THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart pulled no punches in criticizing Republican senators who blocked a veteran’s health bill in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday night.

Every Democrat and eight Republicans voted for the PACT Act, a bill to care for veterans and 9/11 first responders exposed to toxic chemicals, which still fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass.

On Thursday, Stewart railed against the Republican senators in expletive-filled remarks on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

“Ain’t this a bitch? America’s heroes, who fought in our wars, outside sweating their asses off, while these motherf**kers sit in the air conditioning, walled off from any of it,” Stewart raged.

The comedian and veterans' rights advocate has since sat down for interviews on numerous networks, both left and right-leaning, to push for the bill, which would cover health care benefits for more than 3 million veterans exposed to burn pit toxins.

“And every one of those Republicans that voted against health care for veterans voted for the slush fund for the war. They don’t support the troops. They support the war machine. And that’s got to stop,” Stewart said to Newsmax anchor Shaun Kraisman.

While on CNN’s The Lead, Stewart he told Jake Tapper he even visited the office of several Senate Republicans to demand why they voted against the bill.

Stewart later joined Fox News on Friday morning -- after the network allegedly refused him airtime on Wednesday -- calling out Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) for saying the bill included a "budget gimmick."

“That’s just not true,” Stewart said, explaining that nothing has been added to the bill since it originally passed in an 84-14 vote.

MEDIA LOSER:
Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson took time out of his day to make a Twitter poll dedicated to finding a new name for monkeypox, a viral disease that can cause fever, muscle pain, lesions, and other symptoms.

The Fox News host announced the winner on Thursday night: “Schlong covid.”

Those at the highest risk of contracting the disease are men who have sex with other men, according to the World Health Organization. One study showed that 95% of cases were contracted during sex between men.

The homophobic implications of mockingly calling a disease that primarily impacts gay men "schlong covid" were lost on just about no one. Good one, Tucker.

Carlson, of course, introduced the results of his Twitter poll with dramatic “Fox News Alert” music.

"So, monkeypox is about the coolest name ever for a disease,” he said. “But they are changing the name because racism or something.”

He then cited the poll.

“So, we had a vote. There was no ballot harvesting. You can trust our counting. And the new name for monkeypox is now officially – and we’re declaring it – schlong covid," he announced.

"That won our audience election result with about 40% of the vote. So, let Rochelle Walensky at the CDC know. Her number is 1-800-232-4636. Wait for the prompt on monkeypox and make your voice heard because it’s still a democracy.”

While there has been an effort to change the name of monkeypox due to stigmas associated with it in certain communities ... resorting to gay jokes is simply not it.

The A-Block

Kusher's turn to tell all

Jared Kushner is the latest Donald Trump administration official to put his experiences on paper.

In a memoir set to be published on Aug. 23 -- excerpts of which have been obtained by several outlets -- Kushner revealed that he was treated for thyroid cancer while he was serving in the Trump White House.

Trump's son-in-law and former senior adviser also claimed Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly “shoved” Ivanka Trump following a contentious meeting.

Although Mick Mulvaney told CNN anchor Chris Wallace the notion was "inconceivable," Kushner alleged that Kelly shoved Ivanka while in a "heated state of mind."

In another portion of the memoir obtained by Fox News Digital, Kushner recalled an "awkward moment" when Dr. Anthony Fauci received a direct phone call from CNN’s Jim Acosta -- then one of Trump’s most vocal critics in the media.

“Early in the pandemic, Fauci was sitting in my office when his phone rang. We both glanced down and saw the caller’s name: Jim Acosta, the president’s chief antagonist on the generally hostile news network CNN," Kushner wrote.

"Neither of us acknowledged the awkward moment, but it stuck in my mind."

Kushner also wrote about his “toxic” workplace relationship with Steve Bannon while the two worked together in the West Wing.

In quotes published by CNN, Kushner detailed Bannon’s close relationship with the media and notes he was “woefully unprepared” to handle Bannon, who he wrote has “a black belt in the dark arts of media manipulation.”

“Bannon single-handedly caused more problems for me than anyone else in my time in Washington. He probably leaked and lied about me more than everyone else combined," he wrote.

"He played dirty and dragged me into the mud of the Russia investigation. But now that he was in trouble, I felt like helping him was the right thing to do."


In Other News...

Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls for Defunding Law Enforcement

Criminal Complaint Filed Against Trump’s Saudi Golf Tourney-Hosting Resort After Presidential Seal Spotted on Course

Dan Abrams Schools Ex-Superman Dean Cain Over Claim He’s ‘Never Heard’ of NewsNation Despite Appearing on the Network

Politico’s ‘Biden’s Back in the Game’ Assertion Does Not Go Over Well With Conservative Twitter

WATCH: NBC’s Today Honors Pete Williams in a Sendoff Celebrating His 29 Years With the Network

RATINGS: Joy Reid Leads MSNBC in the Demo, Tucker Still Triples

Must See Clip

Rebel Rebel

Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) gave her Republican colleagues quite the salute during the Congressional Baseball Game on Thursday.

Sanchez flipped off the GOP bench as she made her way back to her team's dugout -- casually trotting past them while giving the bird. 

Despite the badass demeanor, the GOP decimated the Dems 10-0. You can't win them all. 

Links We Like

- Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
Exploring the paradox of Beyoncé and her latest album
- Joe Coscarelli and Ben Sisario, New York Times
The bizarre world of Dr. Oz’s Senate campaign
- Nia Prater, Intelligencer
Immigrants are good for the economy, so why won't Congress let more in?
- Fiona Harrigan, Reason
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