The Latest: Daily Beast deletes article; Meet People Inc; Gannett’s AI deal; ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ + taxes

July 31, 2025

Editor’s note: This newsletter is taking a short break.

We’ll return to your inboxes on Monday, Aug. 11.

■ Judge orders Trump administration to explain why order to restore Voice of America wasn't followed (Associated Press)

■ ‘CPB raises red flag over Senate Appropriations Committee bill that doesn’t include funding.’ (Joe Flint) / WQED to lay off 35% of staff due to federal funding cuts (Current)

■ ‘Inside The New York Times, frustration is mounting as critics weaponize an update to a Gaza starvation story to cast doubt on its reporting and the broader humanitarian crisis.’ (Status) / ‘The New York Times issued a new statement on the backlash to its story’ (Aidan McLaughlin)

■ Shari Redstone says she is ‘forever grateful’ to Paramount staff and shareholders, as company releases earnings ahead of Skydance deal (Hollywood Reporter) / Paramount Licensing Chief Dan Cohen steps down ahead of Skydance merger (Deadline)

■ Meet People Inc : Dotdash Meredith media empire unveils rebrand (Hollywood Reporter) / A media giant leans on People, a 50-year-old brand, to confront the AI age (Wall Street Journal)

■ Gannett is cutting $100 million and rethinking subscriptions to curb falling revenue (Poynter) / Gannett I USA TODAY Network and Perplexity announce strategic AI content licensing agreement (Gannett)

■ Traffic apocalypse: Google’s AI Overviews are killing click-throughs to news sites (Columbia Journalism Review)

■ Ziff Davis lays off 23 across CNET, Mashable , and more (The Wrap) / Union statement on Ziff Davis, CNET layoffs (Talking Biz News)

■ Shirley Halperin joins Rolling Stone as co-editor-in-chief; Maer Roshan becomes sole EIC at The Hollywood Reporter (Hollywood Reporter) / Hearst Magazines names Elspeth Velten editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping (Hearst) / Scripps taps veteran media strategist to bolster research and consumer insights (Scripps) / Sally Jenkins to join The Atlantic as a staff writer in September (The Atlantic) / FT names Chávez its US defense correspondent (Talking Biz News) / Meet Anna Snyder, new Duke beat reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and USA TODAY Network (Fayetteville Observer) / Radio veteran Hartley Adkins steps down after 32-year run at iHeart (InsideRadio)

■ Journalists at The Hill overwhelmingly ratify first-ever union contract (The NewsGuild)

■ Proposed Pennsylvania legislation would help fund local news (WHYY)

■ Missouri’s oldest Black bookstore just closed. The Kansas City Defender plans to reopen it as a newsroom and public archive. (Nieman Journalism Lab)

The “Big Beautiful Bill”: What it means for taxes

The Institute and the Bipartisan Policy Center are offering a series of virtual briefings to help journalists enhance their understanding and coverage of the new law's major themes.

Part two of the series will inform journalists on the biggest tax cuts and tax policy changes that are part of the new law. We’ll dive into how these changes could impact readers and viewers, look at what these provisions mean for the federal deficit, and also explore which groups of people can expect to see the biggest benefits from the law and who might not.

Whether you’re new to writing about taxes or have dipped your toe into covering these issues before, the BPC’s policy experts will be ready to answer your burning questions on how the new law stands to impact Americans’ pocketbooks and more.

Date : Wednesday, Aug. 13

Time : 1 p.m. ET

Location : Zoom

Speakers

Shai Akabas leads the Bipartisan Policy Center’s work on a variety of economic issues, including fiscal policy, retirement and financial security, and tax policy. Akabas got his start at BPC in 2010 staffing the Domenici-Rivlin Debt Reduction Task Force and assisting Jerome Powell, now chairman of the Federal Reserve, in his nationally recognized work on the federal debt limit. Over the years, Akabas has also steered high-level BPC commissions in several policy areas and provided extensive assistance to federal policymakers and their staff on some of the most pressing policy questions of the day.

Andrew Lautz is responsible for leading the Bipartisan Policy Center’s federal tax policy portfolio. In this role, he conducts research, develops policy recommendations, and engages with lawmakers and stakeholders on a variety of tax issues, from the Child Tax Credit to international tax reform. His insights on tax policy have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg, among other major publications. Previously, he was the director of federal policy for National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and NTU Foundation.

Session spotlight The Freelance life Taking your freelance business to the next level Experienced freelancers Learn how to capitalize on your relationships with existing clients and what new business realms independent journalists can explore With Ellen Lee Wirecutter and Cari Shane Freelance journalist Aug 15 at 1250 ET

Session spotlight: Taking your freelance business to the next level

The Institute is hosting a half-day virtual conference on the business of freelancing, starting at noon ET on Aug. 15.

Experienced freelancers: We’ll have a track just for you, including a session on how to leverage your existing clients to get more work and negotiate higher pay. You'll learn where to look outside of traditional journalism to grow your freelance business using those same skills.

Featuring Ellen Lee (Wirecutter) and Cari Shane (freelance journalist).

This is one of several sessions that will be held as part of the freelance conference, which is tailored for both new and experienced freelance journalists. All registrants will have access to the recordings.

GET TICKETS

To see the full agenda and speaker list, click here .

Resources

This newsletter is written and edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Elliot C. Williams, Allison Prang, and Mitch Harle. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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DONATE TO THE INSTITUTE

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.