Bari Weiss’ CBS News Backfire, CNN’s Scott Jennings Torched, Biggest Oscars Surprises
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon PassantinoShow Notes
On this week’s Power Lines:
Embattled CBS News boss Bari Weiss badmouthed her own staff to reporters after holding up a “60 Minutes” segment on Trump deportees, suggesting the struggling new chief has much to learn. Plus, new “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil’s abysmal ratings continue as the network’s sudden right-turn alienates audiences.
Then, CNN’s pro-MAGA contributor Scott Jennings is slammed by network guests over his warped relationship with the truth as he aligns himself with Donald Trump.
Speaking of distortion realities, the biggest stars on Fox News and across the MAGAverse are suddenly all-in on the idea of the U.S. taking over Greenland in lockstep with Trump.
And finally, Status’ Brian Lowry joins the show to break down the biggest surprises and snubs of the 2026 Oscar nominations.
00:00 Intro
00:55 CBS News Ratings Drop for Weiss & Dokoupil
01:31 Behind the Scenes Drama at 60 Minutes
06:02 Bari Weiss's Management Style
16:48 Scott Jennings Under Fire at CNN
26:48 Fox News Defends Trump's Greenland Gambit
32:27 Unpacking Oscar Nominations
34:53 Sinners: The Movie of the Year?
36:19 Best Picture Nominees
37:13 Surprising Oscar Snubs
41:49 Oscar Predictions and Dark Horses
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More from Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino
On today’s episode:
In a special episode of Power Lines, we publish exclusive audio from a stunning all-hands meeting in which Bari Weiss' handpicked foreign editor, Shayndi Raice, unleashed a lengthy tirade against her own CBS News journalists.
After completing his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison is facing questions about his relationship with Donald Trump and his plans for CNN. Jon shares what happened when he pressed Ellison directly on the Paramount lot, and Oliver reports on Anderson Cooper’s pointed questions for his new boss at an internal company town hall.
The future of CNN is coming into focus…at least for now. David Ellison has opened talks with Mark Thompson about extending his tenure as CNN’s chief. Oliver and Jon break down what the move signals to employees inside the network, what it could mean for CNN’s direction under Ellison, and where it leaves Bari Weiss, both now and down the road.
The anonymous source behind one of the stories that the White House used to justify its press ban was none other than JD Vance himself. We detail our exclusive reporting and get into the latest developments on Donald Trump’s war against the media.