Author: rb809rb

  • ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Announcer Jim Thornton Fired by Sony

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Announcer Jim Thornton Fired by Sony

    “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton has been fired from the game show, producer Sony Pictures TV confirmed. “Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ has been terminated, effective immediately,” the studio said in a statement.

    According to insiders, Thornton won’t be heard on the show when it returns for a new season on September 14, as an interim announcer has revoiced all of Thornton’s parts on the shows. No permanent replacement has been announced.

    Thornton’s firing came just hours after TMZ posted photos of what were allegedly him on an American Airlines plane with his laptop opened on “disturbing chat room” that appeared to be “images and texts that made it appear it was a chat room for pedophiles.” The up-close photos of the laptop’s screen showed lewd conversations about minors.

    The alleged incident took place in May, when according to TMZ, a passenger informed a flight attendant about the chat screen on Thornton’s laptop. Authorities were waiting to question Thornton when his flight landed at LAX, and after they spoke to the Thornton he was given permission to leave.

    Neither Thornton nor his lawyer have publicly addressed the allegations; an attorney who said they represented the announcer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that Thornton had “become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.”

    On Tuesday, Sony Pictures TV said that “we have recently been made aware of allegations concerning Jim Thornton. He has been suspended from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and we are recasting while we conduct a thorough investigation.” 

    The announcer joined “Wheel” in 2010 after the death of the show’s previous announcer, Charlie O’Donnell, and has also worked as a substitute announcer on “The Price Is Right.” He’s also been the voice of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” on ABC.

    Thornton’s other credits include “Celebrity Deathmatch,” where he voiced Johnny Gomez, and as an announcer on “The Cleveland Show” and “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” He’s also been heard on several video games and appeared as a commercial narrator in the 2001 animated film “Monsters, Inc.” He also voiced the 2011 Oscar-nominated short animated film “Let’s Pollute.”

    Thornton has been a local media presence in Los Angeles for decades, having previously worked as an afternoon anchor on KNX 1070 Newsradio, which he first joined in 1985 as a traffic reporter with Metro Traffic. He also provided traffic reports on KCBS-TV.

    His other broadcast credits include Westwood One Radio Networks, and he was the voice of L.A.’s KCOP-TV for four years. He has received an Edward R. Murrow award, Golden Mike awards and an Emmy. 

  • Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Canceled by Prime Video After One Season

    Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Canceled by Prime Video After One Season

    Prime Video/MGM+’s Spider-Noir starring Nicolas Cage has been canceled after one season, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

    The show, which features Cage in his first-ever regular TV role, debuted on the streamer in May with eight episodes. But despite positive reviews and receiving 11 Emmy nominations, it won’t return for a second season.

    Here is the official logline: “Spider-Noir tells the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.”

    Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston, Brendan Gleeson rounded out the cast. Guest stars included Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Caldwell, Amy Aquino, Andrew Robinson and Kai Caster.

    More to come.

  • 17 Best Movies New to Streaming in September: ‘Toy Story 5,’ ‘Backrooms,’ ’Scary Movie 6,’ ’The Mandalorian and Grogu’

    Labor Day Weekend brings to a close the summer movie season, which became one of the biggest on record thanks to the mega-blockbusters “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” But the season is just getting started on streaming platforms as some of the summer’s buzziest titles make their streaming debuts to kick off the fall movie corridor.

    “Toy Story 5” is the third highest-grossing movie of the year with $1.13 billion and should prove to be a streaming mega-hit when it arrives on Disney+ near the end of the month. Expect the whole “Toy Story” animated franchise to get a streaming lift as a result. A24’s horror hit “Backrooms,” which became the studio’s highest-grossing title in history this summer, should also prove a streaming hit when it lands on HBO Max. Meanwhile, the “Star Wars” misfire “The Mandalorian and Grogu” hopes to rebound on Disney+ after stumbling in theaters. The movie is now available to stream, as is Paramount’s “Scary Movie 6.”

    Check out a full rundown below of the biggest new titles to streaming in September.

