New York Times Sued Over Alleged Discrimination of White Man, Trump's Big Indiana Win: AM Update 5/7

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:02]Good morning everyone. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of Afterparty and the Megan Kelly wrap-up show on SiriusXM channel 111. It's Thursday, May 7th, 2026, and this is your AM update.

[00:00:15]>> It's really quite simple. You cannot take race or gender into account.

[00:00:20]Period. a federal discrimination watchdog suing the New York Times, alleging it violated the Civil Rights Act in passing over a white male to fill a position.

[00:00:30]>> These results in Indiana really showcase President Donald Trump's grip on the Republican party.

[00:00:36]>> President Trump scores major victories in Indiana primaries where Republicans who defied his redistricting push are paying the price at the ballot box.

[00:00:46]Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik facing new questions over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein as lawmakers clash over whether his closed door testimony cleared the air or raised more concerns.

[00:01:00]And Ted Turner, the billionaire entrepreneur behind CNN and TNT, passing away after a year'slong battle with Louis body dementia. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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[00:02:21]the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, a government-run discrimination watchdog, filing a lawsuit against the New York Times on behalf of a white male employee, alleging the media outlet violated the Civil Rights Act by passing him over for a promotion because of his race and sex.

[00:02:41]The lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York does not name the journalist, but New York magazine reports it is likely Bryant Rouso, a senior editor and producer on the Times's International Desk, who has been with the paper for more than a decade, whose LinkedIn profile matches the job descriptions in the lawsuit. In 2025, the Times opening a search for a deputy real estate editor. The position ultimately going to an outside candidate, a non-white woman the EEOC alleges had little to no background in real estate journalism despite that experience being listed as a job requirement. The agency further alleging no white male candidates advanced to the final round of interviews. The complaint claims the Times deviated from its normal hiring process to include the eventual hire in the candidate pool despite her receiving a lower internal rating from the hiring panel than the other finalists. From an EEOC statement, quote, "The New York Times has a well doumented commitment to enacting race and sex conscious decision-making in the workforce through its diversity, equity, and inclusion or DEI policies." The lawsuit, putting it more bluntly, quote, "A necessary consequence of the NYT's intent to increase the percentage of non-white leaders would be a decrease in the percentage of white leaders." The EEOC asking a judge to bar the Times from discriminating against employees based on race or sex and to award back pay and other damages to the rejected applicant. A spokesperson for the New York Times, Daniel Rhodess Ha, releasing a statement, quote, "The New York Times categorically rejects the politically motivated allegations brought by the Trump administration's EEOC. Our employment practices are merit-based and focused on recruiting and promoting the best talent in the world. We spoke to employment attorney James Fat, who is not involved with this case, but says allegations the Times deviated from its normal hiring process could become a significant factor in the lawsuit.

[00:04:42]>> Well, it's one of the important factors, but based on my review of that release, they've got the Times right by the throat. the non-compliance with your internal um procedures is just one of the many red flags whether it's a a DEI case or a straight up gender or straight up race case. That's always something that you look for if you are representing the employee.

[00:05:07]>> FET agrees with the Times's assertion that the case is politically motivated, but not necessarily in the way the paper frames it. Well, it it is politically motivated, but only to the extent that the Trump administration on day one said that they were going to vigorously enforce the civil rights law to ensure that the DEI wave was uh extinguished.

[00:05:32]So, yeah, that it's a it's a policy mandate that the EEOC is following, but I'd say it's a good one in terms of its politically motivated. That is something that is chanted almost every time you have a claim against a employer for violation of the civil rights laws with their DEI program.

[00:05:52]>> As for FET's prediction of the outcome, >> it's in the Southern District of New York, which we know is they're going to have a liberal jury most likely. If they get a fair shot, they're going to get a very large judgment. And I say that because the cases that have gone to trial have yielded whopping verdicts. I myself have gotten whopping verdicts doing these kind of cases. So we hope that I don't know who the judge assigned is, but that's another huge issue because judges have been known to put their thumb on the scale based on their philosophical predelections when it comes to handling these cases. So I hope they get a I hope they get a fair judge.

