Latest news with #MeidasTouch
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Axed MSNBC host Katie Phang reveals her next move
Published: | Katie Phang (pictured) has launched a YouTube channel under a left-leaning media umbrella after she was canceled from MSNBC. The Katie Phang Show was one of several casualties brought on by a lineup shift implemented by new network boss Rebecca Kutler in early 2025. Now, almost one month after her final show aired on the network, she has unveiled her new business venture - revealing she actually gave keen listeners a clue in her final MSNBC appearance. Phang will join the MeidasTouch media group with a brand new YouTube show titled Phang Unleashed. 'YouTube is the perfect place for Katie Unleashed,' the attorney and legal analyst wrote on X. 'We'll talk about the law, politics, and culture. You'll hear from trusted, familiar voices. And you'll hear from new voices with fresh takes. It's time we realize WE are the cavalry we've been waiting for,' she added.' The revelation should have come as no surprise to longtime viewers after Phang teased the collaboration in her final on-air appearance. At the time, she said she would 'meet you where you are at places like Substack and YouTube with fellow truth tellers like MeidasTouch.' Phang has also launched a Substack account to go alongside her new show. 'When it came time for me to get out of mainstream media and find my way into the holy land of independent journalism, I could not think of a better place to be than [with] the guys at MeidasTouch,' she said in her first YouTube episde alongside MeidasTouch co-founder Ben Meiselas. In her second to last episode on air, an emotional Phang cried as she interviewed Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Joy Reid, Jonathan Capehart and Ayman Mohyeldin also said goodbye to their programs as part of a strategic overhaul from higher-ups. Capehart and Mohyeldin will fill different roles on the network as well, with news shows being built around them. The same could not be said for Phang, who, like Reid, twisted the identity-politics knife while lamenting her situation after seeing her show pulled by her bosses. 'I was proud to platform more AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) voices than any other cable show ever,' Phang wrote in a pointed post to Instagram in February. 'Representation matters,' she concluded. 'I went hard on so many issues,' Reid complained separately, while weeping through her remarks on a Zoom call to supporters. 'Whether it was the Black Lives Matter, issues of a young baby or a mom or dad that was killed or when we opened up people's eyes to the fact that Asian Americans were being targeted, and not just Black folks. 'My show had value,' she insisted. As for MSNBC, the picture has gone from bad to worse. In February 2021, MSNBC averaged a total of 1.4 million total viewers every hour throughout the entire day and an average of 2.9 million total viewers during only primetime hours. Today, those numbers have dwindled down to just roughly 600,000 and 1 million total viewers, respectively - a more than 50 percent decline on both ends.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Canceled MSNBC host Katie Phang reveals next shocking move
Katie Phang has launched a YouTube channel under a left-leaning media umbrella after she was canceled from MSNBC. The Katie Phang Show was one of several casualties brought on by a lineup shift implemented by new network boss Rebecca Kutler in early 2025. Now, almost one month after her final show aired on the network, she has unveiled her new business venture - revealing she actually gave keen listeners a clue in her final MSNBC appearance. Phang will join the MeidasTouch media group with a brand new YouTube show titled Phang Unleashed. 'YouTube is the perfect place for Katie Unleashed,' the attorney and legal analyst wrote on X. 'We'll talk about the law, politics, and culture. You'll hear from trusted, familiar voices. And you'll hear from new voices with fresh takes.' 'It's time we realize WE are the cavalry we've been waiting for,' she added.' The revelation should have come as no surprise to longtime viewers after Phang teased the collaboration in her final on-air appearance. At the time, she said she would 'meet you where you are at places like Substack and YouTube with fellow truth tellers like MeidasTouch.' Phang has also launched a Substack account to go alongside her new show. 'When it came time for me to get out of mainstream media and find my way into the holy land of independent journalism, I could not think of a better place to be than [with] the guys at MeidasTouch,' she said in her first YouTube episde alongside MeidasTouch co-founder Ben Meiselas. In her second to last episode on air, an emotional Phang cried as she interviewed Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Joy Reid, Jonathan Capehart and Ayman Mohyeldin also said goodbye to their programs as part of a strategic overhaul from higher-ups. Capehart and Mohyeldin will fill different roles on the network as well, with news shows being built around them. The same could not be said for Phang, who, like Reid, twisted the identity-politics knife while lamenting her situation after seeing her show pulled by her bosses. 