“CBS Saturday Morning” co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson are among the nearly 100 news division employees cut as part of a massive round of layoffs at parent company Paramount.
The program is getting a new format that will align it closer to the weekday show “CBS Mornings,” according to people familiar with the plans who were not authorized to comment publicly. Brian Applegate, the executive producer of the Saturday program, is out as well.
CBS has also canceled “CBS Mornings Plus,” an extension of its morning program that ran in several markets including Los Angeles. “CBS Evening News Plus,” a streaming program anchored by John Dickerson is also being shuttered. Dickerson announced Monday he is leaving the network.
Several correspondents have already been laid off, including Debora Patta, who covered the Gaza war for the network; Janet Shamlian; and Nikki Battiste. A CBS News representative declined comment.
The cuts are part of parent company Paramount’s reduction of 1,000 employees across all of its divisions. New owners Skydance Media are looking to reduce cots by $2 billion across the company, with a second round of cuts expected later this year.
Miller was a prolific correspondent for CBS News in addition to her Saturday co-host duties, contributing pieces to “CBS Sunday Morning” and “48 Hours.” She also was a frequent fill-in for Gayle King on the weekday morning program.
Miller, 52, is a Los Angeles native and the daughter of Dr. Ross Miller, a trauma surgeon who served on the city council in Compton. She worked at the Los Angeles Times in the early 1990s.
Miller covered a wide range of stories at CBS News, and paid special attention to issues or racism and social injustice. She is married to Marc Morial, the former mayor of New Orleans who is currently head of the National Urban League.
Jacobson, 52 has been with CBS News since 2015. She previously spent a decade at ESPN, where she appeared on “First Take” and “SportsCenter.”
Miller and Jacobson have served as co-hosts of “CBS Saturday Morning” since 2018 when it was called “CBS This Morning Saturday.”
Crawford, with 41 wins and 31 knockouts, won his first world title in 2014 at lightweight against Scotsman Ricky Burns. He went on to unify the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions before moving up again.
“This fight is going to be stamped in the history books,” he said, promising to “shock the world.”
Saturday’s bout will be broadcast globally on Netflix, reaching a potential audience of more than 300 million subscribers.
It is the first major boxing event promoted by White alongside Saudi’s Turki Alalshikh, signalling a new, if uncertain, era for the sport.
As organisers hyped up the new partnership as the saviour of the sport and suggested boxing has been suffering for years, one of its biggest stars – and highest earners with a reported $150m purse to collect on Saturday – Alvarez, chimed in.
“Hey, boxing was always bigger, bigger and big. Don’t say boxing is not big enough. You know how big is boxing,” he said.
Alvarez pushed Crawford as tempers flared at in New York in June, but the two shared a nod and handshake to end on a respectful note.
WASHINGTON — A federal magistrate judge on Thursday angrily accused Justice Department prosecutors of trampling on the civil rights of people arrested during President Trump’s law enforcement surge in the nation’s capital.
Judge Zia Faruqui, a former federal prosecutor, said leaders of U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro’s office have tarnished its reputation with how they are handling the deluge of cases. He said Pirro’s office is routinely bringing cases that don’t belong in federal court and needlessly keeping people in jail for days while they evaluate charges.
“It’s not fair to say they’re losing credibility. We’re past that now,” Faruqui said. He later added, “There’s no credibility left.”
The judge lambasted Pirro’s office during a hearing at which he agreed to dismiss the federal case against a man accused of threatening to kill Trump while in police custody. The defendant, Edward Alexander Dana, spent more than a week in jail before a federal grand jury refused to indict him.
It is extraordinarily rare for a grand jury to balk at returning an indictment, but it has happened at least seven times in five cases since Trump’s surge started nearly a month ago. Faruqui said it is ironic that an occupying force is at the mercy of the occupants” serving on the grand juries.
Pirro has been critical of Faruqui, one of four magistrates at the district court in Washington. On Thursday, the top federal prosecutor for Washington responded to Faruqui’s latest remarks by saying the judge “has repeatedly indicated his allegiance to those who violate the law and carry illegal guns.”
“This judge took an oath to follow the law, yet he has allowed his politics to consistently cloud his judgment and his requirement to follow the law,” she said in a statement. “America voted for safe communities, law and order, and this judge is the antithesis of that.”
Faruqui said there is no precedent for what is happening at the courthouse over the last few weeks. He said Trump administration officials are frequently touting the arrest figures on social media with seemingly no regard for how the arrests are affecting people’s lives.
“Where are the stats on the people illegally detained?” he asked.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Conor Mulroe said prosecutors from Pirro’s office are working around the clock on the influx of new cases.
