Trump vs. Canada, Paramount Settlement Saga, and Melania's Return

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Where we get your podcasts and on YouTube. The stop getting excited about that Trump health news. I had this evil ass teacher in the fifth grade. She's still alive. Hi everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine in the box media podcast network on

Kara Swisher. And I'm kicking off yet another week of... I literally... I would play that all year if I could. Scott is still away missing me terribly. Of course he hasn't been in touch at all. He of course fancies in self a comedian but for days episode I brought in the real deal. Roy Wood Jr. Emmy winning comedian actor and producer and host

of CNN's satirical news quiz which I've been on and will be on very soon. Actually, have I got news for you? Welcome Roy. Thank you for having me. You know, and I know that Scott is listening to us in a meta jail in the wait room right now and I just want to say to him "You only do two days. The day in and day out." You know, tell the truth.

That's why he's gone this year. Just go and pay pets. Well he's allegedly his on vacation. But I don't know.

“I think he's posting a lot more recently. So he's obviously has to weigh in on the news.”

Like he's dying because Natalie Hark is happening right now. Which is awesome. I think I feel CNN's had to be dark for three months. I know that's true. Yeah, Trump tapping dead people's caskets. It's been a lot. It's been a lot. Let's explain the show. I love your show. I've been on it several times. I'll be on it really soon in a couple of weeks I think.

For the people I haven't watched it, it's 30 years the show is running Britain. Where the way they disseminate the news is they ask panelists. What? It's a fake quiz show about current events and you don't have the no shit. In fact, it's funnier if you don't. And by the end of the hour, you me, Amber Ruffin, Amitaly and Black. We have figured out everything this week.

The way I try to differentiate where have I got new sits in the Oliver Daily Show verse of political satiris that we are here to simply tell you what happened. We don't have the time to get into why and who and what is the solution and the deep dot. We just don't have time because we like to be the show where

“you need to know what's happening politically with Trump. But then you also need to know that a”

dude got himself kicked out of a WNBA game and there was a green dildo. Like that we want to cover the gamut. Explain the green dildo. I don't think as a man I can explain. I don't know. Why green? I don't know. As a man probably it is my responsibility. Yeah, it is. It ain't the women throwing up. Like everyone's like men and trans people in the WMBA. There's no trans people at WM. There's just straight men throwing dildos. So that's in running.

Yeah, don't it? Yeah, stand on it. Do you throw a dildo? Just say, hey, it was me. Yeah, yeah. I'd like to have a conversation about politics now. Yeah, would you ever throw a dildo? I don't know if I'd ever touch a dildo.

straw. I just assume it's been in somebody's mouth. Okay. But of course, why would why would a man do that? I mean, it's just like there have the ladies are having a good time. Lots of you learn a good time. If you've been to a WMBA game, they're fun. Yeah, I've gone to a couple of liberty games

with my son and it's always a great time. It's packed, they're chatting, they're yelling. I mean,

I was going back when they were still in Madison Square before they even made the move out. It's barclays. It's it's a great time. It's great basketball. It's great competition. I don't understand why people are trying to use that sport at its rise. They're going to get the new CBA. Caitlin Clark just put up 37 earlier this week. Angel Reese's Dublin Dublin. I asked off, you got the young woman up in Minnesota, the spectacle which wanted to dope his nicknames right now.

Madam Miles, much respect to the spectacle up there, the links. I just think that it's just dudes trying to get attention. Yeah. And just bringing attention. What can get people

“riled up? Can I ask a question, though? Why is it that liberals at all include myself in this bucket?”

Why have we not learned that not reacting is probably a more effective or not? Dildo is a totally separate thing. Dildo throwing. But in the sense of a lot of people that are trying to make a name for themselves by bathing themselves and liberal outrage, we supply the outrage in which they bathe themselves, which makes themselves a right-wing martyr. And then they're able to build whole media and pires off of that. Yeah, that's nearing an end. I have to say, because I think

what's interesting is I was just thinking about this. It's the right that winges all the time now and it's very like what's the like anti-wag woe, if that makes sense. And I think the Dildo's and the throwing isn't you know, this is a successful group of women and there's some controversy like in all sports, right? Men's basketballs had all kinds of controversy. They just can't stand it. And so they have to say, look at me. This issue feels like one that you could kind of

you could kind of starve the people who are star for it. Yeah, you can't come out of the arena. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's the end of it. I'm not talking about it. Go back to your show.

So you're just, so you, this is what your third season fourth season. This is this would be number five.

Five. Like in September, this will be, this will be the fifth cycle of the show. Yeah. So I'm excited. What is doing really well? If they wouldn't bring it back, it wasn't. But how do you,

“what do you attribute that to? I think that we, I, number one of the things seen is the right”

network for the show because we get to exist on a Saturday night and they, they pairs with Bill Mar, or there's usually like a special interest story or something else going on on that day. I think that we are like, we are fun. We are fast through the topics. So you don't necessarily feel like you're consuming an entire meal. I do think comedy has done, done, done, done a lot more pointed, whether it's Oliver or the Daily Show where you guys, then news programs to get to the

point of the idiocy surrounding people. Yeah, because I think comedians are given a little bit more leeway than the average news anchor. You know, God forbid you call a spade a spade and you just work for a sink, clear outlet or something. You know, you work in a market 12 or market 20. They're not going to give you that leeway. And I think also, it's understood that it's comedy, because you know, it's really funny is that I have said stuff on Friday night, I don't have

to be Philip that gets me stared at. Oh. And then I'll do the same joke on Saturday and have