  • Citigroup Revised Its Fed Interest Rate Forecast Following the Release of U.S. Employment Data

    Citigroup has significantly postponed its expectation regarding Federal Reserve interest rate cuts following strong employment data from the US.

    The bank announced that it expects the Fed to make its next 25 basis point interest rate cut in June 2027. According to Citigroup’s new forecast, the Fed is expected to implement three separate 25 basis point interest rate cuts in June, September, and December 2027. Citi previously predicted rate cuts in October and December 2026, and January 2027.

    Strong US employment data influenced the forecast revision. In August, non-farm employment increased by 162,000 people, exceeding market expectations, while the unemployment rate remained stable at 4.1 percent.

    Citigroup, which has long been known for its relatively dovish views on the Fed, stated that recent data may lead policymakers to assess the employment market as generally stable and shift the focus of monetary policy to the inflation outlook.

    In a note they published, Citi economists Andrew Hollenhorst and Veronica Clark pointed out that the unemployment rate remained unchanged and the labor force participation rate had recovered significantly.

    Following strong employment data, market expectations for the Fed have also changed. According to Fed funds futures, the probability of the Fed raising interest rates at its September 15-16 meeting has risen from 52 percent before the employment report to 61 percent.

    Investors are expected to watch the consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) data to be released next week for new signals regarding the Federal Reserve’s future interest rate policy.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Jennifer Lawrence Says ‘I Can’t Do a Lot’ of Botox Because ‘I Need to Have Movement in My Face’ as an Actor, So ‘I Get Baby Botox’

    Jennifer Lawrence Says ‘I Can’t Do a Lot’ of Botox Because ‘I Need to Have Movement in My Face’ as an Actor, So ‘I Get Baby Botox’

    Jennifer Lawrence opened up to Vogue about her relationship to cosmetic procedures and said she resists going overboard when it comes to botox because she is a working actor and facial movement is of the upmost important. The Oscar winner’s comment was published just a few weeks after Olivia Wilde put the industry on blast, telling Vogue that “it’s not easy” to find actresses to cast in movies because many of them can no longer move their faces.

    “I can’t really get very much done,” Lawrence told Vogue. “I need to have movement in my face — I get baby Botox, but I can’t do a lot. If my skin is going to be a little saggier than I would like, at least it looks dewy and pretty.”

    Regarding the procedures she is hesitant to try, Lawrence said: “Oh, I’m really nervous about these fat transfers. I support other people doing them because I want to continue to watch and see what happens, but I don’t know about that. I mean, I would love to have a buccal fat removal. I can’t because everybody would know, but just know that I want that.”

    “I do like the radiofrequency because I have huge cheeks and so I feel like exercising them as much as possible,” she added.

    Olivia Wilde appeared on an episode of “The Run-Through with Vogue” during her summer press tour for “The Invite” when she noted: “As a director, I now am constantly searching for actresses who can still move their faces, and it’s not easy… I am a product of the same machine. I am under the same pressures. I get it.”

    “There’s something so medieval about a lot of these things,” she added at the time. “I’ve had the thing of people being like, ‘She looks old and dead and awful.’ And you’re like, ‘Fuck! How do you win? It’s impossible.’”

    Lawrence was a fixture on last year’s awards circuit as the star of “Die My Love,” which premiered at Cannes and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a motion picture drama. She’s expected to appear as her “Hunger Games” character Katniss Everdeen in a small role in this November’s prequel movie “Sunrise on the Reaping.” Lawrence’s next big headlining role is opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s in Martin Scorsese’s “What Happens at Night.” The film is expected to arrive next year.

  • Crypto Presale Outlook: Can MemeToro Benefit From Bitcoin’s $3 Billion ETF Inflow Streak?

    Crypto Presale Outlook: Can MemeToro Benefit From Bitcoin’s $3 Billion ETF Inflow Streak?

    Bitcoin’s institutional demand has become one of the strongest signals behind September’s crypto market. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $3 billion in net inflows across a nine-day streak before a brief outflow interrupted the run.

    This matters for crypto presale news because stronger Bitcoin demand can improve market confidence and liquidity. MemeToro enters that environment in Stage 7, but high Bitcoin dominance suggests any move into smaller projects may remain selective rather than market-wide.