[00:06:37]Um, and if they do, they they should be looking forward to a healthy uh judgment.

[00:06:43]>> Fet says even though many companies have blurred the line between diversity goals and illegal discrimination, the law itself is straightforward.

[00:06:52]>> It's really quite simple. You cannot take race or gender into account.

[00:06:56]Period. It doesn't matter if it's for DEI. It doesn't matter if you call it affirmative action. It doesn't matter if you call it correcting under representation. The law has been this way for a long time, but the rate of non-compliance with that law is at an all-time high when it comes to DEI. You know, the Trump administration has another three years to en enforce the law this vigorously. We just have to hope that the next administration will um fairly enforce. And I'm I'm not optimistic that that's going to happen.

[00:07:32]If the Democratic Party takes over, they have almost incorporated DEI as part of their religion. It's almost a a creed that if you're a liberal Democrat, you have to honor the request for DEI. And and that's crazy.

[00:07:51]President Trump flexing his political muscle in Indiana, where Republican primary voters backed most of the state senate candidates he endorsed against GOP lawmakers who defied him on redistricting. In December, Indiana's Republican controlled state senate breaking with President Trump over congressional redistricting. The president backing a proposal to redraw the state's congressional map in an effort to expand the GOP's House majority. The Trumpbacked proposal would have effectively eliminated Indiana's two Democrat-held congressional districts. But despite passing the state house, the map failed in the Senate 31-19 with 21 Republicans joining Democrats to oppose it. President Trump at the time posting a warning to True Social, quote, "Anybody that votes against redistricting and the success of the Republican party in DC will be, I am sure, met with a mega primary in the spring. I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican party and our country again. Tuesday's results delivering a political bloodbath for the Republicans who crossed President Trump on redistricting. Of these seven GOP state senators who voted against the map, five were defeated by Trumpbacked primary challengers. One incumbent survived while the seventh race as of yesterday evening remains too close to call. The losses were not close. Each of the five defeated incumbents losing by double digits. One of the biggest upsets coming in the race involving veteran state senator Travis Holdman, the chambers number three Republican. The results increasing pressure on Republican leader and Indiana state senator Rod Bray, a top target of President Trump. Though he is not up for reelection until 2028. A MAGA ally in the state telling Politico the primary defeats could shift nine votes away from braise block as lawmakers who survived Tuesday's purge now face growing pressure from the Trump wing of the party. CNN's are let signs yesterday on what these Indiana results could mean for the broader Republican party heading into the midterms.

[00:10:02]>> These election results could potentially embolden Republicans in other states as they are pursuing redistricting efforts.

[00:10:10]We have really seen a a slate of southern states uh try to push forward on redrawing congressional maps. These results in Indiana really showcase President Donald Trump's grip on the Republican party. His approval ratings nationally are failing, but it shows that he still has significant sway within conservative circles. Something to watch heading into these consequential midterm elections. With Tuesday's result, the likelihood of the Indiana State Legislature revisiting redistricting is high. Elsewhere Tuesday night, Tuesday's primaries finalizing the field in two nationally watched statewide races in Ohio. Republican Vive Roma Swami handily securing his party's nomination for governor and will now face Democrat Amy Actton who led Ohio's public health response during co and the state now set for a highstakes US Senate battle. Republican Senator and incumbent John Hustead moving on to the general election against Democrat Sherid Brown.

[00:11:09]Both men easily beating their respective primary competitors.

[00:11:14]Coming up, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik under scrutiny on Capitol Hill after Epstein files raised new questions about his past contacts with the disgraced financeier and CNN founder Ted Turner dead at 87.

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[00:12:30]>> Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik appearing before the House Oversight Committee yesterday for a transcribed interview about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Secretary Lutnik, summoned by the committee after documents released in the Epstein files, revealed the two had been in business together as recently as 2014, well after the disgraced financier's 2008 conviction on prostitution charges involving a minor. The files also containing a photo of Epstein Lutnik and a group of other men on Epstein's island, the secretary, his wife, and their children visiting once in 2012.

