Latest news with #Watergate
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Trump's long-stalled suit against Bob Woodward dismissed
A federal judge on Friday dismissed President Trump's lawsuit against famed Watergate journalist Bob Woodward for publishing audio tapes of interviews he conducted with Trump for a 2020 book. U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe's ruling comes a year and a half after Woodward and his publisher asked the judge to dismiss the suit. Trump's attorneys had long complained about the lack of progress, repeatedly urging Gardephe to rule. An appointee of former President George W. Bush, Gardephe rejected Trump's arguments that he is a joint author of the tapes and ruled that even if he wasn't, the interview responses are protected copyright. 'There is almost no support in the case law for the notion that an interviewee has a copyright interest in his responses to interview questions, and such a conclusion would run counter to animating principles of the Copyright Act,' the judge pushed back. The judge also dismissed Trump's state law claims, ruling those were preempted by federal copyright law. 'In another biased action by a New York Court, this wrongful decision was issued without even affording President Trump the basic due process of a hearing. We will continue to ensure that those who commit wrongdoing against President Trump and all Americans are held accountable,' a spokesman for Trump's legal team said in a statement. Trump sued Woodward in January 2023 after giving him 19 interviews for his book, 'Rage.' The lawsuit conceded Trump gave the interviews and permitted Woodward to record them, but the complaint claimed the journalist and his publisher were not authorized to sell the audio recordings themselves. The $49 million lawsuit named Woodward, Simon & Schuster and its then-parent company, Paramount Global, as defendants. Paramount later sold the publishing giant to a private investment firm. The Hill has reached out to Simon & Schuster and Paramount for comment. Trump's attorney had repeatedly expressed frustration with the judge for mulling the dismissal motion for months without taking action. Following Trump's election, his attorneys kept pressing the judge to move ahead, but in December, the judge said he was 'at work' on it and declined to expedite it further.
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
ABC and CBS settlements with Trump are dangerous step toward the commander in chief becoming editor-in-chief
By Michael J Socolow It was a surrender widely foreseen. For months, rumors abounded that Paramount would eventually settle the seemingly frivolous lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump concerning editorial decisions in the production of a CBS interview with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2024. On July 2, those rumors proved true: The settlement between Paramount and Trump's legal team resulted in CBS's parent company agreeing to pay $16 million to the future Donald Trump Library – the $16 million included Trump's legal fees – in exchange for ending the lawsuit. Despite the opinion of many media law scholars and practicing attorneys who considered the lawsuit meritless, Shari Redstone, the largest shareholder of Paramount, yielded to Trump. Redstone had been trying to sell Paramount to Skydance Media since July 2024, but the transaction was delayed by issues involving government approval. Specifically, when the Trump administration assumed power in January 2025, the new Federal Communications Commission had no legal obligation to facilitate, without scrutiny, the transfer of the CBS network's broadcast licenses for its owned-and-operated TV stations to new ownership. The FCC, under newly installed Republican Chairman Brendan Carr, was fully aware of the issues in the legal conflict between Trump and CBS at the time Paramount needed FCC approval for the license transfers. Without a settlement, the Paramount-Skydance deal remained in jeopardy. Until it wasn't. At that point, Paramount joined Disney in implicitly apologizing for journalism produced by their TV news divisions. Earlier in 2025, Disney had settled a different Trump lawsuit with ABC News in exchange for a $15 million donation to the future Trump Library. That lawsuit involved a dispute over the wording of the actions for which Trump was found liable in a civil lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll. It's not certain what the ABC and CBS settlements portend, but many are predicting they will produce a 'chilling effect' within the network news divisions. Such an outcome would arise from fear of new litigation, and it would install a form of internal self-censorship that would influence network journalists when deciding whether the pursuit of investigative stories involving the Trump administration would be worth the risk. Trump has apparently succeeded where earlier presidents failed. Presidential pressure From Jimmy Carter trying to get CBS anchor Walter Cronkite to stop ending his evening newscasts with the number of days American