Free Republic

Carol Costello is trying. She is trying really really hard not to FREAK OUT over the lousy economic news today about the Gross Domestic Product falling 2.9% in the first quarter of the year. Feeding freaked out Carol economic Soma pills to calm her down is Chief Business Correspondent  for CNN, Christine Romans. However, despite her efforts, it is obvious that poor Carol is still FREAKED OUT as you can see in this CNN Newsroom video (and after the jump) today. Okay, Carol finally declares she is not FREAKED OUT but it is more like she is trying to merely...

CNN: Whistleblower: VA Changed Records To Make Dead Patients Appear To Be Alive (June 24, 2014)

CNN’s Alison Kosik couldn’t hide her disbelief after her show, “Early Start,” detailed Hillary Clinton’s latest comments about her and Bill’s wealth. What did Kosik do? She broke out in laughter. On Sunday, Britain’s The Guardian posted an interview in which Clinton defended her and Bill’s wealth by saying they pay regular income taxes “unlike a lot of people who are truly well off.” That insinuation left Kosik in disbelief: YouTube Video

Erik Wemple of the Washington Post media blog attended Hillary Clinton's town hall meeting staged by CNN and reports that prior to the show, a stage manager coached the audience to cheer and whoop it up for the former secretary of state: The event took place at the Newseum, which is on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington between the Capitol and the White House. The District is a blue jurisdiction that turned out 91 percent for President Obama in the 2012 election, and it’s surrounded by places like Arlington County, Va., and Montgomery County, Md. — also very blue spots. When...

When CNN rolled out the red carpet for Hillary Clinton’s town-hall interview with Christiane Amanpour, they did more than just build a set and invite an audience to participate. According to the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple, who attended the event, CNN warmed up the crowd for Hillary and even coached them on how to cheer and make noise to demonstrate enthusiasm for the former Secretary of State. Note the whoops at the beginning of the broadcast, and near the end of this clip when Amanpour asks about her decision on running for President — cheers that were part of the...

In a passionate interview with host Brooke Baldwin on the June 17 edition of CNN Newsroom, Patricia Smith – mother of slain U.S. diplomat Sean Smith – voiced her frustrations about the lack of answers she has received from the Obama administration regarding Benghazi. Smith had one basic request for Hillary Clinton, a simple phone call [MP3 audio here; video below]:

Commenting on a report on Hillary Clinton's 2016 plans, CNN New Day anchor Chris Cuomo admitted that the media have been the biggest promoters of her presumed presidential campaign and that they have given her a "free ride."

In covering the killings in Las Vegas by Jerad and Amanda Miller this week, mainstream media commentators once again displayed their hypocrisy and double standard regarding Islamic terrorism and terror attacks that are supposedly “right-wing.” CNN’s national security analyst Peter Bergen wrote Tuesday the Millers “appear to have been motivated by extreme far-right views. The couple left a flag at the scene of the crime with the words ‘Don’t Tread on Me,’ a Revolutionary War symbol used by some anti-government extremists.” Bergen went on to emphasize that “countering violent extremism cannot simply be a demand placed on Muslim communities to...

Sniff! With the stunning Eric Cantor congressional primary loss yesterday, the Republicans are now less willing to "compromise" on such programs as immigration "reform" and other Democrat inspired legislation according to  Dana Bash of CNN who  thinks that's sad. So sad. Bash dropped even  the slight pretense of non-bias this morning during a CNN New Day report on Cantor's historic loss. She declared it "sad" that the election result now makes it unlikely for  Republicans to act like Democrats. Break out the violins and play an appropriately mournful tune as Bash indulges her sadness:

After questions about the legality of the White House sidestepping a law requiring Congress be given thirty day approval notice for a prisoner swap, CNN chief Washington correspondent Joe Johns asked outgoing White House Press Secretary Jay Carney if President Barack Obama “feel[s] as though, on this issue and this kind of issue, he’s above the law.” “Absolutely not,” Carney replied. “We have repeatedly noted concerns with this requirement. In signing statements, [Obama] has consistently made clear that the executive branch must have the flexibility to act swiftly in conducting negotiations with foreign countries regarding the circumstances of detainee transfers...

Just a howler. Introducing a segment on mental illness (and shootings,) the CNN host diagnosed the Fort Hood shooter (whose name he left out) as suffering from "Under-treated post traumatic stress."