“I got news and it gets an applause break. So I think it's also the comedic expectation. You know,”

when Abby, they do the show down at the cooking. Yeah, the cooking thing. You know, that work, I want to be respectful to the place. And when we're there, the audit and also you're with four people who are dead as serious. And they written notes down on it. And it's a real journalist. And I'm sitting here looking goofy in a cup's hat. I'm trying to crack a joke. Yeah, they're not with it. No, some of them are not journalists. And they just say things off the top of their

fucking cat. That's, you know, they have nice seats though. Nice suits. I mean, I won last question that you show. Which, who do you like better, Amber, Michael? Don't, don't turn this into a race war. Because you, you know, I'm going to pick the black woman. You're going to set me up and

then they're going to clip this little section and it really would hate to black women and never

should. No, um, Michael, I've always known from the stand-up circuit, Amber, I've known, you know,

like a synergy. What's funny on the show is that, I guess we'll say something. We had Tim Burchett on

uh, right wing Tennessee uh, Tennessee man. And Burchett says something over to this side of me. And on in my peripheral on the other side, I see Amber just move, it's a, it's the slightest scoosh of a move. And I go, oh, no, she's gonna get them. Oh, no, just stay out of the way, Roy. Just stay out of it. And I just literally leaned back. So her words could fly across the discs. Oh my god, you're doing pretty good for you. My hope this year is to have you and

Beaumonty Jones. Oh, all right. On the same episode. Oh, great. That's dream episode number one, dream episode number two is you with any sitting Republican uh, a little bit of visual. Please, please, why? Why am I good with that? And I'm Donny because you just supposed to say that

“'cause New York, maybe I should tweet. That's how she shows up. Yeah, he, he won't do an interview with me.”

He doesn't interview with everybody. He won't do interviews. I don't know. Really, you got to tweet about he. Yeah, I'm Donny. I know to the spot hole. I, yes, I call him months and months before he won. Like six, six before he was a thing. And I just thought he was so interesting. And I'm just telling you, crickets. I don't know what it is. Do you think that you, of all the people that have ignored your request for interviews? Do you think they are, is there any common thing? Do you think

they're intimidated by what do you think? I don't know. Some people like, like, yes, I think some,

like Tim Scott, like, turned me down at 100 million times and I get it. I get it. I also have

not a huge amount of regard for how he behaves. Um, but uh, and I say it, I guess I said it. Um, but I, I would have been fair. I had Tom Tillis on. I thought he was great and we disagree completely, but he had the guts to come on. And he was actually made some very good points. And it was a very good, I thought it was a great discussion, um, even though we didn't agree.

“I think the commonality is they think I'm going to get them. When in fact, I end up having”

much more substantive discussions with people. And I'm not a gotcha person. I just, I, what I do say say things out loud. And I suppose with Maldani, I won't slather him with idolatry, I guess. A lot of, I find a lot of interviews do that. Or, or, and then even the right wing ones when he

goes on those shows sometimes, they sort of are like, they like, they like, Trump, they find him

charming, right? He's super charming and super has got a lot of star power. So maybe he thinks I'm, I'm, I maybe it's Scott Galloway. He doesn't like Scott Galloway. I don't know. I don't, I don't, I don't, I'm like Scott for everything. Anyway, um, let's go, we got a lot to get today's a great show. Your show is great. I'm excited to come on and put me on with whoever you like, um, Maldani. And part of the bicycle's in the background, there's an amster dance. So I don't

know. Oh, nice. And I love it. There's a lot of bicycles. They're very aggressive with the bicycles. Actually, yeah, when you ride. That's an airport and like, the airport, they have, like, literally as you head into customs. There's just a black dude and a black woman on a, but like, as you come down to escalators, like, welcome to Amsterdam and it's black people riding tandem. Are you riding bicycles? Not chatting. No one has on a helmet, so I'm like, no, I'm

American. I'm just like, you'll die. But then I looked at the fatality rates here. It's like super low. It's all respected. Well, they ride very aggressively. I had a great time doing, but they're super aggressive. But let's get to the things, uh, speaking of other countries, Donald Trump is lashing out at Canada saying they're among the worst nations in the world to deal with. And we'll no longer be treated like, we'll, we'll be treated like a state no longer. They are not a state.

This outburst comes after U.S. Canada trade talks collapsed late last week when Canada walked away. And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. introduced last minute demands that were unfair and un-economic. And he would know he's a baker. He's, he's run, treasuries, everything else. With no deal, Trump's 50% tariffs went into effect on a range of Canadian goods, including dairy products, alcohol, and hockey equipment. Trump is also now threatening to increase tariffs on

all cars, car parts, and steal from Canada to 50% starting January 1. Mark Carney says Canada will retaliate dollar for dollar with tariffs of its own and spoke candid about where the relationship between the two countries stand. Let's listen. Why does it feel like today, Mark Carney is going to war, trade war, the tone, because we're attacked. Like, you're, when you get attacked, we got attacked.

“Is Canada really country want to be going to war with right now or trade war, or trade war?”

No, they aren't. And I think the U.S. has really established themselves as, you know, with the country without a country like do we have any allies left that aren't begrudging and like have no choice but to be with us, because it's an economic disadvantage to not rock

stake here when we talk about it. No, but it's part of the thing. It's part of the thing. Yeah, yeah,

“kind of sucks. But I think that, I think we live in a time now, we're just Trump is just, like,”

our government is just going to bully other nations for no reason, even if they don't, if it doesn't make any sense. And so it does not help us. It also decimate small businesses that do a lot of business across the border. So both ways, you know what I'm saying? So I just, I don't, I don't know, but I think if you can't even at this point, there's no sense in bending the knee, you may as well just ride this out for the next two years if you're really going to be serious about it. Right. Well,

maybe just a few months, you may not have the power to do much of anything. You know, bad, bad. Yeah, come November. I also love that he's rescinded the thing that they didn't even

want in the first place, which was statehood. You were, you're no longer invited to my part. All right.

You know, they do have a conservative movement there, but they do not, they have not yet one elections. They have first in certain areas, but it's not Trump conservatism. You know, the one, one or two people are like that. Even with the conservative movement, even with the way that American conservative politics of influence and international conservatism, I don't think that anyone in any of these other nations has a desire to be American. Like they're still prideful people,

Canadians, regardless. So they're not dying to run with us and do everything. Like even if you got a full blown to the conservative, you know, parliament or whatever in Canada, I don't know if that fixes Trump's desire to want to like still kind of, you know, put his pinky on, put his pinky on

“the scale of foreign trade with Canada. Why is he doing it? Why do you think he's doing it this time?”