hostages were being held in Iran to Richard Nixon's administration threatening the broadcast licenses of The Washington Post's TV stations to weaken Watergate reporting, previous presidents sought to apply editorial pressure on broadcast journalists. But in the cases of Carter and Nixon, it didn't work. The broadcast networks' focus on both Watergate and the Iran hostage crisis remained unrelenting. Nor were Nixon and Carter the first presidents seeking to influence, and possibly control, network news. President Lyndon Johnson, who owned local TV and radio stations in Austin, Texas, regularly complained to his old friend, CBS President Frank Stanton, about what he perceived as biased TV coverage. Johnson was so furious with the CBS and NBC reporting from Vietnam, he once argued that their newscasts seemed 'controlled by the Vietcong.' Yet none of these earlier presidents won millions from the corporations that aired ethical news reporting in the public interest. Before Trump, these conflicts mostly occurred backstage and informally, allowing the broadcasters to sidestep the damage to their credibility should any surrender to White House administrations be made public. In a 'Reporter's Notebook' on the CBS Evening News the night of the Trump settlement, anchor John Dickerson summarized the new dilemma succinctly: 'Can you hold power to account when you've paid it millions? Can an audience trust you when it thinks you've traded away that trust?' 'The audience will decide that,' Dickerson continued, concluding: 'Our job is to show up to honor what we witness on behalf of the people we witness it for.' Holding power to account There's an adage in TV news: 'You're only as good as your last show.' Soon, SkyDance Media will assume control over the Paramount properties, and the new CBS will be on the airwaves. When the licenses for KCBS in Los Angeles, WCBS in New York and the other CBS-owned-and-operated stations are transferred, we'll learn the long-term legacy of corporate capitulation. But for now, it remains too early to judge tomorrow's newscasts. As a scholar of broadcast journalism and a former broadcast journalist, I recommend evaluating programs like '60 Minutes' and the 'CBS Evening News' on the record they will compile over the next three years – and the record they compiled over the past 50. The same goes for 'ABC World News Tonight' and other ABC News programs. A major complicating factor for the Paramount-Skydance deal was the fact that '60 Minutes' has, over the past six months, broken major scoops embarrassing to the Trump administration, which led to additional scrutiny by its corporate ownership. Judged by its reporting in the first half of 2025, '60 Minutes' has upheld its record of critical and independent reporting in the public interest. If audience members want to see ethical, independent and professional broadcast journalism that holds power to account, then it's the audience's responsibility to tune it in. The only way to learn the consequences of these settlements is by watching future programming rather than dismissing it beforehand. The journalists working at ABC News and CBS News understand the legacy of their organizations, and they are also aware of how their owners have cast suspicion on the news divisions' professionalism and credibility. As Dickerson asserted, they plan to 'show up' regardless of the stain, and I'd bet they're more motivated to redeem their reputations than we expect. I don't think reporters, editors and producers plan to let Donald Trump become their editor-in-chief over the next three years. But we'll only know by watching. Michael J Socolow is Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. External Link © The Conversation
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Irish Times
Pensioner fatally assaulted outside home had ‘heart of gold', funeral hears
A man who died after he was fatally assaulted outside his home had a 'heart of gold' and was funny, 'loyal and kind', his funeral Mass has heard. Michael 'Mikey' Hayes (72) died after he was found with critical injuries outside his home at St Michael's Court, Watergate, Limerick, on July 10th. Retired Irish Army and United Nations soldiers, dressed in uniform, performed a guard of honour as Mr Hayes's coffin, draped in the Tricolour, was brought inside St John's Cathedral in the city on Friday. In a tribute, one of Mr Hayes's four sons told mourners: 'Mike brought smiles, he told stories, he made memories, but behind the craic and the spoofs was a man with a heart of gold. READ MORE 'He would help anybody, no hesitation, no questions asked. If you needed him, he was there, that kind of loyalty and kindness is rare, and he gave it so freely. 'He loved the drink, a laugh and being around people. More than that, he loved his family, his friends and his community, and we loved him deeply and truly.' He said his father's sudden death had paralysed his family in grief, saying: 'It's impossible to come to terms with how his life ended, but we will carry his spirit. 