Archives for March 2018

Bryan Cranston, Producer Monica Levinson, and Jay Roach at the DC premiere of Trumbo, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Michael Wolff’s bestselling tale of White House palace intrigue, the bestselling Fire and Fury, has been set to be adapted into a television series for a yet-to-be-determined network since its publication in January. Details about the eagerly anticipated series have been slow to come out but, on Wednesday, March 28th, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jay Roach is set to direct the series.

Roach is well known as the go-to director for all things political, having directed Game Change about the 2008 presidential election, and Recount, which details the Florida recount that determined the fate of the 2000 presidential contest, for HBO Films. He also directed the feature film Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as blacklisted writer, Dalton Trumbo.

Wolff’s book tells the inside story of President Trump and his staff’s first year in power in a fly-on-the-wall approach that gave the author unprecedented access to the administration’s power brokers. The book made headlines for weeks fueled by President Trump’s denunciation.

Television rights to the book were secured by Endeavor Content days after the book was released. The deal reportedly netted Wolff a seven-figure payday. The book itself has been wildly successful, topping the New York Times’ bestseller list for 10 straight weeks and has sold over 2 million copies in the US.

Jay Roach will also serve as executive producer of the series along with Michael Wolff, BBC exec Michael Jackson, and John Lyons.

You can read more details about the series here.

Jessica Yellin with Wolf Blitzer and Dan Pfeiffer, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Veteran Washington Correspondent Jessica Yellin will bring her years of experience to her first novel, Savage News, set to be published next year. Let’s hope she tells some insider stories!

Yellin was a correspondent for ABC News, MSNBC, and most recently CNN as their chief White House Correspondent, covering the biggest political stories of the last 15 years.

Page Six has learned some details about the novel’s plot. “Natalie Savage, fights to report on serious news at a network driven by a ratings-obsessed boss…as she investigates a scandal involving the foreign-born US first lady…against a backdrop of institutional sexual harassment.”

When asked whether the book contains any characters based on real people in newsrooms she has worked at, Yellin says this: “I’ll just say this is a work of fiction.”

You can read the full Page Six report here.

NBC is set to premiere a landmark new documentary Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement, and the Media this Saturday, March 24th. The film takes a look at the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the lens of his relationship with television and will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. It traces the civil rights movement from its grassroots origins to the present day, mixing iconic footage from anti-segregationist marchers with present-day activists and protesters.

Narrated by NBC anchor Lester Holt, the film reveals just far America has come and how far it has yet to go in dealing with race.

You can catch Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement, and the Media on NBC on March 24th at 8pm and on MSNBC on March 25th at 9pm.

For more great interviews with civil rights leaders, listen to the What It Takes podcast series, which features revealing interviews with icons from Oprah Winfrey to Rosa Parks. Check it out on iTunes here.

David Chavern, President & CEO of News Media Alliance

CNBC brought in News Media Alliance President and CEO David Chavern on Wednesday, March 21st, to discuss Google’s new campaign to root out disingenuous news sources from its feed. Dubbed the Google News Initiative, the company plans to invest $300 million over the next three years to accomplish its three stated goals: amplify accurate reporting and fighting fake news especially with developing news events, help quality news sites increase their revenue, and creating tools that can help journalists report more accurate news.

Chavern, who is the former US Chamber of Commerce Executive VP and CEO is excited by the announcement but states that, “Until we see real economic return for real, quality journalism I’m going to temper my enthusiasm.”

Google trying to take on very difficult problems in their own way: News Media Alliance CEO from CNBC.

The capability of differentiating real news from fake news has been the hot-button issue in tech this year and Google has taken the lead in combating the spread of misinformation. Chavern states that Google’s new subscription tool “Subscribe with Google”, which is designed to make it easier to follow trustworthy news outlets, is a “serious” step in the right direction.

Invariant’s new tech leader,
Eric Rosen

Policy advocate Eric Rosen has joined Invariant, the newly created bipartisan government relations firm, as the leader of its technology practice. Before joining Invariant, Rosen was Senior VP for Global Government Affairs at Herbalife Nutrition.

Invariant CEO Heather Podesta said in a statement, “I am excited Eric is rejoining Invariant. Our longstanding clients know what an asset he will be to their efforts and new clients will appreciate Eric’s creativity, tenacity, and political savvy. He was by my side at the firm’s beginning, left to run a successful global government relations effort for a client, and returns with insight and expertise on how best to service clients.”

