A federal court denied a petition for rehearing in a case surrounding United Airlines’ vaccine mandate — one judge accusing the company of “coerc[ing] its employees into violating their religious beliefs.”
Judges for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, widely considered the most conservative federal court, voted 13-4 on Thursday to deny a rehearing. The court also denied United Airlines’ request to vacate a panel opinion from February, which held that the mandate inflicted irreparable harm and remanded the case to district court.
Trump-appointed Judge James Ho penned a concurring opinion, admonishing the airline for creating a “crisis of conscience” for its employees, and warned of new wave of corporatism in the Unites States that seeks to inflict its cultural values on Americans.
Brian Stelter Out at CNN, Talking Head Sacked at Flailing Cable News Outlet
Inside Brian Stelter’s Ouster and CNN’s New Direction | Analysis
Brian Stelter had planned to announce his exit from CNN and the cancellation of his show, “Reliable Sources,” which he’s hosted for nine years, on the air on Sunday, according to an individual with knowledge of the show.
It was not to be. The news leaked on Thursday and once again the CNN newsroom is aflutter with anxiety and rumor: What is new chairman and CEO Chris Licht’s plan for the future of the news network? Why would Stelter, a respected media journalist, get the boot along with his show? Who else is at risk to get the ax after Stelter and, last week, legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin? Will the outspoken primetime host Don Lemon or Jim Acosta, the sometimes combative chief domestic correspondent, be next?
To many observers and network insiders, Licht aims to tone down any politically-pointed coverage in a pivot from the strategy pursued by his flashier predecessor, Jeff Zucker, who was ousted earlier this year over a workplace affair but who nonetheless drove the network to improved ratings during the Trump years.
“It’s not a good brand position to be the opposite of Fox News,” said a network insider familiar with Licht’s thinking. “He wants to be tough and no bulls—, but not affiliated with a side. It’s fair to say he doesn’t like the CNN vs. Fox thing.”
CNN Staff Brace for Change as Chris Licht Era Starts to Take Shape
On Friday morning, CNN CEO Chris Licht addressed the decision to cancel the Sunday show Reliable Sources, and told staff on the news channel’s 9 a.m. editorial call that there will be more changes to come.
“I want to acknowledge that this is a time of significant change, and I know that many of you are unsettled,” Licht said, according to multiple people on the call. “There will be more changes, and you might not understand it or like it.”
CNN’s decision to cancel Brian Stelter’s show brought renewed anxiety to the halls of 30 Hudson Yards, according to multiple CNN staffers.
China’s Power Crisis Worsens As More Factories Suspend Operations
A heatwave-induced power crisis is spreading across southwestern China, shuttering factories and worsening by the day, according to Nikkei Asia.
The latest news from China is the Chongqing municipal government ordered factories, including Japanese-owned ones, to suspend production through Aug. 24 to conserve power as demand surges because of extreme heat.
Chongqing is following its neighbor, Sichuan Province, which announced earlier this week that slumping hydropower generation has led to the closure of some of the world’s largest multinationals, including Toyota Motor Corp. and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.
Moody’s Vice President and Senior Credit Officer Boris Kan pointed out the heatwave will only boost China’s reliance on coal-fired generation.
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