    Bitcoin ETF Demand Supports the Crypto Presale Outlook

    The roughly $3 billion ETF streak was the strongest run reported during 2026. After a $202 million outflow interrupted the sequence, inflows returned with roughly $217 million on August 31.

    Bitcoin has since pushed toward $81,000 to $81,200. It is holding above its EMA20, EMA50, and EMA200, while Strategy has resumed corporate Bitcoin purchases with a roughly $370 million investment.

    These signals suggest large investors remain interested in $BTC.

    For a crypto presale update, the link is indirect but important. When Bitcoin rises on strong institutional demand, traders can become more willing to consider higher-risk opportunities elsewhere in the market.

    However, the current environment is not a confirmed altcoin season.

    Bitcoin dominance remains around 59%, while earlier Altcoin Season Index readings stayed below the 75 level normally used to declare broad altcoin leadership.

    This suggests liquidity may move selectively into certain narratives rather than lifting every presale equally.

    MemeToro Enters Stage 7 During Stronger Sentiment

    MemeToro’s latest presale dashboard shows $118,562.95 raised toward a $156,312.74 Stage 7 target. The current $MT price is $0.00430.

    That timing could help MemeToro if stronger Bitcoin conditions encourage investors to explore smaller assets.

    The project is also positioned within two narratives that could attract selective capital: AI and memecoins.

    Rather than launching only a standalone meme token, MemeToro is developing an AI-powered launch system on BNB Chain. Its agent is designed to scan trends, generate memecoin concepts, and move validated ideas toward structured launches.

    Its wider process follows Propose, Verify, Fund, and Launch.

    That creates a product-led argument for considering MemeToro a best crypto presale to watch, particularly if the 2026 market continues rotating toward AI-integrated projects rather than entering a broad altcoin rally.

    Bitcoin Greed Could Also Create Short-Term Risk

    ETF inflows do not mean Bitcoin will rise in a straight line. $BTC’s daily RSI has reached about 72.4, placing the market in overbought territory.

    The Fear & Greed Index is also at 74, or Greed.

    Both indicators show strong demand, but they also suggest traders have become increasingly optimistic. A Bitcoin pullback could reduce appetite for speculative presales, especially if investors move back toward larger assets.

    That makes risk management important when reading crypto presale news.

    MemeToro does have several project-specific factors that could help separate it from general market momentum:

    • Three displayed security reviews from Coinsult, BlockSAFU, and SOLIDProof give buyers additional sources for contract due diligence.
    • Fixed-rate funding gives participants the same round price without separate insider tiers.
    • Launch manifests publish supply, price, caps, reasoning, and evidence before funding begins.
    • Deterministic validation checks allocation and funding rules before proposals move forward.

    These features cannot protect $MT from broader market volatility.

    Still, if Bitcoin’s institutional demand continues and liquidity begins rotating selectively toward AI and memecoin infrastructure, MemeToro enters September with a clearer catalyst than Bitcoin momentum alone.

    FAQs

    How much entered Bitcoin ETFs during the streak?

    US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $3 billion in net inflows over nine consecutive days before the streak was interrupted.

    Could Bitcoin ETF inflows help MemeToro?

    They could improve overall risk appetite, but there is no direct link guaranteeing that Bitcoin ETF money will flow into MemeToro.

    What is MemeToro’s latest Stage 7 data?

    The latest dashboard shows $118,562.95 raised toward $156,312.74, with $MT priced at $0.00430 and a displayed launch price of $0.05186.

    More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

    Website: https://memetoro.com/

    X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt

    Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA

  • MemeToro Prediction 2027: Can AI Utility and Exchange Listings Support $MT After Launch?

    MemeToro Prediction 2027: Can AI Utility and Exchange Listings Support $MT After Launch?

    MemeToro Prediction 2027 focuses on what could support $MT after its launch, rather than only its early meme appeal.

    MemeToro is building an ecosystem around an AI agent, a memecoin launchpad, decentralized prediction markets, staking, and planned exchange access. Looking toward 2027, the main question is whether these features can create steady use and demand.

