Latest news with #Redstone
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History launches preservation campaign
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — There's a new mission to help preserve historic symbols of power and innovation here in New Mexico. The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History is launching a campaign to preserve two significant artifacts in its collection – the Redstone Missile and the Convair RIM-2 Terrier surface-to-air missile. Story continues below Entertainment: First-of-its-kind indoor pickleball facility coming to northeast Albuquerque Community: Albuquerque church leaning on faith after 2 members killed by their son Environment: What should New Mexicans do if they come across a raccoon? The museum says these missiles represent pivotal moments for America during the Cold War with Redstone launching the first American astronaut, and the Terrier playing a role in national defense. The museum says time in the desert has taken its toll, leading to faded paint and weathered surfaces. 'The Redstone and Terrier missiles are more than just static displays; they are tangible links to our nation's past and powerful tools for inspiring future generations in STEM fields,' said President and CEO Jennifer Hayden. 'Preserving these iconic artifacts honors American innovation, reminds us of our nation's strength, and upholds our responsibility as stewards of history.' The museum is trying to raise $40,000 to repaint, sand, and preserve these campaign officially launches on Monday, June 2 and runs through July 4. Donations can be made online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Turns Down $15 Million Offer To Settle '60 Minutes' Lawsuit: Report
President Donald Trump turned down a $15 million offer to settle his lawsuit against CBS News over its editing of a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The figure, however, did not seem to be high enough for the president, who reportedly is seeking a settlement deal of over $25 million as well as an apology from CBS News, the Journal said, citing a source familiar with the situation. Trump also has threatened to launch another lawsuit against CBS, pointing to alleged bias in its reporting, the newspaper added. Trump sued CBS last year for $20 billion, alleging that the newsmagazine had deceptively edited its interview with Harris in October 2024 — an allegation vehemently denied by the show. Legal experts have also dubbed the case meritless. While people within the newsroom reportedly opposed the idea of a settlement, Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global, CBS' parent company, is in favor of reaching an agreement with Trump over concerns that the dispute could block the company's merger with Skydance, which awaits regulatory approval. Redstone reportedly has recused herself from negotiations with Trump's team. Three Democratic senators wrote to Redstone last week, noting that the company's efforts to settle with Trump could run afoul of federal anti-bribery laws. That warning has been weighing on Paramount executives, who believe that a hefty settlement could expose them to other legal liability, the Journal said. The tension over Trump's lawsuit has already had ripple effects within CBS. Wendy McMahon, the president of the network, last week said she would be exiting CBS, writing that 'it's become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward.' Her announcement came about a month after Bill Owens stepped down as executive producer of '60 Minutes,' citing a loss of journalistic independence. 'In a million years, the corporation didn't know what was coming up — they trusted '60 Minutes' to report the stories and program the broadcast the way '60 Minutes' saw fit,' Owens told his staff in a meeting at the time, according to The New York Times. Any change to this approach was a 'slippery slope,' he added. Both McMahon and Owens had reportedly ruled out issuing an apology to Trump as part of a potential settlement. Kayleigh McEnany Makes Chilling Demand For '60 Minutes' Reporter Over Anti-Trump Speech Laura Ingraham Has Meltdown Over '60 Minutes' Reporter Criticizing Trump During Speech '60 Minutes' Reportedly Under Increased Scrutiny As Network Mulls Settlement With Trump '60 Minutes' Top Producer Resigns, Citing Inability 'To Make Independent Decisions'
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Trump, ‘60 Minutes' and corruption allegations put Paramount on edge with sale less certain
