This nightly newsletter is for paid subscribers only. Why subscribe? Read my mission statement! You can become a paid subscriber today for just $6 a month or $60 for the year. That gives you access to not just this newsletter but ALL of my content — including my latest rankings of the 2028 Democratic field!

1. Quitting on Principle is a Luxury

On Tuesday, in a memo to his colleagues, Bill Owens, the longtime executive producer of CBS News’ “60 Minutes” announced that he was resigning.

Of his decision, Owens wrote: “Over the past months, it has 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.”

The background is this: Donald Trump sued CBS for a segment “60 Minutes” ran last fall where they interviewed then Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump’s suit claims that CBS News edited the segment to make Harris look better or, I suppose, less bad. “To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,” Trump’s filing alleged.

He is asking for $10 billion in damages. Yes, “billion.”

This is — and always has been — utterly ridiculous.

What CBS did — and what EVERY network does all the time — was cut a longer part of a Harris’ answer for its Sunday show, “Face the Nation,” and a shorter one for “60.” It was all part of the same answer. Nothing was added. Or changed.

“The interview was not doctored; and 60 MINUTES did not hide any part of the Vice President’s answer to the question at issue,” a spokesperson said at the time. “60 MINUTES fairly presented the Interview to inform the viewing audience, and not to mislead it. The lawsuit Trump has brought today against CBS is completely without merit and we will vigorously defend against it.”

The Federal Communications Commission released the full video and transcript of the interview in February. And it showed — shock! — that nothing had been deleted or deceptively edited.

That Paramount — CBS’ parent company — is moving to settle the suit with Trump should not surprise you. These big companies all want to make nice with Trump so he doesn’t punish their other ventures. If it costs them a few hundred million, it’s worth it.

But, honestly, I don’t want to talk about all that. I want to talk about the notion of quitting on principle. And how people like Owens have that luxury. And why lots and lots of people who work for CBS and other legacy media outlet don’t.

The short take: Bill Owens is going to be just fine. But what do all the other more junior — and less well compensated — people in these news organizations do?

I explain the problem and my solution — HINT: It involves independent news creators like me! — for paid subscribers below. Investors in this newsletter also get my rant on Alex Soros (what a jerk!) and a breakdown of how a new Pope will be picked.

If you aren’t a subscriber, I hope today is the day you become one. It’s $6 a month or $60 for the year.