| Brian Stelter here at 11:23pm ET on Monday, August 23 with the latest on Rachel Maddow, Zeynep Tufekci, Vox, Mayim Bialik, "Spider-Man," Disney World, and more...
From Albany to Sacramento...
Some of the most compelling stories in politics this year have been at state capitols, shining a spotlight on the importance of state-level coverage.
In New York, Kathy Hochul is succeeding Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while Cuomo blames the media for his downfall. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is fighting off radio host Larry Elder and other Republicans who want to replace him. In states in between, Republican governors are opposing anti-Covid measures and claiming to defend freedom -- the freedom to die from a preventable illness.
Let's start in New York with the cover of Tuesday's New York Post:  Regarding the reports that he was leaving his dog behind, Cuomo denied it, of course.
He was defiant until the end. "In his final address on his last day in office," Gov. Cuomo "claimed on Monday that 'intense political pressure and media frenzy' had caused a rush to judgment on sexual harassment allegations made against him, ultimately leading to his resignation," the NYT's Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Katie Glueck wrote.
He specifically "blamed the media for its reporting on the allegations against him, suggesting reporters had been too quick to accept the results of the probe" by the NY A.G., CNN's Greg Krieg wrote. Cuomo alleged that the A.G. report "was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic, and it worked," starting a stampede: "There was a political and media stampede, but the truth will out in time." Which begs the question: How?
Introducing Governor Hochul
Some observers of NY politics wondered if Cuomo would find some sneaky way to retain power, but he's really truly leaving. Hochul will be sworn in at 12:01am – no press – with photos to be released later. Then she'll have a ceremonial swearing-in at 10am for the cameras, followed by a 3pm "virtual address to the people of New York state," which will surely be shown live by local media. The aforementioned Greg Krieg has a brand-new story previewing Hochul's time in office here.
Most people know, from the news coverage, that Hochul will be the first woman to serve as New York governor, but the coverage should also include this historical perspective from The 19th: Hochul will be "one of only nine women governors in America — and one of four who first reached that position through succession rather than election." Only 44 women have served as a governor of any state before Hochul, compared with "at least 1,000 men governors" in US history, Barbara Rodriguez wrote...
Recall alert
The looming recall election in California is getting more national press with each passing week. Reminder: September 14 is the day. Ballots have already arrived in mailboxes. CNN has a what-you-need-to-know piece here.
Peter Hamby just published an excellent overview of the race via his Puck newsletter. He says Elder "has stayed relentlessly on message, attacking the media, calling Newsom an elitist, and running a series of simple, straight-to-camera ads that don't mention his party affiliation." Hamby also notes that recall polls "are few and far between, but in July, Elder was leading all candidates with 18 percent of the vote."
Since then -- actually, just in the past week -- Elder's campaign was "battered by new revelations, including a Politico report that his ex-fiancee alleges that in the course of an abusive relationship, he pulled a loaded gun on her during an argument. Elder has denied those accusations," Politico's Carla Marinucci wrote. "CNN last week reported Elder's history of crude remarks on women, and The San Francisco Chronicle reported Elder once said it was 'smart' for women to tolerate sexism and offensive workplace behavior." The Los Angeles Times has been scrutinizing Elder as well.
Elder's media star-power
The LAT's Sacramento bureau chief John Myers wrote last week that "Elder has succeeded in gaining the national attention the others surely crave, accepting multiple invitations in recent weeks from conservative-friendly TV and radio programs." He said the appearances have been "laden with assertions that went largely unchallenged by his fellow, friendly broadcasters." This is an advantage that comes with being a conservative radio host – while you have media rivals, yes, you have lots of allies for your campaign... FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE -- Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, posted a picture of his resignation letter along with her message, "Let's make a future where our daughters won't have to fight the same fights." (Twitter)
-- Staying on the state capitol theme, here's another example of governors in the news: "GOP governors tout Covid-19 treatment over prevention measures..." (CNN)
-- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was back on Sean Hannity's show Monday night, and back to blasting The AP... (Florida Politics)
-- A reason for hope? "In solidly blue Vermont, a Republican governor has transcended the partisan bitterness engulfing much of the country..." (US News) Who will replace Rachel Maddow at 9pm?