“You are busy because you all have created this mess,” he told Mulroe. “I’m not saying it’s your problem. It’s your office’s problem.”
Mulroe was the only representative of Pirro’s office who attended Thursday’s hearing. Faruqui questioned why Pirro or her top deputies “don’t have the dignity to come here” and defend their charging decisions.
“That’s what leaders do,” he said.
The White House says over 1,800 people have been arrested since the operation started Aug. 7. Over 40 cases have been filed in district court, which hears the most serious federal offenses, including assault, gun and drug charges.
Dana was jailed for about a week after his arrest on Aug. 17. A different judge ordered his release on Aug. 25. On Thursday, Pirro’s office opted to drop the federal case against Dana but charge him with misdemeanors, including destruction of property and attempted threats, in D.C. Superior Court.
Dana’s attorney, assistant federal public defender Elizabeth Mullin, said prosecutors should have known that this case didn’t belong in federal court.
“A 15-year-old would know,” she said. “It was obvious from the outset.”
Dana was arrested on suspicion of damaging a light fixture at a restaurant. An officer was driving Dana to a police station when he threatened to kill Trump, according to a Secret Service agent’s affidavit. Dana also told police that he was intoxicated that night. Mullin said Dana’s “hyperbolic rambling” didn’t amount to a criminal threat.
Faruqui ordered prosecutors to file a brief explaining why they didn’t immediately inform him of its charging decisions in Dana’s case. The judge apologized to Dana “on behalf of the court” and suggested that Pirro’s office also owes Dana an apology.
Pirro said in an earlier statement that a grand jury’s refusal to indict somebody for threatening to kill the president “is the essence of a politicized jury.”
“The system here is broken on many levels,” she said. “Instead of the outrage that should be engendered by a specific threat to kill the president, the grand jury in D.C. refuses to even let the judicial process begin. Justice should not depend on politics.”
Jon Jones announced his retirement from MMA in late JuneCredit: GETTY
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But he performed a U-turn after learning of the UFC’s plans to host a card at the White HouseCredit: GETTY
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UFC supremo Dana White has brutally shut down the prospect of Jones fighting on the cardCredit: GETTY
White was initially open to having ‘Bones’ top the bill, but has since performed a public U-turn.
The veteran promoter claimed he couldn’t “trust” Jones enough to give him the honour of headlining the historic card after he pulled the plug on fighting Brit Tom Aspinall.
And he brutally doubled down on his claim during the UFC 319 post-fight press conference on Sunday morning.
He asked a reporter: “What do you think Jon would do in the next couple of months that would make me trust putting him on the White House card?”
“I already said I don’t trust him, and you’re asking me, ‘What could he do for me to trust him in the next three months?’
“You don’t trust him!
“I haven’t talked to him at all. I would not bet on it.
“If I have to make odds, it’s a BILLION TO ONE [that] I put Jon Jones on the White House card.”
Jones, 38, was set to unify the heavyweight belts against interim titleholder Aspinall in a historic showdown at Madison Square Garden in November.
But despite the UFC brass meeting his demands to be paid “f**k you money“, he opted NOT to go through with the fight.
The former pound-for-pound king insisted a bout with Wigan warrior Aspinall did nothing for his legacy.
But he believes a fight at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will add to it.
He said: “In a recent interview, I shared that the opportunity to fight at the White House gave me something deeper to fight for, a ‘why’ that goes beyond paychecks or belts.
If I have to make odds, it’s a billion to one I put Jon Jones on the White House card.”
Dana White on Jon Jones fighting at the White House
“Fighting for my country gives me a greater purpose!
“The silver lining in all this is knowing the fans see my heart.
“They see, I am ready and willing to take on anyone, to represent my country on a historic stage.
“For me, it’s never been just about the opponent. I’m chasing legacy, something timeless, something bigger than the moment.
“So for now, I’ll keep grinding, stay patient, and stay faithful. I’m ready to fight on July 4th.”
LERONE MURPHY demanded a title shot from Dana White following his sensational first-round spinning elbow KO of Aaron Pico.
The Manchester ‘Miracle’ locked horns with the former Bellator standout early this morning in the co-main event of UFC 319 in Chicago.
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Lerone Murphy locked horns with Aaron Pico in the co-main event of UFC 319Credit: Getty
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Pico was aggressive from the outset and looked to repeatedly take down MurphyCredit: Getty
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Muprhy iced Pico with a beautifully-timed spinning elbow
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Pico was left unconscious after eating Murphy’s picture-perfect elbowCredit: Getty
Murphy put his eight-fight win streak on the line in his clash with the former uber-prospect, which he had just THREE WEEKS to prepare for.