One fateful October decision to trim two convoluted sentences from a '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris has snowballed into a full-blown corporate crisis for CBS' parent company, Paramount Global, and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone. President Trump's $20-billion lawsuit — claiming '60 Minutes' producers deceptively manipulated the Harris interview to make her look smarter — has festered, clouding the future of Paramount and the company's hoped-for $8-billion sale to David Ellison's Skydance Media. The dispute over the edits has sparked massive unrest within the company, prompted high-level departures and triggered a Federal Communications Commission examination of alleged news bias. The FCC's review of the Skydance deal has become bogged down, according to people familiar with the matter who weren't authorized to comment. The agency, chaired by a Trump appointee, must approve the transfer of CBS television station licenses to the Ellison family for the deal to advance. A lawsuit resolution, through court-ordered mediation, remains out of reach. And last week, three Democratic U.S. senators raised the stakes by suggesting, in a letter to Redstone, that a Trump settlement could be considered an illegal payoff. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) warned in their letter that any payment to Trump to gain favorable treatment by the FCC could violate federal anti-bribery laws. Paramount's dealings with Trump 'raises serious concerns of corruption and improper conduct,' the senators wrote. 'Under the federal bribery statute, it is illegal to corruptly give anything of value to public officials to influence an official act,' the senators said. Redstone is desperate for the Paramount-Skydance deal to go through. Her family's holding company is cratering under a mountain of debt. Paramount's sale to the Ellison family would provide the clan $2.4 billion for their preferred shares — proceeds that would allow the Redstones to pay their nearly $600 million in debt — and remain billionaires. Paramount, Skydance and a spokesperson for Redstone declined to comment. While recusing herself from granular and final decision-making, Redstone has made it clear that she wants Paramount to settle with Trump, rather than wage an ongoing beef with the sitting president, according to people familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss internal deliberations. Figuring a way out of the dispute has divided the company, according to insiders. For CBS News professionals, apologizing to Trump over routine edits of a lengthy interview is a red line. Tensions have spilled into public view. Redstone has been cast as the villain. The Drudge Report, created by journalist Matt Drudge, who got his start at CBS in Los Angeles, last month published a photo of 71-year-old heiress, identifying her in all caps as 'The woman who destroyed CBS News.' Two top CBS News executives have resigned. Both refused to apologize to Trump as part of any settlement, the knowledgeable sources said. Most CBS journalists and 1st Amendment experts see Trump's lawsuit a shakedown, one seemingly designed to exploit Paramount's vulnerability because it needs the government's approval for the Skydance deal. 'Settling such a case for anything of substance would thus compromise 1st Amendment principles today and the broad notion of freedom of the press in the future,' prominent press freedom lawyer Floyd Abrams said. Paramount has stressed that it sees the Trump lawsuit and the FCC review of the Skydance deal as separate. 'We will abide by the legal process to defend our case,' a Paramount spokesperson said. But '60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley connected the two for viewers during an extraordinary April broadcast, in which he rebuked Paramount management on air at the end of the program. That, according to sources, angered some of Paramount's leaders. While '60 Minutes' has received additional corporate oversight, some insiders pointed to Pelley's acknowledgment that 'none of our stories have been blocked.' All the high-level scrutiny has put Paramount and Redstone in a box, and the Skydance deal looks less certain than it did months ago. 'Who's going to sign that settlement, knowing that you could be accused of paying a bribe?' asked one person close to Paramount. Paramount Global's path to peril began long before the infamous '60 Minutes' edits. The company was diminished by management turmoil and years of cost-cutting, which would eventually force Redstone to find a buyer for one of Hollywood's most storied studios. Should New York-based Paramount, which also owns Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and the famed Melrose Avenue movie studio, fail to complete its sale to Skydance by its October deadline, the deal could collapse. Paramount then would owe $400 million to Skydance as a breakup fee, putting the company in further dire financial straits. Skydance and its investor RedBird Capital Partners have agreed, once they take over, to inject $1.5 billion into Paramount, helping it pay down some debt. Redstone would also be on the hook to repay her financiers. Two years ago, a Chicago banker rescued the Redstone family investment firm, National Amusements Inc., with a $125-million equity investment. The family's finances were strained after Paramount cut its dividend to shareholders that spring during the Hollywood writers' strike. The family's dire financial situation was a leading impetus for Paramount's sale. If the deal fell through, Redstone would also have to repay a $186-million loan from tech mogul Larry Ellison. The billionaire Oracle co-founder and father of David Ellison extended the loan so National Amusements could make a looming debt payment. National Amusements holds 77% of Paramount's controlling shares, giving the Redstone family enormous sway over Paramount management. Critics