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Trump Names Two Potential Successors: Watch

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    (Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

    Trump has his eye on the future of the Republican Party.

    During a recent interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker about who might succeed him atop the party’s 2028 ticket on Sunday’s edition of Meet the Press President Trump didn’t shy away from naming two potential candidates.

    After observing that Trump had “built a political movement that has transformed the Republican Party,” Welker asked, “When you look to the future, Mr. President, do you think the MAGA movement can survive without you as its leader?”

    “Yes, I do. I think it’s so strong, and I think we have tremendous people. I think that we have a tremendous group of people. We talked about a number of them. You look at Marco [Rubio], you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic,” replied Trump, who continued:

    You look at-, I could name 10, 15, 20 people right now just sitting here. No, I think they have a tremendous party. And you know what I can’t name? I can name one Democrat. I mean, I look at the Democrats, they’re in total disarray. They have a new person named [Jasmine] Crockett. I watched her speak the other day, she’s definitely a low IQ person, and they said she’s the future of the party. I said, you have to be kidding. I don’t know what they’re going to do. And I really believe in a two-party system. Because it’s good to be challenged, it’s really good to have a two party, you know it’s good, being challenged is okay. It keeps you sharp. I don’t know what they’re gonna do. They have nobody. Bernie’s 87-years-old or something. And you know, [Joe] Biden is the worst thing that ever happened to old people because he was grossly incompetent. And I think maybe for artificial reasons, you know, he had operations and things. So maybe that’s an artificial. But I know people that are unbelievably sharp and they’re older than 87. But I watched Bernie Sanders, he’s a nut job, but he’s still sharp. He’s sharp, he’s the same guy he was. He hasn’t gone down, but Biden is really-, e’s the worst thing to happen to old people.

    “I know that you are only 100 days in, but as we sit here today, who do you see as your successor, Mr. President?” followed up Welker.

    “Well, it’s far too early to say that, but, you know, I do have a vice president and typically it would be and JD’s doing a fantastic job, but-” answered Trump before Welker interjected to ask “He would be at the top of the list?”

    “It could very well be,” mused Trump. “I don’t want to get involved in that. I think he’s a fantastic, brilliant guy. Marco is great. There’s a lot of them that are great. I also see tremendous unity, but certainly you would say that somebody’s the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage. But I think the other people would all stay in unbelievably high positions. But, you know, it could be that he’d be challenged by somebody. We have a lot of good people in this party.”

    Watch:

    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has also been widely floated as a potential Democratic candidate for president.

    Ocasio-Cortez has recently dodged questions about the possibility, stressing a focus on the current political moment, but anticipation is building as she tours the country alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), revving up her base and reaching out to voters across the country. 

    “It would not be out of the realm of possibility that she would want to be a presidential candidate. She’s very ambitious. She’s very smart. She has an uncanny ability to raise money. She understands social media. She’s incredibly popular with younger voters, and she’s got the right issues,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic strategist based in the Empire State.

    “It’s a question of timing. When is best? When is the most opportune time for her to take advantage of all that?”

    Trump Orders Reopening Of Alcatraz Prison

    By kevinmcgill from Den Bosch, Netherlands - KAM_8466, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31689361

    On Sunday, President Trump said that he wants to reopen the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the historic prison offshore from San Francisco that closed more than 60 years ago.

    “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

    “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders,” he added.

    The island, which sits less than 2 miles offshore, was first developed in the mid-19th century, with the original structures including a lighthouse.

    Notable figures including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly were once held at Alcatraz, which was a federal prison from 1934-63. 

    “Both the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era,” the National Park Service adds on a web page about the prison, which was also known as The Rock and gave that name to a popular Michael Bay action film set on the island.

    In his Sunday post, Trump said Alcatraz’s “reopening” is going to “serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

    The Bureau of Prisons notes on its website that “USP [United States Penitentiary] Alcatraz closed after 29 years of operation” due to soaring costs.

    “An estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs — Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,” the bureau says.

    The move comes as the Trump administration has also sought to revitalize Guantanamo Bay and use it to house illegal migrants.

    The plan has faced roadblocks, however, with a federal court issuing a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from sending three Venezuelan immigrants held in New Mexico to the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp.

    Lawyers for the trio said in a legal filing that the detainees “fit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantánamo, i.e. Venezuelan men detained in the El Paso area with (false) charges of connections with the Tren de Aragua gang.”

    Man Indicted In Arizona Tesla Dealership Fire

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    An Arizona man could face multiple decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines for allegedly torching a Tesla Cybertruck in Arizona.

    Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was indicted this week on five felony counts of malicious damage to property used in interstate commerce. Authorities have alleged that Moses used gasoline and a starter log to try to set the dealership and three Tesla vehicles on fire on April 28, amid a wave of retaliation against tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration.

