Tag: Deadline News

UPDATED with statement from Iowa AG Brenna Bird: When all is said and done, the antitrust clash between Paramount Skydance and a dozen blue states may be best articulated by a certain Earth, Wind & Fire tune and remembering a day or two in September.

In a move that could be read as a lifeline or a death knell depending on your POV, the Supreme Court just told California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 of his colleagues that they have two weeks to respond to a challenge by Iowa and Montana to their efforts to kneecap the $111 billion ParaBros merger.

“Upon consideration of plaintiffs’ motion for expedited consideration, it is hereby ordered that defendants are allowed until September 25, 2026, to file responses to the motion for leave to file a bill of complaint,” the SCOTUS said in an order Wednesday.

While the edict doesn’t mean the conservative High Court is taking up the red states’ request for Motion For Leave to File a Bill of Complaint, it doesn’t mean they’re not either. Today’s order could suggest the Supreme Court is considering Iowa and Montana’s request for “expedited consideration” in the partisan matter. Still, even if the red states get their way if might be months before any hearing in DC — time that will surely deepen and harden already Mariana Trench-deep animosity between the Melrose lot-based Paramount and the various state capitols.

Also, the September 25 deadline puts the coalition of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington in a bit of a bottleneck. The SCOTUS deadline is one day after the dozen blue states are set to argue against the David Ellison-owned Para’s desire for a $1.88 billion bond in front of a federal judge in Oakland. It also comes just a few days before a $7 million a day ticking fee to Warner Bros Discovery shareholders kicks in for Team Ellison. That ticking fee, which is the basis of Paramount’s protest of “extraordinary losses” out of the court case and its March 2, 2027 trial start date, adds up to over $635 million a quarter — so do the math.

Waving off MAGA-chummy Para’s leaked threats of leaving California for a kinder red state and more as “blackmail,” Golden State AG  Bonta, in an August 10 guest column for Deadline, called the long anticipated July 13 filing against Paramount and WBD “a straight up antitrust enforcement case. One that is very cut and dry.” David Ellison and crew disagree, pointing to midterms real politick and CNN ownership as the true cause of the move to stymie a deal that has been approved by “good friend” Donald Trump‘s DOJ, the UK, the EU, Canada, and many more.

In her promise to take the matter to the Supreme Court, Iowa AG Brenna Bird, while seeing no sin in the DOJ white glove sign-off on the merger earlier this year, condemned Bonta and the other 11 AGs on August 25 as “more hostile to this pro-competition merger than Europe and China.”

“Attorney General Bird sued California because California is trying to raise Iowans’ costs,” Bird’s office said in a statement Tuesday to Deadline. “Today’s order for California to respond quickly shows the United States Supreme Court is taking our request seriously. We look forward to California trying to justify why it is so committed to raising prices for streaming and entertainment for Americans across the country.”

Bonta’s staff at the California Department of Justice have not responded to Deadline’s request for comment on the order by the John Roberts-led SCOTUS. Paramount reps also were as quiet as church mice on what could be a defining moment in this big stakes, big egos battle.

Or, to put it in a dance move mode, with a bit of tweak: “Do you remember/the twenty-fifth night of September? ..how the stars stole the night away?”

Among many D.C. lobbyists, when the bet is on whether a piece of legislation will pass Congress or not, the rule of thumb always is to take the latter. Yet, a long-desired federal film and television tax incentive that’s suddenly coming to life with the recent backing of Donald Trump could prove the exception. Maybe.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are drafting legislation, with current plans for a 20% incentive and an additional 5% to 10% for rural areas or spread across several states. A bill could be introduced this month, with some announcement on the status expected when Congress returns next week, and the details are not set in stone.

“This is the best opportunity now we’ve had to get this done in really decades,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said on CNN this week. On Tuesday, Schiff complimented talks among the White House, House members and some of his fellow Senators, but cautioned a deal is not yet done. “Negotiations are ongoing,” Schiff, who Trump has long attacked personally and politically, told Deadline.

So far, the anticipated multibillion-dollar federal incentive also has the advantage of backing by some members of the House Ways & Means Committee, which controls the purse strings, and that support is bipartisan. Among those said to be working on legislation are two members — Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) — each from a state that has a lot of production in its past, present and hopefully future.