privately note Redstone's role in setting up the company for the current drama. It took nearly a year for Redstone and Paramount's special board committee to negotiate a deal with Skydance. The independent directors spent months searching for an alternate buyer, adding to the delays that now haunt both sides. Had the parties reached agreement sooner, the companies could have asked the FCC for approval earlier last year during the less hostile Biden administration. Instead, weeks were spent haggling over various demands, including having Skydance indemnify Redstone and her family against shareholder lawsuits. In the end, the Ellisons also agreed to help Redstone pay for her New York apartment and private jet after the deal closes, according to the knowledgeable people. Paramount petitioned the FCC for review in September. By that time, political environment was caustic for mainstream media companies. Conservatives were upset over ABC News' handling of the Sept. 10 debate between Trump and Harris after ABC anchors fact-checked Trump in real time, including pushing back on his false claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets. Trump reportedly backed out of a '60 Minutes' appearance — long a traditional stop for presidential candidates — because CBS intended to fact-check his remarks. Conservatives viewed such formats as a double standard and as an example of how news bias has seeped into major networks' coverage of Republicans. 'This was an issue we were already sensitive to and focused on,' said Daniel Suhr, president of the conservative Center for American Rights legal group, which filed an FCC complaint against Walt Disney Co.'s ABC after the debate. At CBS, another firestorm had engulfed the newsroom. Redstone, who had previously urged news executives to bring more balance to CBS' coverage, was livid after managers scolded 'CBS Mornings' co-host Tony Dokoupil for his sharp questioning of author Ta-Nehisi Coates about Israel during an interview segment. Coates' book, 'The Message,' compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians to the Jim Crow South in the U.S. Redstone, who is Jewish and has focused her philanthropy on battling antisemitism in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, publicly rebuked CBS News managers for their treatment of Dokoupil. The controversial exchange in the Harris '60 Minutes' interview also happened to concern Israel. '60 Minutes' correspondent Bill Whitaker suggested to Harris that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was not listening to the Biden administration. Harris gave a long-winded three-sentence response. CBS broadcast the convoluted first sentence on its Sunday public affairs show, 'Face the Nation,' on Oct. 6. The following night — the anniversary of the Hamas attacks — '60 Minutes' aired only her most forceful and succinct third sentence: 'We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.' Conservatives zeroed in. 'CBS created this mess for itself. ... The conservative ecosystem was outraged when they saw the two different clips because it vindicated everything,' Suhr said. 'Folks had always believed the media was selectively manipulating interviews like that.' Journalists routinely cut extraneous words to provide clear and compact soundbites for audiences. CBS released a statement saying that it had not doctored the interview. Rather, news producers said they trimmed Harris' response to cover more ground during the broadcast. Internally, CBS debated whether to release the full transcript to quell the furor — but it stopped short at first. Some people close to the company have been particularly critical of CBS for not immediately releasing the unedited video. Trump sued in late October for $10 billion. After he returned to the White House, he doubled his demand to $20 billion. One of Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's first moves was to revive a separate news distortion complaint against '60 Minutes,' which Suhr had filed shortly after the broadcast. The matter had been dismissed by the previous Biden-appointed chair. CBS and the FCC released the Harris footage in February. By that time, the controversy had consumed the company. Last month, Bill Owens, the executive producer of '60 Minutes' stepped down, citing a loss of editorial independence. '60 Minutes' continued with Trump-critical stories — to the chagrin of people who want the Skydance deal to close. Less than two weeks after CBS Chief Executive George Cheeks pledged support for his team, Wendy McMahon, the head of CBS News, was forced to go. 'It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,' McMahon told her staff in a note last week. Insiders note other McMahon decisions, including the introduction of a new 'CBS Evening News' format, which has led to plummeting ratings, as factors in her fall. McMahon could not be reached for comment. Redstone and others hope the mediation with Trump's attorneys will produce a truce. But several questions remain: What will it take for Paramount to appease the president? And could the company's leaders be prosecuted if they pay the president a multimillion-dollar settlement? In 'normal times,' officials might be alarmed by a president's demand for a big check, said Michael C. Dorf, a Cornell Law School professor. 'These are not normal times, however, so the president will likely be able to get away with soliciting a bribe from Paramount, just as he is getting away with extortion of law firms and universities,' Dorf said. Staff writer Stephen Battaglio contributed to this report.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Jon Stewart rips boss Shari Redstone for trying to settle Trump ‘60 Minutes' lawsuit: ‘All must pay tribute to the king'
