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Norah O’Donnell Exits CBS Evening News One Day Early

O’Donnell’s last show will air on January 23, 2024, as she departs to focus on special projects.

Norah O’Donnell is set to leave her position as anchor of CBS Evening News, with the date of her final show adjusted to January 23, 2024.

Originally scheduled for January 24, the shift aligns with CBS Sports’ coverage of the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open, which will preempt the nightly news.

O’Donnell, who has served as the anchor since July 2019, is departing to focus on special projects and high-profile interviews for CBS News. Her departure concludes over four years of her leadership during which she navigated significant national events, including the turbulent political climate surrounding the 2024 election.

The announcement of O’Donnell’s departure has sparked reflections on her time at CBS, marked by moments of intense political discourse. She famously challenged Republican figures on air, questioning the impact of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric following violent incidents.

One notable exchange occurred on July 14, 2024, when she asked Congressman Kevin McCarthy whether Trump should modify his speech to prevent incitement: “It’s almost like the rhetoric’s gotten hotter since then [Jan. 6]….Does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for [the attack]?”

O’Donnell’s unique reporting style often sparked controversy, particularly among conservative viewers. Her comments during various coverage of the 2020 election and the aftermath of political events were frequently critiqued. For example, she described Trump misleading voters on election night with claims about the results. During this coverage, she stated, “The President of the United States castrated the facts of the election results…” demonstrating her firm stance on election integrity matters.

On August 27, 2020, she expressed disappointment during the Republican Convention coverage, noting, “This is an extraordinary thing to see this in Washington as the fireworks spell out ‘Trump’ on government land,” highlighting her disapproval of Trump’s approach amid the pandemic’s impact.

After years of anchoring from Washington D.C., the CBS Evening News will transition its base to New York.

The reshuffling includes new leadership; Margaret Brennan, John Dickerson, and Maurice DuBois will take the helm moving forward. The network is also introducing CBS Evening News Plus, which will provide streaming content at 7 PM ET on the network’s streaming platform, CBS News 24/7.

This strategic move not only reflects O’Donnell’s departure but also CBS’s shift to adapt to changing viewer habits and media consumption behaviors, capitalizing on the increasing demand for diverse programming formats.

Leaving the anchor chair marks the end of O’Donnell’s chapter at CBS, yet it simultaneously opens new avenues for coverage under different leadership.

Looking back, O’Donnell’s contributions to CBS have left indelible prints on political journalism, shaping discussions around pivotal issues and public discourse.

Gayle King Speaks Out After ‘CBS Mornings’ Co-Host Tony Dokoupil Is Accused of ‘Bias’

Michele Crowe/CBS

CBS Mornings star Gayle King has spoken out after her co-host Tony Dokoupil sparked controversy for a fiery interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

For those who missed it, King, DoKoupil, and Nate Burleson had a sit-down with the author about his new book, The Message, which features a section condemning Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. During the September 30 interview, Dokoupil co-opted the conversation and asked many hard-hitting, to some, even biased questions, which made waves across the internet.

“Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries that want to eliminate it?” he asked the author. He also called Coates a “radical” and also called out his reputability: “I have to say, when I read the book, I imagine if I took your name out of it, took away the awards, the acclaim … the content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist.”

King, who like her co-hosts, have remained very quiet about the interview, finally spoke on behalf of everyone from CBS Mornings that was involved on-air. The topic came up during a panel on Tuesday, October 23 at PaleyFest New York. King, seated with Burleson and Dokoupi on stage, handled the question, while the other two did not weigh in.

“Life is hard,” King said. “The news is hard. Sometimes, you have hard conversations on television,” she said. “We know that it comes with a great responsibility.

“And we’re mindful of that. Certain topics you know are just hot-button issues. You have to be very careful about how you ask the questions, how the questions are received. I think we don’t shy away from hard conversations either. So, I think it’s been a learning thing for everybody,” she concluded.

