Weekly news review: Saturday, April 29, 2023
What does the news landscape look like?
This week has not had a single dominant story as in recent weeks. Tucker Carlson, Ron DeSantis, and Joe Biden’s 2024 announcement have each held the top spot during the week.
This is how the top stories were covered on each side of the media yesterday:
• DeSantis / Trump (18% more on the left)
• Abortion laws (3% more on the left)
• Biden 2024 (168% more on the right)
Media bias ratings are from AllSides.
This is how articles from liberal and conservative outlets were distributed over the past five days among the top stories.
Liberal outlets used these words more than conservative outlets:
• carroll (15.5x)
• jury (15.5x)
• pence (5.1x)
Conservative outlets used these words more than liberal outlets:
• bud (23.7x)
• mulvaney (11.4x)
• kelly (10.4x)
What is happening in the top stories?
Now for a deep dive into our top three stories, starting with…
DeSantis / Trump
Key people: Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney Company, Ken Cuccinelli, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden
Background:
DeSantis has been engaged in a war with Disney after the company spoke out against HB 1557, the legislation that bans the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in certain grades at Florida schools.
DeSantis signed a bill that would ban abortions after six weeks.
DeSantis signed legislation to end Disney’s power over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the 25,000 acres that Disney has owned and self-governed for decades.
Disney is suing DeSantis and other state officials, alleging that DeSantis is harming the company’s business operations.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 44% of Republican respondents had a more favorable view of DeSantis because of his fight with Disney.
Latest developments:
A super PAC called Never Back Down PAC, founded by Ken Cuccinelli, released an advertisement presenting DeSantis as the GOP successor to former President Trump in 2024.
Reports on DeSantis’ potential presidential campaign launch date are “inaccurate,” and no plans have been made for an announcement event.
Bloomberg reported that DeSantis plans to join the presidential race during the first two weeks of June.
DeSantis said he is focused on his international trip and that no decisions have been made regarding a presidential bid.
Kevin McCarthy suggested that DeSantis “sit down and negotiate” with Disney to solve their differences.
Abortion laws
Key people: Nikki Haley, Doug Burgum, Sandy Senn, Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham
Background:
Abortion access has been a patchwork of policies across the U.S. since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.
Latest developments:
Former President Trump dodged a question on whether he would sign a national 15-week abortion ban as 2024 Republican contenders are facing increasing pressure to clarify their stance on curtailing abortion access at the federal level.
The South Carolina state Senate rejected a near-total abortion ban after the chamber’s five female lawmakers led a multiday filibuster against the bill.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said she sees a federal role in the debate over abortion rights but stopped short of endorsing a national ban on the procedure.
Republican Senator Sandy Senn posted a picture of the group of five women in the South Carolina state senate who successfully filibustered the near-total abortion ban, calling them “united and unstoppable.”
North Dakota has become the latest state to ban abortion in most cases, with narrow exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy.
Biden 2024
Key people: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Gavin Newsom
Background:
President Joe Biden has officially launched his reelection campaign, with Vice President Kamala Harris set to play a key role again in his 2024 White House bid.
Biden’s campaign announcement immediately went after his predecessor and his conservative supporters in Congress, with a focus on “MAGA Republicans.”
The campaign video launched by Biden on Tuesday shows scenes from the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by supporters of former President Trump followed by protests outside the Supreme Court against its decision to overturn Roe v Wade.
Biden described Republican platforms as threats to American freedoms, vowed to fight efforts to limit women’s healthcare, cut Social Security and ban books, and blasted “MAGA extremists.”
Latest developments:
President Joe Biden thanked some of his top donors Friday night as he launches a reelection campaign that is expected to need to raise well over $1 billion to secure his second term.
Biden gathered fewer than 200 of the top donors and volunteer fundraisers from his last bid for office at the five-star Salamander hotel in Washington, including Governors Gavin Newsom of California and Phil Murphy of New Jersey.
While Joe Biden is likely to approach the 2024 presidential race with a dangerously low approval rating historically linked with losing a re-election campaign, his running mate Kamala Harris has an even bigger popularity problem.