RELATED: Sacramento’s Mad Legislative Dash To Fix Tax Credits SNAFU, Get Post-Production Incentive Passed, Or Not

That said, even though proponents see the best prospects in years for passage of something, there still is a long way to go despite the backing of a fickle POTUS and the other good intentions.

Here are some of the hurdles ahead:

Timing

With so few days left in the legislative session before the midterms, there just isn’t time left to pass legislation before then, especially a bill that is still in the works. Advocates including studio representatives and union officials are expected to up their PR campaign in the coming weeks, particularly if there is a concrete proposal on the table.

RELATED: The Enemy Of My Enemy: Left And Right Search For Common Ground To Prop Up U.S. Entertainment Business

That leaves the question of when. The lame-duck session will likely focus on whether an agreement can be reached on an overall bill to fund the government, with an expiration of December 11. If the past is any guide, it’s much more likely that the bill would be attached to some end-of-year funding measure than as stand-alone legislation.

Midterm results

While a number of Republicans and Democrats are said to be on board with the legislation now, the question is what the sentiment will feel like after November 3. Would polarization only harden after a Democratic rout? What’s the appetite for bipartisan legislation if the election results are contested? That said, there is a strong desire to pass incentives legislation this year, rather than restart the process in the next Congress, when priorities could very well shift.

Cost

Supporters of state tax incentives long have held that the benefits greatly outweigh the costs, but there will be plenty of scrutiny on the bottom line. That typically comes via an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, so expect to see a lobbying push to outline how the incentive will save or restore jobs.

RELATED: California Governor Frontrunner Xavier Becerra Wants To Save Hollywood, But Offers Few Specifics

A key factor will be whether the ultimate incentive figure is large enough to persuade producers to forgo the UK or Australia or even Canada and locate in the United States. One of the big criticisms of California’s early incentive program was that it was too little, too late, especially with states like New York and Georgia offering much heftier sums of money. Proponents will have to make the case that the incentive will have to be large enough to be meaningful.

Indications are that the bulk of what is being discussed behind closed doors is based in large part on the format and execution of California’s annual program, now at $750 million. A goal of any federal incentive is to snag relocating productions, series or films first made outside the country or content that had already been assured foreign credits but haven’t yet started production.

Trump

With a few words from his pal Jon Voight, the president threw his support behind an incentive earlier this month, undoubtedly generating some momentum for getting something passed. But he also could change his mind. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that something will trigger him — particularly entertainment-related — that would cause him to shift course.

RELATED Trump Backs Federal Film & TV Tax Incentive: “Hollywood Is A Complete & Total Disaster!”

Among proponents, there’s also a push to highlight support among Republicans, in part to emphasize that the legislation would not just benefit California and New York. That could counterweight the visibility of one of the champions of a federal incentive, California’s junior senator Schiff, one of the president’s biggest foes. He recently told CNN: “Just because it’s this president, if it’s a good idea, I’m not going to oppose it. In fact, I fully support this.”

Asked by Elex Michaelson whether his relationship with the president would make passage more difficult, Schiff said, Schiff noted that Trump has “mentioned bipartisan support, mentioned my support for it, so he didn’t deterred at all by it. He thought that that was a positive.”

The entertainment industry is an easy punching bag, especially on the right, and it’s not hard to see the incentive being cast as a bailout to an elite industry dominated by the left. The Wall Street Journal editorial page quickly weighed in last week, with the headline, “Handouts for Hollywood — Really? Adam Schiff and Donald Trump unite to subsidize the rich and famous.”

“A production tax credit would provide a short-term stimulus for one industry, which primarily supports Democrats,” the Journal‘s editorial team wrote.

RELATED: Illinois Boosts State Film Tax Credit For Environmentally Sustainable Productions

That’s why the support of lawmakers in red states such as Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee might be critical, even with Trump’s backing, as well as the emphasis on legislation as a jobs bill, benefiting an aspect of the manufacturing sector and across different parts of the country.

The Motion Picture Association knows the territory well, as it has sought to make issues like piracy and copyright relevant to the average public whose impressions of the entertainment industry tend toward red carpets and awards show glamour. “The use of the word ‘Hollywood’ has got to stop,” says one booster.

UPDATED with statement from Iowa AG Brenna Bird: When all is said and done, the antitrust clash between Paramount Skydance and a dozen blue states may be best articulated by a certain Earth, Wind & Fire tune and remembering a day or two in September.

