What will the company currently known as Time Warner be called after the dust settles from its acquisition by AT&T? Look for an announcement on that soon. After closing its $81 billion deal for the entertainment business on Thursday, AT&T indicated it will soon retire the Time Warner brand (Wall Street Journal). AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson also pledged to Time Warner employees that they will continue to have the resources and creative freedom that they’re used to (CNN’s Brian Stelter).
New memo from AT&T CEO: He tells Time Warner staffers "you have my word that you will continue to have the creative freedom and resources to keep doing what you do best." pic.twitter.com/iOWWpkGMvn
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 15, 2018
If you’ve watched cable news in recent months, you haven’t been able to escape the seemingly ubiquitous presence of Michael Avenatti. Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is trying to put an end to Avenatti’s marathon media tour, filing a gag order to stop Stormy Daniels’ lawyer from talking to the press. Cohen’s lawyers argued that Avenatti is "mainly driven by his seemingly unquenchable thirst for publicity" (Associated Press).
So this is awkward… A number of tweets that top White House communications aide Mercedes Schlapp posted in 2015 blasting then-candidate Donald Trump and his policy proposals have come to light in recent days (CNN). Schlapp said she now is "100% supportive" of the president and his policies (The Hill).
Meanwhile… senior Trump administration communications aide Kelly Love is departing the White House for a position in the Department of Energy, making her the latest in a series of West Wing comms staffers to exit (Bloomberg). In Thursday’s contentious press briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said CBS News got "a little ahead of their skis" in reporting that she plans to leave the briefing room by the end of this year (TicToc by Bloomberg).
.@PressSec Sanders: "I think CBS got a little ahead of their skis" in announcing my possible White House exit. "I’m glad to work for the president" #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/eB336WVLHf
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 14, 2018
And finally, it’s the end of an era for kids who loved to annoy their parents and everyone around them by making noises with their plastic straws at McDonald’s, though for a good reason. The fast-food chain said Friday morning that it is switching to paper straws in the U.K. and Ireland to cut down on plastic pollution. McDonald’s said its customers are supportive of the switch (CNBC).
You asked, we listened. Paper straws will be rolling out to all UK restaurants from this September! pic.twitter.com/7aWiilabBB
— McDonald's UK (@McDonaldsUK) June 15, 2018
