The $111 Billion Merger That Gives Trump's Ally Control of CNN
DOJ clears Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal despite conflict of interest concerns - with Bari Weiss reportedly set to take editorial helm of both CNN and CBS News
The US Justice Department will not challenge the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, removing the biggest regulatory obstacle to a deal that would place two major movie studios, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services, and two major news networks - CNN and CBS News - under the control of tech scion David Ellison, the New York Times reports. In an unusually detailed statement, the DOJ said its investigation concluded the deal was “not likely to harm competition or American consumers” - language that could help shield the merger from challenges by state attorneys general, several of whom have pledged their own scrutiny. Britain’s antitrust regulator separately announced it would launch its own investigation. The clearance has drawn criticism given President Trump’s close ties to Ellison and his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Paramount also settled a Trump lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview for $16 million just weeks before Ellison completed his $8 billion acquisition of the company last year. The deal carries a ticking financial clock: Paramount faces quarterly penalty payments to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders if the merger doesn’t close by September 30.
Bari Weiss Poised to Take Editorial Helm of CNN - Reports
If the merger clears, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is expected to gain editorial oversight of CNN as well, according to Axios - a remarkable expansion of influence less than a year into her tenure. Paramount executives are said to be in preliminary discussions with several candidates to handle the business side of the combined operation alongside Weiss, including CNN CEO Mark Thompson, NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, former NBC News chief Noah Oppenheim, Daily Beast CEO Ben Sherwood, and former CBS News president David Rhodes. The search signals that Weiss - whose background is in print and digital journalism rather than television management - would hold editorial authority across two of America's most prominent news brands.
Adding another layer of complexity: CBS News is the BBC's principal American broadcast partner, meaning any editorial shift there reverberates directly into British public broadcasting. Ellison is said to be firmly behind her: "She has the full confidence of David Ellison, who believes Bari has done a fantastic job," one source told Axios.
And for topping, a meta twist: CNN's own Brian Stelter, who has been covering the merger, told Business Insider he sees "a lot of great opportunities" in a combined CNN-CBS - while acknowledging he may himself be employed by the merged company later this year. "Nobody knows how it's going to work," he said, noting reasons to be skeptical of reports about a business-side partner for Weiss. Rarely does a journalist covering a deal have quite this much skin in the game.
A deal with the US to end fighting in Iran is close and includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Foreign Minister has said. Seyed Abbas Araghchi told state TV the deal also includes the lifting of a US blockade of Iran, but that talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin later. US officials have confirmed some of the details of the agreement, saying economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran meeting its obligations. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had cancelled “scheduled attacks” against Iran, because negotiators had “just made a great settlement” - a deal that was likely be to signed imminently. On Friday, Iranian media published some details from the alleged 14-point deal which Trump said had “nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to” and “bears no relation to the truth”. A few hours later, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country helped mediate the deal, said the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran had been agreed and awaited finalising. Iran’s Araghchi was quoted in state media saying there are “supporters and opponents” of the latest terms of the deal among Iran’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council. However, he added that a collective decision had not been reached. “For now, we must wait. If approved, the agreement will be signed remotely,” he said. In a detailed briefing with journalists on Friday afternoon, US officials said the deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in return for the US lifting its blockade on Iranian shipping - BBC
A new Amnesty International report challenges Phnom Penh’s claims of success in dismantling online fraud compounds, finding evidence of state intervention at only 24 of 86 identified scam sites — roughly a quarter — as of April. According to Nikkei Asia, authorities appeared to act mainly in response to international pressure or high-profile incidents, Amnesty said, despite government assertions that more than 250 operations have been targeted since mid-2024. The 150-page report raises sharp questions about the treatment of trafficking victims. Of 73 former workers interviewed, none had been officially recognized as trafficking victims by Cambodian authorities — even though most described conditions meeting international legal criteria. Nearly all of the 133 survivors interviewed over three years would qualify, Amnesty found, with many lured by promises of legitimate work before being confined to guarded compounds and forced to run online scams under threat of violence. Researchers also documented accounts suggesting possible collusion between compound operators and local officials, with some survivors reporting that managers fled before police raids arrived. A mass exodus of workers between December 2025 and April 2026 has created a fresh crisis, with some escapees detained in conditions described as worse than basic prisons. “The crackdown is happening, and it’s real,” said Amnesty’s co-regional director for East and Southeast Asia, Montse Ferrer — “but strong messaging alone is not enough if the root causes and enabling structures remain in place.”
After facing a week of online criticism for appearing in a promotional video for 51 Park, a 51-storey luxury residential development in Herzliya, Israel, actor Gwyneth Paltrow is keeping quiet on social media and has yet to address the backlash publicly. The 53‑year‑old Oscar winner appears in the commercial released Sunday by developer Aviv by Melisron. In the spot, Paltrow narrates a morning routine and praises the appeal of park‑side buildings. When a driver asks if she means New York, she replies, “Herzliya, Israel.” The clip, posted by the developer on YouTube and Instagram, quickly gained wider attention after reposts drew sharp public reaction. An Instagram post slamming Paltrow’s participation in the ad by satirist account Saint Hoax attracted hundreds of thousands of likes and prompted a wave of criticism on social platforms. Commenters on the post cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the humanitarian toll there as the reason Paltrow’s participation was inappropriate. Paltrow did not post the ad on her social accounts. However, many commenters posted Palestinian flags and “Free Palestine” messages on her most recent Instagram posts. Several public figures amplified the backlash. Alana Hadid, activist and sister of models Bella and Gigi Hadid — who has frequently voiced pro‑Palestine views online — reshared criticism on her Instagram Stories and called the campaign “tone deaf” and “complicit.” Actor Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education, Thunderbolts) commented “Oh my god.” - CBC
The journals…..
…”Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.”
Joseph Goebbels