A vocal revolt: MSNBC personalities object to NBC News' hiring of Ronna McDaniel as a contributor
Hosts across MSNBC's airwaves are following Chuck Todd in publicly criticizing their network for hiring former Republican National Committee chief Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor.
Lester Holt, Kristen Welker and Hugh Hewitt to moderate third GOP presidential debate Nov. 8 on NBC
โNBC Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt, โMeet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker and Salem Radio Network morning host Hugh Hewitt will moderate the third Republican presidential debate.
Trump refuses to say in a TV interview how he watched the Jan. 6 attack unfold at the US Capitol
Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday to answer questions about whether he watched the Capitol riot unfold on television.
Trump to appear on 'Meet the Press' Sunday as Kristen Welker takes over as host
Former President Donald Trump will give his first broadcast network interview since leaving office this week, sitting down with Kristen Welker as she debuts as host of NBCโs โMeet the Pressโ Sunday.
Chuck Todd leaving NBC political panel show 'Meet the Press' and being replaced by Kristen Welker
Chuck Todd says he's leaving โMeet the Pressโ after a tumultuous near-decade of moderating the NBC political panel show and will be replaced by Kristen Welker.
Psaki rumors, Mulvaney hire at CBS News trouble journalists
CBS' hiring of former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney and MSNBC's discussions about bringing on White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she's left the Biden administration have troubled some journalists at the networks.
![For media, Biden news conference notable for what's missing](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/WM-fkIrbQ261IgvR7hLjiv4gPpM=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CKVD3KV46JB4JNG4UAAV22MWAE.jpg)
For media, Biden news conference notable for what's missing
President Joe Biden listens to a question during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, March 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK โ Joe Biden's first presidential news conference was notable for what was missing after predecessor Donald Trump: no contentious exchanges with reporters, no Fox News and no questions about COVID-19. Before taking a question, Biden announced he was setting a new goal of having 200 million vaccine doses for the coronavirus administered during his first 100 days in office. Trump on Thursday accused the White House reporters of throwing โsoftballsโ to Biden. AdThat quickly became an issue at Fox, where the chyron โBiden Snubs Fox News during First News Confโ was put onscreen.
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Rashida Jones replaces Phil Griffin as MSNBC president
NEW YORK โ Phil Griffin is stepping down as the longtime president of MSNBC, to be replaced early next year by rising NBC News executive Rashida Jones. Griffin, 64, has worked at NBC News for 35 years and has been president of MSNBC since 2008. Jones, who has been with NBC News for the past seven years, is currently chief of breaking news and major events at the network. She just led the network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the team preparing Kristen Welker as moderator of the third presidential debate. Cesar Conde, the new chairman of the NBC Universal News Group, has made diversity one of his top priorities.
![2020 indelible TV moments: Trebek, debate bluster and Floyd](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/L3PpQu3rWAL0KKS4rMMN1hyiX1k=/1600x1266/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/K5DEHG7DQVCDBI3Y6AKFSBGXSY.jpg)
2020 indelible TV moments: Trebek, debate bluster and Floyd
Trebek made no secret of the fight with pancreatic cancer that claimed his life on Nov. 8. Here are a selection of the defining moments of 2020 from the perspective of The Associated Press' media and television writers. ALEX TREBEKThe โJeopardy!โ host made no secret of the fight with pancreatic cancer that ultimately claimed his life on Nov. 8. Millions of viewers will see the story resolved on their own time, creating countless individual moments rather than a communal one. The actors were conciliatory toward each other about what occurred during a marital separation, but Will Smith couldnโt resist revising his wifeโs description.
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Disastrous first debate is one rerun Fox's Wallace avoids
FILE - Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News speaks as President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate in Cleveland on Sept. 29, 2020. Leaders of the Commission on Presidential Debates and moderators of all three debates gathered for a remote debrief Monday night. (Olivier Douliery/Pool via AP, File)NEW YORK โ Nearly two months later, Chris Wallace can't bring himself to watch a rerun of the disastrous first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. George Washington University brought leaders of the Commission on Presidential Debates and moderators of all three encounters together for a remote debrief Monday night. It was a boisterous, uncomfortable fall for the debate commission, which dropped the second of three planned presidential sessions when Trump refused to agree to a remote debate following his COVID diagnosis.
![Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/vIrldgCbIkt6w31Fy6Dw2D7GzaE=/1600x1068/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RV5U3COPN5EOJOV2FRRSGWC7JY.jpg)
Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the final presidential debate at Belmont University, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn., with President Donald Trump. (Jim Bourg/Pool via AP)
![Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/RNSgoZ-JuD-nu2JXEQYoAwM9N0Q=/1600x1068/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RV5U3COPN5EOJOV2FRRSGWC7JY.jpg)
Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the final presidential debate at Belmont University, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn., with President Donald Trump. โI donโt look at this in terms of the way he does โ blue states and red states,โ Biden said. Turning to foreign policy, Biden accused Trump of dealing with a โthugโ while holding summits with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. โHe thinks heโs running against somebody else," the former vice president said. Biden declared the discussion about family entanglements โmalarkeyโ and accused Trump of not wanting to talk about the substantive issues.
![NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/1_QoEvd3qjXAsF7lmsbgoMEhlmI=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NC3ZVQNHQBFYFLQSWM5NGMR2OE.jpg)
NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator
Moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News listens as President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (Jim Bourg/Pool via AP)
![NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/qjKYeV3rrig2kEPVyUqYr0v-0o0=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NC3ZVQNHQBFYFLQSWM5NGMR2OE.jpg)
NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator
โI'm jealous,โ said Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace, moderator of the first debate. When the candidates were allowed to more directly engage, Welker was generally successful in striking the balance between giving them room and cutting off the discussion when it was becoming unproductive. โBut you're the president,โ Welker replied. But she received praise for her performance from across the political spectrum, including conservative personalities Ben Shapiro and Brit Hume. โKristen Welker is putting on a master class on how to moderate a presidential debate,โ tweeted Philip Rucker, a Washington Post reporter.
![The Latest: Trump says he will vote in person](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/fPgUKeXoVEVCJVb7E_M_-2QXCHg=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YPU2VRNGLRHJTBK7VQ6A2HBPNU.jpg)
The Latest: Trump says he will vote in person
President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, waves as he walks from Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, early Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Washington. Trump is returning from a debate in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the presidential campaign (all times local):1:30 a.m.President Donald Trump is taking his own advice and plans to vote in person in the presidential election on Saturday in Florida. Read more:โ High stakes for Trump, Biden heading into final debateโ Viewersโ Guide: After chaotic 1st debate, Trump, Biden try againโ Trump posts unedited โ60 Minutesโ interview before it airs___HEREโS WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:10:55 p.m. ___10:05 p.m.President Donald Trump is offering rare praise to a member of the media: the moderator of the final presidential debate. Most of the attendees appeared to be wearing masks, though some proudly declared they would not while holding flags supporting President Donald Trump.
![Viewer's Guide: After chaotic debate, Trump, Biden try again](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/oG2HMHWTdJ6mUqMKX6Nif6Nf44w=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6XQDLIRDKBHDTIDG4GJNKRE52I.jpg)
Viewer's Guide: After chaotic debate, Trump, Biden try again
Production crew member stand on stage ahead of the final presidential debate between Republican candidate President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. The debate will take place Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
![Viewers' Guide: After chaotic debate, Trump, Biden try again](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Ab_hYtgLl3wUMHf-fLw5Of-uTC8=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6XQDLIRDKBHDTIDG4GJNKRE52I.jpg)
Viewers' Guide: After chaotic debate, Trump, Biden try again
Production crew member stand on stage ahead of the final presidential debate between Republican candidate President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Biden and Trump instead participated in dueling town halls on competing television networks. CORONAVIRUSSince the last debate, Trump was diagnosed with and hospitalized for COVID-19. Biden aides anticipate Trump will again level searing personal attacks during the debate. Welker will be the first Black woman to serve as the moderator of a presidential debate since Carole Simpson in 1992.
![Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/dyQmtNpo-YF56Xs5cBER2K94NEY=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UOGEIZCUAVBABO74U464NTA7FM.jpg)
Trump, Biden fight over the raging virus, climate and race
โI donโt look at this in terms of the way he does โ blue states and red states,โ Biden said. Turning to foreign policy, Biden accused Trump of dealing with a โthugโ while holding summits with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. And closer to home, the former vice president laced into the Trump administration's policy of separating children from their parents trying to illegally cross the southern border. โHe thinks heโs running against somebody else," the former vice president said. Biden declared the discussion about family entanglements โmalarkeyโ and accused Trump of not wanting to talk about the substantive issues.
![Face to face: Trump and Biden to meet for final debate](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/v2AjYS3cUAKPbxtItFLUOhYV0Wg=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7MQEIJXOXFHJNOKPVYYJTQIM5I.jpg)
Face to face: Trump and Biden to meet for final debate
Mock debaters perform onstage as preparations take place for the second Presidential debate at Belmont University, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden are scheduled to debate Thursday, Oct. 22. Biden, who has stepped off the campaign trail in favor of debate prep, expects Trump to get intensely personal. The Biden campaign has rejected Trumpโs assertion of wrongdoing and noted that Bidenโs schedule did not show a meeting with the Burisma official. Trumpโs attacks on the Biden family have been relentless, including his efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, which led to Trump's impeachment. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said, "Trump is still the political outsider, while Biden is the ultimate insider.