The Manchester Top Team standout was hoping a dominant victory over the American would earn him the next crack at featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.
And he staked his claim to be champion Alexander Volkanovski’s next outing with viral KO of Californian clubber Pico, which saw him move to 9-0 in MMA‘s top promotion.
“I’m next in line,” he roared in his post-fight interview wth Joe Rogan. “Let’s go, Volkanovski!”
Pico immediately took the centre of the octagon and put Murphy on the back foot before going to work with vicious body shots against the cage.
Murphy remained composed and landed a nasty short elbow in tight before briefly being taken down.
He looked to establish distance with a long teep and strikes from distance but was taken down again just before the two-minute mark.
Lerone Murphy roared with delight after picking up the biggest win of his careerCredit: Getty
But he managed to return to his feet again and landed a beautiful knee to the body, which echoed throughout the arena just before the midway point of the round.
Pico continued to pressure and look for clinches across the fence.
Lerone Murphy to ‘let it all go’ against Aaron Pico at UFC 319 to convince Dana White & Co. to give him title shot
And Murphy beautifully timed his entry with a sensational spinning elbow KO to punch his ticket to a title shot.
Pico was out cold before he even hit the canvas and Muprhy landed an academic hammerfist, which he pulled back on.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
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A mixed martial arts fight card to be held next summer at the White House is “absolutely going to happen,” Ultimate Fight Championship Chief Executive Dana White said Tuesday.
White said the UFC will stage the event July 4 to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. He added that he spoke to President Trump on Monday and is scheduled to meet with him and his daughter Ivanka in two weeks to solidify the plan.
“We have a lot of land there,” said Trump, who has attended several UFC matches and considers White a friend.
Now it has gone from a notion into the planning stages, which is the second thrill of the week for White. On Monday he announced that the UFC has finalized a seven-year streaming agreement with Paramount worth an average of $1.1 billion a year. The deal represents a departure from UFC’s traditional pay-per-view model.
Thirteen marquee UFC events and 30 fight nights will be televised on the Paramount+ streaming platform, with some events also planned to simulcast on CBS. Plans for UFC events in other countries are also on the table, according to Paramount.
“You have the NFL, the NBA, the UFC and soccer globally,” White told the Associated Press. “We’re coming. We’re coming for all of them.”
White, 56, has been the driving force behind the enormous growth of the UFC, which he purchased in 2001 for $2 million. He negotiated broadcast-rights deals with Fox and ESPN, then spearheaded a $4-billion sale in 2016 to TKO Group Holdings, a group led by the Hollywood talent agency WME-IMG. White remained as president and retained a stake in the new company.
The Paramount-UFC deal came on the heels of Skydance and Paramount closing their $8-billion merger — a complicated negotiation that resulted in the creation of an entertainment giant. White said he was impressed with Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison’s vision for UFC and how the plans could be activated now that Ellison is chairman and chief executive of Paramount.
“Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty,” Ellison said in a statement. “The addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win.”
The debut Paramount fight card is in the planning stages, with UFC officials meeting this week to arrange bouts. White said it is too early to discuss a main event for the White House card.
“7 a.m.,” the pilot episode of “The Pitt,” introduces viewers to the organized chaos of a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room and the doctors and nurses who spend their days going from medical crisis to medical crisis.
“At the center of that wheel with all the spokes” is Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, says Noah Wyle, who plays the caring and beleaguered chief attending physician. “You can identify who is who in the show by how Robby is treating them. Am I being deferential to their expertise and education, or do I assume that they don’t know s— and I have to babysit them?”
The episode, written by series creator and executive producer R. Scott Gemmill and directed by executive producer John Wells, also hints at story arcs that will play out over the 15-episode first season. “There’s all kinds of little Easter eggs in there if you go back and look,” Gemmill says.
The Envelope chatted with Wyle, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, Wells and Gemmill about how the Emmy-nominated “7 a.m.” establishes “The Pitt’s” core characters.
Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) “This is an emergency department. Not a Taco Bell.”
The series begins with Robby walking to work listening to “Baby” by Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise. “One of the things that you’re always trying to do is just tell the audience who you’re going to follow,” Wells says. “Who’s going to be your character that introduces you to this world?”
Robby is the only character viewers see arriving to work. “We really wanted our characters to be learned about through the exposition of their workplace environment,” Wyle says.