I need wins. And if you're not going to do what I want you to do, then I'm just going to take my ball and you know what I'll show you. And then more importantly, this is somehow rolled up into a

ball and PR and sold to American voters as a win for America because America first.

But they're not like that anymore, which is interesting. One of the things that's really interesting is Canada is one of the few neighbors of countries that hasn't gotten into big wars with their neighbors, right? They've been excellent neighbors for a long, long, long time. Anyway, let's have what the Paramount Warner Brothers merger saga continues. California AG Rob Bonta just called off settlement talks with Paramount accusing Paramount of acting in bad faith, leaking details

of a meeting and misrepresenting discussions. Bonta is leading the 12 state group that sued to block the merger. There's also a separate suit by WGA. Both cases are set to go to trial in March. Paramount agreed to pause the deal until the cases play out or until June when the costs are going to start piling up. They're going to really start piling up in September with these ticking

fees, but it doesn't come to fruition by June. It's another almost $8 billion they have to pay

and the deal will probably be over. The Paramount is now asking a judge to make the states in the WGA put up $1.88 billion bond that covered those delay costs, which is unprecedented. Well, you probably thought you were a frame paramount when you left the daily show, but now you're at the end of pulling you, but you're not, your flow is licensed, correct? It's licensed, but nothing, none of this is guaranteed. They shoot home movies and then don't release them as the cast of

bad girl. Like they, it's like me and this Paramount merger, you know, in that movie, it follows with it, yes, no matter where you go, it's coming away. Because in the before that, it was the CBS Viacum in the Central. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I can't escape it. I'm just a merger magnet. Maybe I don't, I don't know what this means for CNN as a whole, because I've also heard within this merger talk that there's this kind of two scenarios. You know, there was an area

one where CNN wasn't going to be part of it. Then Ellison came out and said, no, no, no, we won't see any and I wanted to be run right. We're going to be promised to keep it neutral and we're not going to box to point out. But then there's also where we're seeing an

“answer to get sold off somewhere else. I think that if we're speaking frankly, I think that's”

probably the inevitability of the network in terms of time Warner. Not just CNN, sometimes time Warner is a whole being sold in some capacity. What the new regime wants, that becomes the thing that becomes odd. You know, I had to show, um, I had to, I just come on a hookover at HBO Max. That was on the inside track. It could have series pick up. And then the Showtime Max merger thing. Right. The jiggy happened. And they cleared the slate. You know,

I was at TBS, um, when Michael Wright took over, I believe in 2013. I believe is when he came in.

And so having been a part of these different entities why I've been on a show, saying the TBS,

a show that did well. I was very safe and that show was really low. I don't know how much all of that really counts anymore. You know, you look at Wonder Man that was canceled, um,

“by I think, um, what's the Disney plus? Yeah, some Marvel show. And then they put out the viewing”

numbers two weeks later. And it's like these numbers clearly billions of hours. This show should have gotten another season. So, you know, I don't know. I, I definitely, the thing that I hate the most about all of this is what it does in terms of uncertainty for staff. You know, as talent, I'm afforded a lot more leeway. I can go travel and do shows and figure out other, other

audibles for myself. But when you were, like, these are just a balance sheet conversations.

Right. Right. You have a big staff at have I gotten you through you to? Yeah. It's, it's very similar to daily show. It's almost, it's almost 100. I think we're at, like, probably 70 because we're not a day, we're not on every day. But I know a daily show. It was over 100 people that were going to build in and you're trying to decide what to do next. And then you get a job offer, God forbid, to go join another show. And then you don't know when that show, whether or not you go do that

show, this show isn't going to happen. What would be your solution to this? I mean, besides not merger after merger because everyone has to, you know, pee on everything. They said cancel all the

shows even if they're good, cancel them if, if they're doing well. It doesn't really, it has no rhyme

“a reason. It's what you're saying. Yeah. It definitely has no rhyme a reason. I think that a lot of this”

is, if you want me to, kind of, I guess I kind of am like Scott, I'm a bit of a fatalist in a way in that the world is rotten and these corporations were almost everything. And even if you have a hit show, then I don't know if you go past three seasons, maybe five, if you can, they have to pay you more. And it's easier to just start a new show. For this, I personally would rather see this resolve sooner than later. If the merger does not happen, and we are at the same spot next June,

I think it gets stripped down as so for parts, you know, pee smell, you know, all over the sphere, but you're still going to be sold into the hands of people that are being counting and cutting corners and trying to do as much as possible with this, with as much less as possible. I think that's true. I think that's their threat. Of course, we'll move out of California. Well, they have all these sort of boneheaded threats. But that's the inevitability. Okay,

you're going to move it. We're going to move power about to Nashville. Okay, and then you're still going to make 20% less shows. I forgive it. The number is where we 50% less scripted content than eight years ago or something. So it's not like you're guaranteeing jobs on the other side of this. You're just punishing people who you already have a phone you are already going to be trying to figure out a way to fire even if you didn't leave the state. That's right. That's right. Yeah.

