THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan Goes In-Depth on Moderating the Top-Rated Sunday News Show

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Kevin Tibbles

NBC News correspondent Kevin Tibbles is retiring, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt sent him off into the sunset with a special tribute to honor his decades-long career with the network -- and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) before that -- as his reporting has placed him in a front-row seat to history countless times in all corners of the world.

Tibbles' time as a national correspondent for CBC had him in Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall and doing on-the-ground coverage of the first Gulf War.

Since joining NBC in 1995, the award-winning journalist has appeared on a wide variety of NBC News and MSNBC programs, including NBC Nightly News, TODAY, and several of their online offerings.

He's covered war zones and Olympic games around the globe and has conducted interviews that ranged from world leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev and Tony Blair to everyday people like the Londoners who crowded the streets to mourn during the funeral of Princess Diana and the residents of New Orleans' flood-ravaged wards after Hurricane Katrina. 
 
In the farewell segment with Holt that aired Thursday evening, Tibbles looked back on his career with his trademark cheery disposition and expressed his gratitude for the "honor" of "so many experiences, so many people" he had seen during his travels. "I only have friends, and it has been great bringing stories of ordinary, regular people to the rest of the nation," said Tibbles.

MEDIA LOSER:
Jesse Watters

They say all publicity is good publicity, but your friendly neighborhood Mediaite newsletter correspondent still thinks Uncle Ben had the far superior philosophy: With great power comes great responsibility.

Sigh. If only Fox News' Jesse Watters took more inspiration from Spider-Man's kindly uncle than his top-rated colleague Tucker Carlson

Watters' latest headline-grabbing move was a bizarrely misogynistic critique of Vice President Kamala Harris that got so awkward and bad, even his fellow co-hosts of The Five frantically attempted to shut him up multiple times.

Watters complained that Harris was "acting like a tourist" in her complaints about the "D.C. bubble," and then went right off the rails, saying that he wasn't saying it "but many people are saying that this sounds like a typical female problem. She’s talking–”

“Jesse,” groaned Geraldo Rivera.

“I’m not saying that!” he protested, while totally saying that. “I’m saying this is what people are telling me. They say the first female vice president comes in there and every single–every single article is about her feelings. She feels this way. She feels sad. She feels–”

“Stop it, Jesse!” said Jeanine Pirro, trying to save Watters from himself.

Watters has a new prime time hosting gig and the support of his network. He shouldn't need to resort to these silly stunts for attention. 

The A-Block

Biden beats 'em bigly...

A shocking new poll from Marquette University Law School shows President Joe Biden significantly leading both former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in a set of hypothetical matchups for the 2024 presidential contest.

The wide-ranging poll, like many others released in recent months, shows Biden underwater with voters, continuing to struggle with negative approval numbers. 

However, voters still prefer the current president over two of the GOP's top options for 2024, with Marquette's numbers showing Biden beating both Trump and DeSantis by double digits. 

Read the stunning numbers here.



JUST IN: The First Cat of the United States has had her official debut, and the internet loves her. First Lady Jill Biden introduced Twitter to Willow Biden on Friday morning. Check out the cute gray tabby here.  
 
In Other News...

Stephen Hayes, Who Quit Fox News Over Tucker Carlson's 'Dangerous' Coverage, Joins NBC News

Brianna Keilar Slams Sen. Ron Johnson’s ‘Appalling’ Vaccine Falsehood of Athletes Dropping Dead: ‘That is Nuts!’

Jimmy Kimmel Goes Off on 'Typhoid Mary' Sarah Palin for Dining At NYC Restaurant Days After Covid Diagnosis

LUCIANO: Tucker Carlson's Most Tragic Interview

Must See Clip

"Kiss her hiney!"

Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) sent a harsh message to critics during his State of the State address on Thursday -- and he got some very memorable assistance from his beloved pup, Babydog

After touting West Virginia's recent economic development and other accomplishments, he asked someone to pass Babydog up to where he stood at the podium. 

The governor then proceeded to turn the English bulldog around so she could moon the cameras and he invited his states' critics to "kiss her hiney!" 

Watch the doggone funny moment here (and no, we are not even a tiny bit sorry for that pun).

Links We Like

A Police Officer Died By Suicide After Jan. 6. Here's What He Went Through At The Capitol.
- Ryan J. Reilly, HuffPost
Florida’s waters choke on fertilizer, dead fish and red tides — while Big Ag floats above it all
- Lizette Alvares, Washington Post
About Those Empty Grocery Shelves
- Jim Swift, The Bulwark
Art Should Be a Habit, Not a Luxury
- Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic
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