THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Yuliia Paievska &
The Associated Press

A Ukrainian medic was taken prisoner by the Russians after she provided journalists with shocking footage of the injuries she saw while treating people around Mariupol. 

Yuliia Paievska recorded 256 gigabytes of video on a body cam she wore for over two weeks while she and her colleagues provided medical care to Ukrainian citizens and Russian soldiers alike. She gave the flash drive to reporters from the Associated Press, asking them to take it with them as they fled Mariupol back in March while they were being hunted by the Russians, and they managed to smuggle it through 15 Russian checkpoints hidden inside a tampon. 

The AP released footage from Paievska's excursions, showing her harrowing journeys into war-torn areas. One of the most emotional clips released shows her working to treat an injured young child, and then turning away in anguish, saying “I hate (this)” as it became apparent the boy would not survive.

On Mar. 16, Paievska and her driver were captured by the Russians. She has not been seen since Mar. 21, when her captors forced her to read a statement on television calling for an end to the fighting. 

The bravery of Paievska and the AP journalists who helped transport her flash drive is unquestionable. We do not yet know Paievska's fate, but the video she captured provides evidence of Russian war crimes and documents the real costs of this brutal war, and she need not have a byline or hold a press credential to be a media hero to us.

MEDIA LOSER:
NPR

Employees at NPR could lose their jobs if they forget or refuse to wear masks, and a snitch hotline has been set up to ensure the rules are followed.

Dylan Byers of Puck News obtained an internal memo which encourages workers to tattle on those who dare show their faces in the work place. “NPR is maintaining a very strict mask policy, and has set up an HR tip line for employees to report on colleagues who are not adhering to guidelines—with the possible result of discipline and even termination,” he reported.

Covid-19 remains a real threat, with over a million American lives lost and new variants continuing to bring misery, and a private company can enact protocols it believes protect the health of its employees, but this snitch hotline is just plain creepy -- not to mention contradicting principles that NPR's own journalists have often espoused. 

In fact, a quick search of NPR's website finds multiple articles slamming legislation in various states that seeks to establish snitching schemes, such as Florida's Parental Rights in Education Bill (dubbed "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics) and abortion laws like those in Texas. These laws purport to establish a private cause of action, encouraging people with the lure of monetary damages to rat out teachers with prohibited curricula or women seeking abortions.  

NPR wants its employees to wear masks? Fine. Encouraging employees to snitch on each other and threatening draconian penalties? All Things Considered, we're not fans. 

The A-Block

Groundhog Day Election Season

The looming midterm elections have us feeling like Bill Murray's iconic character Phil Connors, the weatherman trapped in a time loop in the 1993 cult classic film Groundhog Day. But instead of trying to avoid stepping in an icy cold puddle or being pestered to purchase insurance from Ned Ryerson, we're stuck endlessly re-litigating the 2020 election and contemplating the effect of former President Donald Trump's endorsements.

The Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary battle between Trump-endorsed Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick remains too close to call. Predictably, Trump declared it was being "RIGGED." His former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a different take, lauding the "counting of valid absentee ballots" and pulling for McCormick.  

In Alabama, Senate candidate Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) is surprisingly surging after Trump revoked his endorsement. Could a re-endorsement/revocation of the revocation be forthcoming?

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told NBC News that Trump threatened to have her arrested and executed (!) for treason for not calling the state for him in 2020. 

Trump seems to have abandoned former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) in his primary challenge to Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA). Perdue is getting absolutely clobbered in the polls and Trump has reportedly canceled any future appearances in the Peach State to campaign for him. Kemp refused to help Trump overturn the 2020 election in his state and Trump badly wanted to defeat him. Trump is denying he's abandoned Perdue but he also hasn't announced any campaign stops in Georgia or ad spending from his PAC. 

Fake Trump electors from Wisconsin in the 2020 election were named in a suit that seeks to block them from submitting fake elector papers in the future, to stop them from ever serving as official electors, and to fine each of them up to $200,000.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is still agitating about the 2020 election, and accidentally ended up triggering a new investigation into Tina Peters, the pro-Trump Arizona election official who had been indicted on charges related to breaching election machines. 

New emails show Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pushed Arizona lawmakers to overturn Trump's loss

Soon-to-be-former Congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) took a weird turn after losing his primary, posting a bizarre rant on Instagram declaring it was "time for Dark MAGA."

NBC News' "dystopia beat" reporter Ben Collins warned journalists about parroting such language, arguing there were "plenty of words for revanchist politics based on grievance and lies," like "accelerationist violence, fascism, authoritarianism."

“Don’t sanitize it with cute Batman movie words—even if they self-identify as bad guys,” Collins added.


🇺🇦 FOR LATEST UKRAINE COVERAGE CLICK HERE


In Other News...

Elon Musk Jokes About Sexual Misconduct Allegation Against Him With Penile Pun

Ted Cruz Fumes Over ‘Pete Davidson Getting All These Hot Girls’, Reveals Crush on ‘Super Hot Vampire’ Kate Beckinsale

Johnny Depp’s Ex-Bandmate Says He Saw Bruises on Amber Heard: Looked Like ‘Someone Grabbed Her Arm’

CBS Sports Reporter Tells Story of John Daly Smoking 21 Cigarettes During A Practice Round Of Golf


Industry News...

CNN Editor in Chief Meredith Artley Out

RATINGS: May 18 -- Fox News Doubles MSNBC, Quadruples CNN Across Prime Time

Must See Clip

'Pretty awesome'

There was a heartwarming segment on Fox & Friends Thursday morning when a St. Jude patient named Calvin was invited to show off his monster truck design that had been put on Monster Jam toy trucks.

Calvin, 13, designed his very own monster truck during his cancer treatments at St. Jude Hospital, titling the truck “emoji strong.” Monster Jam caught wind of what Calvin was doing and jumped on board, manufacturing toy trucks with his design to sell to raise money and awareness for other kids going through cancer treatments.

“How does it feel to know that [this truck] is going to be able to be purchased and a lot of that money is going to go to the kids at St. Jude?” Brian Kilmeade asked Calvin.

“It feels pretty good, yeah, it feels pretty awesome," the boy replied. 

Monster Jam then had a big surprise -- a really big surprise -- for Calvin: an actual Monster Jam monster truck painted with his designs. 

It's a fun segment, watching the truck come roaring into the stadium as Calvin and his mother watch in delight. Check it out here. 

‘Like Throwing Money Down a Hole’: Kara Swisher Breaks Down
Elon Musk’s Chaotic Bid to Take Over Twitter

Links We Like

Why must we pay to have a slightly less miserable time at the airport?
Emily Stewart, Vox
What Oprah Winfrey Knows About American History That Tucker Carlson Doesn’t
- Nicole Hemmer, New York Times
Has the Left Been Pushing Its Own Version of ‘Great Replacement’ Theory?
- Cathy Young, The Bulwark
Georgetown’s Cowardice on Free Speech
- David From, The Atlantic
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