Jesse Watters chided by his own mother for ‘tumbling into conspiracy rabbit holes’ in his Fox primetime debut
Fox News host Jesse Watters received a lot of advice from his mother on air on the very first night of his show on the network in which he replaced a primetime slot previously hosted by Tucker Carlson. Watters’ mother has sent critical text messages to her son since 2017, when he became co-host of The Five. Later, producers introduced a segment called “Mom Texts” in which he regularly read aloud his mother’s texts to him. On his first night as Carlson’s replacement on the 8pm ET slot on 17 July, his mother started by congratulating him. “Congratulations, honeybun. We are so proud of you and your accomplishments ... Now let’s aim to have you keep your job. And to that end, I do have some suggestions,” she told her son on his Jesse Watters Primetime. “Do not tumble into any conspiracy rabbit holes. We do not want to lose you and we want no lawsuits, OK?” she said. Carlson, the previous regular 8pm Fox host, was fired by Fox News earlier this year after the network agreed to a $787.5m legal settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. The lawsuit filed by the company alleged Carlson and other Fox News personalities and their guests amplified bogus statemenets and conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. “I want you to seek solutions, versus fanning the flames,” Ms Watters told her son. She told him to “use your voice responsibly, to promote conversation that maintains a narrative thread.” “There really has been enough Biden bashing. And the laptop [Hunter Biden’s laptop controversy] is old,” she added. “Perhaps you could suggest that your people take less interest, for example, in other people’s bodies, and talk about that,” she said, a likely reference to his ongoing segments ridiculing transgender people and his commentary on abortion. (Last year, Watters called a very real story about a 10-year-old girl who needed abortion care a ”hoax” and “politically timed disinformation”, then tried to take credit for putting “pressure” on the investigation after a suspect was arrested.) She also mocked Donald Trump by referring to him as “that Bedminster friend” of her son’s. “You could encourage that Bedminster friend of yours to return to his earlier career on television. Everyone in his audience could wear a red hat and I’m sure the ratings would soar, although never as high, my darling, as yours,” she said. Ms Watters also urged her son to take cognisance of the Hippocratic Oath – “do no harm” – and to “be kind and respectful”, even though she acknowledged that her son mentioned the idea of him being “humble” might be “a stretch”. Watters’ honed his reputation on the network with brash, offensive man-on-the-street interview segments and deliberately provacative commentary that has drawn widespread criticism and accusations of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and election denialism, including incendiary statements aired days before the attack on the US Capitol. Unlike Carlson, who arrived at Fox after on-air roles at competing networks, Watters is something of a Fox company man, moving up in the ranks over more than 20 years while adopting the hostile posture and talking points of some of its biggest stars, with a self-satisfied grin. Read More Far-right pundits and lawmakers evangelise and crown Trump and Tucker at Turning Point’s Florida conference US support for Ukraine emerges as key dividing line between GOP 2024 hopefuls in Tucker Carlson-hosted forum Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum Meet Jesse Watters, the Fox News host helming Tucker Carlson’s primetime slot He was a loyal Fox News viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now Ray Epps is suing
1970-01-01 08:00
EU Carbon Import Tax Shifts Climate Burden, South Africa Says
The European Union’s plan to put a carbon levy on imported goods from outside the bloc is an
1970-01-01 08:00
Gilgo Beach murders – live: Police probe possible ties between Rex Heuermann and unsolved NYC killings
Police in New York City have revealed they are exploring potential links between Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann and other unsolved murders outside of Long Beach. An NYPD official told ABC News the 59-year-old is being looked at in connection to missing persons cases and murders across all five boroughs of New York City. The married father-of-two’s DNA has been entered into a statewide database and his alleged MO is being compared to other cases – including those during the period he was allegedly active in Gilgo Beach. Mr Heuermann is charged with the murders of three women who vanished between 2007 and 2010, and is the prime suspect in a fourth murder. It’s not clear whether he committed any more alleged crimes between the discovery of the bodies in 2010 and his arrest 13 years later. He lived close to Gilgo Beach in Massapequa Park but worked in the heart of Midtown Manhattan where he runs an architecture firm. He also has ties to South Carolina and Las Vegas, owning properties in both locations. Mr Heuermann’s attorney released a statement on Monday, insisting he is innocent and that officials have ignored “more significant and stronger leads”. Read More Police release haunting 911 call from woman later found dead as possible serial killer probe continues: ‘There’s somebody after me’ Long Island police search for ‘body parts’ in storage unit tied to Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann Rex Heuermann’s lawyer dismisses evidence against ‘loving father and husband’ in Gilgo Beach murders case
1970-01-01 08:00
South Africa Shuns Pressure to Take Sides in Russia-Ukraine War
South Africa won’t bow to pressure to pick sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine and is confident an
1970-01-01 08:00
Food Inflation Is Still High Around the World
Domestic food price inflation remains high around the globe, with people in Venezuela, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Argentina and Suriname
1970-01-01 08:00
G-20 Latest: World Bank Chief Aims to Boost Lending Ability
Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors conclude a two-day gathering Tuesday, with participants haggling over
1970-01-01 08:00
Pentagon leak suspect uses Trump classified documents case to argue for release
