Sep 21, 2019

How Hope Hicks is doing in Hollywood

In 2018, Hope Hicks, then White House communications director, leaves after 8 hours of closed-door House Intelligence Committee testimony. Photo: Leah Millis/Reuters

Shawn McCreesh spoke with entertainment execs and journalists who describe Hope Hicks, now Fox Corp. EVP and chief communications officer, "much the way the Washington press corps does: delightful and delightfully competent, for Graydon Carter's weekend newsletter Airmail.

"A year ago Hicks was at the white-hot center of the Free World, fielding calls from the New York Times and patching through heads of state. Now excitement comes in the form of tours of Century City back lots. Though not always. Familiars say she self-deprecatingly describes pariah status with certain Hollywood stars this way: 'No one on the cast of Modern Family wants to see me.'"
— Shawn McCreesh writes about Hope Hicks

What they're saying:

  • She's been known to skip press events and premiers as working for President Trump makes "the scarlet T burns bright in Hollywood."
  • Hicks' friends tell McCreesh she misses Washington.
  • A veteran reporter said, "There was certainly a high bar coming in because the instinct of a lot of the reporters out there was to trash her. Even before she took the ob, people at Fox wondered, ‘Why are we hiring this Trump lackey, oh my God.’ She doesn’t know a ton about the inner workings of this business, but that said, she also doesn’t act like she does."

Go deeper: Every high-profile Trump administration departure

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

We usually think of Memorial Day as the start of the summer, with all of the fun and relaxation that goes with it — but this one is just going to remind us of all of the plans that have been ruined by the coronavirus.

Why it matters: If you thought it was stressful to be locked down during the spring, just wait until everyone realizes that all the traditional summer activities we've been looking forward to are largely off-limits this year.

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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

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  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 1,643,499 — Total deaths: 97,722 — Total recoveries: 366,736 — Total tested: 14,163,915 — Map.
  3. World: White House announces travel restrictions on Brazil, coronavirus hotspot in Southern Hemisphere — Over 100 coronavirus cases in Germany tied to single day of church services — Boris Johnson backs top aide amid reports that he broke U.K. lockdown while exhibiting symptoms.
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  5. Economy: White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says it's possible the unemployment rate could still be in double digits by November's election — Public employees brace for layoffs.
  6. Federal government: Trump attacks a Columbia University study that suggests earlier lockdown could have saved 36,000 American lives.
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  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

The CDC is warning of potentially "aggressive rodent behavior" amid a rise in reports of rat activity in several areas, as the animals search further for food while Americans stay home more during the coronavirus pandemic.

By the numbers: More than 97,700 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 366,700 Americans have recovered and more than 14.1 million tests have been conducted.

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