August 7, 2026
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Michael's Daily Notes
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The FCC voted Thursday, 2–1, to scrap the national ownership cap — the 22-year-old rule barring any single company from owning television stations that reach more than 39% of American households. In its place: case-by-case review. The timing is no accident. Nexstar’s pending $6.2 billion Tegna deal would put one company in at least 60% of U.S. homes. The lone Democratic commissioner, Anna Gomez, dissented, warning the move “just changes who is doing the squeezing.”
Broadcasters have an argument. The cap predates Netflix, the iPhone and Instagram, and nobody limits YouTube’s reach. Courts may yet decide that only Congress can undo a limit Congress wrote into law. Let that play out.
My worry is what follows. Fewer limits invite more consolidation, and consolidation breeds sameness. When a handful of national companies produce every “local” newscast, we nationalize the news. As Brian Stelter put it, local TV is “about to get less local.” He flagged the wrinkle that intrigued him most: case-by-case review hands Chairman Brendan Carr the power to choose which station groups get to grow.
Stelter supplied the perfect counterexample — glued to Spokane’s KHQ during last week’s wildfires, watching anchor Sean Owsley tap three decades of local roots to guide his community through crisis. That’s the connective glue at stake: the shared local experience that builds society’s social capital. Lose it and it’s one less common experience in a country running short on them. We don’t just risk bigger media. We risk further disconnect, one identical newscast at a time.
You want to do something to help America? Buy a local newspaper. Watch local TV (while you can).
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DAILY POLL
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Does Donald Trump really believe the 2020 election was stolen from him?
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TOP STORY
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President Trump signed two executive orders seeking to restrict birthright citizenship and crack down on "birth tourism," moves aimed at circumventing a June Supreme Court ruling that struck down his Day 1 order ending automatic citizenship for children born on U.S. soil.
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TODAY'S YOUTUBE
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SPONSORED BY PARX CASINO
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IN OTHER NEWS
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The U.S. war in Iran has sharply depleted key air defense stockpiles, with Patriot inventories down two-thirds and THAAD interceptors cut in half, officials and a CSIS analysis say, complicating President Donald Trump's options if he reignites the conflict or faces China.
After his Senate committee voted along party lines to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul says he'll bypass a filibuster-prone floor vote and refer the matter straight to the Trump Justice Department, a shortcut legal experts warn is riddled with procedural pitfalls.
The FCC voted 2-1 Thursday to eliminate the 22-year-old rule barring a single company from owning television stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households, a move critics vow to challenge in court and that could clear the way for Nexstar's stalled $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna.
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A MESSAGE FROM COMCAST
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Ninety percent of U.S. adults say extreme heat has affected their lives over the past year, up from 83% in 2024, even as the share who believe climate change is happening slipped to 66% from 73% a year earlier, a new AP-NORC poll finds.
Jason Arday, once celebrated as the youngest Black professor appointed at Cambridge, resigned after the university launched a formal plagiarism investigation, fueling a contentious debate over his academic record, personal claims and the role of diversity initiatives in his rise.
The Miss USA Organization has dethroned Brittany Boltinhouse as Miss North Carolina USA 2026 just over a month after her crowning, citing conduct over an extended period that violated its standards against racism, homophobia and transphobia, with Myla Hadley set to assume the title.
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CARTOONS
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by Eric Allie
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MORE NEWS
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An influencer's viral claim of spending $10,000 for a week at the Jersey Shore has aimed a spotlight at rising vacation costs, as new data shows the once-affordable summer getaway is more than 11% more expensive than last year.
Substitute teacher Lewis Kalb won an auction to call the third inning of the Phillies' 10-4 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday and delivered a polished, old-school broadcast that had listeners wondering if he was a pro in disguise.
After accidentally dozing off during a live morning broadcast, Memphis anchor Dominique Dillon turned an embarrassing viral moment into a relatable story about the exhaustion of balancing an early-morning TV career with caring for two young children, drawing widespread public support.
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For the Left
Senator Bernie Sanders said he does not expect to endorse Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race, distancing himself from the contest despite her status as a leading progressive candidate.
For the Right
The White House is pushing to delay a proposed federal ban on hemp-derived THC products by four weeks, arguing the extra time will allow lawmakers to develop a broader regulatory framework amid political and public health concerns.
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