THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021 

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Jericka Duncan

Embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and his legal team's efforts to defend him against sexual misconduct allegations became more complicated after one of his previously-anonymous accusers came forward.

Previously referred to as "Executive Assistant #1," Brittany Commisso has now broken her silence, sitting down with CBS's Jericka Duncan in her first public interview.

Commisso's accusations against Cuomo include allegations of one instance where he reached under her shirt to fondle her breast, and another where she said he grabbed her butt. Cuomo has denied the allegations. “What he did to me was a crime,” said Commisso. "It’s simple. I know the truth. He knows the truth. I know what happened and so does he," she replied when Duncan asked her about Cuomo's denials.

Duncan conducted the interview with professionalism and empathy, patiently questioning Commisso and allowing her to share her story. 

MEDIA LOSER:
Dan Bongino

A Saturday appearance by former President Donald Trump on Dan Bongino's Fox News show Unfiltered has caused several days of headaches for the network.

The interview itself was mostly recycled grievances and complaints he didn't get enough credit for the vaccine, plus some comments about recent special elections, but it is what happened after the show aired that caused controversy.

A clip of Trump's comments about the 2020 election was edited out of the video Fox News posted to YouTube. Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington slammed Fox for "censoring" him and host Bongino faced the wrath of angry Trump supporters.

Fox is fighting two lawsuits (they've filed motions to dismiss) related to comments made on their network about election fraud claims, and they don't want to risk violating YouTube's rules, but their editing of this interview has led to a public spat with Bongino and angry viewers. Not the best week for Bongino.

'It's Time That We Put The Burden on Them': CNN National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem Makes The Case for Banning Unvaccinated From Flights

The A-Block

Florida Man vs. Everyone Else

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has found himself a favorite target of both the Democrats and many media personalities as Covid-19 cases in Florida spike, but he seems to be relishing the battle.

DeSantis has openly slammed President Joe Biden's administration on pandemic issues, and Biden has offered his own sharp retort, and then another response back from DeSantis.

Don’t get your medical advice from the governor of Florida,” said CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner.

The criticism wasn't only from the left. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) disagreed with DeSantis' view on mask mandates, saying he preferred to let local officials make those decisions.

MSNBC's Mike Brzezinski said DeSantis was fueling an anti-vaccine "death cult."

And then there's comedian Bill Burr, whose remarks about DeSantis require several asterisks to spell out in polite company. Listen to Burr's epic rant here.



In Other News...

Hungary Scrubs Criticism of China’s Xi Jinping From Tucker Carlson’s Interview With Orban

Jason Isbell Defends Vaccinated-Only Concerts on MSNBC: ‘If You’re Dead, You Don’t Have Any Freedoms at All’

Time’s Up Chairwoman Resigns After It Was Revealed She Reviewed Draft of Letter Attacking Cuomo Accuser

RICHMAN: NY Times Once Again Omits Criticism of Iran Deal From One-Sided Reporting

Must See Clip

Lemon on Legacy

CNN’s Don Lemon floated the possibility that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) would be better off resigning in light of the sexual harassment allegations he is facing.

The comment was all the more remarkable considering Lemon's friendship with Cuomo's brother, Chris Cuomo -- the two CNN hosts frequently exchange friendly banter during the handoff between their two programs.

On Friday, Lemon asked his guest whether Cuomo ought to think about his family’s political legacy in terms of whether to resign or not.

Watch their thoughtful discussion here.

Links We Like

Cuomo and Trump: Who Can Tell the Difference?
- J.D. Tuccille, Reason
Time is running out to save Afghans who helped US troops
- Nicole Narea, Vox
Criminal-Justice Reformers Chose the Wrong Slogan
- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
Get the shot to give children a shot
- Jerry A. Bridgham, Florida Times-Union
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