Overview

• Paramount Global finalized a $16 million settlement earlier this month to end President Trump’s lawsuit over an edited 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, covering his legal fees and a contribution to his presidential library without admitting fault.
• The agreement requires CBS News to publish transcripts of future interviews with eligible presidential candidates, subject to legal and national security redactions, and does not include any corporate apology.
• Stephen Colbert condemned the payment as a “big fat bribe” and Jon Stewart called it a “shakedown” on Monday, signaling intensified satire from within Paramount’s late-night lineup.
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren has called for an anti-bribery investigation, and the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing Paramount’s pending Skydance merger under its news-distortion policy.
• Press freedom advocates warn that tying a newsroom settlement to regulatory approval could undermine journalistic independence and expose news and satire programs to political pressure.