    The Department of Justice, in a news release announcing the federal jury’s indictment of Moses, shared photos of a burned-out Cybertruck that exploded during the attack.

    According to local media reports, the suspect spray-painted graffiti on the side of the building that misspelled the word “THIEF.”

    Mesa Police arrested Moses less than a mile away from the Tesla dealership shortly after the fire started, and he was wearing the same clothes as the person seen in surveillance footage pouring gasoline on the building. Officers also allegedly found a hand-drawn map in Moses’s pocket that had the letter “T” marking the dealership’s location.

    “There is nothing American about burning down someone else’s business because you disagree with them politically,” Timothy Courchaine, the interim federal prosecutor for Arizona, said in a statement. “These ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.”

    If convicted, each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Moses’s indictment that there would be “no negotiating” on the charges.

    “If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said.

    Report: Trump Signs Order Slashing Funding For NPR, PBS

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      President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)

      President Trump signed an executive order Thursday that would strip funds from NPR and PBS.

      “No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies, and the Government is entitled to determine which categories of activities to subsidize,” Trump wrote in the order, instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease indirect and direct federal funding for the two outlets.

      The president has accused both organizations of projecting biased viewpoints to the public.

      “Which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter. What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax paying citizens,” he wrote in the order.

      NPR receives about 1 percent of its funding directly from the federal government, while its 246 member institutions — operating more than 1,300 stations — receive on average 8 percent to 10 percent of their funding from CPB, according to the outlet.

      “The big impact would be on rural stations, stations in geographies that are quite large or complex in order to be able to receive broadcast or infrastructure, costs are very high,” NPR CEO Katherine Maher said in an interview on the network earlier this month.

      “You could see some of those stations really having to cut back services or potentially going away altogether,” she added.

      Her counterpart echoed those concerns.

      “There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” PBS CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

      Trump’s executive order comes weeks after the administration attempted to dismantle Voice of America and affiliated news services. A federal judge blocked the effort.

      It’s unclear whether PBS or NPR will file a lawsuit over potential funding cuts ordered by the president, however, both entities say the public is in dire need of their services.

      “About 20 percent of Americans live in an area without any other local news coverage other than their local public radio station,” Maher said.

      Former ABC News Anchor Suggests Replacement For Ousted National Security Official

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      By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

      Former ABC News journalist Mark Halperin suggested a replacement for President Trump’s National Security Council after Thursday’s shakeup.

      Halperin said Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff was Waltz’s likely replacement.

      Trump administration National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other staffers are out at the National Security Council, sources confirmed to Fox News.

      Watch:

      Fox News confirmed Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were purged Thursday. 

      Waltz, who previously served as a Florida congressman, has come under fire from Democrats and critics since March, when the Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account of getting added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while they discussed strikes against Yemen terrorists. 

      Waltz took responsibility for the inclusion of a journalist in the group chat in April, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham: “I take full responsibility. I built the group. … It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

      Alex Wong served as Waltz’s principal deputy national security advisor, who was detailed in the Signal chat leak earlier this year as the staffer charged with “pulling together a tiger team” in Waltz’s initial message sent to the Signal group chat in March, the Atlantic reported at the time. 

      White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital earlier Monday when asked about reports claiming Waltz and other would be shown the door: “We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources.”

      President Donald Trump held a meeting with members of his Cabinet Wednesday, following his 100th day back in office on Tuesday, with Waltz attending the meeting. 

      Pentagon Chief Threatens Military Action Against Iran

      David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

      Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened military action against Iran on Wednesday night.

      “We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” Hegseth said in a post on X. “You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”

      Hegseth’s post warning of military force is unusual for a defense secretary to make, especially so explicitly, though it appears to be in response to an incident earlier this week in the Red Sea that caused a U.S. fighter jet to fall off an aircraft carrier.

      On Monday, a Houthi drone forced the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to make an evasive maneuver, which some believe caused an F-18 Super Hornet worth $67 million and a tow tractor to fall off the carrier and into the Red Sea.

      The plane was actively under tow in a hangar bay when the crew lost control of the aircraft. Both the jet and tow went overboard and were lost in the sea, the Navy said.

      Trump elevated a military campaign against the terrorist group on March 15, and airstrikes have been launched against Houthi targets every day since then.

      After his post on Wednesday, Hegseth then retweeted a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump from March 17.

      “Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN,” Trump posted. “Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that the force will stop there.

      “Iran has played the ‘innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control. They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘Intelligence.’ Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”

      On Wednesday, President Donald Trump joked that embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is his “least controversial person” during a cabinet meeting at the White House Wednesday.

      The lighthearted moment comes a little over a week after the former Fox News host was embroiled in a second Signalgate scandal.

      “I could start with Pete on the left because he is my least controversial person at the table,” Trump said to laughter as he motioned toward Hegseth. “We all know how good he is.”