Rosen is a longtime colleague of Heather Podesta, having worked at Heather Podesta + Partners for eight years. He also served as counsel to then-Senator Joe Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Ex-Playboy Model Karen McDougal, Photo Courtesy Getty Images

Former Playboy model Karen McDougal has sued to be released from a legal agreement to remain quiet on an alleged affair with Donald Trump. McDougal’s affair with Trump was said to have taken place at the 2006 Lake Tahoe Golf Tournament.

McDougal is suing American Media Inc., which owns the Hollywood Reporter in order to be released from the hush agreement. She was reportedly paid her $150,000 not to tell her story. American Media’s CEO, David Pecker, is a personal friend of Donald Trump and is said to have facilitated the arrangement.

The lawsuit bears striking similarities to Stormy Daniels’ allegations that Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about the pair’s affair. Daniels is also suing to be released from her contract claiming the agreement has been voided. The two women, aside from having similar stories, share the same Los Angeles-based lawyer, Keith Davidson. President Trump has denied that both of the affairs ever took place.

But that isn’t the only Trump who is being dogged with affair allegations today. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was reportedly engaged in an affair with a contestant on his father’s show “The Apprentice” while his wife (who has recently filed for divorce) was pregnant with their third child.

Donald Trump Senior, in hearing about his son’s affair, reportedly told him to “knock it off” according to a Page Six report which you can read in full here.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Photo Courtesy Getty Images

All eyes are on Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who has so far remained silent throughout developments in the growing Cambridge Analytica scandal which has raised serious questions about the way in which Facebook handles user’s personal data. Reports came last week as whistleblower Christopher Wylie revealed that his former employer Cambridge Analytica used the data of more than 50 million users.

Facebook has now agreed to meet with several congressional committee staffers including the Senate and House Intelligence Committees as well as both houses’ Judicial and Commerce committees. This comes as Facebook’s stock has tumbled nearly 8% on Monday, March 20th and continues to drop into Monday.

While this is surely a tough week for Zuckerberg and Facebook as a whole, things could soon get a lot more precarious. Lawmakers are already calling for the Facebook creator to appear before Congress in open testimony. The British parliament has already issued a request that Zuckerberg appear before members in the coming weeks.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar released a statement detailing her concerns with Facebook’s actions and called upon Zuckerberg to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, “They say ‘trust us,’ but Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about what Facebook knew about misusing data from 50 million Americans in order to target political advertising and manipulate voters.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal said to reporters Monday evening, “Zuckerberg ought to be subpoenaed to testify if he won’t do it voluntarily.”

Ivanka Trump along with Jared Kushner, Melania Trump, and Sarah Palin before the campaign stop in Iowa during the 2016 primaries, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

President Trump, First Lady Melania, and Ivanka Trump are hitting the road to visit the sites of their earliest presidential contests on Monday, March 19th. President Trump is set to reveal his long-awaited plans to combat the opioid drug epidemic in Manchester, New Hampshire. This will mark Trump’s first visit to New Hampshire since 2016, where he won his very first presidential primary. First Lady Melania Trump will also be accompanying the president on this trip.

President Trump is expected to make two stops in New Hampshire, according to a report last week in the Concord Monitor. He’ll first announce his drug epidemic plans, which will reportedly include controversial measures like the death penalty for high-trafficking drug dealers, at Manchester Community College. He will then be visiting the Manchester Central Fire Station to get a tour of Safe Station, “a ‘first-of-its-kind program’ in which people battling drug or alcohol addiction can safely seek help at one of the city’s 10 fire stations without fear of arrest.”

Rachel Greenberg and Ivanka Trump in Iowa, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump landed in Iowa Monday morning to visit the Waukee Innovation & Learning Center for a tour and to meet students and faculty at the Waukee School District’s Aspiring Professional Experience program. The visit is an extension of the White House’s infrastructure plan, which includes expanding federal job training programs. President Trump came in second place at the 2016 Iowa Caucus, behind his then-opponent Senator Ted Cruz.

According to the pool report, Ivanka Trump “was accompanied by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, acting Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, Waukee Community School District Superintendent Cindi McDonald and Waukee APEX Director Michelle Hill.”