CBS Mornings EP Shawna Thomas, also on-stage for the panel, shared that there have been many “hard” conversations both internally and externally about the interview — and those are ongoing. “I think we’ve learned a lot from those,” Thomas said. “I’m hoping those conversations make us better journalists and better listeners.”

The interview not only divided viewers but also caused an ongoing and very public dispute at CBS News. Here’s a look at some of the key moments internally that have been reported since it aired:

After the interview, CBS News executives fielded complaints from staffers and then held a meeting on October 7, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel. At the meeting, the head of CBS News, Wendy McMahon, and second-in-command Adrienne Roark called out Dokoupil for the interview, according to The Free Press. They argued Dokoupil was biased and “did not meet the network’s editorial standards.”

The interview and its fallout caused a public rift between CBS News and its parent company Paramount Global, according to Deadline. Paramount Chair Shari Redstone strongly backed Dokoupil, calling CBS News’ criticism “a mistake.” The same day, Paramount’s Co-CEO issued a statement backing CBS News.

The unusually open spat within the reputable network comes after a period of upheaval for CBS News and Paramount Global, which is set to be sold to Skydance Media in a deal slated to close in the first half of 2025. The newsroom went through a round of layoffs last month that saw such personalities as Jeff Glor exit along with 15 percent of the staff, Deadline detailed.

During the summer, CBS News longtimer Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews announced that she was stepping down as president of CBS News, a position she held for less than a year.

The hourlong panel today spent only two minutes discussing the Dokoupil-Coates situation.

Vanna White ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contract Extended Through 2026

Following tense negotiations, it’s been confirmed Vanna White‘s contract on Wheel of Fortune has been extended for the next two years, as the series ushers in Ryan Seacrest as new host. Longtime host Pat Sajak previously announced this year his plan to retire after Season 41, which began earlier this week.

Wheel of Fortune‘s long-time letter-turner last had a pay raise 18 years ago, and so she was looking for a significant bump as negotiations for a new contract ensued.

It was reported earlier this year that White had agreed to a new deal for ABC‘s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, but was still negotiating a pay bump for the syndicated show as her contract for 2024 was almost up.

According to TMZ, White’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told Sony Pictures his client was looking for 50% of what [Pat] Sajak makes.

However, a source has told People that the previous report was “inaccurate,” including the claim that White accepted an offer of $100,000 per episode to continue the Celebrity edition of the show.

The source added that for years, “Vanna was told, ‘If you fight this, you will lose your job. You’re lucky to have the job.’ And when people tell you that for so long, you believe it,’” before adding that White is now ready to fight for her future. “She’s a really, really sweet person. She deserves so much more.”

During a recent conference for Fortune magazine, Seacrest was asked about his upcoming game show gig and whether White would still be involved.

“Are you going to keep Vanna White?” the American Idol host was asked, according to Fox News.

“Well, so I am going to…,” Seacrest began before starting over. “I’m fortunate enough to take over for the legendary Pat Sajak. Next year, which I am so… My energy’s gonna go up, sir, on that. I’m telling you. I have been the biggest fan of that show forever.”

“I love Vanna White,” he continued. “I’ve known Vanna for a long time. We sat in important places next to each other. And I hope for nothing more than to be able to walk out on that stage and host with her.”

Wheel of Fortune, Weeknights, Check your local listings

‘Celebrity Jeopardy’ season 3 new episode, how to stream for free

“Celebrity Jeopardy” returns on Wednesday, Jan. 22 with celebrity contestants Rachel Brosnahan, Seth Green and Margaret Cho.

The new episode will air at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Those without cable can watch the show for free through FuboTV or DirecTV Stream each offering a free trial to new users. Sling is another option for streaming the show, and promotional offers are available.

Celebrity contestants compete for a chance to win money for a charity of their choice in a new season of “Celebrity Jeopardy.”

Wednesday’s episode features Rachel Brosnahan, Seth Green and Margaret Cho.

