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** OPINION
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** The Washington Posts’ Opinion reset: reform or retreat?
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(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Changes, as expected, are coming to The Washington Post Opinion section. This hot-button issue started at the Post when owner Jeff Bezos told staff ([link removed]) in a memo back in February, “We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”

He added, “There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based opinion section that sought to cover all views. Today, the internet does that job.”

Bezos’ announcement led to David Shipley immediately stepping down as the Post’s opinion editor. Much criticism of the paper’s new direction and other departures among the staff followed. Last month, the Post announced that Adam O’Neal, the Washington correspondent for The Economist and former editorial page writer at The Wall Street Journal, would become the new Opinion editor.

O’Neal introduced himself to the Post staff in a memo on Monday and, according to a scoop from The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin ([link removed]) , alluded to the upcoming changes.

According to Mullin, O’Neal told staff, “It won't be easy, but we have a real opportunity to build the most popular, vibrant and influential opinion section in the country.”

Hmm, didn’t the Post already have a popular, vibrant and influential opinion section before Bezos decided to overhaul it and well before O’Neal came on board?

Among other things O’Neal told the staff:
* “My top priority will be to significantly increase the reach and effect of our work.” He then wrote that “advocating for free markets and personal liberties” would be “critical as we rebuild trust with more Americans.” He insisted that it was not “a partisan project.”
* “The changes we have planned are not marginal. They will be ambitious and thorough … we won't let sentimentality slow down much-needed reform.”
* “I know this represents a shift for many of you, and maybe even an unwelcome one for some, but simply being reconciled to these changes is not enough. We want those who stick with us to be genuinely enthusiastic about the new direction and focus.”

Check out the link above for the full memo.

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** Powerful journalism
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While there are certainly questions about what’s going on with the Opinion section of The Washington Post, it is indisputable that the news department continues its stellar work.

Monday brought more excellent reporting on the disastrous and heartbreaking Texas floods — specifically at Camp Mystic, where at least 27 campers and counselors were killed. The century-old Christian summer camp was hosting approximately 750 children when the flooding started.

A team of Post reporters published this exclusive Monday: “Camp Mystic’s leader got a ‘life threatening’ flood alert. They evacuated an hour later.” ([link removed]) The multimedia piece includes interactive graphics that show how the flood waters rose and overtook the camp.

I also wanted to mention a couple of other noteworthy stories on the Texas floods.

Aaron Parsley, a senior editor at Texas Monthly, wrote about his family’s personal experience in this harrowing first-person piece: “The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.” ([link removed])

In addition, while The Atlantic’s Olga Khazan wrote, “We Should, in Fact, Politicize the Tragedy.” ([link removed]) Khazan wrote, “The impulse to avoid blame — both placing and accepting it — is common after a disaster. Following school shootings, many political leaders suggest a variation on the idea that ‘now is the time to come together,’ while asserting that anything other than unity might ‘politicize this tragedy.’ … Perhaps this stems from a desire to protect the friends and families of the victims.”

However, Khazan added, “In a confusing, anguished time, gentle pabulum such as ‘come together’ and ‘focus on the mourning’ can feel safe and reassuring. And blame can be depressing; accepting responsibility for something that went terribly wrong is often painful and embarrassing. But the alternative is much worse: a world where the loss of innocent life is treated as inescapable, where no calamity can be prevented or bad situation reformed. Admitting that we can improve the world might be initially more uncomfortable, but it is also more hopeful. Finding out who is responsible for a major failure matters, because identifying that failure can help prevent a next one.”


** Tweets of the day
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From Media Matters’ Matthew Gertz, posted ([link removed]) at 12:21 p.m. Eastern on Monday:

Fox News live mentions today as of noon ET:

Biden: 46

Epstein: ZERO

Gertz then follow that tweet up with this one ([link removed]) :

UPDATE through Fox News' 4 p.m. hour:

Biden: 85 mentions

Epstein: STILL ZERO

Fox is following Trump's marching orders and shutting up about the story currently consuming the MAGA movement.


** A new news show
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(Photo: courtesy of ABC News)

Most people go to Disney+ to be entertained. But with the help of ABC News, Disney+ is launching a new show that will keep subscribers informed. Starting next Monday, ABC News will produce a show called “What You Need to Know,” anchored by chief international correspondent James Longman and senior political correspondent Rachel Scott. The show will air live each weekday morning at 6 a.m. Eastern on Disney+ and stream for 24 hours until the next show is posted.

ABC News said the show is a “fast, fresh way to stay ahead of the conversation as viewers start their day. From breaking headlines and the day’s biggest stories to entertainment buzz and viral videos, the show has everything you need to know.”

In a statement, Longman and Scott said, “We’re excited to be anchoring What You Need to Know as part of ABC News’ growing line-up of content on Disney+. Our goal is to cut through the noise, break down the top headlines, and bring viewers up to speed on the top stories of the day. We come from different corners of the newsroom, from the frontlines of foreign conflicts to the halls of power in Washington D.C., so we’ve got all the bases covered. Wherever we go, we’re excited to bring you with us.”