    MemeToro Prediction 2027: Why AI Utility Matters

    MemeToro Prediction 2027 starts with the project’s AI agent because it is a central part of the planned ecosystem.

    MemeToro says the agent continuously scans social media, online communities, and global news to find trends with viral potential. It can then generate a memecoin name, concept, visuals, branding, and marketing content.

    The goal is to automate much of the work needed to create a memecoin. The AI proposes a launch, while public smart contracts are designed to enforce the published rules. MemeToro says there are no private allocation tiers or insider advantages in its launch model.

    This matters because regular launchpad use could connect $MT to platform activity. If the AI launchpad is used regularly, $MT could become connected to activity across the platform.

    The main utility areas include:

    • AI-powered memecoin creation and launches.
    • Memecoin trading and funding.
    • Prediction markets using $MT and stablecoins.
    • Staking and ecosystem rewards.

    MemeToro Prediction 2027 therefore depends partly on whether these features move from planned products to active services with real users.

    How Prediction Markets Could Support $MT

    Another part of the MemeToro prediction 2027 case is the project’s decentralized prediction market. MemeToro describes a blockchain-based platform where users can use $MT and stablecoins to predict outcomes of real-world events. The platform is designed around audited smart contracts and on-chain settlement.

    Prediction markets can give a token a practical role. In MemeToro’s model, $MT is used for predictions, while successful positions can earn rewards in $MT and USDC. That creates a direct link between product activity and token use.

    MemeToro also connects market information, memecoin activity, AI analysis, and prediction tools. If users move between these products, $MT could become a common asset across the ecosystem.

    However, the 2027 outlook depends on adoption. A product can be technically available without becoming popular. The stronger signal would be steady activity, repeat users, trading volume, and transparent on-chain participation.

    For MemeToro Prediction 2027, utility is therefore a possible support factor, not proof of future price growth.

    Can Exchange Listings Strengthen the 2027 Outlook?

    Exchange access could be another important factor in the MemeToro prediction 2027 discussion. MemeToro’s tokenomics allocate 10% of total supply to CEX reserves, showing that centralized exchange access is part of the stated token structure. Wider exchange availability can make a token easier for new users to discover and trade.

    Liquidity is also important. A token may have useful technology, but limited liquidity can make trading harder and increase price swings. If $MT gains listings with meaningful volume, that could improve market access and support broader participation.

    The project lists 1.2 billion total $MT supply, with 71% assigned to the public sale. It also describes up to 35% APR staking and a 24-month vesting period for marketing and partnership allocations.

    A careful MemeToro Prediction 2027 view should not treat utility or listings as automatic price drivers. Actual usage, liquidity, delivery, competition, and crypto conditions will matter.

    By 2027, strong signs would be:

    • Active prediction markets.
    • Frequent AI-generated launches.
    • Growing trading activity.
    • Exchange liquidity.
    • Community participation.

    FAQs

    What could support $MT in 2027?

    AI utility, prediction markets, memecoin activity, staking, liquidity, and exchange access could support demand if users adopt the products.

    Why are exchange listings important?

    They can improve access, visibility, and liquidity, although a listing does not guarantee a higher price.

    More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

    Website: https://memetoro.com/

    X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt

    Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA

  • Trump calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’, compares US deaths with Vietnam war

    Trump calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’, compares US deaths with Vietnam war

    US President Donald Trump called the war with Iran ‘small potatoes’, saying just 18 Americans had been killed compared with 100,000 in Vietnam. He called US strikes ‘intermittent’ and threatened to attack Pickaxe Mountain, whose tunnels are said to hold Iran’s enriched uranium.

  • Why adding a stamp to your ballot won’t make it first-class mail

    Why adding a stamp to your ballot won’t make it first-class mail

    Claim:

    Adding a stamp to a postage prepaid ballot will “force” the U.S. Postal Service to handle it as first-class mail instead of bulk.

    Rating:

    False

    Context

    The U.S. Postal Service said on its website that it handles prepaid and stamped mail-in ballots as first-class mail unless voters pay for priority or priority express services.

