Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino

Latest Episodes:

Andrew Ross Sorkin Gets Honest About Covering Tech Billionaires Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

CNBC host and Dealbook author Andrew Ross Sorkin sat for an interview at the inaugural Status Summit, speaking to Oliver Darcy on a wide array of topics. In the interview, the two discussed news organization’s striking deals with Kalshi, what it is like to critically cover some of the world’s most powerful moguls, why the Ellisons are making a play for media assets, and whether as “Billions” co-creator he would portray the wealthy in the same light today.

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Brian Williams Sharply Criticizes Media’s Trump Coverage: “Are You Kidding ME?!” Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Brian Williams and veteran television producer Jonathan Wald sat down with us at the Status Summit, discussing a wide array of topics, including: the declining relevance of the evening news broadcast, Bari Weiss’ overhaul of CBS News, the media’s coverage of Donald Trump, David Ellison’s desire to purchase CNN, and more.

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Former CBS News Chief Reveals Serious Concerns About Direction of '60 Minutes' Sep 13, 2026

Show notes

Former CBS News & Stations Chief Wendy McMahon spoke at the Status Summit about the political pressures that Donald Trump is exerting on broadcast networks through the FCC, urging media companies not to fall in line. McMahon also addressed her resignation from CBS News and the radical overhaul of the network being implemented by her successor, Bari Weiss. She addressed concerns raised publicly by current and former 60 Minutes journalists and said she's concerned the newsmagazine’s "DNA is being rewritten" in real time.

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Don Lemon and Mehdi Hasan Get Candid About Corporate Media Sep 12, 2026

Show notes

Don Lemon and Mehdi Hasan joined Oliver Darcy at the Status Summit to discuss building independent media businesses after leaving cable news. Both discussed growing audiences on YouTube and other platforms, the freedom to say "the F word,” and the legal and financial risks independent journalists take on without a corporate safety net.

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Kara Swisher Dishes On Threat to Leave CNN, Rips Journalists Still Using X, and Unloads on Jeff Bezos Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Kara Swisher joined us at the Status Summit in New York for a candid conversation on a wide array of topics. Swisher, a veteran journalist and co-host of “Pivot,” told us how CNN executives have responded to her threats to leave the network, should the Ellisons gain control of it. She also said Jeff Bezos has ruined The Washington Post and weighed in with her brutally honest thoughts on various technology executives.

0:00 Intro

2:00 Kara Swisher’s Podcast Empire & Scott Galloway-Free Summer on Pivot

6:25 Maria Bartiromo’s Firing from Fox News

8:30 Should Vox Host a Presidential Debate?

9:18 Did Jeff Bezos Destroy the Washington Post?

13:48 Why Kara Won’t Work for a David Ellison-owned CNN

18:55 The Lawsuit Blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

22:03 Bashing Tech Companies for Giving In to “Lake America”

24:00 “F*** You”: Kara’s Message to Journalists on X

26:28 Why Don’t More Journalists Speak Like Kara?

31:18 Lightning Round: Describing Tech Execs in One Word

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Fox’s Bartiromo Firing; Bari’s El-Sayed Backlash; Milo's MAGA Wake Up Call Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Fox News stunned the media and political industry on Thursday by firing Maria Bartiromo. What was behind the abrupt ouster? We break down her history of getting into trouble at Fox.

Plus, we reveal Bari Weiss’ role in CBS News’ controversial story on Abdul El-Sayed’s old tweets, as well as what Norah O’Donnell’s return to the network’s morning show means for the outlet.

And finally, we discuss how far-right troll Milo Yiannopoulos, who was recently deported by ICE, has entirely turned on Donald Trump.

0:00 Intro + Status Summit

3:41 Maria Bartiromo Fired from FOX

15:34 CBS News’ El-Sayed Story Backlash

27:51 Norah O’Donnell Moves to ‘CBS Mornings’

35:41 Milo Yiannopoulos Reacts to ICE Deportation on Piers Morgan

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Bari Chases Cuomo, The WaPo’s Attiah Defeat, The NYT’s Kalshi Gamble Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Bari Weiss has been quietly courting NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. The two have been exchanging texts and recently met for a meal, but is a deal even possible?

Next, The Washington Post suffered an embarrassing legal defeat after an arbiter ruled it wrongfully fired columnist Karen Attiah and ordered the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper to rehire her and award her back pay.

And finally, The New York Times Co. is considering inking a major deal with the controversial prediction markets platform Klashi. Should the Gray Lady be doing business with such a company? Some staffers inside the newspaper are concerned it could tarnish the outlet’s reputation.

