Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino

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. Plus, Donald Trump is using taxpayer money to run propaganda ads on MS NOW. Oliver and Jon report on the discontent amongst some network staffers who do not believe the progressive outlet should air the ads. 0:00 Intro 1:18 The Future of CNN (For Now) 18:30 Will Bari Weiss Run CNN? 36:44 MS NOW Staffers Furious as Trump Ads Air on Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Then, we report on the anxiety coursing through CNN as David Ellison’s Paramount strikes a deal with the state AGs to gain regulatory clearance to take over the news outlet’s parentco. We’ll take you inside the network where chief Mark Thompson is facing mounting questions from nervous staffers. Plus, the owner of POLITICO and Business Insider is facing backlash from staffers for its decision to honor pro-MAGA billionaire Peter Thiel with help from Bari Weiss. 0:00 Intro 1:39 JD Vance Exposed as Politico’s Anonymous Source 15:57 CNN’s Ownership Uncertainty 37:45 Axel Springer’s Peter Thiel Controversy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins turned the tables on Status founder Oliver Darcy for the final interview of the Status Summit. Darcy described what it actually felt like to leave CNN and go independent, including the realization that there’s no undo button once you’ve handed in your badge. They also discuss how sourcing and reporting have changed for both of them since their beginnings in conservative media, and Oliver's plans to grow Status with more journalists, events, and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MS NOW president Rebecca Kutler joined Natalie Korach and Oliver Darcy at the Status Summit to discuss the network's programming and business strategy. Kutler spoke about the network’s new membership program, her perspective on taking Donald Trump live, whether Hasan Piker is welcome on the channel, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times chief executive Meredith Kopit Levien and Atlantic chief executive Nicholas Thompson joined Oliver Darcy at the Status Summit for a wide-ranging discussion on the business upheavals reshaping the media industry. The duo discussed their different approaches to A.I. giants, whether news organizations should make deals with prediction markets like Kalshi, Google’s crawler behavior, and more. Plus, Kopit Levien responded to Nicole Kidman’s “Lioness” character attacking The Times for its coverage on democracy being under threat.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices