TODAY’S AUDIO | SUBSCRIBE | BUY ME A COFFEE
Today’s Sponsor: Ground News
Today’s Rundown:
- MICROSOFT AZURE OUTAGE DISRUPTS SERVICES WORLDWIDE, NOW RECOVERING: A major Microsoft Azure outage rippled across the internet, degrading access to Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams, Xbox Live, Copilot, and countless third-party apps. Microsoft attributed the failure to a bad configuration change affecting Azure Front Door and rolled systems back, with most services restored within hours. Airlines, retailers, and some government sites reported knock-on issues. The incident follows a recent AWS outage, underscoring how much of the web depends on a few cloud backbones.
- PARAMOUNT TO CUT ~2,000 JOBS AFTER SKYDANCE MERGER: Newly merged Paramount–Skydance will eliminate about 10% of its workforce as CEO David Ellison streamlines overlapping units. Roughly half the cuts have begun, with the rest expected in coming weeks. The company has also been reshaping leadership and exploring bigger strategic moves amid heavy debt and streaming pressure. Employees were told the goal is to “address redundancies” while focusing on core IP.
- HOWARD STERN STAFFERS QUIETLY SEEK EXITS AMID CANCELLATION CHATTER: Multiple reports say top producers on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show are “asking around” internally as rumors swirl about the program’s future. Neither Stern nor SiriusXM has confirmed a cancellation, but the speculation has spurred contingency job searches. Trade press frames it as precaution during broader media cutbacks. Fans are watching for contract news headed into 2026.
- FED CUTS RATES; POWELL WARNS MORE REDUCTIONS AREN’T A SURE THING: The Federal Reserve lowered its policy rate again, but Chair Jerome Powell cautioned against assuming another cut soon. He cited tariff-related inflation pressures and recent downside risks in jobs data. Markets wobbled as traders recalibrated expectations for December. Analysts say the Fed is trying to keep options open while growth cools.
- ILLINOIS DEPUTY CONVICTED IN KILLING OF SONYA MASSEY; JURY HUNG ON DEGREE: A jury found former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson guilty in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, who had called 911 from her home. Jurors deadlocked on first-degree murder, but returned a murder conviction on another count; sentencing will follow. The case drew national attention because body-cam video showed Massey unarmed and compliant. Civil-rights groups praised the verdict while urging broader reform.
- NFL TAPS STING FOR SUPER BOWL–BRANDED CONCERT AMID BAD BUNNY BACKLASH: The league announced Sting will headline a pre-Super Bowl concert in San Francisco two nights before Super Bowl LX. The splashy “Studio 60” event follows criticism from some conservatives over Bad Bunny’s halftime billing, which the NFL has defended. Tickets start in the high hundreds, with a second concert night to be announced. Expect a weekend of A-list tie-ins around the game.
- CHERYL HINES ADDRESSES ICY RAPPORT WITH LARRY DAVID: Hines said she hasn’t spoken with her Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star in over a year, attributing the distance to politics connected to her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She emphasized there’s still affection despite the split over views. The comments came during a podcast interview promoting her memoir. Coverage notes David previously declined to back Kennedy’s campaign.
- UFC’S BRYCE MITCHELL RENOUNCES MAGA, CALLS TRUMP ‘THE ANTICHRIST’: UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell—once a vocal Trump backer—posted that the Bible led him to view Trump as “the Antichrist,” saying he’s quitting the MAGA movement. The about-face triggered intense reaction across MMA and political circles. Mitchell had previously appeared at Trump events. The UFC declined comment on the personal remarks.
WATCH TODAY’S VIDEO HERE:
More Of The Conversation Project Can Be Found Via…
CLICK HERE TO PARTNER WITH THE CONVERSATION PROJECT
Our revenue comes from a combination of direct subscriptions from users and commissions earned by affiliate commissions from sponsors’ links and banners. Some of the links you click may be affiliate links that generate that revenue.