February 16, 2025 | Read Online

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Good morning. In a major move, Fox, led by Rupert Murdoch, has reclaimed some of its most successful talent, though the podcasters vow to remain independent. Also, reintroduce yourself to Trump's OMB director, Russ Vought — the man who has spent his career cutting government spending. Now, he's carrying on his crusade.

Mentioned in this edition: Rupert Murdoch, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Bill O'Reilly, Piers Morgan, Dr. Phil, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Joe Rogan, Ashley St. Clair, Rob Lowe, Steve Bannon, Chris Cuomo, Michael Shellenberger, Russ Vought, Donald Trump, Chuck Schumer, and more.

Have tips? Send them to me at ari@upward.news

🔎 WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🎙️ Fox acquired Red Seat Ventures, a top podcast and creator network. Rupert Murdoch's Fox has purchased Red Seat Ventures, a 17-show network that includes high-profile former Fox News stars like Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Bill O'Reilly, and others like Piers Morgan and Dr. Phil. Despite the acquisition, the company will continue to operate independently under Tubi Media Group, with the executive team, led by Chris and Kevin Balfe, remaining in charge.

🎬 Disney walks back its DEI initiatives. Disney is supposedly retooling its DEI programs to prioritize business success, including replacing a "Diversity & Inclusion" performance factor for its executives with a "Talent Strategy" one. Disney also pulled from its website the DEI-focused Reimagine Tomorrow program and removed content warnings for films like "Dumbo" and "Peter Pan."

🤖 Elon Musk made a $97.4 billion offer to take control of OpenAI. Leading a group of investors, Elon Musk proposed a bid to acquire OpenAI, citing a desire to return the company to its "open-source, safety-focused" roots. However, OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, rejected the offer, escalating tensions between the two tech giants amid Musk's ongoing legal battle against the company over its shift to a for-profit structure.

🎧 GOP Hill staffers mostly listen to Joe Rogan; females and Dems go to Punchnowl. In a survey from Capitol CNCT asking which podcasts Capitol Hill staffers listened to the most, it found that Republican men, Senate staff, and GOP policy staff listen to Joe Rogan's podcast more than any others. Conversely, GOP women, House staff, and Democrat men and women listen to Punchbowl News' podcast the most.

👀 WHO WE'RE WATCHING

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Mentioned behind the paywall: Elon Musk, Ashley St. Clair, Megyn Kelly, Rob Lowe, Steve Bannon, Chris Cuomo, and Michael Shellenberger.

Russ Vought seeks to cut deeper than Musk

Russ Vought is back within Donald Trump's inner circle after some time away, picking up where he left off.

Resuming his role as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from the previous Trump Administration after being confirmed on a party-line 53-47 vote, as well as taking on a new role as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Vought is once again in a critical position within the Trump White House…

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Today's newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman, Victoria Churchill, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won't find in the mainstream media.