How can I watch “Celebrity Jeopardy” without cable?

Those without cable can watch the show for free through FuboTV or DirecTV Stream each offering a free trial to new users. Sling is another option for streaming the show, and promotional offers are available.

What is FuboTV?

FuboTV is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers more than 100 channels, like sports, news, entertainment and local channels. It offers DVR storage space, and is designed for people who want to cut the cord, but don’t want to miss out on their favorite live TV and sports. Fubo offers $30 off your first month.

What is DirecTV Stream?

The streaming platform offers a plethora of content including streaming the best of live and On Demand, starting with more than 75 live TV channels.

What is Sling?

Sling TV is the first app-based TV service letting you stream live television and on-demand content over the internet. With Sling TV, you get to choose the television option that’s right for you, including Channel Add-ons, Premiums Add-ons, DVR Plus and more.

Ken Jennings Makes Bold Claim About ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ Contestants

Ken Jennings set high expectations for viewers regarding the current season of Celebrity Jeopardy!

On Tuesday, January 21, the 50-year-old game show host appeared on Good Morning America to talk about the third season of the spinoff series.

Jennings claimed that the group competing might be the smartest A-listers the show has witnessed, citing celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as an example.

“These folks are smart. A lot of them are broadcasters, standup comics. We had Neil deGrasse Tyson. These might be our smartest celebrities ever,” Jennings stated.

The TV personality then joked, “And that’s a high bar cuz we all know how smart celebrities are.”

The former Jeopardy! competitor also explained that the show, where the winning celebrity donates $1 million for a charity of their choosing, is not meant to be a Saturday Night Live parody but a real competition.

“I just want to say for the record Celebrity Jeopardy! is not the SNL Celebrity Jeopardy! This is legit,” Jennings remarked.

Jennings later played a round of GMA‘s version of Jeopardy!, where he revealed what guest he would love to have on Celebrity Jeopardy!

The trivia posed to him was: “She’s the famous comedian behind the hit movie ‘Mean Girls’ who’s also your dream Celebrity Jeopardy guest.”

Jennings, of course, got the answer correct, stating, “Who is Tina Fey?” He then explained his reasoning: “I would love to book Tina Fey on Celebrity Jeopardy! She seems quick, maybe it’s just because celebrities with glasses always seem very smart to me.”

The GMA hosts also asked the game show extraordinaire which four competitors in the show’s history would make up his “Mount Rushmore.” Jennings did not name any celebrities or regular competitors as he stated, “There’s too many great contestants to fit on a mountain.”

Instead, Jennings said, “My Mount Rushmore would be Alex Trebek, obviously. The reasons I liked the show as a kid. The announcer, Johnny Gilbert, he’s a legend he’s in his 90s. And maybe just Merv and Julann Griffin, the husband and wife who created the show.”

Catch Celebrity Jeopardy! Wednesday’s at 9:00 P.M. ET on ABC.

‘Jeopardy!’ Fans & Contestants React After Jaw-Dropping Game Is Dubbed ‘Greatest Ever’

Jeopardy, Inc!

Jeopardy! had fans and former contestants losing their minds on Tuesday night (January 21) after the second Champions Wildcard semi-finals ended in one of the boldest wagers in the game show’s history.

Tuesday’s game saw a three-way showdown between Will Yancey, a lecturer of history from Banquete, Texas, Jay Fisher, a government relations manager from Lisle, Illinois, and Evan Dorey, a data analytics director from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The match-up started off pretty evenly matched between Yancey and Dorey, with the latter taking a slight lead with $7,800 by the end of the first round, while the former followed closely behind with $5,200. Fisher trailed in a deficit, with minus $400.

Things heated up massively in the Double Jeopardy round as Yancey and Dorey went back and forth. Firstly, Yancey took control of “The Bible” category, nailing each clue and finding a Daily Double, wagering big and doubling his score to take the lead.

Not to be outdone, Dorey fired back by running the “‘B’ On The Sea” category, where he landed on a Daily Double of his own and wagered his entire pot. This put him back into the lead heading into Final Jeopardy with a huge $32,400. Meanwhile, Yancey had $26,000, giving him a chance to win if Dorey flopped on the final clue.

Fisher ended up getting out of the red and went into Final Jeopardy with $2,800.

Host Ken Jennings then revealed the final category as “Mythology” and read the final clue: “Some myths say the treasure of the Nibelung was hidden under a promontory called this, on the Rhine near St. Goarshausen.”

Yancey was the only one who gave the correct answer (“What is Lorelei?”), but it was his wager that had viewers reeling. Adopting a “go big or go home” attitude, Yancey bet his entire $26,000, giving him a final score of a whopping $52,000. He secured his spot in the Champions Wildcards final, where he’ll face off against Drew Goins and a third player yet to be determined.

Fans and former contestants took to social media to react to the jaw-dropping game, with some calling it the greatest episode ever.

Fellow Champions Wildcard contestant Joey DeSena shared his thoughts on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum, writing, “This. Game. Literally one of the best games of Jeopardy I’ve ever seen in my life, and it was a privilege to watch from the audience. Will Weiss and I were sitting together and losing our minds at the high level of play involved here. Hearty congrats to Evan, Jay, and Will – great guys, all. Enjoy!”

Former player Alison Betts agreed, stating, “I love love love when I watch a game of Jeopardy and I’m so in it I forget I’ve ever played it and I revert to just totally being a fan. All three players were just 🔥.”

One fan added, “This was an insane game. I can only imagine how fantastic the CWC finals are gonna be especially with those DD wagers.”

“Holy s*** what an insane game. Congrats to Will. Hoping tomorrow’s game is just as good, and based on who’s in it I’m confident it will be,” said another.

“Wow, What a game! Gutsy move by both betting it all in Double Jeopardy!” another added.

“Look, I’m just a fan who has watched a lot of jeopardy over the years. I’m going to take the any time test at some point but that’s beside the point,” one fan wrote. “That was one of if not the most fun game I have seen in a long time.”

“Wow. Best game of the season? I can’t think of a better one off the top of my head,” said another.

“That was one of the best episodes ever. So enjoyable to watch!” added one commenter.

Another added, “When I think of the phrase “Peak Jeopardy!”, today’s game is definitely gonna come to mind now.”

What did you think of Tuesday’s episode? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Jeopardy!, Weekdays, Check Local Listings

‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Ryan Seacrest Loses Patience With Player

Ryan Seacrest has both fans and detractors since taking over the hosting duties on Wheel of Fortune. The detractors had another time this week with him, as he seemed to lose his patience with two players on the show. Ryan has been accused of showing little empathy with players. Did that happen this time?

Here is what happened with Ryan on the show this week when he got a little snappy with the players.

Ryan Seacrest Frustrated On Wheel Of Fortune

This week on Wheel of Fortune, there was a special episode called Girlfriend Getaways, and it meant that two female friends got to work together on the show to solve puzzles. However, one set of women had Ryan frustrated enough to get a little snippy with them.
Ryan Seacrest – YouTube
Kelli Mullen and Emma Paulson met in the sixth grade and had been best friends for 23 years. The two women from Minnesota were the big winners on the Girlfriend Getaways episode, but their actions made Ryan get a little frustrated.

Kelli and Emma won $19,530 in cash and a trip to Barbados before making it to the Bonus Round. In this round, people are supposed to add four more letters to the ones that all players get at the start of the round (three consonants and one vowel).

However, Emma and Kelli began to whisper to each other and were taking a little too long to pick the letters. They seemed indecisive and couldn’t agree. They chose “C,” and then they chose “D.” Ryan finally said, “I can hear you” when it comes to their whispering.