'None of us will ever understand it, but what we do understand is the impact he made while he was here, and that's what we're here to remember.' He described his late father as 'an unforgettable man'. 'Our dad was a kind man, a proper character – if you knew him you'd know he was some man to make up a story, and not just any story, but a full-blown 'Mikey-spoof',' the son told mourners to laughter. 'He could spin a tail from nothing, and he'd have you in stitches before you realised half of it was made up. 'They would be one of those stories you wouldn't believe about a neighbour, cousin or some poor stranger that probably never existed at all. 'But the magic was, you didn't care because when Mikey told a story you listened and you laughed.' His father was also known by many for his time selling ice-cream at football matches and concerts. 'That's where you'd find him with a cheeky grin, a quick joke and a '99 in each hand.' Finishing his eulogy, the son said: 'Rest easy, Dad. You were one in a million and we'll be telling your stories for the rest of our lives.' Afterwards, the late Mr Hayes, who is survived by his four sons, Tom, Michael, Brendan and Joe, was laid to rest at Mount St Oliver Cemetery, Limerick. At Limerick District Court on Saturday, Phillip Ambrose (43), of no fixed abode, was charged with Mr Hayes's murder.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Pensioner fatally assaulted in Limerick had a 'heart of gold', funeral told
A pensioner fatally assaulted outside his home last week had a 'heart of gold', and was funny 'loyal and kind', his funeral mass heard, Friday. Michael 'Mikey' Hayes (72) died after he was found with critical injuries outside his home at St Michael's Court, Watergate, Limerick, last Thursday week, July 10th. Advertisement Phillip Ambrose, (43), of no fixed abode, was charged with Mr Hayes's murder before a special night-time sitting of Limerick District Court, last Saturday. Shortly before 11am, a coffin carrying Mr Hayes's remains was shouldered by loved ones into St John's Cathedral, Limerick City where his funeral mass was held. Retired Irish army and United Nations soldiers, dressed in uniform, performed a guard of honour as Mr Hayes's coffin, draped in the tricolour, was brought inside the cathedral. In an emotional tribute, one of Mr Hayes's four sons, told mourners: 'Mike brought smiles, he told stories, he made memories, but behind the craic and the spoofs, was a man with a heart of gold.' Advertisement 'He would help anybody - No hesitation, no questions asked. If you needed him, he was there, that kind of loyalty and kindness is rare, and he gave it so freely.' 'He loved the drink, a laugh and being around people. More than that, he loved his family, his friends and his community, and we loved him deeply and truly.' 'It's impossible to come to terms with how his life ended, but we will carry his spirit.' Mr Hayes said his father's sudden death had paralysed his family in grief: 'It's impossible to come to terms with how his life ended, but we will carry his spirit.' Advertisement 'He was 72 years old when his life was taken from us, far too soon, and in the most cruel and senseless way.' 'None of us will ever understand it, but what we do understand is the impact he made while he was here, and that's that's what we're here to remember.' Mr Hayes described his late father as 'an unforgettable man' who brought fun and happy memories to his family and friends. —Proper character— Advertisement 'Our Dad was a kind man, a proper character — if you knew him, you'd know he was some man to make up a story, and not just any story, but a full-blown 'Mikey-spoof',' said Mr Hayes to laughter from loved ones and friends. 'He could spin a tail from nothing, and he'd have you in stitches before you realised half of it was made up. They would be one of those stories you wouldn't believe about a neighbor, cousin or some poor stranger that probably never existed at all.' 'But the magic was, you didn't care, because when Mikey told a story, you listened and you laughed.' 'That was Mikey's gift - He didn't need a stage, a microphone; just a crowd, a bit of attention and maybe a pint, and he was away. He brought joy into every room, just being just by being in it.' Advertisement 'He was also known by many for his time selling ice-cream at the football matches and concerts. That's where you'd find him with a cheeky grin, a quick joke and a '99 in each hand.' 'Those weren't just work-shifts, they were adventures.' 'Today we say goodbye to an unforgettable man. We'll tell his stories, 'Mikey-spoofs', and we'll do our best to laugh through the tears, just like he would have wanted.' Fighting back tears, Mr Hayes concluded to an ovation from the congregation: 'Rest easy, Dad, you were one in a million, and we'll be telling your stories for the rest of our lives.' Afterwards, Michael 'Mikey' Hayes, survived by his four sons, Tom, Michael, Brendan and Joe, was laid to rest at Mount Saint Oliver Cemetery, Limerick.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Politicians come worst out of a row over An Post's finances