In a move that could be read as a lifeline or a death knell depending on your POV, the Supreme Court just told California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 of his colleagues that they have two weeks to respond to a challenge by Iowa and Montana to their efforts to kneecap the $111 billion ParaBros merger.

“Upon consideration of plaintiffs’ motion for expedited consideration, it is hereby ordered that defendants are allowed until September 25, 2026, to file responses to the motion for leave to file a bill of complaint,” the SCOTUS said in an order Wednesday.

While the edict doesn’t mean the conservative High Court is taking up the red states’ request for Motion For Leave to File a Bill of Complaint, it doesn’t mean they’re not either. Today’s order could suggest the Supreme Court is considering Iowa and Montana’s request for “expedited consideration” in the partisan matter. Still, even if the red states get their way if might be months before any hearing in DC — time that will surely deepen and harden already Mariana Trench-deep animosity between the Melrose lot-based Paramount and the various state capitols.

Also, the September 25 deadline puts the coalition of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington in a bit of a bottleneck. The SCOTUS deadline is one day after the dozen blue states are set to argue against the David Ellison-owned Para’s desire for a $1.88 billion bond in front of a federal judge in Oakland. It also comes just a few days before a $7 million a day ticking fee to Warner Bros Discovery shareholders kicks in for Team Ellison. That ticking fee, which is the basis of Paramount’s protest of “extraordinary losses” out of the court case and its March 2, 2027 trial start date, adds up to over $635 million a quarter — so do the math.

Waving off MAGA-chummy Para’s leaked threats of leaving California for a kinder red state and more as “blackmail,” Golden State AG  Bonta, in an August 10 guest column for Deadline, called the long anticipated July 13 filing against Paramount and WBD “a straight up antitrust enforcement case. One that is very cut and dry.” David Ellison and crew disagree, pointing to midterms real politick and CNN ownership as the true cause of the move to stymie a deal that has been approved by “good friend” Donald Trump‘s DOJ, the UK, the EU, Canada, and many more.

In her promise to take the matter to the Supreme Court, Iowa AG Brenna Bird, while seeing no sin in the DOJ white glove sign-off on the merger earlier this year, condemned Bonta and the other 11 AGs on August 25 as “more hostile to this pro-competition merger than Europe and China.”

“Attorney General Bird sued California because California is trying to raise Iowans’ costs,” Bird’s office said in a statement Tuesday to Deadline. “Today’s order for California to respond quickly shows the United States Supreme Court is taking our request seriously. We look forward to California trying to justify why it is so committed to raising prices for streaming and entertainment for Americans across the country.”

Bonta’s staff at the California Department of Justice have not responded to Deadline’s request for comment on the order by the John Roberts-led SCOTUS. Paramount reps also were as quiet as church mice on what could be a defining moment in this big stakes, big egos battle.

Or, to put it in a dance move mode, with a bit of tweak: “Do you remember/the twenty-fifth night of September? ..how the stars stole the night away?”

Among many D.C. lobbyists, when the bet is on whether a piece of legislation will pass Congress or not, the rule of thumb always is to take the latter. Yet, a long-desired federal film and television tax incentive that’s suddenly coming to life with the recent backing of Donald Trump could prove the exception. Maybe.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are drafting legislation, with current plans for a 20% incentive and an additional 5% to 10% for rural areas or spread across several states. A bill could be introduced this month, with some announcement on the status expected when Congress returns next week, and the details are not set in stone.

“This is the best opportunity now we’ve had to get this done in really decades,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said on CNN this week. On Tuesday, Schiff complimented talks among the White House, House members and some of his fellow Senators, but cautioned a deal is not yet done. “Negotiations are ongoing,” Schiff, who Trump has long attacked personally and politically, told Deadline.

So far, the anticipated multibillion-dollar federal incentive also has the advantage of backing by some members of the House Ways & Means Committee, which controls the purse strings, and that support is bipartisan. Among those said to be working on legislation are two members — Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) — each from a state that has a lot of production in its past, present and hopefully future.

RELATED: Sacramento’s Mad Legislative Dash To Fix Tax Credits SNAFU, Get Post-Production Incentive Passed, Or Not

That said, even though proponents see the best prospects in years for passage of something, there still is a long way to go despite the backing of a fickle POTUS and the other good intentions.