The Pentagon leak suspect has contested a judge’s ruling for his continued detention and used Donald Trump’s classified documents case to argue for his release. Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who is alleged to have leaked secret military papers, told the judge on Monday of the contrasting treatment received by him and Mr Trump. He pointed to the pretrial release of the former president and other individuals facing charges in similarly high-profile cases involving classified documents. In May, a magistrate judge ruled that 21-year-old Mr Teixeira must stay in custody throughout the duration of the case, as there was a concern that releasing him could lead to a potential flight from the country or obstruction of justice. Mr Teixeira’s legal team is currently seeking to challenge this decision by requesting a different judge to overturn the ruling. The attorneys for Mr Teixeira argue that the government “greatly over exaggerates” his “risk to national security”. Mr Teixeira’s lawyers pointed out a notable inconsistency in the treatment of their client compared to the former president and his co-defendant, Walt Nauta. They highlighted that the prosecutors did not pursue detention for Mr Trump or Mr Nauta, despite both individuals having significant resources and “extraordinary means to flee the United States”. This discrepancy raises questions about the fairness and equal application of the law in their client’s case, the attorneys argued. “Former president Trump and the Trump Organization own properties in multiple foreign countries, and former president Trump has access to a private plane. Yet, the risk of flight posed by their knowledge of national security information, and their abnormal ability to flee, didn’t even result in a request that either surrender their passport,” Mr Teixeira’s lawyers wrote. “The government’s disparate approach to pretrial release in these cases demonstrates that its argument for Mr Teixeira’s pretrial detention based on knowledge he allegedly retains is illusory,” Mr Teixeira’s lawyers wrote. Mr Teixeira faces accusations of sharing classified military documents pertaining to Russia’s war in Ukraine and other sensitive national security subjects on Discord, a social media platform widely used by individuals engaged in online gaming. Last month, Mr Teixeira entered a plea of not guilty to six counts of wilful retention and transmission of national defence information. If convicted on each count, he could face a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for each offence. Read More After secret documents leak, Pentagon plans tighter controls to protect classified information Pentagon documents leak suspect Guardsman Jack Teixeira is due back in court on federal charges National Guardsman Jack Teixeira indicted for sharing classified defence documents on Discord Citing Trump case, Pentagon leak suspect Teixeira urges judge to release him while he awaits trial House Republicans propose planting a trillion trees as they move away from climate change denial Trump loses bid to throw out Georgia election interference case – live
1970-01-01 08:00
African Central Banks to Keep Interest Rates Tighter for Longer
African central banks due to decide on interest rates in the next three weeks are set to keep
1970-01-01 08:00
LGBT rights in Africa: Will Kenya be the latest to pass anti-gay law?
Homophobia is rising in parts of Africa, with lawmakers pushing for tougher anti-LGBTQ legislation.
1970-01-01 08:00
Portland murders - live: Person of interest identified in ‘serial killings’ of four women
A string of murders in the Portland, Oregon metro area that police previously said were unrelated have now been linked as authorities identified a person of interest. Deputies in nine different police departments released a joint statement on Monday saying the deaths of four women who were found either near or on the sides of roads between February and May are somehow connected. The women have been identified as Kristin Smith, 22, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31, and Ashely Real, 22. Police haven’t identified the person of interest linking the deaths yet or filed any charges. Local media sites have identified the alleged person at the center of the investigation, but this information is unconfirmed. Read More Deaths of four women in Portland linked to person of interest, authorities say
1970-01-01 08:00
Georgia Supreme Court tosses Trump attempt to challenge 2020 election investigation over vote call
Georgia’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an attempt from Donald Trump to shut down key parts of a probe from state officials investigating him for potential interference in the 2020 election. The high court found in a unanimous ruling that the former president hadn’t shown the kind of “extraordinary circumstances” that would require the Georgia Supreme Court to intervene in the case and toss out key portions of evidence. “(Trump) has not shown that this case presents one of those extremely rare circumstances in which this Court’s original jurisdiction should be invoked, and therefore, the petition is dismissed,” the ruling states. The judges also were not persuaded by Mr Trump’s arguments that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the case. On 11 July, a new set of grand jurors were sworn in for the long-running investigation who could potentially be the ones to approve an indictment against the former president. Since February 2021, officials in Fulton County have been investigating the conduct of Mr Trump and his allies in the state during the hotly contested 2020 election, where Joe Biden narrowly carried the state. The investigation has focused on an infamous 2 January, 2021, call Mr Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, urging the top official to “find” enough votes for him to overturn his defeat in the state, but has expanded to cover a wide-ranging influence campaign Mr Trump and his allies exerted in Georgia. Another key area of focus is a December 2020 plot, allegedly directed by Trump campaign officials and potentially the former president himself, to organize a slate of unauthorised Republican electors to cast the state’s Electoral College votes, rather than the Democratic slate Georgia voters had selected. The group of false electors included the chair of the Georgia GOP and Republican members of the state legislature. They’ve defended their efforts as a back-up in case the original election results were tossed out in court. Mr Trump has denied wrongdoing. Ms Willis has suggested a decision on charges against Mr Trump could come as soon as August. Charges in Georgia would join the other unprecedented sanctions against the former president, including felony charges in New York for a hush money scheme involving a porn star and federal charges against Mr Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Read More Trump news – live: Manchin run could help Trump as ex-president eyes two of his GOP 2024 rivals for VP Citing Trump case, Pentagon leak suspect Teixeira urges judge to release him while he awaits trial Senior ex-intelligence official warns second Trump term could fatally destabilise US, new book says Georgia's top court rejects Trump attempt to thwart prosecutor in 2020 election investigation 9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine Trump praises judge overseeing classified documents case: ‘She loves our country’
1970-01-01 08:00
Asia Shares Poised to Open Lower on China Concerns: Markets Wrap
Asian stocks are set to edge lower, despite gains on Wall Street, as China’s sluggish economic recovery triggered
1970-01-01 08:00
