City hall chaos
The Brand Brief 5.4.26: Britney Spears, Shane Gillis, Katie Wilson, Wu-Tang Clan, Mallory McMorrow, Spirit Airlines, Scott Bessent, and Spirit Airlines
Actionable media intel: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of the conservative media ecosystem - FOX News, podcasts, and more. | Brought to you by On Brand Strategies | Written by Carly Moran and Nathan Brand
📣 Driving the Conversation…
1,192 words | 5 minute read | Written to be skimmable (14+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Emerald City embarrassment
New Media Voices: Shane Gillis, Theo Von, and Alex Clark
Leading FOX: Strait of Hormuz and Spirit Airlines
Trending: Astronauts and the SPLC
What the Right is Writing: Spirit and Iran
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Conservative media loves a struggling blue-city mayor.
Heading to my neck of the woods, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson made headlines this weekend for laughing off and waving goodbye to tax-weary residents, watching Starbucks exit the city, and awkwardly cutting an interview short.
The Brand Brief has frequently noted similar attention paid to Mamdani in New York, Fry in Minneapolis, Johnson in Chicago, and Wheeler in Portland.
Bottom line: These mayors are often media amateurs driven even further left by wacky local activists, resulting in terrific clips. - NRB
What do you think of The Brand Brief? Let us know.
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Joe Rogan Experience
Wu-Tang Clan founding member RZA talks about martial arts and anger management
Comedian Brian Simpson shares health emergency and pet ownership anecdotes, and the challenges of urban living
Ari Shaffir gives his thoughts on international travel, societal views on drugs, and the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on public health
Comedian Shane Gillis talks about the WHCD shooting, streamer culture, Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged suicide note, and UFC stories
This Past Weekend with Theo Von
Sal Vulcano explains what he’s loved about raising a family, the journey to return a lost wedding tape, and his time executive producing
Comedian Fahim Anwar talks about Gen Z slang, his weekend in Iowa, and learning about the fears of his comedy heroes
The Shawn Ryan Show
Retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Andy Lowery gives his thoughts on drone threats, microwave usage by the military, and his time at Epirus
Neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola warns viewers about the dangers of black market peptides, and explains healthier ways for athletes to maintain mental strength
Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Leah Plunkett, Harvard Law faculty, argues how AI and online predators complicate posting photos of your child on social media
Jason Karp, CEO of HumanCo, explains the corruption behind the food industry that’s leaving Americans overweight and sick
The Tim Dillon Show
Dillon gives his theories behind the push to release UFO files, believes Trump has no easy way out of Iran, and analyzes the WHCD shooting
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
FOX & Friends
A truck driver sustained minor injuries after his semi got clipped by a landing United flight in Newark, NJ, while Spirit Airlines is grounded for good, Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy reacts
The US returns a seized Iranian ship, Navy guides ships out of Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized
3 cruise ship passengers are dead after a hantavirus outbreak
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro reports buckshot used by the WHCD shooter was found lodged in a Secret Service agent’s vest, suspect due in court
Crews are working to contain a wildfire outside Phoenix, AZ
New York is set to pass some of the most radical sanctuary city policies, protesters clash violently with NYPD
UFC fighter Michael Chandler teaches FOX boxing moves
MI Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed calls to defund the police and abolish ICE, while ME candidate Graham Platner defends rape
An alleged illegal immigrant is charged with the murder of two people at a Nassau County, NY Wendy’s restaurant
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accuses opponent Spencer Pratt of exploiting the grief of fire victims, despite his own family losing their home and living out of a trailer
A family is suing OpenAI for its chat bot assisting a Canadian school shooter
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch shares his children’s book on the American founding, Heroes of 1776
FOX Newsroom
President Trump launches Operation Freedom to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent says two ships have safely made it through so far, gives details on the upcoming China trip
Dashcam footage shows the United Airlines flight crashing into a semi truck in Newark, NJ, travelers are left in limbo after Spirit Airlines shuts down mid-transit
The WHCD Trump assassin is due in court today, could face additional charges for hitting a Secret Service agent
An anti-ICE mob assaulted NYPD officers Saturday night, Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls ICE inhumane, New York expands sanctuary laws, federal agents crack down on fraud
Michigan Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow is facing backlash for a deleted tweet, and for voting in California elections even after moving
Sen. Bernie Sanders stands by Graham Platner, a Maine Senate candidate that excused rape and has a covered Nazi tattoo, former RNC Chairman Reince Priebus reacts
Pop star Britney Spears is arraigned on DUI charges
Cuban Ambassador Ernesto Soberon Guzman is interviewed on expanded Cuba sanctions
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
The SPLC literally opened up bank accounts in the name of fake photography businesses to pay people in hate groups -- it is absolute textbook financial fraud. [X, Hemingway]
Democrat McMorrow doubles down on comparing Trump America to Nazi Germany [X, RNCResearch]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Iran issues threat after Trump announces ‘humanitarian gesture’ [FOX News]
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani hospitalized [FOX News]
Mass shooting at lake party leaves multiple victims [FOX News]
Breitbart
Trump Announces ‘Project Freedom’ to Escort Ships Out of Hormuz [Breitbart]
Polish Prime Minister Tusk Warns NATO Alliance Faces ‘Disintegration’ [Breitbart]
Trump: There Could Be Future Where U.S. Energy Companies Operate in Iran [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Trump Has an IRA to Sell You [WSJ Ed]
Spirit Airlines and the Antitrust Left [WSJ Ed]
The Triumph of Clarence Thomas [WSJ Ed]
How Russia Helps Iran [WSJ Ed]
Trump’s Resolve on Iran at 60 Days [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Ex-JPMorgan banker spotted in NYC street-fashion vid before bizarre sex-harass claims — as his dad addresses scandalous lawsuit [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
New Jersey Dem Congressional Candidate Testified on Behalf of Terror Mastermind ‘Blind Sheikh’ [WFB]
Washington Reporter
EXCLUSIVE: Senate GOP focused on costs, immigration ahead of midterms, poll shows [Reporter]
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