With Rachel Maddow renewing her contract with MSNBC but shifting into a new gear – "studio boss" is how Axios described her on Monday, quoting a source -- MSNBC execs need a new plan for the 9pm hour.
I reported yesterday that she will segue from a daily to weekly show sometime next year. The NY Post's follow-up on Monday was titled "Rachel Maddow will switch to weekly show under new MSNBC contract." This is seismic for the cable news network – which may be why no one is confirming it yet. In speaking with sources inside MSNBC, however, it is not surprising. Colleagues have sensed for years that Maddow's burnout was leading to this point. She has lots of other interests and wants time for them. So the talk inside MSNBC has turned to succession. "She's our Oprah," one senior staffer remarked. So who could take over? Who could retain most of Maddow's audience? I'll have more on this tomorrow... How the Pfizer vaccine approval played
-- "It's time for you to go get your vaccination and get it today," President Biden said to unvaccinated Americans during remarks at the WH...
-- The FDA decision was the lead story across the nightly evening newscasts, except on Fox's "Special Report," which led with Afghanistan and briefly mentioned the great vaccine news at the 21-minute mark...
-- Overall, Fox talked about the Pfizer news a whole lot less than CNN or MSNBC. I found 40 results for the word "vaccine" in a closed captioning search of Fox on Monday, versus more than 80+ results for "vaccine" on CNN and 90+ on MSNBC...
-- The US military "will now require all service members to be vaccinated." Other institutions also announced mandates...
-- Shares in AMC Entertainment jumped nearly 7% on the news. Imax also enjoyed "a nearly 7% bump in its stock price" and "Cinemark fared even better, with its share price increasing 8% on the day," TheWrap reports...
-- "Disney World's unions have agreed to Disney's vaccine mandate," per Brooks Barnes of the NYT... Anti-mask New York Post requires employees "mask up"
Oliver Darcy writes: "The New York Post might publicly peddle anti-mask rhetoric, decrying 'madness' from the CDC and calling for the lifting of mask mandates. But privately the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid is requiring all its employees 'mask up' at the office, per a memo I obtained. It's the latest example of the brazen hypocrisy in Murdoch's media empire, where outlets deride public health guidance while quietly implementing such measures in their own companies. More in my story here..." FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO -- On a related note: "Public health officials are aggressively dispelling claims by right-wing media personalities who have been promoting an anti-parasitic drug used for livestock as a potential Covid-19 treatment," Darcy writes... (CNN)
-- Donie O'Sullivan illustrated the downstream effects of right-wing media rhetoric in his latest report from Alabama on "AC360" Monday night... (Twitter)
-- Dean Obeidallah says radio host Phil Valentine's death "should prompt others to end vaccine lies..." (CNN)
-- David A. Graham's pessimistic conclusion: "Many conservatives are tired of being told how to live by the majority, and they want to live exactly as they please, even if that means they may die — and even if that means making other people sick along the way." (The Atlantic)
-- Casey Newton's latest is about "Facebook's Widely Viewed Content report debacle and why we can't rely on self-reported platform data to understand the world..." (Platformer)
-- Craziness on top of craziness: "Records reveal that California police sent an aircraft to search for a nonexistent 'antifa bus' after reading rightwing conspiracy theories on Instagram and Facebook," Sam Levin reports... (Guardian) TUESDAY PLANNER The Paralympic Games opening ceremonies begin at 6:55am ET on NBCSN...
Biden will deliver remarks about Afghanistan around noon...