0:00 Intro and Status Summit Plug

2:30 Bari Weiss Courts Chris Cuomo

17:54 WaPo Forced to Re-Hire Karen Attiah

29:08 The Athletic Considers Kalshi Partnership

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CNN’s Scott Jennings Conflict, '60’ Correspondent’s Candid Comments, Disney's War With The FCC Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

CNN's MAGA pundit Scott Jennings is vying for the White House press secretary role, presenting a huge conflict of interest problem as he appears on CNN. So why is the network allowing him to continue appearing on its air, lending Jennings a stage to audition for the job?

Then, exclusive reporting on “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker's candid remarks at a party. We report on what Whitaker privately said, the behind-the-scenes race to get the newsmagazine ready for its fall premiere, and why executives are fixated on the 10.03M number.

Plus, Disney strikes back at the Trump administration, suing Brendan Carr’s FCC over what it calls an unconstitutional attack on its First Amendment rights. ANd finally, IMAX ticket sales have spiraled out of control, prompting the AMC Theatres chief to address the issue after the company’s website crashed amid the pre-sale crush for “Dune: Part Three.”

Read these stories and more on Status: https://www.status.news

Listen wherever you get podcasts: http://status.news/power-lines

0:00 Intro

1:23 Scott Jennings’ White House Audition and CNN Conflict

12:56 Bill Whitaker Gets Candid About ‘60 Minutes’

29:54 Disney Takes Brendan Carr’s FCC to Court

40:03 AMC’s Ticket Scalper Problem

#PowerLinesPodcast #OliverDarcy #JonPassantino #MediaNews #StatusNewsletter

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Ellison’s CNN Board Game; Karoline Leavitt’s Real Legacy; Luxury Hotel Breaks Silence on Critic Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode:

In an effort to assuage fears around David Ellison's possible stewardship of CNN, Paramount has floated the concept of an independent editorial board to safeguard the network’s editorial independence. Oliver and Jon report on the reaction from CNN staff, talk through what this board would even look like, and discuss whether it would be effective.

Also this week, Karoline Leavitt announced she's leaving her post as White House press secretary to spend more time with her family. Oliver and Jon point out that her legacy amounts to villainizing the press and smearing individual journalists, while promoting lies to the American public.

Finally, The Wall Street Journal published a piece on the incident between the luxury hotel brand Aman and travel reviewer Ryan Walker, which tells Aman's side of story. Do the updated details change how this story should be viewed?

0:00 Intro

1:46 CNN Staff React to Edison’s Editorial Board Idea

16:53 Ross Douthat Slips Discussing Bari Weiss’ Role at “60 Minutes”

18:10 Are Paramount’s Legal Threats Signaling Desperation?

22:10 Karoline Leavitt is Out. Who Will Replace Her?

36:51 Amanvari vs. Ryan Walker, Part Two

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CNN'ers Shred Ellison's Overture, '60 Minutes' Fights Leaks, and Hotel Calls Police on Travel Critic Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

On today’s episode:

David Ellison wrote a New York Times op-ed that was full of meaningless platitudes and contradictions as he tries to defend Paramount’s deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. Oliver and Jon dissect the piece and share feedback from CNN staff, who were unimpressed, to say the least.

Over at “60 Minutes,” new executive producer Nick Bilton is furiously racing to piece the show together ahead of its fall launch. As more staff decided to leave, including Stephen Colbert’s daughter, Madeleine Carlisle, an associate producer on the show, Bilton took the time to pen a memo warning staffers about leaking—only for it to leak to us.

Also, Aman’s new resort, Amanvari, is under fire after abruptly canceling the reservation of respected hotel reviewer Ryan Walker. Oliver and Jon detail the shameful ordeal, the hotel’s poor treatment of what is essentially a travel journalist, and the troubling trend of hospitality brands choosing propaganda-filled influencer content over honest criticism and feedback.

Finally, the Status YouTube channel hit 100K subscribers! Thank you for all of your support, and check out our YouTube plaque unboxing video HERE.

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code STATUS at https://www.oneskin.co/STATUS #oneskinpod

0:00 Intro

2:10 CNN Staffers React to Ellison Op-Ed

29:26 “60 Minutes” EP Nick Bilton’s Leaked Staff Memo

33:40 Stephen Colbert’s Daughter Quits “60 Minutes”

37:51 Hotel Staff Calls Cops on Reviewer with Reservation

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