Here are some of the hurdles ahead:

Timing

With so few days left in the legislative session before the midterms, there just isn’t time left to pass legislation before then, especially a bill that is still in the works. Advocates including studio representatives and union officials are expected to up their PR campaign in the coming weeks, particularly if there is a concrete proposal on the table.

RELATED: The Enemy Of My Enemy: Left And Right Search For Common Ground To Prop Up U.S. Entertainment Business

That leaves the question of when. The lame-duck session will likely focus on whether an agreement can be reached on an overall bill to fund the government, with an expiration of December 11. If the past is any guide, it’s much more likely that the bill would be attached to some end-of-year funding measure than as stand-alone legislation.

Midterm results

While a number of Republicans and Democrats are said to be on board with the legislation now, the question is what the sentiment will feel like after November 3. Would polarization only harden after a Democratic rout? What’s the appetite for bipartisan legislation if the election results are contested? That said, there is a strong desire to pass incentives legislation this year, rather than restart the process in the next Congress, when priorities could very well shift.

Cost

Supporters of state tax incentives long have held that the benefits greatly outweigh the costs, but there will be plenty of scrutiny on the bottom line. That typically comes via an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, so expect to see a lobbying push to outline how the incentive will save or restore jobs.

RELATED: California Governor Frontrunner Xavier Becerra Wants To Save Hollywood, But Offers Few Specifics

A key factor will be whether the ultimate incentive figure is large enough to persuade producers to forgo the UK or Australia or even Canada and locate in the United States. One of the big criticisms of California’s early incentive program was that it was too little, too late, especially with states like New York and Georgia offering much heftier sums of money. Proponents will have to make the case that the incentive will have to be large enough to be meaningful.

Indications are that the bulk of what is being discussed behind closed doors is based in large part on the format and execution of California’s annual program, now at $750 million. A goal of any federal incentive is to snag relocating productions, series or films first made outside the country or content that had already been assured foreign credits but haven’t yet started production.

Trump

With a few words from his pal Jon Voight, the president threw his support behind an incentive earlier this month, undoubtedly generating some momentum for getting something passed. But he also could change his mind. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that something will trigger him — particularly entertainment-related — that would cause him to shift course.

RELATED Trump Backs Federal Film & TV Tax Incentive: “Hollywood Is A Complete & Total Disaster!”

Among proponents, there’s also a push to highlight support among Republicans, in part to emphasize that the legislation would not just benefit California and New York. That could counterweight the visibility of one of the champions of a federal incentive, California’s junior senator Schiff, one of the president’s biggest foes. He recently told CNN: “Just because it’s this president, if it’s a good idea, I’m not going to oppose it. In fact, I fully support this.”

Asked by Elex Michaelson whether his relationship with the president would make passage more difficult, Schiff said, Schiff noted that Trump has “mentioned bipartisan support, mentioned my support for it, so he didn’t deterred at all by it. He thought that that was a positive.”

The entertainment industry is an easy punching bag, especially on the right, and it’s not hard to see the incentive being cast as a bailout to an elite industry dominated by the left. The Wall Street Journal editorial page quickly weighed in last week, with the headline, “Handouts for Hollywood — Really? Adam Schiff and Donald Trump unite to subsidize the rich and famous.”

“A production tax credit would provide a short-term stimulus for one industry, which primarily supports Democrats,” the Journal‘s editorial team wrote.

RELATED: Illinois Boosts State Film Tax Credit For Environmentally Sustainable Productions

That’s why the support of lawmakers in red states such as Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee might be critical, even with Trump’s backing, as well as the emphasis on legislation as a jobs bill, benefiting an aspect of the manufacturing sector and across different parts of the country.

The Motion Picture Association knows the territory well, as it has sought to make issues like piracy and copyright relevant to the average public whose impressions of the entertainment industry tend toward red carpets and awards show glamour. “The use of the word ‘Hollywood’ has got to stop,” says one booster.

Scott will join Whit Johnson on Saturdays, and Ally will co-anchor alongside Gio Benitez on Sundays. They will start in their roles this weekend.

The four will also anchor ABC News Live Weekend on a rotating basis on weekend mornings, starting at 10 a.m. ET.

Janai Norman exited the program in April after her contract was not renewed.