New releases include Louise Penny's novel "The Madness of Crowds..." Jill Biden's office condemns Fox host's "disgusting" comment
Oliver Darcy writes: "Jill Biden's office on Monday ripped comments made by Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy who had said the First Lady 'failed the country' when she let her husband run for president. 'This is disgusting,' press sec Michael LaRosa tweeted. LaRosa went on to say that Campos-Duffy and Fox can 'do better' and that he hopes 'they'll apologize' to Jill Biden and 'leave this kind of talk in the [trash] where it belongs.' I personally wouldn't hold my breath for such an apology..." FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE -- Dave Weigel quipped: "President's approval rating below 50%. You know what that means: Trips to Biden Country to ask Biden voters why they still support him..." (Twitter)
-- Rich Lowry's newest column: "Even a biased press is calling Biden out on his Afghan debacle..." (NYPost)
-- A very different POV via Ilhan Omar's comms director Jeremy Slevin: "The U.S. has now evacuated more than four times the amount of refugees from Afghanistan than we did from Saigon. Maybe the over-the-top press outrage is actually about the fact that Biden ended a 20 year war in the first place..." (Twitter)
-- Great example of connecting-the-dots reporting: "Though separated by nearly 1,000 miles," the astonishing flash flooding in Tennessee and rainfall records in NYC "are examples of the same phenomenon: human-caused climate change supercharging extreme rainfall events..." (CNN)  Is Mayim Bialik now the "Jeopardy!" frontrunner?
Oliver Darcy writes: "Mayim Bialik will be the first new guest host of 'Jeopardy!' in the wake of Mike Richards' abrupt departure from the job. Bialik will host three weeks worth of episodes, sources familiar with the matter told me and Stelter. Sony then confirmed our report and said 'additional guest hosts will be announced' as the show moves forward with production of its new season, which debuts in mid-September. Bialik was named the show's new primetime host earlier this month, which sounded like a consolation prize. But this news suggests she is being strongly considered for the daily role. A source told me that 'the studio loves' her and that 'she has become a real viable choice for Sony.' More details in our story here..."
Richards isn't calling the shots on next host
Darcy adds: "There has been some speculation that Richards, who remains exec producer for now, is making decisions about the next host. But I'm told that is not the case. Instead, per my source, Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra and Global Television Studios chairman Ravi Ahuja are the people directly involved in the search. Per that source, the execs 'very much don't want to go through another extended audition process,' so we'll see how long this lasts. Stelter pointed out last week that Ken Jennings is another logical solution to Sony's problem..." FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR -- Margaret Sullivan writes about "how journalism saved 'Jeopardy!' from an unworthy host after an utter failure of corporate vetting..." (WaPo)
-- "The Jeopardy hosting saga has become a cautionary morality tale," argues Aja Romano... (Vox)
-- "NBCUniversal is taking steps to replace Nielsen because of how it counts viewers — and other TV giants could follow its lead..." (Insider)
-- A looming Sinclair-Dish deal is "likely to set precedent for RSN carriage," John Ourand reports... (SBJ)
-- Jack Shafer's latest: "From Clickbait to Subscriberbait..." (Politico) Back to campus!
Just a personal note for anyone connected to the Georgetown community: I'm joining the Institute of Politics and Public Service as a Fall 2021 Fellow, which means I'll be on campus this semester leading discussion group sessions and holding office hours. This fall's five other fellows are Amna Nawaz, Charlotte Clymer, Ambassador Bob Lighthizer, Rory Cooper, and Rebecca Pearcey. If you're a Hoya, check out the info here and email me anytime... Vox to go public?
