May 6, 2019

CBS News names Norah O'Donnell "Evening News" anchor in staff shakeup

Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

CBS News announced a staff reshuffle on Monday, naming Norah O'Donnell as the anchor and managing editor of "CBS Evening News" and announcing Gayle King would be flanked by Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil on "CBS Morning News" as John Dickerson shifts to a role at "60 Minutes."

Why it matters: The shakeup represents the first big move by new CBS News President Susan Zirinsky, the network’s first female president, to revive the news division after a rocky two years. "CBS This Morning" has struggled to find its footing after the firing of longtime anchor Charlie Rose in 2017. The evening news show has lagged in ratings for the past 18 months under anchor Jeff Glor.

Between the lines: Zirinsky is hoping a talent shakeup will bring new energy to the newsroom, which has been dogged by issues of sexual misconduct. Amid the shakeup, Zirinsky is elevating O’Donnell into a role that’s typically been held by male journalists and is making King, a woman of color, the female lead for the network’s morning newscast. The network's Sunday show "Face the Nation" has been led by female moderator Margaret Brennan since 2018.

Go deeper: Les Moonves out at CBS

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Kyle Daly

55 mins ago - Technology

The slippery slope of protest surveillance

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

President Trump's call to treat antifa supporters like terrorists could be a green light for high-tech surveillance of dissidents.

Why it matters: It's unlikely the Trump administration can designate antifa as a terrorist group in any legally meaningful way, but the declaration gives law enforcement tacit approval to use a plethora of tech tools to monitor protesters and left-leaning activists.

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David Nather

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

The biggest crisis since 1968

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Bettmann/Contributor

The year 1968 has been on a lot of people’s minds lately — another year of protests, violence and upheaval that seemed to be tearing the nation apart.

Yes, but: This crisis also has moments we’ve never seen before — and some historians and experts say the differences suggest that 2020 doesn't compare well at all.

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Dion Rabouin

1 hour ago - Economy & Business

SoftBank to launch $100M fund backing companies led by people of color

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

SoftBank COO Marcelo Claure said in a letter to employees early Wednesday that the firm will create a $100 million fund that "will only invest in companies led by founders and entrepreneurs of color."

Why it matters: The Opportunity Growth Fund is one of the first to put significant capital behind companies' statements of empathy and outrage in response to protests over systemic racism in the U.S. typified by the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other African Americans by police.

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