Scott will continue her role as senior political correspondent covering the White House and Capitol Hill in Washington, while co-anchoring GMA on Saturdays in New York. Among other things, during her time at ABC News, she reported live from Butler, PA moments after the assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump in 2024, and anchored coverage of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race. She drew considerable attention and praise to her questioning of Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference in 2021. Scott joined ABC News as a production associate in 2016.

Ally, who joined the network in 2021, recently served as co-anchor of World News Now and Good Morning America First Look. Among other things, she led coverage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore and has anchored overnight coverage of the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis.

Simone Swink, the senior executive producer of the Good Morning America franchise, said in a statement that the new format would allow the team to appear more often on weekday broadcasts as well.

C-SPAN will provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 2026 Republican Convention starting on Wednesday in Dallas, while Fox News and NewsNation are planning special programming.

But most other news networks are taking a wait-and-see approach, planning coverage of the first-of-its-kind midterm gathering if news warrants.

While networks have reporters on the ground for the political event, some of the newsiest aspects of the event so far have been on GOP candidates in tight races who have opted to stay away amid the president’s sagging poll numbers.

Donald Trump will have a major presence at the event, and is scheduled to speak on both nights of the gathering. There is no debate over the political nature of his appearances — something that makes a difference in networks’ decisions on whether to carry speeches live. And as was the case in July, not all White House addresses get live carriage. When Trump gave an address on election security, ABC, NBC and CNN did not carry it live, amid concerns that he would veer into unfounded stolen election claims.

There’s also the football factor: The convention will go up against the start of the NFL season, with NBC airing the Patriots vs. the Seahawks on Wednesday evening and Netflix carrying the 49ers vs. the Rams on Thursday.

C-SPAN is billing itself as the only network to carry the convention in its entirety — from 3 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET — with uninterrupted coverage of speeches, but it will also feature reporters and political analysts before and after each day’s sessions. Greta Brawner, host and executive producer, will be in Washington, and host and on-site producer Kate Michel will be in Dallas.

As of now, in addition to C-SPAN, Fox News is planning extensive coverage, with The Story with Martha MacCallum, The Will Cain Show, Special Report with Bret Baier and The Ingraham Angle a mong those broadcasting live from the American Airlines Center. On both nights, Sean Hannity will host two hour versions of his show, from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET, and FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher will go for 90 minutes on Thursday night starting at 11 p.m. ET. Fox Nation will offer live streams of the convention.

NewsNation will feature two-hour live coverage on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with Leland Vittert anchoring from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET. Providing a counter to the GOP speakers will be James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, who will be interviewed by Vittert on Wednesday evening. Following the primetime coverage, Katie Pavlich will host a special edition of her show at 11 p.m. ET, live from inside the arena.

The midterm convention is breaking with a tradition of parties meeting once every four years for national gatherings, events that typically draw night-after-night coverage on national broadcast and cable networks even if the news value is questionable. They long have been slickly produced promotional weeks for presidential candidates, and even showcases for network personalities and promotion. This year, Democrats are not hosting their own midterm convention, so there will be no opportunity for a natural balance. In fact, as C-SPAN carries the GOP convention, on C-SPAN 2 it will be offering live and recorded events of Democratic candidates in key races in states like Maine, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Texas.

Others on the roster of speakers include Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Donald Trump Jr. Also scheduled as Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Scott Turner, secretary of Housing and Urban Development. House Speaker Mike Johnson will speak, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune is not on the roster. Ken Paxton, in a tight race with Talarico, is also on the lineup.

As a revamped 60 Minutes prepares for its season premiere on Sunday, the show’s former managing editor is claiming that he and others were fired after they raised objections to corporate and ideological interference.

Guy Campanile, in a post on Facebook first obtained by The Guardian, cited the correspondents and other top staffers who were terminated in May, part of a shakeup on the show. He wrote, “After some time and deep reflection, I am now comfortable and prepared to talk about it. Tanya Simon, Draggan Mihailovich, Matthew Polevoy, Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and I refused to be accomplices in the destruction of the most prestigious news program on American television.”

He added, “We would not compromise our principles or reputations by jamming unverifiable notions or White House talking points into our reporting. We objected when told to conduct interviews arranged by the administration.”

Campanile was at the network for 34 years, including stints as executive producer of CBS Evening News and CBS News specials.