    In September 2026, a claim (archived) circulated online that adding postage to a prepaid mail-in ballot would “force” the U.S. Postal Service to treat it as first-class mail, a service that allows postcards and small envelopes to be delivered in one to five days. 

    The claim circulated as states began sending out mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterm elections, despite the Trump administration’s ongoing court battles to enforce an executive order that would restrict voting by mail.

    One Threads user who shared the claim wrote:

    By adding a 1st Class Postage Stamp to your postage prepaid ballot, it will then force USPS to handle it as 1st Class Mail, instead of Bulk Mail! SHARE EVERYWHERE!

     

    The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived) and X (archived). Snopes readers contacted us to verify whether it was true.

    The claim was false. According to the USPS, the service always handles mail-in ballots as first-class mail unless voters pay for priority or priority express services. In other words, adding additional postage will not expedite the delivery of a standard mail-in ballot. 

    The USPS included the following message on its webpage about “Election Mail” (emphasis ours):

    Mailpieces containing a completed ballot are handled as First-Class Mail® service, regardless of whether they are prepaid by election officials or mailed with a stamp affixed by the voter. The only situation where a completed ballot is not handled as First-Class Mail is when the voter opts to pay for a premium service like Priority Mail® service or Priority Mail Express® service.

    Who pays postage on a mail-in ballot varies by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that represents lawmakers in the 50 U.S. states, 19 states and Washington, D.C. require local election officials to pay postage while voters in other states must pay.

    In a June 2026 FAQ, the USPS said its policy directs employees to deliver ballots with insufficient postage and attempt to recoup the payment from the local election board.

    Mail-in ballot return deadlines vary by state. The USPS advises that voters mail their ballots “before Election Day, and at least one week prior to the deadline by which your completed ballot must be received by your election office.”

    Voters can check deadlines for returning mail-in ballots with their local election office. Some states also allow voters to deliver completed ballots to drop boxes that are emptied by election officials, which eliminates the need to use the postal service to vote.

    At the time of this writing, the Trump administration sought to implement new federal regulations on mail-in ballots that could require states to submit lists of eligible voters to an online portal and follow a uniform envelope style. In an August 24, 2026, opinion, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with implementing the proposed regulations but did not rule on whether they were legal.

    The Associated Press reported that “legal wrangling” continued over Trump’s executive order in lower courts. Therefore, it was unclear at the time of this writing if, or how, the proposed changes to mail voting would affect the 2026 midterm elections.

    Despite having previously voted by mail himself, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized mail voting, including after he lost the 2020 presidential election.

    Snopes’ archives contributed to this report.

    Sources

    ‘DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ET AL. v. CALIFORNIA, ET AL. ON APPLICATION FOR STAY’. SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES , 26 Aug. 2026, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a124_hgci.pdf.

    ‘Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections’. The White House, 31 Mar. 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/.

    How Do Drop Boxes Work? | U.S. Election Assistance Commission. https://www.eac.gov/how-do-drop-boxes-work. Accessed 4 Sept. 2026.

    ‘Midterm Mail Ballots Start to Go to Voters as Litigation over Trump’s Order Creates Uncertainty’. AP News, 4 Sept. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/mail-voting-ballots-trump-north-carolina-36353407257c253179dec1eaa1254f61.

    State and Local Election Offices | USAGov. https://www.usa.gov/state-election-office. Accessed 4 Sept. 2026.

    ‘Table 12: States With Postage-Paid Election Mail’. NCSL, 28 Jan. 2024, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-12-states-with-postage-paid-election-mail.

    USPS Corporate Communications. Election Mail – about.Usps.Com. https://about.usps.com/what/government-services/election-mail/. Accessed 4 Sept. 2026.

    USPS.Com FAQs. https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Voting-by-Mail#postage_needed_to_mail_ballot:~:text=If%20a%20return,Board%20of%20Elections. Accessed 4 Sept. 2026.