Vox Media announced Monday that it is purchasing Punch, a site "dedicated to drinks and drinking culture." The deal, WSJ's Ben Mullin wrote, comes as Vox "is considering several options that would allow the company to finance further expansion." Per Mullin, "Those options include going public through a special-purpose acquisition company ... a traditional IPO or raising additional funding..." FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE By Kerry Flynn:
-- "Struggling news industry steps up recruitment of diverse leaders" is the headline to Gerry Smith's important story where he interviewed new media leaders including Miami Herald exec editor Monica Richardson and The Dallas Morning News exec editor Katrice Hardy... (Bloomberg)
-- Steven Perlberg and Natalie Jarvey got their hands on some of Spotify's internal numbers that show Gimlet Media is lagging behind its sister podcast networks, Parcast and The Ringer... (Insider)
-- Zeynep Tufekci is joining NYT as an opinion columnist. She tweeted that her Substack will turn into a free newsletter for a future book... (NYT)  Top of the morning
Season two of "The Morning Show" lands in less than a month. (Full disclosure slash reminder, I'm a consulting producer on the series.) Apple TV+ released the official trailer on Monday morning, which includes a curious reference to "this coronavirus thing," suggesting the new season's newsroom action is set in a real-world timeline. But I'm sworn to secrecy 😉 FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX -- ViacomCBS is looking to sell its "CBS Studio Center property, known locally as CBS Radford," a 40-acre site in Studio City... (Bloomberg)
-- "Season 3 of the wildly popular comedy-drama 'Succession' is set to premiere on HBO in October, the streamer announced in a tweet on Monday..." (Variety)
-- Speaking of "Succession," Rebecca Mead has a big new profile of the show's creator Jesse Armstrong in this week's New Yorker... (TNY)
-- HBO also said that "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Insecure" will return in October... (THR)
-- "Samantha Morton, who recently appeared in 'The Walking Dead,' has joined the high-profile cast of 'She Said...'" (THR) "Spider-Man" trailer, for real
Frank Pallotta writes: "The trailer for 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' — or some version of it — reportedly leaked online over the weekend, sending millions of fans searching social media for any tidbits. It was quickly scrubbed from the internet, but the attention was yet another great example of Spider-Man's popularity. On Monday evening, the actual teaser trailer was released across social media, so here it is..." Early raves for 'Shang-Chi'
Brian Lowry writes: "Marvel's early embargo lift on reviews for 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' suggests the studio was anticipating a favorable verdict from critics, and they're mostly right. The film -- which strikes another blow for inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its predominantly Asian cast -- manages to balance epic world building and lighter comedy, resembling 'Doctor Strange' more than any of the other Marvel origin stories. The test will be whether the appetite for Marvel fare, and exclusive theatrical release starting September 3, can overcome the general malaise impacting theater-going -- a question that wasn't fully answered by 'Black Widow' given its dual Disney+ premium availability..."
'Black Widow' streaming numbers fire up the ScarJo vs Disney lawsuit
Frank Pallotta writes: "Disney is releasing more details about the financial performance of 'Black Widow' as the company pushes to have a lawsuit brought by Scarlett Johansson go to arbitration. The company revealed in a court filing that the Marvel superhero film has made more than $125 million in streaming and online revenue as of August 15." Read on...
>> Lowry adds: "That revenue from streaming certainly isn't chopped liver, but it reinforces a sense that only a relatively small number of Disney+ subscribers were willing to pony up $30 for the privilege and convenience of watching at home. What we don't know is what that number would have been without a theatrical release, any more than we can know precisely to what extent that home viewing cannibalized theatrical movie-going versus adding to it..."
>> "'Wandavision' star Elizabeth Olsen has voiced her support for Scarlett Johansson amid her lawsuit against Disney..." (Deadline) FOR THE RECORD, PART SEVEN By Lisa Respers France:
-- Molly Shannon's family tragedy shaped one of her most famous characters...
-- Nicole Kidman takes "Nine Perfect Strangers" on a dark ride and more...
-- Nicole Ari Parker appears to have replaced Kim Cattrall in the "Sex and The City" SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST...
Pet of the day
Reader Craig Mackenhausen emails a photo of Jack during "belly rub time..."   Thank you for reading! Email us your feedback and tips anytime. We'll be back tomorrow... Share this newsletter:
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