Yeah. So it seems you're to be independent. Hence why I'm independent, Roy. But it's really,

“you know, I'm not loving these boneheaded moves and threats. I think, you know, when billionaires”

threaten you, it's sort of, it's not, it's not the most attractive. They look villainous, actually, in that regard. And it's, and it's not going to get any better because when you look at what YouTube has done and I haven't had a chance to look at the exact specifics of it. But I know that they're changing the terms of service with their creators in terms of what the, what the, what the floor, the bar to achieve monetization that you think is going to shot up to something. I'm not going

to say astronomically, but you can have to be really all in to try and go independent now. So a lot of these networks are going to move the bar when it comes to monetization and making money, the same thing with analytics on Facebook and Instagram and Reels or whatever. So you're eventually going to be in a space where there's just going to be a chasm between like this mid-major media, the vice, and the boxes of the world, like you're going to see straight, it complex has had a lot of shrinkage

as well. And those were the companies where you used to be able to go with Huffington Post and hire you or CNN didn't run with you this year. And I think the idea of even being self-made is going to get even more competitive. It is. No question. No question. I mean, I think the issue is that they, the way they're playing this scene so juvenile, I just am like, there's ways to fix this, you know, it's interesting that Bonta just dumped it after leaking, because everybody,

at least I will say paramount leaks a lot. Bonta does not. Having tried to get leaks out of Bonta,

represent them who report to represent them are very easy. They're big leakers and they think they're very clever about it. And so I don't know if dumping a settlement talks over this is, you know,

“it's interesting. It's definitely a power play by Bonta, who I think is probably, you know,”

he's doing the meta trial, he's doing this, and he's winning here in this case, at least, because he got the trial move. So why should he put up with this shit, I guess? I think the leak shows that paramount is for sure concerned. And they definitely, you don't make a play like that if you're, if you're winning. Yeah, you don't. You keep your mouth shut. Well, if you think you're in control of the board. What do you think about, like, the different unions, the WJs, against it, certain writers,

against the, the directors were for it with a certain amount of demands that were pretty heavy. Karen Bass went for it or just went for a settlement, but she's worried about Los Angeles,

Gavin Newsom always plays the medal essentially. Do you, where would you like this to end up?

As a, as a someone who's a writer and a performer? In a perfect world, no merger would production stand in Los Angeles to some degree? I do think that Los Angeles has just infrastructure and weather advantages with production. And I say that as someone who fought to shoot a sitcom in Atlanta and Alabama, like having known what the challenges are, you know, in some other places,

“I do think that if Hollywood is strong, I think entertainment across the board is strong,”

which it then spills out to all of these other markets, be it your Louisiana with their incentives, which are starting to, they're starting to tweak theirs as well. You know, I think that's always been the dangerous thing about tax incentives in other states outside of Los Angeles. I feel like LA

has always had the most consistent relationship with the entertainment industry. When you look at

what Detroit had 20 years ago, where they were making television and movies and Detroit left and right left and right, Detroit called a new governor. And he was like, yeah, yeah, no, no more incentive, sorry. And that happens often, same thing happened in North Carolina. So this idea of decentralizing television production, I think we just make it just blabulous. >> Blabulous. >> Every tenure is in amalgamate. I don't know.

>> No, I like blabulous. It's blabulous. Every 10 years, this region's going to be the hot region. I'm old enough and been in entertainment long enough to remember when North Carolina was the place to shoot in the late night. It was a Dawson's Creek and a couple of Martin Lawrence movies. So it moves around Atlanta has seen a regression in production because the big dog marvel took everything in Europe. So there's just not as much stuff happening. And that's where I do think

the ND market is going to be able to help some of the smaller cities outside of LA, but in a perfect world for me. >> LA. >> I think LA in New York carrying a ton of production is ultimately healthier for the entertainment industry coast to coast. >> I think you're 100% right. >> And it's not me hating on Texas and New Mexico. It's all great stuff, but those are all states that are very, which way the wind blows the selection. You might lose your season.

>> Or they're there because the governors are friendly to them. And that's not always good. You're

right. It switches. Also, just go look at some of the state laws in Tennessee. Everybody who's thinking moving in Nashville. It's not great for women. It's not thrilling for people of color. >> Is an Alabama and I will abstain from these criticisms. >> Okay. All right. >> No, you're right, though. Here. >> It's just like California, California should get it together and they should settle this thing. But I'm not so sure this deal is going to happen.

“We'll say, hopefully, hopefully they'll figure something out that's fair. And the only thing that”

drives me crazy, the Ellison's complaining about politics when they use politics to get where they are so far from the government and with the federal government. It's like stop, stop, stop, stop. Anyway, let's go on a quick break. We come back, Trump's stock trading grift. >> Hey, what's up, guys? It's Babish, host of In the Booth with Babish. On this week's episode, I sit down with Dominic Sessa, who plays Anthony Bourdain in the new A24 film Tony.

We talk about getting into character as one of food's greatest icons. And of course, which castmates he'd fuck marry or kill. Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Support for this show comes from Delete Me. If you ever thought about doing something to protect yourself from stalker scammers and hackers, it's time to check out Delete Me. Delete Me does all the hard work to wipe out your personal information from hundreds of data

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with transactions totaling between 78 million and 263 million according to his latest financial

disclosure. Notably Trump bought between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of SpaceX stock just 11 days after the company's IPO and Iran. The Iran War continues. Trump is buying and selling shares of defense contractor Palantir. But nothing to worry about here. The White House says there's no complex of interest because Trump's investments are independently managed. Now he is other graphs like crypto currency, as you know. So this is the second. This is the second shoot-a-drop in that

regard. He made billions in cryptocurrency already. How do you rank them, start rank them among his groups? The interesting thing about this whole stop thing was that the White House said that all it's a computer algorithm that runs the trading based on the traditional trading trends and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But they can't tell you who greenlit the particular trades. They go, oh, it's a computer, but somebody has to go, yes, computer, I approve. Do that. That person

“have insider information. I think that's the thing that at this point nothing would surprise me.”

And they were so beaten down with political scandals that the scandals just feel like, yeah, all right. Yeah, he made my promise. All right. Oddly the one trade that he made president Trump that I was curious about was Home Depot. I'm like, you know. You know, like, okay, Griffin SpaceX. All right. Let's go and know what Home Depot, man. Well, you know, the guy who was the chairman was super conservative. That might just be a, it's a conservative company. Yeah.