“It was a conscious and thoughtful decision to not wake up in his apartment, not get a sense of his home decor, what his diet is, who he sleeps with,” he adds. “Those were all defining things that would immediately take him from being an everyman to being a specific man.”
Nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) “You sure you’re cool being here today?”
The first person Robby checks in with is Dana, the charge nurse, who Gemmill refers to as both the “den mother” and “air traffic controller” of the ER. “Robby’s relationship with Dana is very special,” he says.
Dana and Robby’s first conversation is about Dr. Jack Abbot (Shawn Hatosy), the ER doctor who works the night shift. Dana tells Robby that Abbot has gone to get “some air.” Her choice of words is significant because Abbot is actually standing on the hospital roof on the wrong side of the guardrail. “You know from the look on Robby’s face that he knows what ‘getting some air’ means,” Gemmill says. “There’s a lot of things that are not said but that are understood between these two characters.”
The creative team cut a scene from the pilot that revealed too much about the arc of Dr. Langdon, played by Patrick Ball.
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) “If you need me, I’ll be saving lives.”
Immediately introduced as the cocky senior resident , Langdon is later revealed to be stealing prescription drugs. But they were cognizant of keeping Langdon’s story arc a secret from viewers. “There was one sequence where we showed him with a slightly shaking hand,” Wyle says. “We felt like it tipped a bit too much. We ended up taking it out.”
Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) “I’m a 42–year–old R2. So I have my own haters. Trust me.”
In the pilot, McKay, who is older than the other residents, gets involved with two cases. She immediately picks up that something isn’t right between a mother who has come in with her sullen adolescent son. She also instantly knows that the mother who burnt her hand on a Sterno is unhoused. “What she lacks in not having [started] at a younger age, she makes up for with life experience.” Gemmill says.
Isa Briones as Trinity Santos in “The Pitt.”
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) “I got 50 bucks says she doesn’t last through this shift.”
Intern Trinity Santos comes in hot with a palpable ambition. She openly mocks her fellow residents with derogatory nicknames, but her outward bravado belies her backstory. “She has a history of abuse and trauma that has made her want to wear a suit of armor and tell the world to go f— itself before she has a chance to be hurt again,” Wyle says. “And we peel that layer to the very end of the run when you find out about what happened to her. Her compassion and empathy really comes into the fore in the latter half of the season.”
Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden) “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here today.”
Nothing seems to get in the way of second-year resident Mel King’s outwardly cheerful demeanor. “She was a tricky one,” Gemmill says. “We walk a fine line with her. She’s fairly obviously neurodivergent, and I just wanted to really introduce a character like that and do it justice and do it properly, and Taylor has done a great job embodying that.”
Shabana Azeez and Gerran Howell in “The Pitt.” The latter’s Dr. Whittaker provides “comic relief” in the early episodes through the indignities he suffers.
(Warrick Page / HBO Max)
Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) “I’ll be this lady’s age by the time I pay off my student loans.”
Fourth-year medical student Whitaker doesn’t start off well. His phone rings during a moment of silence for a deceased patient and he injures his finger moving a patient off a gurney.
“He’s very much the comic relief in the early episodes,” Wyle says. “He’s the guy that we put through a series of degradations and humiliations, but like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps coming back. By braving all of these things, he becomes extremely endearing.”
Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez) “I’ve earned the right to be here.”
Twenty-year-old prodigy Dr. Victoria Javadi is the daughter of two doctors. In the pilot, the third-year medical student faints the first time in the exam room and has painfully awkward exchanges with her peers. “You imagine that she was never with anyone her age,” Gemmill says. “Imagine a study group when she was in med school and she’s 14 or 15 years old. No one’s going to want to hang out with her. She becomes like a mascot to them. Her thing is to overcome that mascot image and become a person unto herself.”
UFC president Dana White says he cannot stop Jon Jones from retiring, despite the American having “agreed” to fight Tom Aspinall.
White was responding to the social media activity of the UFC heavyweight champion, who suggested he was retired before calling out ex-UFC fighter Francis Ngannou.
Speaking at the UFC 316 post-fight news conference, White said 37-year-old Jones had said nothing about retiring to him and that he was only interested in matching him with Aspinall.
“Tom Aspinall is the guy. If the guy wants to retire and doesn’t want to fight, there’s nothing you can do,” White said.
“I didn’t want Khabib [Nurmagomedov] to retire, I thought [Daniel Cormier] should’ve stayed in it longer, so it’s none of my business.
“I’ll do what I can to make the fight, if we can, if he’s talking that crazy, I didn’t realise that.”
With Ngannou fuelling speculation he might be open to a return to the UFC, White played down the chances even if it was to fight Jones.