He did not write about specific examples. He added, “To be clear – we were told to leave because we insisted on doing our jobs. What has happened recently at 60 Minutes – where I believe editorial independence has become a casualty of corporate priorities and ideological intrusion – was tragic. But it was part of an inevitable progression in the cascade of afflictions that have devalued our most trusted sources of news.”

The network declined to comment. But in the face of criticisms from Pelley, Vega and Alfonsi, who cited individual incidents, the network has pushed back on claims of interference, characterizing them as part of the editorial process. In June, editor in chief Bari Weiss told The Wall Street Journal, “What’s being called ‘editorial interference’ is in reality the job description of an editor in chief.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the show unveiled a trailer for the season premiere, featuring Norah O’Donnell’s interview with the officer who was rescued in Iran after his plane was struck down. Nick Bilton, the new executive producer, told The New York Times that other changes will be part of the program, including a one-minute end segment. He also told the Times that Donald Trump is “one thousand percent” fair game, along with “everyone else in Washington, regardless of which side you’re on.”

In his post, Campanile also criticized journalism in general, writing that it has become “largely an exercise in presentation rather than examination.” He wrote, “Making matters worse is the cadre of self-described influencers and on-line opinionists who market themselves as ‘journalists.’ Some have been given control of our most precious reporting institutions, including CBS News. Many of these newsroom managers have never been exposed to the depths of poverty, the ravages of war or the heartbreak of disaster. Yet these dilettantes and their enablers make critical programming decisions based on what might trend on-line over the next few hours.” Bari Weiss, the editor in chief of CBS News, is a former opinion writer for The New York Times and founder of the center-right site The Free Press.

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.

Lonnie Bunch, who has led the Smithsonian as its secretary for the past seven years, said that he will step down at the end of the year.

His departure comes amid repeated criticism from the Trump administration over how the institution depicts and describes historical events and figures.

In an interview with The New York Times, Bunch said that the pressure from the administration did not lead to his departure, but it “was really just saying, now’s the time.”

In a statement, Bunch said, “There is no place like the Smithsonian—it has been one of the great loves of my life, and I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together. I leave with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward.”

The Smithsonian has enjoyed a long history of independence from the executive branch. It was created by Congress and is overseen by a Board of Regents chaired by Chief Justice John Roberts.

In a statement, Roberts said, “From his days as a young curator at the National Air and Space and American History Museums through his tenure as the founding director of the African American History and Culture Museum and culminating in his distinguished service for the past seven years in the Smithsonian’s top job, Secretary Bunch has pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story. The Regents, and the Smithsonian, have benefited greatly from his wisdom, vision and leadership.”

In July, the Trump administration released a report on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that claimed it was captured by “radical, activist ideology.” That included criticisms of its Entertainment Nation wing. A number of historians’ associations pushed back, with the Organization of American Historians calling the report “part of a broad attempt to return the nation to a vision of America that never actually existed and that serves the ends of superficial patriotism.” Many historians blasted the report as cherry picking instances in a complex that features a central display of the Star Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat and a wing devoted to the United States’ industrial might.

Even though Congress appropriates funding for the Smithsonian, last month, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum threatened to withhold support from executive agencies and departments, claiming that the “radical ideology” had the effect of weakening “our shared American identity.”

Last year, Trump attempted to fire Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, the Smithsonian asserted its independence, although she later resigned. Artist Amy Sherald withdrew a planned exhibition of her works, telling the Times that she had been informed that internal concerns were raised over a work, Trans Forming Liberty, that featured a trans woman standing in a similar pose to the Statue of Liberty.

As it heads into its 29th season this month, South Park announced a change of its name — to South America.

The announcement is a troll of Donald Trump and his drive to rename buildings, bodies of water and even a state.

Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone also got in a dig at Paramount, the parent company of Comedy Central and Paramount+, where the new season will premiere next week.

Parker and Stone said in a statement: “Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA.  We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.”

Trump’s announcement last month that he would rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, amid a trade war with Canada. That was followed by Apple and Google’s falling in line, and agreeing to change the name in their map apps.

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Over the weekend, the show won an Emmy for animated program, and it followed up with another spoof of the president and his craving of kudos.

The Comedy Central season premiere will be at 10 p.m. ET on Sept. 16, followed by streaming availability the next day on Paramount+.

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