Yeah, you're right, of course. What is that? Yeah, I don't, I don't know where we building these houses or would there be some destruction that you're playing. Like, I don't know, I want to get to my conspiracy land with you. Oh, I like it. It's the one that was a bigger red flag. Oh, yeah, I had you know, sounds. Oh, do you think he's ever been to Home Depot? No, no, because he would have told you if, if Trump ever built some shit in his life, he would have said it. He built everything. All right,

he'll build or he just said that. Do you, you offended by his gifts? You're just exhausted by it. We're, I'm, I'm past offended. Like, it doesn't, like, I feel bad that I am not that I'm desensitized in a way that speaks to just how exhausting so much of the scandals are. That is a really good point. Would there be a grift you could do that you'd be like, okay, that's it. That is it. That is it. I think I think sports betting would be one that would like lose him favor

sanctity of sport that if you, if he threw a get, like if you found out that he knew

“the line-up card for a particular in this guy wasn't going to start. And, you know, like,”

like, the weird fantasy football. Black socks. Yeah, Black socks type throw the games. Please strike out, like the scandals that MLB is dealing with right now where the pictures are betting on themselves

to not throw a strike on the first pitch. And then they deliberately don't throw a strike. Like,

if Trump was in on something like that, maybe that would be what? Because sports is so American and it's pure and you're supposed to be honest. And you're supposed to do it the right way. And that maybe maybe not. Now you're giving him an idea of where to go next. Yeah, let me go buy some stock and fan do it right now. I go home depot, go to home depot. So speaking of things that they're doing that exhaust me as a general as Panagon has fired three top staffers at Stars and Stripes,

a government funded news outlet that the reports in the US military, the Panagon cited in subordination as the reason for the firing. Two of the staffers had recently spoken publicly about protecting the papers editorial independence, which it has had forever pointing to the legal

right to be free from news management and censorship. The third is already announced his retirement

citing fundamental disagreements over the paper's values in mission. The firing has come as defense secretary and Pete Hagzass pushes to reshape the paper with more focus on more fighting and less on woke distractions. If Hagzass is making editorial decisions here, what kind of stories will we see now? I don't know what we're going to see. What's what propaganda do you want? Like, they won't print what we need to print that right way. And good for those journalists for having a

little bit of backbone and some teeth about themselves. Yeah, something Stripes has a pretty good reputation among the military. I have a lot of family military. It actually is considered not. I mean, no defense of our officials tried to do this. Like, it is run relatively independently. Obviously,

it's funded by the Panagon, but they've never tried to metal in it before. I mean, and then,

and what they were writing about was the conditions on the USS Lincoln. And they didn't like that. They didn't like the stars and stripes pointing out that it's a mess. Which it is, the carriers have been out way too long. They're under supply. Everything's backing up in unexpected. So,

“yeah, you have, it's probably one of the best ways you could ever honor the military. I think the”

problem now is for the journalists that are going to be hired and put in there now. Like, this is, this is one of those cases where you almost support AI reporting. Like, just just print up, just, just, just print up what you want, bro. Just print up what you want. I'll just just have AI or conjure, just conjure up whatever it is. Don't involve me in my integrity in this. I think that, I think that the stars and stripes issue is that one is a little more

effed up to me simply because this is, this is a piece of journalism that goes to the people who serve this country. And so, when you're telling them what is going on within their world, like that and, you know, like that was an AFN, like the Air Force network, where you're showing them. And, you know, here's the content we have decided to expose you to. How much of that then becomes

“mental manipulation? Or they don't believe it. Or they don't trust it. I mean, that's I think the point is”

to hollow out trust, right? If it's done a pretty good job covering your life. And it's not like, it's not going to do like washing posts like investigative pieces necessarily, but it's accurate about your life and not, and not able to talk about a ship that is in trouble. And you would think the ranking file aren't going to realize that herself at some point then your start, like you start having morale issues. Yeah. Well, I think he's having them. I think he's having them. I think it's

it's terrible. You know, I understand line to the American people, but line to the people that protect the American people. That's, that should seem more egregious. Don't you want more warfighting, right? More warfighting and not woke distractions. Yeah. Because, you know, wars and elections, they say, right? No, not this one. Not this one. All right. Let's go on a quick break. We come back. We'll check on Trump's personal relationships. Have you ever wondered who invented rock and roll or

why Fleetwood Mac fell apart or what it was like at Motown in the early years? Well, do I have a podcast for you? My name is Will Anderson. I'm a songwriter, a musician, and a huge music history book. And I'm so excited to announce my new podcast, the Monday Music Club. I teamed up

and reading stories about classic artists, recording sessions in music history. And I wanted to

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Every Monday, I'll be releasing a new episode and deep diving into a new story with experts and special guests, and it's going to be a blast. So if you're a music history geek like me, or even just a casual music fan, jump in because I promise the Monday Music Club is going to be the podcast for you. Roy, we're back with more news. Now, is it time to talk about some updates in Trump's personal relationships and it's ongoing speculation that Trump and his aide,

Natalie Hart, Melanie, Trump, made her first public appearance in more than a month.

Let's listen to the entrance she made. Good afternoon. I heard you missed me. Here I am! Roy, did you miss Malania? No. And then moving on, let me just say the president and his former fixer Michael Cohen, a public e-rack in the south sitting down for the first interview

“together since Cohen, became a key witness in Trump's hush money trial. The reunion is quite”

a reversal after years of public attacks. Cohen is called Trump a con man and a predator and Trump called Cohen a rat. And definitely totally unrelated news Cohen has submitted a pardon application to the Trump administration and of course amid questions about his health from

bruising his hands. The trouble is staying awake. Doctors are also raising the turn about his

weight since he gained about 20 pounds. This is his relationship with his self. Since the 2024 campaign doctors told the Washington Post that Trump's weight is a strong risk factor for premature disability in death. So, so many things and that of course, Natalie Hart who more and more comes out the more and more disturbing it seems to be including old tweets. She seems to have a real estranged obsession on him. A lot of the writers trying to argue that she's the true feminist,

but I don't think that's the definition of feminists. So any of these things you'd like to weigh in on, Roy? First off, first and foremost, just to everybody just stop getting excited about that Trump health news. Yeah. It's just, I had this evil ass teacher in the fifth grade. She's still alive. Yeah. Like, you don't, you don't understand. Like, when you make, when you make all the wrong moves in life, it like it gives you vibrance. Yeah. Yeah. It's just, you can just defy sickness and death and

bad luck because you just got to put, you just got to put bad decisions on top of bad decisions. Yeah. My grandmother used to say, let me tell you, when she was someone who was bad,

wouldn't die. She'd always go, "God doesn't want them."