'I was proud to platform more AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) voices than any other cable show ever,' Phang wrote in a pointed post to Instagram in February. 'Representation matters,' she concluded. 'I went hard on so many issues,' Reid complained separately, while weeping through her remarks on a Zoom call to supporters. 'Whether it was the Black Lives Matter, issues of a young baby or a mom or dad that was killed or when we opened up people's eyes to the fact that Asian Americans were being targeted, and not just Black folks. 'My show had value,' she insisted. As for MSNBC, the picture has gone from bad to worse. In February 2021, MSNBC averaged a total of 1.4 million total viewers every hour throughout the entire day and an average of 2.9 million total viewers during only primetime hours. Today, those numbers have dwindled down to just roughly 600,000 and 1 million total viewers, respectively - a more than 50 percent decline on both ends.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Canceled MSNBC Host Katie Phang Reveals Her Next Move
Katie Phang has officially announced her next venture after her eponymous MSNBC show was canned earlier this year. The journalist has launched a YouTube channel in partnership with MeidasTouch, the left-leaning media network said in a press release Wednesday. 'YouTube is the perfect place for Katie Unleashed,' Phang, an attorney and legal analyst, posted on X. 'We'll talk about the law, politics, and culture. You'll hear from trusted, familiar voices. And you'll hear from new voices with fresh takes.' 'It's time we realize WE are the cavalry we've been waiting for,' she added." MeidasTouch, which bills itself as 'the nation's top independent pro-democracy media network,' called Phang a 'respected voice in both law and media' and celebrated their new collaboration. 'This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for both Phang and MeidasTouch as they expand their efforts to build a powerhouse platform for independent, hard-hitting journalism and analysis—at a time when it is needed more than ever," it said in its news release. The group's YouTube channel has 4.84 million subscribers. Phang's new channel, which made its first post on Tuesday, has nearly 90,000. In her first video, Phang was joined by MediasTouch co-founder Ben Meiselas. 'When it came time for me to get out of mainstream media and find my way into the holy land of independent journalism, I could not think of a better place to be than [with] the guys at MeidasTouch,' she said before kicking off her analysis. Phang has also launched a Substack account, and shares commentary and interviews on the subscription-based newsletter platform. She's also continuing on as a legal commentator at MSNBC. The commentator teased her next move on the final episode of MSNBC's The Katie Phang Show late last month, telling viewers she intended to 'meet you where you are at places like Substack and YouTube with fellow truth tellers like MeidasTouch.' In February, she revealed she had been 'stunned' to learn her show was being canceled as part of MSNBC's major shake-up of its lineup. 'I was proud to platform more AAPI voices than any other cable show ever,' she said at the time. 'And I was, and remain, proud to have been one of the only AAPI hosts with her name on a show. Representation matters.' The network axed an array of shows, including those hosted by Joy Reid and Alex Wagner, in February, giving more airtime to figures like former White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Democratic strategist Symone Sanders-Townsend. MSNBC's ratings nosedived after the presidential election, but saw a significant rebound in the new year. Following a November announcement, the network is in the process of being spun off from NBCUniversal and Comcast into a new entity called Versant Media.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Anti-Trump Podcast Wins Major Award
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The MeidasTouch Podcast, a show critical of President Donald Trump, has won Podcast of the Year at the Webby Awards. Newsweek has reached out to the makers outside of regular working hours via email for comment. Why It Matters The left-leaning MeidasTouch Podcast has been dominating the podcast charts since the beginning of Trump's second term in office, after overtaking popular podcasts including former No1 Joe Rogan. It has held firm as the country's most downloaded podcast, indicating a shift in what the American people want to hear. Brothers Jordan, Ben and Brett Meiselas with their Webby Award for the MeidasTouch podcast at Cipriani Wall Street on May 12, 2025 in New York City. Brothers Jordan, Ben and Brett Meiselas with their Webby Award for the MeidasTouch podcast at Cipriani Wall Street on May 12, 2025 in New York The Webby Awards What To Know The 29th Webby Awards were held in New York last night, hosted by actress Ilana Glazer. "The truth is golden," said Ben Meiselas, after journalist Molly Jong-Fast presented him with the award, adding in a press release it was "the