** More thoughts on the Trump-Trump interview
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I mentioned this in Monday’s newsletter ([link removed]) , but it’s still head-scratching that Fox News had Lara Trump interview her father-in-law, President Donald Trump, and not see major credibility issues with it. The interview was taped a week ago and aired on Lara Trump’s Saturday night show. Calling it a softball interview might be an insult to softball.

Anyway, Mother Jones’ Julianne McShane also weighed in with her piece: “I Watched Lara Trump’s ‘Interview’ With the President So You Don’t Have To.” ([link removed])

McShane wrote, “A journalist who lands a prime-time interview with the president might be expected to come with substantive questions, especially in a time when Texas is reeling from floods that killed more than 120 people, the MAGA base is revolting over the Epstein files, the State Department has enacted mass layoffs, and fears are mounting again about a global trade war. Instead, Lara Trump treated her father-in-law to a glowing display of puffery.”

McShane later added, “Of course, the fact that this was no legitimate news-making interview is not exactly surprising. Other than a brief stint early in her career working as a producer for Inside Edition, Lara Trump, despite her obsession with meritocracy ([link removed]) , does not have any actual journalistic experience. Instead, she has built her career as a mouthpiece for the Trump empire and its familial version of the Republican party, including her role as co-chair of the Republican National Committee during the 2024 election cycle.”


** Big shakeup at Fox Sports 1
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From left, television commentators LeSean McCoy, Joy Taylor and Emmanuel Acho at a college football game in Colorado in September of 2003. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

From left, television commentators LeSean McCoy, Joy Taylor and Emmanuel Acho at a college football game in Colorado in September of 2003. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Fox Sports 1 is blowing up much of its daytime programming, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand ([link removed]) .

Marchand broke the news that FS1 is canceling three shows: “Speak,” “Breakfast Ball” and “The Facility.” The big headline there is that “Speak” host Joy Taylor is out at FSI, as her contract is not being renewed.

Marchand wrote, “Taylor, 38, has been in headlines over the past year as FS1 has been embroiled in harassment allegations against its former top programming executive, Charlie Dixon. In one of the two lawsuits, Noushin Faraji, a make-up artist, accused Dixon of sexual battery ([link removed]) , and the suit alleged that Taylor told Faraji ‘to get over it.’ Taylor denied the allegation. Dixon has been out at the network since late April.”

“The Facility” is hosted by former NFL player Emmanuel Acho, and also features former NFLers Chase Daniel, James Jones and LeSean McCoy. “Breakfast Ball” is hosted by longtime and former WFAN radio host Craig Carton, and features former NFL player Mark Schlereth and broadcaster Danny Parkins.

Acho confirmed the news on X, tweeting ([link removed]) , “In sports, when you’re not good enough, you get cut. In TV, when you’re not good enough, you get cancelled. I’m not going to try and come to y’all with some ‘Big announcements soon. Stay tuned’ because I don’t actually know what’s coming. But what I do know is I trust God.”

My take: I’m not surprised these shows were canceled because none of them were very good. Admittedly, I didn’t watch them a ton because, uh, they weren’t good.

But when I did check in, the shows seemed lazy. I rarely learned anything or felt smarter after watching them. They were full of hot takes (for the sake of being hot takes) about the same worn-out topics. It was a televised version of bad sports radio. And I wasn’t alone, apparently, in not being interested. Marchand reported, “The three shows struggled to find a huge audience, prompting the cancellations, according to sources briefed on the decision.”

Marchand said Carton returning to WFAN is not out of the question. As far as the others, especially Taylor, no telling where they might end up. (Taylor does host her own podcast.) Marchand said FSI will likely try new shows as replacements.


** Media tidbits
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* My Poynter colleague, Angela Fu, with “Foreign journalists in the U.S. are self-censoring to protect themselves from the Trump administration.” ([link removed])
* Nieman Lab’s Sarah Scire with “A thousand days in, there may be an end in sight for the newsroom strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.” ([link removed])
* CNN’s Kristen Holmes reports ([link removed]) that FBI deputy director Dan Bongino was back at work Monday following his heated confrontation last week with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Holmes tweeted that Bongino was in a “better headspace,” but, “His long-term future is still uncertain.”
* Catching up on this from last week. NBC News’ David K. Li with “Oklahoma man accused of targeting television news weather radar.” ([link removed])
* This is a nice little pick-me-up story from “CBS Mornings.” Paula Ebben, a morning anchor at Boston’s WBZ-TV and lifelong Red Sox fan, got to be a ballgirl at Fenway Park. Check it out here ([link removed]) .
* The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir with “Samuel Abt, Tour de France Writer for 30 Years, Dies at 91.” ([link removed])
* PolitiFact’s Gabrielle Lazor writes about the Florida detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in “Ron DeSantis claims ‘zero’ environmental impact. That's not possible, experts say.” ([link removed])
* Also from PolitiFact, Maria Ramirez Uribe with “Can the U.S. government revoke your citizenship? What to know about denaturalization.” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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The New York Times’ Eliza Shapiro with “The Tooth Fairy Is Real. She’s a Dentist in Seattle.” ([link removed])

The Atlantic’s Caitlin Flanagan with “Pamela Anderson Forever.” ([link removed])


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