Topic: New York Daily News

A reporter on Molly Jong-Fast's podcast claimed that New York City never saw 100-degree days in June until recently. John C. Dvorak debunks this using historical data from newspapers.com, citing a 98.7-degree day in June 1952. The hosts use this as an example of how "under-informed" pundits use anecdotal evidence to support climate change narratives.

The New York Times is moving its hit podcasts, including "The Daily" and "Serial," behind a subscriber paywall while continuing to run advertisements. The hosts argue this strategy will lead to a loss of cultural relevance, comparing it to Howard Stern's move to SiriusXM.

Suspicion is raised regarding the global podcast rankings of *The Daily* by the New York Times. The segment suggests that high international rankings may be the result of click fraud or "Mechanical Turk" farms using hundreds of cell phones to rack up downloads, rather than genuine listener interest.

South Africa is facing a severe infrastructure collapse and civil unrest following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma. The hosts criticize a New York Times article that attributes the coordination of the unrest to a "disinfo dozen" on social media. They argue that the real cause is years of equity-based hiring and government corruption that degraded the country's power grid.

The discussion touches on the persistent influx of spam from China promoting "no-touch thermometers" and the broader infiltration of the CCP into American media. Outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post are noted for carrying "China Daily" advertising inserts, which provide significant revenue. This financial connection is suggested to compromise the editorial independence of the "papers of record."

The *New York Times* has faced scrutiny for including *China Daily*, a state-run publication, as a paid advertising insert in its Wednesday editions. Critics argue that these expensive "special reports" are designed to look like editorial content, potentially influencing the paper's coverage of Chinese government affairs.

The state of modern journalism is critiqued for its heavy reliance on PR Newswire and the decline of professional fact-checking. Many news stories are reportedly derived directly from corporate press releases, with interns checking facts against Wikipedia rather than primary sources. This shift has led to a news cycle driven by social media outrage and "native ads" rather than independent investigative reporting.

The hosts discuss the long-standing grudge between Donald Trump and Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman, both of whom were rival real estate developers in New York. They speculate that Trump's past "favors" for Zuckerman might have involved mob connections, which they argue were a necessity for large-scale construction in the city. The segment contrasts these local ties with the broader allegations of Russian collusion.

NFL legend Roger Staubach refuted a New York Daily News headline claiming he criticized Donald Trump for insulting Army-Navy football players. Staubach stated the writer attempted to push an anti-Trump narrative and that the reported insults never occurred. Despite his denial, the story was widely circulated by CBS Sports and other major outlets.

Juan Gonzalez of Democracy Now! reports on the internal dynamics of the New York Daily News editorial board meetings with the candidates. The discussion suggests that the Clinton campaign and its surrogates actively fueled social media narratives to highlight Sanders' perceived errors during these interviews. The hosts argue that news organizations are coordinating with the Clinton campaign to distort public perception.

A controversy emerged following a Trump rally where a protester wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood was punched by a black Trump supporter. Allegations are made that the New York Daily News lightened the skin tone of the supporter in published photographs to obscure the fact that he was black. Additionally, Donald Trump is criticized for a verbal slip where he mispronounced the name of the KKK during his reaction to the incident.

During a Republican primary debate, Ted Cruz attacks Donald Trump by invoking "New York values," which he defines as socially liberal and media-focused. Trump counters by praising the resilience of New Yorkers following the September 11 attacks, a move that is widely viewed as a successful rhetorical reversal. The New York Daily News responds to Cruz's comments with a "Drop Dead, Ted" cover.

The National Father's Day Committee named Bill Clinton "Father of the Year," a move characterized as a strategic slight against Hillary Clinton's public image. Simultaneously, Hillary Clinton joined Twitter, describing herself as a "hair icon" and "pantsuit aficionado." Media coverage is contrasted between Bill's celebrated fatherhood and Hillary's perceived vanity.