Tucker Carlson Warns of “One-Party State”

Tucker Carlson issues his first public statement since departing Fox News and makes no mention of the network or his own situation, focusing instead on the poor state of truth-telling in partisan media coverage.

The calmly-delivered two-minute video, viewed tens of millions of times by mid-afternoon, served as backdrop to reams of speculation about where the top-rated host will go next. Will he run for president? Or perhaps star in his own late-night show or podcast?

Others wonder how the vacuum at Fox News will affect the Republican primaries. Carlson had enormous influence in his sphere and there is no clear replacement. Indeed, ratings spiked at conservative network Newsmax in the days following his departure, and dropped at Fox.

Economic Growth Stalling, Biden Dropping

The U.S. economy grew an anemic 1.1 percent in the first quarter, short of estimates and the third straight quarter of decline. It had grown 3.2 percent in third quarter 2022 and only 2.6 percent in fourth quarter, a clear trend line downward.

Economists blamed investment and inventory declines as culprits for the slowdown, raising questions about whether the nation was heading towards a recession.

The shrinking economy has political implications as well. In Gallup’s latest poll, President Biden’s approval numbers dropped to 37 percent, the lowest since he became president.

Russian Pranksters Dupe Fed Chairman

Two Russian pranksters tricked Fed Chairman Jerome Powell into thinking he was on a phone call with Ukraine President Zelenskyy.

News of the prank, which happened earlier this year, came out Thursday after video of the call surfaced on Russian TV. Powell apparently said nothing controversial to the callers as he discussed the Fed strategy for bringing down inflation.

The two pranksters, known as Vovan and Lexus, are known allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin and have previously pranked former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Britain’s Prince Harry and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

➤ The US Supreme Court can police its own behavior and doesn’t need an outside code of ethics imposed on it, according to a statement signed by all nine justices in a rare show of unanimity. The Court has been under fire recently for practices critics say are improper. (More)

➤ Former President Trump’s lead against his GOP rivals is growing, with support for rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falling for the second month in a row. President Biden is also far ahead in his primary, according to a new national survey. (More)

➤ Despite this lead in the early polls, Biden is on track to lose the iconic New Hampshire opening primary. That’s because the Democratic Party has stripped the state of its lead position on the calendar, even as defiant N.H. Democrats say they will hold their famed primary the same date they always do, without Biden if necessary. (More)

➤ Former VP Mike Pence appears in front of a grand jury investigating the aftermath of the 2020 election. His five-hour appearance marks the first time in modern history that a vice president has been compelled to testify about the president he served with. (More)

➤ Lamar Jackson signs the largest deal in Baltimore Ravens history to remain as quarterback for the next five years. The deal, for $260 million, comes after 27 months of public feuding and negotiations between Jackson, team management and fans. (More)

➤ The Carolina Panthers select Alabama QB Bryce Young as the No. 1 NFL draft pick for 2023. Though smaller in size than the average NFL quarterback, Young was seen as the favorite to be chosen first. (More)

➤ The Miami Heat score a stunning upset over the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks, winning the first-round playoff series 4-1. They join Denver, New York, Phoenix and Philadelphia in the 2nd round playoffs. The remaining three teams are still to be decided this week. (More)

Market Report   Previous Week

➤ A new obesity drug from Eli Lilly and Co. is about to upend the red-hot weight-loss market. The diabetes drug, Mounjaro, will compete with celebrity-backed medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy in America’s battle to drop pounds by prescription. (More)

➤ Vice Media, once a high-flying media company, announces layoffs and the cancellation of its flagship “Vice News Tonight” program as it seeks to restructure or sell the struggling company. (More)

➤ A disgruntled Popeye’s worker in Chicago is caught on a TikTok video destroying the restaurant after claiming he wasn’t paid for a month of work. In the video, the man dumps bags of raw chicken on the floor, trashes the kitchen, and apparently goes through the cash register. (Watch)

➤ Rice farming on Mars could be feasible, scientists say. New research based on simulated Martian soil shows that gene-edited rice could be grown on the Red Planet. (More)

➤ Friendly hackers took control of a European satellite as part of a test of security. The result showed that thousands of government-operated satellites are vulnerable to takeover by hostile hackers, including the ability to introduce malicious code. (More)

➤ Jerry Springer, longtime host of one of the most controversial reality shows on TV, died of cancer at age 79. His much-reviled “Jerry Springer Show” featured the trashiest guests imaginable for more than 25 years and made Springer, a former city council member from Cincinnati, into a global celebrity. (More)

➤ Senate Republicans unexpectedly blocked a bill to study cannabis as a potential treatment for suffering military veterans. The bipartisan bill passed unanimously in committee, but fell just short on a floor vote after a “spirited debate.” (More)

➤ Speaking of smoking, the cigarette smoking rate among adults in the U.S. fell to an all-time low of 11 percent, according to new government data. By comparison, over 40 percent of all adults were smokers in the 1960s. (More)

Today’s Trivia

How many U.S. states have legalized marijuana for medical use?