Jon Stewart is publicly torching CBS parent company Paramount Global and its controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, accusing them of capitulating to President Donald Trump's political pressure in order to advance an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. Stewart, star of 'The Daily Show' on Comedy Central, which is a subsidiary of Paramount Global, said the media climate has deteriorated to the point where 'all must pay tribute to the king,' likening recent corporate payouts and newsroom purges to mafia-style extortion. 'They just put money into the pot so that hopefully they don't get [targeted],' Stewart told 'The Bill Simmons Podcast' on Friday. 4 Jon Stewart is publicly torching CBS parent company Paramount Global and its controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. YouTube/Bill Simmons 'They're paying — what does that remind you of, Michael? Protection money. Right? It's protection money.' His comments come as Redstone, who stands to personally gain around $2 billion if the Skydance deal goes through, supported the ouster of CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon — a move sources told The Post signals progress in mediation talks aimed at settling Trump's $20 billion defamation lawsuit against Paramount. The lawsuit alleges CBS deceptively edited a '60 Minutes' interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle. Stewart dismissed the lawsuit as a pretext to extract financial concessions. 'It certainly doesn't rise to the level of libel, slander or whatever the f–k else they think they're doing with a $20 billion lawsuit. It was a purely subjective editorial decision,' he said. 4 Redstone is controlling shareholder at Paramount Global. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images 'Ultimately, what an awful precedent that these media companies have set.' McMahon was reportedly pushed out after resisting efforts to settle with Trump, which insiders say contributed to the resignation of veteran '60 Minutes' producer Bill Owens. In her resignation memo, McMahon wrote: 'It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.' CBS CEO George Cheeks told staff she would remain for several weeks to assist with the transition. Stewart wasn't subtle in his implication that Redstone was behind the moves, suggesting that top CBS executives were told to issue apologies as part of the merger strategy. 'Imagine paying $50 million for f–king nothing just to get somebody to approve a merger. It's bribery,' he said. 'They have to apologize. And these people looked at it and thought, 'There's no f–king way I'm going to apologize for doing my job the way it's supposed to be done just because this one guy is offended by it.'' 4 President Trump filed a $20 billion defamation suit against Paramount Global. AP Sources told The Post that Skydance executive Jeff Shell had little confidence in McMahon's ability to steer CBS News. Her departure followed multiple controversies, including plummeting ratings, poor newsroom morale and backlash over perceived interference in editorial decisions — such as reprimanding anchor Tony Dokoupil for a tough interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates on Israel-Hamas tensions. 'I mean, look what they're doing now at '60 Minutes' and CBS News and everything else,' Stewart said. 4 Stewart said that Redstone, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (seen far right with fiancée's Lauren Sánchez) and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (seen second from left alongside wife Priscilla Chan) paid Trump 'protection money.' Getty Images 'I don't know if these institutions I thought would last my lifetime are going to survive this. It's insane.' The 'Daily Show' host broadened his criticism to include other media titans. 'ABC had to pay $15 million. [Amazon founder Jeff] Bezos had to pay $40 million for a documentary on Melania. [Meta CEO Mark] Zuckerberg had to pay,' Stewart said, arguing these were examples of companies bowing to Trump to avoid legal threats. He warned that Redstone's approach sets a dangerous precedent that Trump will exploit further. 'Now he'll go after Harvard and Comcast or whatever the hell else he does. Because a policy of appeasement always leads to more conquest. It's tragic,' Stewart said. The Post has sought comment from Paramount Global, Meta, Bezos and ABC News.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Paramount infighting stalls Shari Redstone's push to settle $20B Trump suit: ‘Decision constipation'
