Insider Finance - Business - The Fox News throne

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June 17, 2023

Happy Saturday, Insiders! Jesse Watters rose to fame on Fox News as Bill O'Reilly's attack dog. But is he the man to win back viewers after the network’s acrimonious split with Tucker Carlson? Today’s big story digs into whether Watters can resuscitate the network’s most coveted slot.

We're also covering:

It was actually a good week for the economy.
An American expat shares her regrets about moving to Germany.
One man got sick of living in a regular country — so he founded his own.

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THE BIG STORY

Vying for the Fox News throne

Jesse Watters. Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Jesse Watters likes picking fights. And he is fiercely loyal to Fox News, his professional home of two decades.

Though best known as Bill O'Reilly's attack dog — until O'Reilly was pushed out of the network in 2017 — Watters was also key to the launch of the right-wing Fox Nation blog, Noah Hurowitz writes for Insider. As a cohost of "The Five" and on his own 7 p.m. show, Watters delivers the network's talking points with a grin and a touch of levity.

Now, as Fox prepares to relaunch its prime-time lineup following Tucker Carlson's abrupt ouster in April, Watters seems to be on everyone's shortlist to take on a bigger role at the network — and perhaps one of the network's most coveted slots.

"The message he got under O'Reilly was that here we have a reward system, a license for being a jackass,” Erik Wemple, the longtime media critic for The Washington Post, said. “And he has ridden that idea the whole way along."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

CATCH UP

The economy’s great week

This was a busy week for economic data, and it looks like the US may be on the right track. Here’s a look at the encouraging numbers that came out:

Americans are still shopping. Retail sales rose 0.3% from April to May. Consumers spent more across the board, including at grocery stores and car dealerships.
Inflation is slowing, while jobs and wages stay strong. US inflation also cooled more than expected, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.3% increase in average hourly earnings.
Interest rates skipped a hike. The Fed held interest rates steady at its Wednesday meeting, leaving the target benchmark borrowing rate between 5% and 5.25%.

MORE GOOD NEWS HERE

WEEKEND READS

Expat regrets, Father’s Day, & more

Stephanie Vollmer, who moved to Germany. Courtesy of Stephanie Vollmer

“I moved to Germany and regret it.” Stephanie Vollmer moved to Germany about 18 months ago. She said she felt unwelcomed and experienced weekly microaggressions. Read her story.
Need a gift for Father’s Day? From budget-friendly products to luxurious splurges they’d never treat themselves to, we’ve pulled together the best 56 Father’s Day gifts of 2023.
Two blind passengers say they were ordered to leave a cruise over “health and safety reasons.” The passengers told ITV News it was “humiliating” and that they "felt like criminals."
San Francisco's most prominent shopping mall went bust. It’s the latest sign that the city’s downtown has entered a new phase of economic crisis. Read more.
A student lost a $100,000 college scholarship because she forgot to open the letter. Her story went viral on TikTok, the college saw it, and then her dreams came true.
A San Diego man got sick of living in a regular country, so he founded his own. He has crowned himself the sultan of Slowjamastan — a 11.07-acre micronation in California.

TAKE A LOOK

Ghost town

BIROL BEBEK/AFP/Getty Images

You can now tour a controversial ghost town in Cyprus that was abandoned in the 1970s — take a look inside.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH?

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This edition was compiled by Lisa Ryan and Hallam Bullock. Get in touch: insidertoday@insider.com.

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Insider Finance - Business - The Fox News throne

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