Was check with your devil. Yeah, devil. Why? Is it all about God? The hand pictures are just funny to me because it's just the camera, the quality of cameras now. You can get in and see the literal makeup line around the wall. Right. And the liver spots. Yeah. Okay. All right. The colon interview is very funny. Tell me about that. It's very funny and it's, it's, um, it's, it's soft core porn level of glazing. I will just leave it at that. That colon is juggling them. Yes, juggling them. Yeah. Yeah.

He calls him, we don't have to get into any specific thing that they talked about because it's all just lobbing softballs for Trump to say. Like the first two minutes is, why won't the left media report on how good you're doing? And then he goes, bash the left and polls to, why are they still not actually I did agree with Cohen on this? Why are we still focusing on presidential approval ratings for a man who cannot run again? I understand approval ratings being common

shit chat or whatever, but just in a bigger scheme of what I need to know today. I don't need to know how many people love or hate when the people will love them. Well, it could be because what it, how Republicans are going to fare because he's a drag on them, possibly. Okay. That's fair. Okay. So if you use them polls as, you know, the prognosticate for November. Okay. Cool. But there's a, it matter of fact, I marked it. It's at 12 30 for the people who want to go check out

“the interview at 12 30 coinces along the lines. And I, and I loosely quote, Hey boss, do you remember”

that time we were working together? And I was sitting alongside you. And like just that sentence, it just sounds like a child reconnecting with his father. And he just wants to be liked and approved by this man so bad that he does not care that he called him a rat. Like, yeah, I'll draw a rat. That's like, yeah. That's up there. Yeah. Yeah, a rat is a big move. The whole, the whole

part, like he always does didn't even have the decent seated turn to camera on. Yeah, they,

“I didn't have, you know, what Cohen was on a lot of cable. And I was always like, I think he,”

I think he's a rat. Like, I don't know why we're listening to him in salt him. So I thought he was lying. Then I think he's lying now. I think ultimately he was the person you saw on that interview with him, secretly his toady, who is desperate to get a pardon. That's, that, that kind of fills it up for me. May I ask you a question? Sure. About Melania? Who do you think misses her more or draws attention to her absence? What cares more about, what do you think cares more about

her absence? Liberals or Conservatives? Liberals. I wonder, what are the expectations? And we, we have the expectations of a first lady to be active and work in a conjunction with the president agenda. You know, they're, they're the more forward-facing customer service arm of the White House to go out and touch the people on a regular basis. Do you, does anybody want Melania show it up?

“No. I don't really care. I agree with you. That's what I mean. She's just strange mannequin.”

I find it a mannequin like, you know, high fashion kind of, that sort of sharp mannequin like look. Yeah, but high fashion's not American. No, it's not. No, it's not. No, it's not. It's not like she baked cookies. So you like she did not. Yeah, she did not. Come on by her house, Barbados. Yeah, yeah, I don't, I think the first lady thing, like, people are all mad. She's not there. I don't think we should be paying for her. I don't really care if we have a first lady or not. I don't,

I think that's an anacronism, honestly, in this day and age, like, ultimately. So I don't really care that she's not there. I think she's charmaless. I think she's unpleasant for the most room. The more you see it, the less you want to see it. Right? So I'm glad she's gone kind of harmless. Charmaless. You know what I mean? She's charmaless. She's charmaless. I had a conversation with Trevor

Noah years ago about how we always, we always felt like Melania missed the mark in that she could have

played the bean absent to be on some pro feminism tip where you just go, I don't that's his job. It's not my job to do stuff that helps his job as a woman. I am allowed to be woman over here. Why don't I have to be woman right here? Yeah, yeah, but she just never played it like that.

“Yeah, she doesn't really have a job. I don't really feel a plus with her and I think it's”

a minus for her to be around. So in Melania's defense, Melania didn't want none of this shit. She doesn't. Melania thought she was going marry a rich dude who was sitting in the corner and eat McDonald's while she goes spends his money and bang yacht, rolls and monocoinside. And then you come home and he's talking about I'm going to be president because that's Maya's pissed me off. What? Yeah. That wasn't the deal, Donald. Yeah. No, Donald. I just find her to be

journalists. I just don't like to happy she's gone. I do think this, I think she gets paid every time she shows up. It looks like it because she pops up. I think she's not unfunny and everything in the less of her to see her, the better. That's me. That's my feeling. But this Natalie Harp thing adds an entirely interesting wrinkle to it and I think it's completely appropriate to talk about that. I think a lot of people don't think that, but I do because she's right next to the president

doing his tweets all night long. So to me, she's completely fine to talk about. I don't know how

you feel about her. Have you never written a long-ass apology to your boss? You've never,

you've never apologized to your boss. Oh my God, I hope I didn't embarrass you by walking around too much on the golf course, like you were walking because you were the greatest and I, you know, I can't imagine Roy Wood Jr has ever done that. There are some women in media who if I work for I would absolutely lie. So sorry, if it would not be from some trauma hauler, yeah, which can I ask a nasty question. Sure, please go ahead. When are you even gonna bang him?

He sleeps all the time. I don't think they're doing that. I know, but like, it's something else. It's something else. It's like a daddy thing. I think it's a daddy thing. It's us. It's odd. It's vaguely sexual, but it's not. It's something else. I don't know. It all eventually turns sexual. Here's probably true, but here's what I feel like. Years ago, Elon Musk was insisting we live in a simulation. You know, this idea that this isn't none of this new and I aren't real.