They then chose “F” and started whispering again. Finally, Ryan said, “A,” and said that he heard them talking about it. Ryan seemed to want to get the game going and was tired of waiting.

Kelli and Emma Bonus Round Drama

It isn’t surprising that Kelli and Emma didn’t win the Bonus Round. The two had so much trouble choosing the letters in a timely manner that they had no chance when the 10-second clock began ticking down.

The puzzle read, “A__L__NN / __SELF.” Kelli and Emma kept their whispering going and never actually made a single guess before the timer ticked down. The answer was “Applying Myself.” Ryan said he heard them whisper “Myself,” but they never actually said anything out loud.

In the end, Ryan opened the prize card and they would have won $75,000 if they got it right. They could have also had a chance at it if they had actually said something rather than just whisper to each other.

What are your thoughts about this moment on Wheel of Fortune? Are you surprised that Ryan Seacrest got so frustrated with the whispering? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Miranda Lambert continues to cash in on painful split from Blake Shelton

Miranda Lambert’s breakup with Blake Shelton ‘fodder’ for her, claims source

Miranda Lambert continues to make bucks off her breakup with Blake Shelton: Source

Miranda Lambert is still cashing in on her painful divorce from her former husband Blake Shelton.

A source spilled to In Touch Weekly, Miranda lately released the record Postcards From Texas, featuring songs that her friends say reflect into her bittersweet split from Blake nine years later.

In her recent interview with the same outlet, Miranda didn’t reveal who the songs were about but she agreed they “are autobiographical”.

“I signed up to tell the truth… And I just feel like it’s important to — good, bad and ugly — tell your story,” remarked the singer.

For the unversed, Miranda has tied the knot with ex-cop Brendan McLoughlin and Blake is now married to pop star Gwen Stefani.

However, after her split in 2015, Miranda could not get over her ex-husband and seemed to throw shade on him after almost a decade.

A source close to Miranda told the outlet that she had been “reassessing her shattered romance with Blake over the years”.

“Miranda is older and wiser now and she no longer lays all the blame at Blake’s feet,” shared an insider.

Meanwhile, the source added, “Now it still gives her fodder for writing hit songs!”

I Think I Know Who Carrie Underwood Was Winking at During Donald Trump’s Inauguration

At first, it seemed like Carrie Underwood might have been winking at Donald Trump, but that’s not right.

The new president was to the singer’s right, but he was seated slightly behind her. Whoever Underwood winked at was about 60 degrees to her right.

Did she wink at her husband, Mike? Her son? Maybe Underwood was winking at someone involved with the messy production of the inauguration?

Carrie Underwood sang “America the Beautiful” after President Trump’s inauguration speech on Monday (Jan. 20).
The performance was originally scheduled to take place just before he took the oath of office.
Some sort of technical issue forced an awkward one-minute delay, after which Underwood just sang a cappella.

I watched video of the wink more times than I care to admit and came to a surprising conclusion.

But first — is anyone else surprised that Carrie Underwood is a winker? I’ve always tied winking to cute old men or over-confident, kinda cringey young men — the kind who tell the waitress to stick a finger in their coffee to sweeten it up.

Sure, women wink. I bet Betty White used to wink. Brenda Lee seems like the kind of woman who’d wink, too. It takes a certain comedic resume, or at least some established playfulness to pull off a public wink. Carrie is a lot of great things, but no one has ever said she’s “silly.”

That’s why I watched this video so many times — it all just seemed so out of character, until I remembered that Carrie Underwood has winked before.

ABC

Flashback to the 2020 CMA Awards to find Underwood winking as cameras panned to her for a reaction to losing Entertainer of the Year to Eric Church. At the time, we guessed she was sending a message to someone (maybe even angry fans) that all was well.

This second wink changes everything. Both winks came during moments of stress.

Put yourself in her shoes at the inauguration. I’ve always thought she takes an athlete’s mentality to performing, meaning that show time feels like game time. This time, she had to wait, and wait, and wait …

Of course, she can’t show her displeasure or irritation, because that’s all anyone would talk about. So, she rocked back and forth and smiled to everyone in the room.