CNN anchor Carol Costello ascribed new powers to the ceremonial office of first lady of the United States on Tuesday in a report about Michelle Obama’s healthy school lunch initiative and the opposition it is receiving from Republicans and members of the food industry. Costello declared that Michelle Obama signed a bill regarding her initiative into law in 2010 after it passed Congress. The Constitution, however, limits the power to sign legislation into law to Mrs. Obama’s husband, the president. Costello opened the segment by playing a speech Michelle Obama gave in 2010 in which she touted the healthy lunch

Day one of my semi-sabbatical. So far so good. Today’s reflection: CNN's John King reports that Democrats are privately calling President Obama "detached," "flat footed," and "incompetent." Detached? Flat footed? Incompetent? Now who does that remind me of…? Posted from: Michelle Obama’s Mirror 

Apparently, sombreros aren’t considered business casual at CNN. A gay ex-CNN staffer from Queens claims he was discriminated against and eventually fired for wearing extravagant ensembles that included mariachi suits, yellow track suits and cowboy hats to work. In a $65 million Brooklyn federal lawsuit filed Thursday, former CNN studio technician William Kane claims that a supervisor, John Silva, hated his taste in clothes and recommended that he transfer to the makeup or entertainment units. Kane asserts that several on-air personalities — including Anderson Cooper and former talk show host Piers Morgan — objected to Silva’s treatment of Kane and...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: This CNN info guy is somewhat speechless. Think of this next sound bite as a sound bite of a Drive-By reporter learning in real time who Obama is. This is CNN's Newsroom this morning during what they called special coverage of Obama's remarks about the VA. This is after Obama spoke, after Obama told everybody how mad he was when he found out about this. Jake Tapper spoke with the correspondent, Drew Griffin, about Obama's remarks. Tapper said, "Drew Griffin, the reporter from CNN who began this whole story with his investigation into the Phoenix VA. Drew,...

CNN President Jeff Zucker declared his network would “not going to be shamed” into covering Benghazi and other stories without “real news value” at an awards dinner Monday. Capital New York reports that Zucker explained CNN’s post-plane plans during an interview at the Deadline Club’s annual dinner on Monday night. “I don’t think there’s any question about our commitment to breaking news, as evidenced by all the questions about the plane,” Zucker told The New York Times’ Bill Carter (RELATED: The five most ridiculous aspects of CNN’s missing Malaysian flight coverage). “So we’re still there whenever that happens,” he continued,...

Climate change and the missing Malaysian flight are important to CNN. The Obama administration’s continued evasion of serious investigation into the 2012 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, not so much. At least that’s what Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, told a New York Times reporter at the Deadline Club’s annual awards dinner Monday night. “We’re not going to be shamed into [Benghazi coverage] by others who have political beliefs that want to try to have temper tantrums to shame other news organizations into covering something,” Zucker said. “If it’s of real news value, we’ll cover it.”

Who has the data investigators used to shape their search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and why hasn't it been released to the public? The answer to those questions depends on who you ask. Facing a growing chorus of criticism from scientists and family members who want to see more details about why searchers are combing the southern Indian Ocean, Malaysia's top transportation official Thursday claimed his country doesn't have the raw data from the satellite's communication with the plane ... The data is crucial because it's what led investigators to the area where they're currently searching for the plane....

CNN has discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, a former CNN news editor. She wrote frequently about international news, writing and reporting about Africa, Europe, and the Middle East from our London bureau. An unpublished story flagged last week during our editing process led to an internal investigation that uncovered other examples in about 50 published stories, and our investigation is ongoing. We've terminated Gumuchian's employment with CNN, and have removed the instances of plagiarism found in her pieces. In some cases, we've chosen to delete an entire article. Trust, integrity and simply giving credit where it's due...

The fast-food worker strikes are expanding to more U.S. cities and going global. Workers in up to 150 cities across the country are planning to strike on May 15, according to labor organizers. The movement is also headed overseas, with plans for workers to join protests in 33 countries. On Wednesday, the workers announced the protests outside a McDonald's in New York City, and delivered a letter that called on the fast food giant to raise wages and respect workers' rights worldwide. However, security guards didn't allow the workers to bring the letter inside the restaurant. So, they posted the...