![Mission impossible? Welker on tap to moderate second debate](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/IzP8HPemginzJNkaHOQukETa1oQ=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/F4AVGC5TY5BNBMJHF7PGHBSKX4.jpg)
Mission impossible? Welker on tap to moderate second debate
On Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, Welker is scheduled to moderate the second and last Presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden. The NBC News White House correspondent is scheduled to moderate Thursday's second and last session between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. While Welker was one of four questioners at a Democratic presidential debate last fall, this is by far the 44-year-old journalist's biggest stage. She's the first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate since Carole Simpson in 1992. Andrea Mitchell, the NBC News correspondent who moderated last fall's Democratic debate with Welker, Rachel Maddow and Ashley Parker, doubted her colleague would be intimidated.
!['Running Angry': Trump attacks Dr. Fauci, press and polls](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/W40vKOLkchymSTkjPBd31q7fLfQ=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TYNQYSRN7FBNLGDBEABRVK6MIU.jpg)
'Running Angry': Trump attacks Dr. Fauci, press and polls
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field in Erie, Pa, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.
![In debate countdown, Trump holds rally, Biden does prep](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/wWdDhKv1xhCrbm4KWWgCRSgFOVU=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TYNQYSRN7FBNLGDBEABRVK6MIU.jpg)
In debate countdown, Trump holds rally, Biden does prep
Democrat Joe Biden took the opposite approach, holing up for debate prep in the leadup to Thursday's faceoff in Nashville. โThis is an election between a Trump super recovery and a Biden depression. Before leaving the White House, Trump taped part of an interview with CBSโ โ60 Minutesโ that apparently ended acrimoniously. This time, Trump and Biden will each have his microphone cut off while his rival delivers an opening two-minute answer to each of the six debate topics, the commission announced. As Trump was on the road, Biden was huddling at his lakeside home in Wilmington, Delaware, with senior adviser Ron Klain, who is in charge of debate preparation.
![The Latest: Topics for 3rd presidential debate are released](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/HNFvlGIqYX9ryBf2owZTgsMIfBc=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XYOR4KIHOZCPVCVMBISO3HEM2Y.jpg)
The Latest: Topics for 3rd presidential debate are released
President Donald Trump arrives to speak to a campaign rally at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, in Macon, Ga. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.
![The Latest: Trump tries to explain lower fundraising numbers](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/aZo7AIvBKXCNAD68eJ4HgB0j91Q=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XYOR4KIHOZCPVCVMBISO3HEM2Y.jpg)
The Latest: Trump tries to explain lower fundraising numbers
Thatโs well short of the $383 million his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, and the Democratic National Committee reported raising last month. ___HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:President Donald Trump is holding rallies in Ocala, Florida, and Macon, Georgia, on Friday night. ___5 p.m.President Donald Trump is predicting a โred waveโ of Republican voting in Florida. Most polls show a close race in the important battleground state that both the Republican incumbent and Democrat Joe Biden are courting heavily. ___2:35 p.m.President Donald Trump says heโs moving โheaven and earthโ to protect older people from the coronavirus.
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Debate commission says it will make changes to format
(Olivier Douliery/Pool vi AP)NEW YORK โ The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. The next presidential debate is a town hall format scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. That was the most-watched presidential debate ever. He called on the debate commission to act. Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle with prior experience, after receiving praise for handling the final Clinton-Trump debate in 2016.
![The Latest: Biden to see Blake family in visit to Kenosha](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/V71xomyD7JItgByxWWrg8RngP04=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7D4MYGRXOVDU5E6BLZOK33OEZQ.jpg)
The Latest: Biden to see Blake family in visit to Kenosha
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, speaks in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, about school reopenings. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.
![Fox, C-SPAN, NBC moderators for upcoming Trump-Biden debates](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/6zSGNtzTeyVarG2WNq7xI-prhWQ=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/B4FV4RBWBVGRRCWN4S4C5YJBZQ.jpg)
Fox, C-SPAN, NBC moderators for upcoming Trump-Biden debates
WASHINGTON Representatives from Fox News, C-SPAN and NBC will moderate the upcoming debates between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. According to the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the moderators will be:Chris Wallace of Fox News for the debate Sept. 29 in Cleveland. Steve Scully of C-SPAN for the town meeting debate Oct. 15 in Miami. NBCs Kristen Welker for the debate Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. Trump's team has tried to pressure the commission to move up the debates, citing increased use of early and absentee voting because of the coronavirus.
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TV's unconventional night capped by raves for Michelle Obama
(Scott Olson/Pool via AP)NEW YORK After a night in which television struggled to keep up with the Democrats' virtual convention, networks were rewarded with the most traditional of political events a powerful speech. This will not be like any convention we have seen before, ever, CNNs Anderson Cooper said at the opening of his networks coverage. Segments spent on broadcast networks previewing speeches by Obama and Sanders seemed like time-wasters when there were other things to show. Wallace's colleague, Dana Perino, stumbled into an unfortunate word choice in an effort to convey enthusiasm for Obama's address. Four years ago, when Hillary Clinton was nominated, 25 million people tuned in to the first night.