And then, she winked.

Someone may have been in her direct line of sight, but I think Carrie was winking for her own comfort. She was letting herself know everything would be fine, and it was. It really was!

This obstacle gave her a chance to do something even better than we could have imagined. Democrats and Republicans joined her to sing “America the Beautiful” together, making a singular moment of unity on a day that’s typically been anything but over the last two decades.

20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning ‘American Idol’

Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She’s also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.

Over the years she’s become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.

Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.

PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood’s Breathtaking Nashville Mansion

Carrie Underwood and her husband, Mike Fisher, owned a 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 2-half-bathroom home in an affluent Nashville suburb called Brentwood. The 7,000-square-foot mansion features a wet bar, fitness center and tennis court, as well as a four-car garage, walk-out basement with heated marble floors and extra appliances, including a sub-zero fridge and wine fridge. That house is where Underwood suffered a devastating fall in 2017.

The couple sold the luxurious home for $1,410,000 in March of 2019, after they moved into the massive dream home that they had spent several years building from scratch.

Colin Jost reacts to his epic game show fail in ‘humiliating’ throwback clip

Colin Jost may not be the weakest link on “Saturday Night Live,” but the same might not be true for when he competed on a game show years ago.

On the Jan. 20 episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Jost recalled an embarrassing moment when he was a contestant on a college episode of “The Weakest Link.”

“I was extremely nervous. It was in Los Angeles. I’d never been to Los Angeles before. I’d never been on any sort of show, and I was there. And I wouldn’t say that I did great on the show,” he said.

A few seconds later, a throwback clip of him on the show started to play. Sporting a Harvard sweatshirt and a slightly different haircut than what he wears now, Jost was asked what season it is in the Northern Hemisphere in August. He incorrectly guessed fall when the answer was summer.

After the clip, the “Tonight Show” audience howled in laughter, while Jost buried his head in his left hand.

“What season is August in and I said fall!” he said, mocking himself.

“By the way, (I) thought about it, then said ‘fall.’ So much more humiliating when you’re wearing a Harvard sweatshirt,” he continued, sending the audience into further hysterics.

Jost said he got on the show after getting a random phone call where the person on the other end asked if he wanted to be on a game show.

“I was like, ‘Sure!’” he said. “And I can’t believe this wasn’t a scam. And they gave me a trivia quiz over the thing and they were like, ‘We’re going to fly you to L.A.’”

Jost, who now hosts “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” on Prime Video, also recalled being reminded of how poorly he was doing on the show, thanks to a voiceover in every round.

Colin Jost didn’t exactly shine as a contestant on a college episode of “The Weakest Link.”

“And every single round, it was, ‘Statistically, the weakest link this round was Colin. Every single round. And I managed to get in, survive until the end and then I ran the table at the end,” he said.

Despite his good fortune, his poor play didn’t exactly net him a fortune.

“I had been so bad at the game that there was almost no money to win,” he said while noting he won about $5,000, which he said he used to buy beer and wine while in the hotel with the other contestants.

Botching seemingly easy questions is something of a habit for Jost. Last month, he played a round of “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY and breezed through a few questions before he got stumped by a question about his wife, Scarlett Johansson, who also asked the question.

“This is the origin country of my last name,” she said in a video.

“How much did you plan to set me up on this?” he joked before guessing Denmark.

“I had to get that,” he said, thinking he nailed the answer.

Savannah then revealed that the “Black Widow” star knew Jost would get it wrong, while sharing the correct answer is Sweden. A baffled Jost then said they came over from that country, although he didn’t specify who “they” are.

“That is a crazy, I can’t say the word, loophole,” he said. “That’s not fair.”

“In ‘Pop Culture Jeopardy!’ we had judges and they could sometimes overturn things that were absurd, like that,” he added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com