[00:13:06]According to Lutnik, prior to the release of the files, Secretary Lutnik, maintaining he had last been in contact with Epstein in 2005. The files revealing the two, who were neighbors in New York City, continued communicating via email until at least 2018. In yesterday's closed door meeting, the secretary reportedly telling the committee he did not have a personal or professional relationship when he was neighbors with Epstein. He also reportedly said he never saw Epstein with any young women, nor did he witness anything inappropriate. CBS reporting Mr. Lutnik told the committee he met Epstein three times. The first for a tour of Epstein's home where he noticed a massage table. The second meeting occurring on Epstein's island. The secretary and his family invited to lunch while on a trip to the US Virgin Islands. In a third meeting, the two discussing scaffolding in Epstein's foyer. Congressman Ro Connor, Democrat from California, giving reporters his impressions of the testimony.

[00:14:05]>> Well, now we know why that interview was not videotaped. Uh, if Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnik. It was really embarrassing. He was asked very straightforward questions about whether he regretted misleading the American people. I mean, he said that he would never see uh Epstein again uh in 2005, and everyone knows that he took his wife and kids to see Epstein in 2012. And yet, it was just contortions and lies and no acknowledgement that he misled the American public.

[00:14:46]>> Chairman James Commer, a Republican, casting the testimony differently.

[00:14:51]>> I mean, I I feel like that Lutnick's been very transparent. He came in voluntarily. Uh, I said before this thing started, the only thing that I had seen that Lutnik did wrong was wasn't 100% truthful on the the brief visit to the island with his family. Uh, he corrected that in his opening statement.

[00:15:10]And uh, you know, we'll see. We'll continue our investigation and if if we find that there were any misstatements by by Lutnik, it's a it's a felony to lie to Congress and he'll be held accountable. It's too bad it's not a felony for a member of Congress to lie to the media or we would be we would have a lot of Democrats that would be having to lawyer up right now.

[00:15:30]>> A transcript of the interview set to be released in the coming days.

[00:15:36]Media mogul Ted Turner, pioneer of the 24-hour news network and founder of CNN, dying yesterday surrounded by his family at the age of 87. Born in 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner would go on to inherit his father's billboard advertising company before buying up radio stations and then turning his sites to television. Eventually Turner expanding into news on June 1st, 1980, launching the first ever 24-hour news network, CNN. Turner aiming to broaden access to TV news. quote, "I worked until 7:00 and when I got home, the news was over, so I missed television news completely and I figured there were lots of people like me." In addition to CNN, Turner launching Turner Network Television or TNT, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network. He sold this network to Time Warner in 1996 for $7.5 billion, staying on as vice chairman. Turner's net worth taking a significant hit as a result of the Time Warner merger with AOL at the peak of the dot bubble. He resigned from his position as vice chairman in 2003, fully exiting the business in 2006, pursuing other ventures, including the restaurant business with Ted's Montana Grill. An avid philanthropist and conservationist, Turner, who is the second biggest land owner in North America with 2 million acres, bringing bison back from near extinction, managing the largest private bison herd with about 51,000 head.

[00:17:07]According to CNN, in 2018, Turner publicly disclosing a Louis body dementia diagnosis, a progressive brain disease. Turner marrying three times.

[00:17:17]The first marriage to Julia Gail Nye with whom he had two children. The couple divorcing in 1964. Later that same year, Turner marrying Jane Shirley Smith. They had three children together before divorcing in 1988. Finally, Turner marrying actress Jane Fonda. The marriage lasting 10 years from 1991 to 2001. In 2012, Turner telling Piers Morgan Fonda was probably the great love of his life and he would likely never get over her, quote, "When you love somebody and you really love them, you never stop loving them. There's nothing wrong with that. That's good." He has survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

[00:18:01]That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of Afterparty.

[00:18:05]Catch the Megan Kelly show live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly channel 111 at noon east on youtube.com/megan Kelly and all podcast platforms.