The axiom that the cover-up is often worse than the crime in politics is generally associated with the 1970s Watergate scandal, which saw the resignation of Richard Nixon as US president. Applying it to the brouhaha over the question of who trashed An Post at Cabinet this week is open to the accusation of being unsporting and using too much gun. But at the same time we have a Cabinet Minister accusing one of his colleagues of leaking details of a briefing he gave on An Post in a deliberately damaging way. The report in the Irish Daily Mail suggested Communications Minister Patrick O'Donovan told Cabinet that the company was on the brink of collapse, with cash reserves of less than €1 million. The paper said that, without the revenue generated by election-related mailing, the company would have made a loss last year. The report so annoyed An Post chief executive, David McRedmond, that he interrupted his holiday in Italy to go on Morning Ireland and paint a different picture : one of a company in rude good health. He said the accounts presented to Cabinet showed revenues of €1 billion for the first time and net profits of €10 million. READ MORE O'Donovan promptly followed him on to the Claire Byrne show on RTÉ radio and somehow managed to agree with McRedmond that the company was in good shape, without saying that the Irish Daily Mail story was wrong. Instead, he turned his ire on his Cabinet colleagues, accusing one of them of leaking a distorted version of his briefing. 'But how a nameless minister or alleged nameless minister or source or whatever, would conflate that [his briefing] into saying this, the situation is dire. I don't know how they will come up with that.' If we take O'Donovan at face value – and we have no reason not to – he has made a very serious allegation that one of his colleagues deliberately broke the law in order to damage a State-owned business that employs 10,000 people, and which is one of Ireland's most trusted brands. And the potential damage is significant, according to McRedmond, who warned it might cause big global customers to lose confidence in the business. As ever the question is: why would someone do this? It is no secret that there are different views on An Post in Government. The briefing document for the incoming Minister in the Department of Public Expenditure, which was released earlier this year, makes the following observation: 'An Post's financial position remains extremely challenging. Mail volumes continue to decline and new services such as parcels are more competitive and hence lower margin. Significant existing State support means there is some ability to address sustainability, but this is limited.' [ Ireland's economic plans threatened amid 'sobering' outlook Opens in new window ] There is no suggestion that the new minister, Jack Chambers , leaked the details of O'Donovan's briefing. His department's position is pretty much word for word the most recent assessment of An Post carried out by New Era, which provides financial and commercial advice to minsters and their department on semi-state company holdings. It is a somewhat different picture from the upbeat one pained by McRedmond, but it is not hard to reconcile them. McRedmond was brought in from the private sector to run An Post in 2016, having previously worked in TV3 (now Virgin Media) and Eir. The focus in the private sector is essentially short term. The future cannot be controlled, and the most important thing is this year's figures. If you were not optimistic you would not be in business. McRedmond said as much on Morning Ireland in connection with the once-off revenue associated with election mailings that flattered last year's figures. 'Yes, we got a big boost from the elections last year, but if it wasn't the elections, it would be something else,' he said. The public sector takes a longer-term and more conservative approach, as epitomised by New Era's assessment of An Post's prospects. McRedmond's sangfroid on its own is not going to cut it for New Era, when it comes to recommending that the Government accede to his request for more capital and higher borrowing limits. McRedmond wants this to further An Post's transformation into a delivery business competing with giants such as DHL and UPS. [ David McRedmond: 'An Post has been brilliant. I've never been remunerated less and enjoyed a job more' Opens in new window ] It is still somewhat baffling why leaking details of a Cabinet meeting would enhance anyone's position in this debate. It's possible, of course, that it's more cock-up than conspiracy. The story was really a nothing burger and only took off after McRedmond's performance on Morning Ireland, which was followed up by O'Donovan's accusations on Claire Byrne. It would not be the first time that the leaking of a titbit to a newspaper had spiralled out of control. But the situation remains that a Government Minister has publicly and emphatically accused an unidentified Cabinet colleague of breaching confidentiality and leaking confidential information in a nefarious manner. That is something that has to be taken seriously.