Everything is fake. I think we're in a simulation at this point. After the Natalie Harp thing, after I read that letter, I'm like, there's a teenager playing this fucking video game of Earth. Earth is the video game. Some advanced civilization and they just inserted Natalie Harp into it. I just decided now I agree with Elon Musk. Just so many people. Yeah, it's like,

to write this? It's weird. I mean, there's tropes like, but from fatal attraction, there's tropes from

none of them, and well, none of these stalker eats, and well for the man, usually. Well, where is adjacent people? I read on that. I mean, but at least Trump's got secret service. He can just get her out of here. Yeah. Yeah. No, he seems to like her a lot. I like there was one part of that they had the cars on the mall or on down in Washington history. Again, again, I didn't mind the car thing. Fine. If he wants to have a race course. But Melani was there for four

seconds, gets up in the minute Melani and moved out of the picture. Natalie came in the back.

“It was really interesting. In a real first lady would have cared. That's how you know that”

marriage is vapid. Because Melani would have been like, y'all, but it'd get her to hell out of here.

She'd have been down on the track, changing tires. Messing out with her real first lady. So I

Hillary would have taken her apart. Hillary. She would be a aide for a city council person in the village. And I couldn't tuck you enough with respect to Paduka. I swear you're right. She would have called with the girl. She would go for the job. She'd have been in Guam. Guam. I'm not, I'm not going to say the show, but there are a couple of your favorite shows that you watch where there's an employee that they don't like. They give them a glowing recommendation

to another show, usually in another city. And then they get the job off her. I got a quit and I'm happy for you know, we're going to hate to see you go. I have done that. I haven't done that exactly. I have done a version of that. I had someone who I really wanted to fire. And he goes, he comes in and I was, like, goes on. He goes, "What I really think I need is a raise." And I said, "Oh God, see, why want to defy her you?" So it's kind of interesting. Well, I think I deserve a

raise. And I said, "You deserve to be fired. It's so hard for me to decide which one of these things to do." And I've done a version of that with many different employees. Like said,

“when they have job offers, I'm like, "You should." That's fantastic. That's what I'm doing.”

Good. Good. Good. Excellent, excellent. Yeah, actually, when I mean it ever leaves my employer, I'm happy that they're doing something like that. If people want to go, they should go,

if they don't. That's always been my part. I never get mad or anything else. I don't know.

I'm fine with the indie cars too. I was fine with the UFC. Just take the cage down. I hear it's still up. Is this just doing that? No, I think. No, I'm not sure. I think they put the help pad there now. This really ugly help pad that he signed. Yeah, I know he's putting his name on me. There's also the gold, the gold horses, which I have to see every time I come back from the airport. Anyway, we'll see what happens. All right, Roy. One more quick break. We'll be back

for wins and fails. Okay, Roy. Let's hear some wins and fails. You go first. Shout out to Karen and Tia, the Washington Post. I was going to be one of my, but I have several books. Go ahead. Say what? Best. That's my only one. This this woman unjustly fired for giving her opinion about, you know, part of, it wasn't even about what happened to Charlie Kirk. It was about whether or not we should honor Charlie Kirk. And was fired immediately from the

Washington, but you know, the whole op-it section there. They've been trying to kind of, hey, everybody quiet down those opinions. You're making bezos, Matt. And she fought. She fought. She took the arbitration. And this week, they gave her her job back. The arbitrator decided, hey, you were not that's not how you fire. Go back to work immediately.

“And here's your back pay. I love Karen. I think Karen's a badass. She also does it's like,”

I love all her photos. I love how she puts it. What's really fantastic, ironic, the guy who fired her is gone. That that young, more on they hired in her place. I love Karen. You're right, 100%. I don't know if she'll stay, but good for her. You're right, 100. I personally, and this is speaking to someone who does not know her. Based on the reasons of her work, she strikes me as someone who would stay. Just if nothing else to throw a last couple of real-ass articles in that

publication, that's that's suppressing a lot of the type of work that, you know, that she does so well. Yeah, I would agree. Yeah, I'm going to talk to her today. I'll find out. Oh, and I was going to reach out to her, because I'm sure she's celebrating. She's been doing

sort of a bunch of interesting things. But that was just ridiculous. And I love that she thought.

She, she almost took the bio and then didn't, which was interesting. You know, and she's like, "No, I'm going to stay here. I'm going to stay here and do my work." And they immediately, and I said,

“"Garon, I think they're going to fire you then." And that's what they did. And the way they did,”

it was so fucking ridiculous. But she stood her ground, you're right. All right. What is your fail? My fail is me. No one told me that you needed a friend to take your home for a colonoscopy. And I'd schedule the colonoscopy and I'm trying to be all reverend about my health than the hard and the blood sugar. And I set the date and then they call me two weeks before and they go, "Yeah, you need a friend." I don't, like, you start thinking about, like,

now we're getting into emergency contact level friendship. And I just, and I realize with the people that I have, with the, the, the alliances and the associates that I've made in 11 years in New York City, I don't really have anyone to the level. You can meet him. Yeah, I don't have colonoscopy, will you take me home after a camera? Right. Pro, level, friends. And I have to reschedule my colonoscopy. I found a person, but after reschedule the colonoscopy, there's no, there's no other availability

until November. Oh, no. So I had to wait two months to go back because I, just, I don't know, I was in a big health kick. I go through, like, I call it like, health week, like every August or September.

“I do everything. Yeah. And schedule the first colonoscopy. You never had one?”

I never had one. And how old did I have? I should have had it soon. I'm 47. So I,

you're okay. Probably is overdoing. Yeah. I don't know. I've done the prostate and apparently that's now blood. Yes. Right. It's amazing. Well, I was in a demand in the finger. Got odd. Well, you'll enjoy the colonoscopy. I can tell you. I've had many. I love them. Just say I enjoy them. Katie Kerek, who is the big colonoscopy pusher among people I know, because there has been a dive colon cancer. I love it. Because one, it cleans you out. You feel great.