    Whitehurst, Lindsay, et al. ‘Trump Again Appeals to Supreme Court on Mail-Voting Restrictions with Midterm Elections Looming’. AP News, 3 Sept. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/trump-mail-voting-executive-order-lawsuit-63899f738d28d161b629054a314f161a.
     

  • Maria Bartiromo’s Fox Exit “Self-Inflicted Wound”; Trump Praises “True Warrior” As Legal Threats & Accusations Of Host Sharing Insider Info Fly

    Maria Bartiromo’s Fox Exit “Self-Inflicted Wound”; Trump Praises “True Warrior” As Legal Threats & Accusations Of Host Sharing Insider Info Fly

    EXCLUSIVE: The coup de grâce that caused Fox to announce this week that Maria Bartiromo would “no longer be with” the conservative news outlet was a case of “very bad judgment” and a long time coming, sources say.

    The assertions come Friday despite Bartiromo’s Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman insisting the veteran Wall Street anchor is still “an employee” of Fox and threatening legal action. Adding to the burgeoning media mess surrounding the so-called “Money Honey,” Donald Trump had thrown serious shade on Fox for taking good pal Bartiromo off the air.

    That shade could set the stage for yet another showdown between Trump and his once favorite media buddies at the Murdoch-ruled Fox.

    “I can’t believe Maria Bartiromo is no longer going to have her great show(s) on FoxNews/Business,” Trump, a frequent Bartiromo guest, posted Thursday night, about 12 hours after Fox announced “effective today” that the Mornings With Maria host was out. “Three different shows, always number one. Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior. Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy. God bless you, Maria!”

    Bartiromo hadn’t been on the air for almost a month, with Deadline confirming that Fox brass had enough of the MAGA-friendly Bartiromo after they learned she passed corporate-guidance missives to the White House in recent months. However, carving her own way at Fox Business and Fox News for more than a decade, those communications were just the latest minefield that Fox execs feared could blow up in everyone’s faces.

    “Her indiscretion was just the latest in a series of self-inflicted wounds,” a cable news insider says of Bartiromo and her close ties with Trump. “This has been a concern for a while, Maria being too cozy with the White House. She crossed a line, and she’s suffered the consequences.”

    Weary of addressing allegations of similar conduct over the years by Sean Hannity and other Fox hosts, or Bartiromo’s contract specifics, the source added: “She’s no longer with Fox. Take that for what it is.”

    Deadline hears that while there may be “technical truth” to Freedman’s remarks today that Bartiromo still works at Fox because of contracts and other paperwork, she is not returning to her Fox Business or Fox News roles — full stop.

    Long a passionate defender of POTUS and offering him a platform over the years, Bartiromo’s apparent sharing of internal edicts with Trump administration officials, first reported by Status, made her pink-slipping inevitable.

    Digging a little deeper and a few years back, the seeds of Bartiromo’s downfall were evident if you connect the red string.

    In April 2023, Fox agreed to pay $787 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, one of the technology firms singled out in Fox’s coverage of the 2020 election results. Citied in volumes of court filings and the high-stakes trial that had just begun when Fox settled, Bartiromo was one of the main hosts on Fox promoting the false claims of irregularities with the election Trump lost and Joe Biden won. At the time, the top-rated Tucker Carlson was pulled off the air at Fox in a move that resulted in a Freedman-handled legal dust-up between Carlson and the media company.

    No word from ex-Apprentice host Trump if Bartiromo is in the running to be the new White House Press Secretary, but sharp-elbowed lawyer Freedman says his client actually isn’t looking for a new job because she still has her old one.

    “For many years, Maria Bartiromo hosted three number one rated television shows on Fox channels,” Freedman said Friday, as my colleague Dade Hayes noted earlier. “She has been, without question, one of the hardest working journalists throughout her award winning career.”

    The lawyer for the likes of Carlson and Megyn Kelly, as well as Don Lemon, then unsheathed the knife that may lead to a bloody affair down the line.

    “The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false,” Freedman said. “Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise. Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth.”

    When Deadline asked Fox for a response to Freedman’s statement about his client’s employment situation, the company said: “the release speaks for itself.” The White House did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment.