BREAKING: Trump Seeks $10 Billion From Murdoch and SkyDance Met With FCC Before Ending Colbert: the Media has Failed

Trump is seeking $10 billion in damages from Murdoch, Skydance's CEO met with the FCC days before ending Colbert's show, Bondi files for releasing some of the Epstein files, and more

I want to begin tonight on a serious note—because the truth is, much of the mainstream media is failing us. And in this moment, that failure is not just disappointing—it’s dangerous.

Below, as promised, is a full news recap from today. But first, something important.

Earlier today, the Writers Guild of America issued a statement saying it has “significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval.” Just minutes ago, we learned that the CEO of Skydance met privately with the chairman of Trump’s FCC just days before the show was pulled.

Let’s not pretend this is shocking. The media was supposed to serve the people. To challenge power. To tell the truth, no matter who it made uncomfortable. But instead, we’ve seen ABC News pay out hush money. We’ve seen Stephen Colbert’s show disappear after daring to criticize Trump. We’ve seen silence where there should be outrage.

There are many journalists I admire—brave, honest people trying to do the work. But they are not the ones calling the shots. The executives are. And the executives serve shareholders, not the truth.

That’s why this space matters. We’re doing it differently. No corporate owners. No billionaire backers. No paywall. Just facts, accountability, and a community that believes the truth still matters. This Substack is free and always will be—but only because of readers like you.

As we have seen, Donald Trump is going after the media, and I won’t stop just because some tell me to. Please consider subscribing today not just to help this keep going, but ensure that if Trump turns on independent media, we can fight back:

And now, here’s the news.

• President Trump has officially filed his promised lawsuit against Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters, seeking at least $10 billion in damages, punitive damages, and other relief. Here is the lawsuit.

• U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, joined by Deputy AG Todd Blanche, has filed a motion to unseal 2019 grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case—calling it “a matter of public concern” and citing public backlash to a recent DOJ memo that found no basis to investigate uncharged third parties.

• Pam Bondi wants to release the grand jury transcripts from the Epstein case, but wants to redact personal identifying information.

• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused Barack Obama and former senior national security officials of a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine Trump’s 2016 win, calling for their prosecution and alleging they “manufactured intelligence” about Russian interference using the discredited Steele dossier.

• House Republicans passed Trump’s proposed funding cuts just after midnight Friday, slashing nearly $8 billion in foreign aid and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting. The bill passed 216-213, with two Republicans (Mike Turner and Brian Fitzpatrick) joining all Democrats in opposition. The vote could have tied, but three Democrats elected in November have since died.

• Steve Bannon responded to the Wall Street Journal’s story about the Epstein letter, saying it has “united” Trump’s supporters behind him.

• Democrats are questioning the timing of CBS’s cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which came just days after Colbert criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a $16 million lawsuit with Trump.

• Skydance CEO David Ellison met with FCC Chair Brendan Carr just two days before CBS announced it would cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after the 2026 season, citing financial reasons—sparking accusations from Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren that the move was a political favor to Trump as Paramount seeks merger approval.

• The Writers Guild of America has urged New York Attorney General Letitia James to investigate Paramount for “potential wrongdoing” in its sudden cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, citing concerns it was a politically motivated move to appease Trump amid a merger bid—following Paramount’s $16M settlement with Trump over a CBS lawsuit Colbert called a “big fat bribe” just days before the cancellation.

• The Trump administration is set to destroy nearly $10 million worth of long-acting contraceptives intended for women in crisis zones abroad—citing aid restrictions tied to abortion services—at a taxpayer cost of $167,000, even as global health groups report severe shortages; the move is part of a broader dismantling of USAID, which experts warn could result in over 14 million additional deaths by 2030.

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reassigned Rear Adm. Yvette Davids—the first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy—replacing her with Marine Corps Gen. Michael Borgschulte, amid broader moves by the Trump administration to remove high-ranking military leaders who are women or people of color, and following Hegseth’s controversial past remarks opposing women in combat roles.

• The head of Israel’s Mossad visited Washington this week, reportedly seeking the Trump administration’s support in ethnically cleansing Gaza, according to Axios, citing two unnamed sources.

• Trump’s immigration crackdown—particularly ending protections for migrants with temporary legal status—is worsening staffing shortages in the long-term senior care industry, which relies heavily on immigrant workers, leading to layoffs, increased costs, and fears of reduced care quality.

• Under the Trump administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs has dismantled diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts—banning LGBTQ+ pride flags, ending gender-affirming care, removing anti-discrimination language from medical bylaws, and encouraging staff to report colleagues promoting DEI—actions that nearly 100 lawmakers and veterans say threaten care for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and politically active patients, creating a chilling effect across the VA healthcare system.

See you in the morning.

— Aaron