Shari Redstone-controlled Paramount is poised to settle a closely watched legal battle with President Trump over alleged deceptive editing of a controversial '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris – but warring factions within the company have delayed the move, On The Money has learned. The media giant is said to be willing to spend up to $50 million to end the $20 billion lawsuit brought by Trump, thus lifting a legal black cloud that is that is hampering Redstone's plans to sell Paramount, and its CBS News subsidiary at the center of the lawsuit, to independent studio Skydance in a deal valued at $8 billion, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. But the infighting inside Paramount has paralyzed Redstone & Co. from pulling the trigger, leaving management and board members in limbo, the sources said. Advertisement 4 Infighting inside Paramount has paralyzed Shari Redstone from pulling the trigger on a settlement, sources said. REUTERS 'There seems to be a bit of decision constipation on their part,' said a lawyer with knowledge of the matter. '(Redstone) has been poised to settle this for months but is getting conflicting advice.' Another lawyer close to the situation said a 'decision could be made tonight or tomorrow.' The board literally has an emergency meeting every week on when to settle,' the source said. Advertisement Press reps for Redstone and Paramount declined comment, but didn't deny the substance of this report. Redstone and her board are said to be facing some significant internal pressure from members of her legal team and others not to cave to Trump's demands. They say the Trump litigation is frivolous, and '60 Minutes' has denied any improper editing of the Harris segment. This faction argues that a settlement would also be seen as an affront to press freedom, that Redstone would be acquiescing to alleged extortion to the president and his power over the administrative state. Advertisement 4 Kamala Harris during her interview with '60 Minutes' ahead of last year's presidential election. 60 Minutes / CBS Earlier in the week, socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote on X: 'I say to Shari Redstone: Enough is enough. Do not capitulate to Trump's attack on a free press. Do not settle Trump's bogus lawsuit against 60 Minutes.' Sanders' warning came as CBS News president Wendy McMahon was pushed out amid disagreements over the direction of the network. But other members of Redstone's legal and management team are urging a quick settlement of the Trump suit, believing that a payment for as much as $50 million will satisfy the president, and be a money saver. Advertisement 4 Concluding the Trump litigation is seen as a key move to in getting Redstone's planned sale to Skydance approved. WILL OLIVER/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A federal judge in Texas has already refused to dismiss the case, and even an eventual win on First Amendment grounds would cost more than $50 million in legal and court costs, these people argue. 'Sooner or later, you got to pay the man,' said one media attorney with first-hand knowledge of the matter. It's unclear where George Cheeks, one of three co-CEOs heading Paramount, stands on the issue. He may stay with the newly combined Paramount-Skydance if the deal is completed, people with knowledge of the matter say. A Paramount rep declined to publicly comment on his future. 4 If Paramount settles with Trump, it would join a host of media companies and law firms that have paid him to go away. Christopher Sadowski Ending the Trump litigation is seen as a key move to getting Redstone's planned sale to Skydance approved. Trump's regulatory apparatus, namely his Federal Communications Commission, is throttling the merger a conservative group filed a complaint that CBS News violated the 'public interest' statutes that govern local TV public airwaves that demand bias-free news programming. The Tiffany Network has been accused for years by conservative groups of tilting its news coverage in favor of Democratic candidates. The Trump lawsuit almost mirrors the FCC inquiry prompted by a complaint filed by the Center for American Rights that '60 Minutes' violated agency fairness rules when it allegedly edited Harris' interview during the heat of the 2024 president campaign to make her sound more coherent when answering a policy question. Harris is famous for her long-winded, word salad answers to such questions. Advertisement Redstone, the settlement proponents argue, would hardly be an outlier if she simply paid Trump the money to go away. She would join a host of media companies and law firms that have made payments to Trump to end legal actions by the president, who has vast powers to regulate corporate activities. Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, settled a libel action for $16 million with Trump over erroneous comments made by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos. Redstone needs to sell her stake in the media conglomerate to preserve what's left of her inheritance from her father, the late media dealmaker Sumner Redstone. Paramount's stock has cratered amid vast changes in the media business. If the deal is completed, Redstone and her family will walk away with around $2 billion. Paramount was worth close to $40 billion just a few years ago.