honor of a lifetime." Founded in 2020 by three brothers Ben, Brett and Jordy Meiselas, who describe the podcast as "a pro-democracy news network," the organization began by creating viral videos and political ads opposing Trump and supporting Democratic candidates. In a press release shared on the MeidasTouch website, Ben Meiselas described the past year as having been "tough," but said they have "persevered against the odds to fight back." In April, MeidasTouch topped the podcast charts for the third consecutive month of this year; with 107.3 million downloads in April, according to data from Podscribe. The Joe Rogan Experience received 49.3 million downloads. Candace Owens, received 28.9 million downloads, and The Ben Shapiro Show received 19.1 million downloads. The podcast is also the fastest-growing political and political-adjacent YouTube channel by net new subscribers, according to YouTube data captured between January 1 and April 1. The podcast's rise comes at a critical moment for Democrats. Trump's sweeping victory in the 2024 presidential election, along with Republicans taking control of the House and Senate, has led to soul-searching in the Democratic Party over what went wrong, and the party has faced growing turmoil and scrutiny as they struggle to deliver a cohesive message, and pick a leader who resonates with voters. Among voters, recent polling shows that confidence in Democratic leaders in Congress has reached an all-time low, 25 percent of respondents expressing confidence in Democratic congressional leadership. Some members of Congress who have spoken out against Trump and his administration have seen support from voters. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, have been traveling the country on a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour that has attracted thousands of attendees. No Democratic politician has declared an intention to run in 2028, but analysts speculate that Ocasio-Cortez could be a contender, along with former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. What People Are Saying The Webby Awards, in a press release shared by MeidasTouch: "The MeidasTouch Podcast has emerged as a defining voice in political media, blending sharp analysis, cultural awareness, and a fierce dedication to democratic values." Jordy Meiselas, in a press release shared by MeidasTouch: "The Meidas Mighty showed the world that you don't need a billion-dollar media empire to make a difference—you just need passion, integrity, and the courage to speak out." What's Next In a previous interview with Newsweek Brett Meiselas said that their goal is to "compete with and beat Fox in viewership every single day—and be the country's leading source of information."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gallego to GOP: ‘Don't try to f‑‑‑ us' on stablecoin bill
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) slammed a recent GOP push to bring stablecoin legislation to the floor, accusing Republicans of attempting to force a vote before finishing negotiations with Democrats. 'You can't throw us in the corner,' he said in a Tuesday interview with MeidasTouch released Wednesday. 'You can't try to f‑‑‑ us and then say like, 'Hey, deal with it.' That's just not going to work, especially when you still need our votes no matter what.' Gallego and eight other crypto-friendly Democrats who previously backed the GENIUS Act pulled their support for the bill over the weekend, after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) moved to expedite a vote last week. The GENIUS Act is the Senate's version of legislation to create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, cryptocurrencies that are tied to assets like the U.S. dollar to maintain a more stable price. The bill advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee in March with the support of five Democrats, including Gallego, who serves as ranking member on the panel's digital assets subcommittee. However, the Arizona Democrat emphasized that he and his colleagues voted the GENIUS Act out of committee in the 'spirit of bipartisanship,' with the hope of making further adjustments to the legislation. 'All of sudden, the language changed,' Gallego said of the new floor text released Thursday. 'They backtracked on some of the stuff we had already approved. They weren't even moving forward with further legislation. And then they announced the date of the first vote.' 'I think the purpose of that was really to put Democrats in a bad position and force us to vote for it,' he continued. Gallego and the eight others who pulled their support for the bill argued that it lacks sufficiently strong provisions on anti-money laundering, national security and a host of other issues. 'I just cannot allow them to just jam us and pass bad legislation that has open loopholes that would create really bad situations for consumers, for investors, all these kind of things,' he said. 'Especially when we're here,' he added. 'We're here to work. We're here to speak and try to come up with a good bipartisan bill. But don't try to f‑‑‑ us on it. That's not going to happen.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
