing of my friend @vanderjames today,” he wrote. “He was my true friend brother and life guide. I was with him through this horrible journey to beat cancer. His family and friends went on this roller coaster ride. The highs when it looked like he had it beat to the breaking lows of it coming back.
“I’ve learned so much from james. He and @vanderkimberly changed my life. I will forever be in debt for all they’ve given me and my family. He will live forever in my heart. I will always be there for their children. I will always hold my role as Gwen’s Goddie daddy as one of the most important roles of my life. I love you James and know I have a guardian angel watching over me.”
Van Der Beek died Feb. 11 at the age of 48 after a battle with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.
His breakthrough role came in 1997 when he landed the role of Dawson Leery on “Dawson’s Creek.” He starred on the show for six seasons, from 1998 to 2003, and also appeared in various television shows and movies, including “Varsity Blues,” “Texas Rangers,” “Scary Movie,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “CSI” and others.
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He first revealed his diagnosis in November 2024 via a statement to People, telling the outlet, “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”
In September 2025, the actor pulled out of a highly anticipated “Dawson’s Creek” reunion due to ongoing health issues. However, the actor made a surprise virtual appearance at the charity event.
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‘CBS Evening News’ producer’s ‘unhinged farewell note’ demolished on social media
A “CBS Evening News” producer abruptly resigned on Wednesday, accusing the network of a “shifting set of ideological expectations” in a message that went viral on social media.
Alicia Hastey, who worked at CBS News since 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile, told colleagues that she took a buyout offer and would exit the network. In her farewell note, Hastey insisted she is proud of the work she did over the past four years before taking aim at the direction of CBS News under polarizing editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
“[T]here has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism,” Hastey wrote in a memo posted on X by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin.
“The truth is that commitment to those people and the stories they have to sell is increasingly becoming impossible,” Hastey continued. “Stories may instead be evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations — a dynamic that pressures producers and reporters to self-censor or avoid challenging narratives that might trigger backlash or unfavorable headlines.”
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Hastey said that none of her comments detract from the “talent of all the journalists who remain at CBS News,” but added, “that is precisely what makes this moment so heartbreaking.”
“The very excellence we seek to sustain is hindered by fear and uncertainty,” she wrote.
Hastey then quoted CBS News legend Walter Cronkite, appearing to respond to accusations of liberal bias at the network.
“Walter Cronkite once said in a response to critics: ‘If that is what makes us liberals, so be it, just as long as in reporting the news we adhere to the first ideals of good journalism — that news reports must be fair, accurate and unbiased,’” Hastey wrote.
“Cronkite’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered. He understood that labels are inevitable, but standards are what matter,” she continued. “What defines journalism is not what critics call it, but whether it remains faithful to those principles.”
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A CBS News insider dismissed Hastey’s concerns.
“There are always staff changes when there’s a new anchor and editorial vision,” the insider told Fox News Digital.
The farewell note was roasted on social media by both members of the media industry and conservative critics of the mainstream press. Many took issue with Mullin calling the memo a “bombshell” when he posted it on X.
“NYT reporter uncovers ‘bombshell’: disgruntled mid-level employee quits job after new boss demands changes,” Wall Street Journal columnist Gerard Baker snarked.
Political strategist Tim Cameron added, “If you want to understand how ‘CBS Evening News’ fell to last place in its category after years of declin[ing] ratings, please read this unhinged farewell note from its producer.”
NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck wrote that it’s “insane these people are painting the CBS Evening News as though it’s MAGA Media,” a narrative that has set in with many left-wing media reporters.
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CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hastey did not respond to a direct message seeking additional comment.
Many others took to social media with thoughts on the memo:
Mullin declined comment when asked about the framing of his post receiving criticism.
Weiss, who was handpicked by CEO David Ellison, was formally named editor-in-chief of CBS News in October after her outlet, The Free Press, was acquired by Paramount. The move drew both internal and external criticism, with some citing her opinion background and lack of television experience.
Weiss quickly put her stamp on the network, naming Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor of “CBS Evening News,” the show that Hastey is reportedly exiting. Weiss recently told staffers they are “not producing a product that enough people want” by focusing on linear television during an all-hands town hall event in which she laid out her vision for the network.
She has frustrated “60 Minutes” staffers by delaying a report on the notorious El Salvador prison CECOT and has been accused by liberals of carrying water for President Donald Trump‘s administration. However, others have embraced her attempt to rid CBS News of its liberal slant.
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CBS has faced criticism from the Trump administration over some of its reporting, including a recent report about the number of illegal immigrants with violent criminal records.
‘Landman’ star confronts Billy Bob Thornton about rumors from Jolie marriage
Michelle Randolph admitted she had one very specific question in mind before sharing the screen with Billy Bob Thornton on “Landman.”
Randolph, 28, joked that as she prepared to film the hit Taylor Sheridan show opposite Thornton, one long-circulated story about his love life popped into her head.
“Most of my scenes are with him, and I’m thinking, ‘God, like what, all I know is that he drank Angelina Jolie’s blood or something,’” Randolph recalled during an appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show.” “Which I since have asked him about.”
According to Randolph, Thornton was unruffled by her question regarding the infamous pop culture moment.
“He just, I mean, he’s just ease,” she explained. “If ease was a person, that’s who he is.”
“That’s why he’s so good at what he does,” Randolph continued. “You think someone with his résumé is going to be so intimidating, but instead, he’s such a great actor because he pulls honesty out of you, and he settles you in a scene and in life.”
“I tend to talk a lot and move fast, and he just makes me want to just chill.”
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Thornton recently addressed the long-standing rumor he drank Jolie’s blood during their nearly three-year marriage in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“We each had a little locket, literally with a drop of blood in them,” Thornton said. “That’s a romantic little idea, and that’s all that was. But by the time it’s over, we’re vampires. We live in a dungeon, we drink each other’s blood, and this kind of stuff.”
Jolie and Thornton met while filming “Pushing Tin” in 1999. The two were seeing other people at the time. Thornton had been engaged to Laura Dern while Jolie was reportedly dating Timothy Hutton. However, the two experienced an intense romantic connection and were married in Las Vegas by 2000.
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The “Sling Blade” star has since claimed he had a “civilized” divorce from Jolie.
“That was one of the greatest times of my life,” Thornton told Rolling Stone. “She and I are still very, very close friends. And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup. We simply split up because our lifestyles were so different.”
Thornton currently stars in Taylor Sheridan’s “Landman,” based on the podcast “Boomtown.” The show chronicles the Permian Basin oil boom in West Texas that took place in the early 2010s, fueled by advances in oil drilling technology.
At the center of the show is Thornton’s character – Tommy Norris. Thornton portrays a “landman,” a crisis manager working for an oil company called M-Tex.
The show also stars Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, Ali Larter and Jacob Lofland.
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