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OPINION
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Maddow Is Replaced (Finally), The NY Times Edits on the Sly, and Cillizza Hears Hillary Whispers

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"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.

06.28.22

Reporting on the Mirror – MSNBC

MSNBC has been in a state of sustained flux since Rachel Maddow announced she was mostly stepping away from her primetime position on the network. She took a hiatus and then came back to a one-day-a-week schedule, leaving the network heads to come up with a solution. Well, at least they came up with a name. 

Alex Wagner has been tabbed after what has been considered an encouraging run as a replacement the past couple of months. The glaring aspect is that seven years ago, Wagner had a show on the network that had been canceled. She lingered as a special correspondent for a time before hitting CBS on Saturday mornings the next year, followed by a gig at Showtime. Wagner returned late last year after Maddow warned the network of her plans to scale back her time.

Meanwhile, CNN has yet to come up with any permanent solution to their 9 pm vacancy since Chris Cuomo was pushed out in December 2021. 

Stealth Story Evolution – THE NEW YORK TIMES

In covering the effects of the SCOTUS abortion ruling, veteran Hill reporter Carl Hulse detailed what Senator Mitch McConnell's efforts have meant. In the synopsis, Hulse made the declaration that the Court had, in fact, banned abortion on behalf of Senate Republicans. Someone had been notified of this factual error, as the piece was edited to clean up the detail. 

Legalized Press-titution – CNN

  • The network's third-string media analyst may need to shower after this hearing.

Today's hastily rescheduled January 6 hearing featured gripping and historic testimony that serves as the latest bombshell against Donald Trump. Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aid to Mark Meadows, delivered some scathing details from that fateful day. 

Donald Trump threw a plate. At one point, he was so eager to go to the Capitol that he nearly grabbed the steering wheel of the presidential limo. This is severe stuff – we…guess? At least, according to CNN media analyst David Zurawik. 

Now, for some perspective. Hutchinson did not witness any of this. She heard other people talking about these things that may have happened. This type of testimony would not be taken seriously in most courts, but here is the J-6 Committee presenting this as not only unimpeachable witness corroboration, but the details are held as gravely important. Zurawik is bowled over by what he heard – even if her "pulsing truth" is little more than hearsay. 

DNC PR Firm – CNN

Twice in the last week, Hillary Clinton has been asked directly about a presidential run, and both times she was rather definitive about saying no, she would not. She told the Financial Times it was out of the question – but Chris Cillizza suggests that was ahead of Friday's Roe decision, and things could have changed – even though she was rather assured it would take place. Then on Tuesday, she was asked again by Gayle King and again was adamant about not running. 

BUT, Chris Cillizza is hearing whispers! With a special fervency that resides in concentrated fashion at CNN, Chris has his hopes set on yet another Hillary run for 1600. 

Body Checking the Fact-Checkers – POLITIFACT

In the Nevada Senate race, things are heating up over women's birth concerns. Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has charged that her opponent Adam Laxalt is looking to restrict women's access to birth control. PolitiFact looked into the matter to determine how factual this could be. Laxalt has not proposed anything of the sort, but seven years ago, AG Laxalt was part of a legal process.

- "As evidence for the ad's claim, Cortez Masto's campaign cited two legal briefs Laxalt joined and a letter he signed as attorney general. In 2015, Laxalt announced that he joined on behalf of Nevada, along with other state attorneys general, in filing a U.S. Supreme Court brief against a national mandate for employers to provide free contraception to employees." 

This was the case concerning the Catholic entity The Little Sisters of the Poor being forced to provide birth control, in violation of their religious beliefs, as a result of the Obamacare mandate. So no, Laxalt is not looking to restrict birth control today but had joined a filing for religious rights. 

PolitiFact determines the charge "Laxalt wants to restrict birth control" to be Mostly True. 

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