      Read the full remarks here per Mediaite:

      DONALD TRUMP: With that, I think we’ll maybe go around and we have some letters where the secretaries and people around the table are making statements about how they are doing and what is happening and I could start with Pete on the left because he is my least controversial person at the table. [Laughter]

      We all know how good he is. We’ll go around the table and you can hear. These are cabinet meetings where they are very open and transparent. I can guarantee you Biden didn’t do this. He didn’t do this. Go ahead Pete.

      PETE HEGSETH: I think we’re controversial because we’re over the target. Like so many things, Mr. President, you inherited a demoralized military that couldn’t recruit, that was perceived as weak in Afghanistan and elsewhere because of Joe Biden. What we have seen since your election and the inauguration has been nothing short of a recruiting renaissance. Decades since we’ve seen this kind of recruiting in the army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force. The men and women of America want to join the United States military led by President Donald Trump.

      TRUMP: And the police, by the way. And fire. I always mention the fire but the police and fire likewise are — I mean, they have waiting lists now. And six months ago, it was a disaster.

      HEGSETH: Truly historic. We can barely absorb the volume and retention as well. Men and women in the military who don’t want to get out now that they have a real commander in chief. We’re reinforcing standards. Gonna be fit, not fat in our formations. Welcome back all the COVID — the folks who were forced out because of the COVID mandate. We ripped wokeness out of the military, sir, DEI, trans and it’s Fort Benning and Fort Bragg again at the DOD. We’re rebuilding the military, sir.

      The Golden Dome is well underway. F-47, reassuring allies and deterring enemies. We found nearly $6 billion in DOGE savings that we’re going to reinvest, including $50 billion from the Biden administration focused on things like climate that have nothing to do with lethality and war fighting. And we will have as you said, sir, the first trillion-dollar budget we plan to spend wisely on behalf of our warfighters.

      From Day one, sir, we have helped get 100% operational control of the border. Come alongside DHS and CBP. We’ve got 11,000 troops on the border who now, because of the new national defense area, sir, can help detain illegals at the border and hand them over to CBP. It used to be if you saw camouflage on the border, they could hold binoculars, and that’s it. Now we can detain and assist and we are.

      We’ll get 100% operational control of the border. Our NATO allies know they have to step up. The Houthis in the Middle East are feeling the weight of American power and we’re deterring communist China. So because of your leadership, sir, I believe we’re making the military great again. Thank you.

      Trump Puts Sanctuary Cities On Notice With New Executive Order

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      Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

      President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this week to crack down on sanctuary jurisdictions impeding federal immigration enforcement.

      The directive requires the Justice Department to compile a list of all sanctuary city jurisdictions and then take action to cut off or suspend federal funding to those places. Under Trump, cities across the country, like Boston, have already made it difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to apprehend illegal immigrants.

      “This invasion at the southern border requires the Federal Government to take measures to fulfill its obligation to the States,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “Yet some State and local officials nevertheless continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws. This is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Federal Government’s obligation to defend the territorial sovereignty of the United States.”

      After the list of sanctuary jurisdictions is published, those entities would be given the chance to comply with federal law. If they don’t comply, they could lose federal funding.

      The executive order also directs the Justice Department and Homeland Security to ensure that federal benefits are not provided to illegals in sanctuary jurisdictions and to “take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable.”

      Earlier this month, Trump called sanctuary jurisdictions “death traps” and promised to cut off federal funding.

      “No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims. They are disgracing our Country and are being mocked all over the World,” he posted on Truth Social. “Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!”

      While contrasting the Biden and Trump administrations, border czar Homan said that between 11,000-15,000 people were crossing the border illegally per day this time of the year under Biden, while under Trump, just 178 had crossed in the last 24 hours. During the same time, he said there were 1,800 known “gotaways” under Biden, compared to just 38 under Trump. Homan added that from January 20 to April 1, 2024, Biden released 184,000 illegals out of federal custody into the country. The Trump administration has only released nine total, including four so they could testify in criminal cases and four with extreme medical conditions.

      In total, Homan said that there have been 139,000 deportations under Trump. He added that the administration was prioritizing the estimated 700,000 illegals who have been charged with crimes.

      Report: Rubio Says State Had Dossier Accusing Trump Cabinet Member Of Disinformation

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      (Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

      On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department under President Biden had labeled one of President Trump’s now-cabinet officials as a purveyor of disinformation and had collected a dossier on their social media posts. 

      Rubio did not identify the individual, revealing the information during a round-table meeting of Trump’s cabinet officials, but said it was someone at the table. He said he would hand over the information to the person and allow them the decide whether to make it public.

      An unidentified person in the room shouted out, “Was it me or Elon?” referring to Elon Musk, owner of the X social media site, who has used his platform to amplify conspiracy theories and promote falsehoods on political, social and foreign policy issues. 

