“F–k Him, He Loses”: The Inside Story of How Disney’s Attempt to Buy BuzzFeed Fell Apart

Biden 2024 Nears • Trump Rematch? • Texas GOP’s Crusade

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“F–k Him, He Loses”: The Inside Story of How Disney’s Attempt to Buy BuzzFeed Fell Apart

Good morning from the Hive newsroom! Jonah Peretti shutting down BuzzFeed News last week has been seen as the end of an era and even a betrayal. Did it have to end up this way? In an exclusive excerpt from his forthcoming book, Traffic, former BuzzFeed editor in chief Ben Smith reports how Peretti shot down a deal with Disney a decade ago that may have charted a different course for the digital media company.

Elsewhere, with Joe Biden expected to announce his reelection bid any day now, and Donald Trump leading Ron DeSantis in polls and endorsements, Eric Lutz writes how a 2020 rematch is looking likely in 2024. That said, Kelly Rissman points to a new poll in which 44% of Republicans don’t want Trump to run. Thanks for reading.

“F–k Him, He Loses”: The Inside Story of How Disney’s Attempt to Buy BuzzFeed Fell Apart

In an excerpt from his new book, Traffic, former BuzzFeed editor in chief Ben Smith reports how Jonah Peretti enraged Bob Iger by turning down a half-billion-dollar offer a decade back—and kept riding the digital media wave until it crashed.

Joe Biden’s Reelection Bid Appears to Be Imminent. Is a Rematch With Trump Inevitable?

Neither the president nor his predecessor are expected to face steep opposition in their respective primaries, potentially teeing up a high-stakes redux of 2020.

Nearly Half of Republicans Don’t Want Donald Trump to Run for President Again: Poll

The GOP remains divided if the former president, now under indictment, should continue his bid for the White House.

Federal Prosecutors Are Considering Four Charges Against Hunter Biden

The possible charges are two misdemeanors and two felonies, including lying on a federal form to obtain a firearm.

Texas Republicans Seem Hell-Bent on Turning K–12 Schools Into Churches

The state’s GOP-led Senate is pushing one bill that would require all public elementary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, while another measure would open the door for prayer and Bible study.