THE DAILY NEWSLETTER  - TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Andrew Napolitano

Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Andrew Napolitano has, over the last few years, found himself in and out of favor with Donald Trump conservatives. 

He is praised on the left and vilified on the right when he is at odds with the president, as was the case many times in the lead-up to impeachment. And the reverse is true, too: blasted by Democrats and cited as an expert by the right when he is in agreement.

On Tuesday, though, he was in a more unique position as a result of the coronavirus and subsequent government action. Napolitano was extremely critical of new measures in some states, including steps taken by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, saying to Tucker Carlson Monday night that "we are witnessing the slow death, the death in slow motion of civil liberties."

On Tuesday morning, he combined that with criticism of Trump's claim to absolute power over the states. And he's already on the record ripping a "mass surveillance" plan from Jared Kushner to shreds.

Consistency is not only its own reward, it's a media win.
MEDIA LOSER:
Dean Baquet

The New York Times drew criticism on Sunday for how it framed a story about former Vice President Joe Biden and an allegation of sexual assault against him.

The Times published an article on Sunday examining the allegation of Tara Reade, who claims that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 when he was a U.S. senator. That article contained a line stating that the paper "found no pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Biden" and, originally, the caveat "beyond the hugs, kisses and touching that women previously said made them uncomfortable."

That last bit was removed after publishing, a decision that drew fire over the weekend.

On Tuesday, New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet revealed in a very transparent interview with the Times' own Ben Smith why the paper edited that text.

Baquet’s answer revealed the line was removed at the behest of the Biden campaign.

None of it looked good for the paper, or for Baquet, and the interview did nothing to alleviate the fallout. 

The A-Block

Mixed Messages

Within the same hour on Tuesday, both Economic Council director Larry Kudlow and NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci delivered conflicting signals about where the United States economy is headed in the next couple of weeks.

Kudlow told Fox Business’ Stuart Varney that “the country is ready to go back to work” at 11:20 a.m. EST., while Fauci told the Associated Press that “we’re not there yet” around the same time.

It's like "Choose Your Own Adventure" but with actual human lives at stake.

Dueling chyrons

It’s often said that Fox News and CNN almost report as if from alternate universes.

But rarely has a moment so starkly underlined this dichotomy than President Donald Trump’s bizarre coronavirus press briefing did yesterday, when those networks' dueling chyrons presented viewers with a real-time black-vs.-white, up-vs.-down narrative on the president’s behavior and rhetoric.

Speaking of altering the news

It's not just the New York Times under fire over editorial decisions on Tuesday. Bloomberg News, too, is in hot water, after it was revealed the outlet killed the second part of an investigation examining China’s Communist Party elite without notifying the reporters. A pretty sordid tale.

Not to mention the Washington Post with their own controversy, over the framing of an article about a pastor who died from coronavirus.

Endorsed

Former President Barack Obama endorsed his former VP Joe Biden on Tuesday, in a very expected video.

NOT Endorsed

The former president un-endorsed in that video too, it seemed, with an apparent thinly-veiled shot at Fox News.

'Sudden cardiac death'

A private CIA website warned employees about the potential dangers of hydroxychloroquine — the untested coronavirus treatment that President Trump has spent weeks promoting — including the potential for “sudden cardiac death.”

Death spirals for everyone

After being asked by The View co-host Meghan McCain about President Trump’s controversial coronavirus press briefings, former NJ GovChris Christie said, "I think the press has been in a death spiral that the president participates in, which hurts both of them."

Return to normalcy? Depends on your party...

A new Gallup Panel Survey finds that most Americans are cautious about the idea of resuming normal, day-to-day business in the country after stay-at-home orders and social distancing mandates are lifted.

But the poll also found the opinions divide over political lines, with three times as many Republicans expressing they would be “immediately” ready to return to prior activities as Democrats.

 

Must-See Clip of the Day

Sorry about that... again, sorry ... sorry some more

John Barry, the author of The Great Influenza, was repeatedly interrupted by a goofy ringtone as he attempted to answer serious questions about the coronavirus pandemic during an interview on MSNBC, Tuesday.

It was an absurdly and somewhat darkly humorous moment, among many that have been popping up as people are attempting to conduct the business of television from their homes.

It's kind of amazing, really.

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Links We Like

The Me President: Trump uses pandemic briefing to focus on himself
via Washington Post
When COVID-19 recedes, it will leave behind economic crisis. But, as always, some will profit
via New Yorker
Down the coronavirus conspiracy theory rabbit hole: WWG1WGA 
- via Erick Erickson
How China deceived the WHO
- via The Atlantic
How Joe Biden won over Bernie Sanders — and the Democratic Party
- via Vox
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