      “We had an office in the Department of State whose job it was to censor Americans,” Rubio said, referring to previous administrations.

      “And by the way, I’m not gonna say who it is, I’ll leave it up to them. There’s at least one person at this table today who had a dossier in that building of social media posts to identify them as purveyors of disinformation,” he added.

      “We have these dossiers. We are going to be turning those over to these individuals.”

      Rubio appeared to be referring to the now-shuttered Global Engagement Center, initially a bipartisan effort to track foreign disinformation online campaigns abroad, but that Republicans accused of policing Americans’ social media activity.

      Tim Walz Says He Was Selected As 2024 Running Mate ‘To Code Talk To White Guys’

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      The truth comes out…

      Former vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) is pulling back the curtain on the reasoning behind Democrats’ disastrous 2024 election decision-making.

      The unsuccessful vice presidential candidate who is currently on a self-described “listening tour” across the country at a Harvard Kennedy School forum on Monday night said Harris chose him to be her running mate, in part, because, “I could code talk to White guys watching football, fixing their truck” and “put them at ease.”

      Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

      The Minnesota governor described himself as the “permission structure” for White men from rural America to vote for Democrats. 

      “I think I’ll give you pretty good stuff, but I’ll also give you 10% problematic,” Walz added when pushed by moderator Brittany Shepherd, ABC News national political reporter, about why he didn’t take that message to cable news to reach a larger audience. Walz laughed off criticism over inconsistencies in his background on the 2024 campaign trail, describing himself as a “knucklehead.”

      Despite the claim the Walz was chosen by the Harris campaign to relate to White men, he has been unable to escape the nickname “Tampon Tim,” coined by conservatives for his bill providing free menstrual products to “all menstruating students” in school restrooms grades 4 to 12, including the boys’ room. (RELATED: Watch: Veterans Heckle Tim Walz For Stolen Valor Claims, China Ties)

      Regardless of the comment or legislation, conservatives find a way to criticize “Tampon Tim,” including when Walz claimed he could fight most Trump supporters earlier this year. (RELATED: Tim Walz Complains About Attacks On His Masculinity)

      Earlier this month, Walz confirmed to CNN’s Jake Tapper that he was considering a third bid for Minnesota governor but was not mulling a run for president in 2028.

      When asked what he would have done differently in 2024, Walz replied, “We would have won.” While acknowledging that Democrats lost in November, Walz said the party is “better off doing more” in “every forum,” following criticism that Democrats didn’t prioritize media appearances enough in 2024, whether long-form podcasts or traditional network news shows. 

      Further reflecting on the Democrats’ 2024 losses, Walz said the party wins on the issues and “competency,” but “we lose the message, and we lose power.”

      “Why have we lost the self-identity that the Democratic Party is for personal freedoms, middle-class folks, for labor folks. How did we lose it, where people didn’t self-identify with that? How did we get to a point where people didn’t feel like this was an important enough election to get out and vote?” Walz asked during his speech Monday. 

      Does Walz stand any chance of rebuilding his political reputation? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

      Report: Paramount Board Clears Possible Path for Settling Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit

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      A significant step forward…

      A recent report from the New York Times signals that the parent of CBS News, who are set to begin mediation on Wednesday are increasingly inclined to settle the matter.

      CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, is currently in a legal battle against President Donald Trump, who filed a now-$20 billion lawsuit last year (it was initially $10 billion) alleging election interference over the network’s handling of its “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. 

      The New York Times reports:

      In an April 18 meeting, the Paramount board outlined acceptable financial terms for a potential settlement with the president, according to three people with knowledge of the internal discussions. The exact dollar amounts remain unclear, but the board’s move clears a path for an out-of-court resolution.

      Shari Redstone, the company’s controlling shareholder, has said she favors settling the case. She is set to receive a major payday in a pending sale of Paramount to a Hollywood studio, Skydance, that requires sign-off from the Trump administration. Any settlement would ultimately require the board’s approval, and Ms. Redstone has told the board that she is recusing herself from deliberations related to the lawsuit.

      Paramount’s interest in settling has dismayed CBS’s news division, in particular the staff of “60 Minutes,” the country’s most popular weekly news program. Four days after the April 18 board meeting, the show’s executive producer, Bill Owens, abruptly announced he would resign, citing encroachment on its journalistic independence and saying Paramount “is done with me.”

      Owens’ abrupt resignation has sent shockwaves through the industry.

      CBS News staffers have been “on edge” since the abrupt departure of “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, according to a network insider. 

      “Everyone is talking about it, even today,” the CBS staffer told Fox News Digital on Monday, nearly a week after Owens announced his departure. 

      In a memo sent to colleagues, Owens suggested his decision was brought upon by corporate overreach he said impacted his ability to maintain an independent newsroom. 

      “Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it. To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience,” Owens wrote in the memo. “So, having defended this show – and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.”