Like you take, you just have to drink all these milkshakes. And, but now you don't water. There's like water, kind of jelly water. Now it's just a pill. Now it's just a pill. And it's, that's great because the drinking stuff is awful. But I feel great. That was the other thing they made me scared. You're like, yeah, you're going to take a dump for a day and a half. It is that you do stay home. Stay close to home. This is all I have to say. It's shocking.

You're like, it's how bad could it be? And then you're like, wow, I have a lot of shit in there, so to speak. Yeah. Yeah. So I feel myself trying to take care of my health and really need better friends. But you need a bit. I will come to pick you up at your colonoscopy. Thank you. Thank you. Then I will come to New York to pick you up. Because I'll get current to do it. Katie Kerek will do it. She'll pick you up. She loves people getting

colonoscopy. Well, good for you. Well, that's, that's good for you to admit. All right, I'm going to do mine. Well, I have to, I, you know, you're a comic. Rosie O'Donnell, guest hosting Jimmy come alive. She did a fantastic job. I know you've done different guest hosting things. But I thought

she, she has come back in a really nice way. And obviously, it was always right about Trump.

But I fact that she underplayed Trump quite a bit, except that last bit was fantastic. She did a whole different kind of show. Then Kimalt, which I thought was a good idea. She did the show that fit fit her. It wasn't really a light night show. It was sort of more of an afternoon show. But I really appreciated that she, she landed and did very well the ratings did really well. I've always had a lot of respect for Rosie O'Donnell. You know, and people forget that, you know, she was a beast

of a stand-up and actress and improv. And, you know, did daytime, did the view. So she literally has the duality of the chops needed to do exactly everything that you just said. And still just damn

“likeable. Likeable. She really has. She's I think going to Ireland's been good first. She's a great”

great singer. She said, I had an interview with her saying on my show. I thought it was just what people needed in terms of feeling. And again, I would say she deserved all the kudos she's gotten. The negative is this guy, I don't even know, the tall guy who like has to call attention to him so about, about with the dildos and everything else. All these men that do this, the problem with women's basketball is asshole straight men. Just can't just stop attacking these women. I think it's misogynist.

I think it's racist for sure. I think it's, you know, I don't really care of Sophie Conning him

men are coming in there and ruining the game for everybody, they should be tossed out of the stadiums.

“And that's the end of it. Well, it's not, I think it's more important to say specifically, it's”

it's right women in the media. Yes, exactly. We're doing it to bring attention. And it's not just the person that I don't feel like name and there's a couple of them. And it's, and it's wanted to say ones that like declare themselves eligible for the WNBA draft. Yeah, that's right. And it's yeah, yeah, I can't. Yeah. And who's the same one who was escorted out of the game the other night for John Jack and what a Chicago sky player during the game. I thought she could have killed him.

I thought she could have killed him if she had a chance myself. There's, there's something

wild to showing up to a game to deliberately get to start mess so that you can then go talk about it.

So you can then monetize the clicks. Yep. That's what it's all that's. I would agree. He's grotesque. He's a grotesque and he's a, he's a washed up player at this point from on I can tell this is all. Even if you feel that way about this issue in the WNBA go to a commissioner's office. Yeah, exactly. Well, you really want to change the policy. Go there. Yeah, I agree. Anyway, we want to hear from you, send us your questions about business sector. What

ever is on your mind, go to nmymag.com/pivot. Send a question for the show or call eight five five one pivot. And elsewhere in the Karen Scott universe this week and on with Karen. So I'm talking one of the newest members of the vox media podcast network family. Ina Garten, her show happy hour with Ina Garten launches next month. Let's listen to a clip. When I think about my brand,

I always think the first thing is fun. If it's fun, people will be really attracted to it from the

store. Like when you walked into the store, all of your senses were engaged. And I love that when people walked in, they felt good. And they would say, I just came in to see what was going on. And then they walk out with three bags of groceries. And I would think, yeah, did my job today. And I feel that way about the television. If it's fun, people will really be attracted to it. So that's kind of where I weren't always looking. Anyway, I love Ina. I think she's great. She says

“a great job. You should go on that show and have cocktails with her. That would be a really interesting”

conversation. Anyway, she's great. Okay, that's the show. Thanks so much, Roy. You've been amazing. And I'm very excited to come on your show. Season five, have I got news for you premieres on September 12th on CNN. I forget which one it. But I'm pretty early in the season. Put me on with whoever you want. I'm happy to spark with them. Where else can people find you Roy? What else are you up to? We'll get you online. We'll get you on there with Mom Donnie.

Mom Donnie is perfect. All right. So where else can people find you? What else are you up to? My name is Roy Wood Jr. Put a dot com behind it for the at symbol in front. That's everywhere. Outside of CNN. I'll be on a new Amazon sitcom barbershop based on the hidden franchise. That's not out until later this year or top of next year. They haven't given us a premiere date yet. But that'll be the next thing after. Or too. How many are there? There's three or four, right? There's three

barbershops. And then there's the beauty shops spin off with Queen beauty shop. I love the beauty shop.

“Oh my god. That is my merger insurance. So you watch that when it comes out. Are you kidding?”

I'm not a garbage shop fan. I didn't know. I had no idea. I'm so excited. Who are you playing? It's a good top. I play like a younger set the entertainer type if you will. No sense character. Nobody can do that. But I represent the I'm the most senior person in the shop. So it's definitely a more youthful series that just follows the continuation of the house Chicago has evolved and how barbershop cultures change with the modernization and appointment culture and all of that stuff.

I'm so excited. I love beauty shop. I love to. I like all the shops. Anyway, thanks for listening to pivot and be sure to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We've back on Friday. Again, Roy, thank you very much and I can't wait to see you. Thank you for watching. Today's show was produced by Laira Neiman, Zoe Marcus Taylor Griffin and Todd Wiseman on the enter.engineered this episode. Thanks also to Kate Gallagher. Nishot Kerwa is Fox Media's executive producer

podcast. Make sure to follow Pivot on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks for listening to Pivot from Fox Media. We'll be back later this week for another breakdown of all things tech and business.