Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino Inside the Colbert–CBS Feud, How Bari Weiss Lost Anderson Cooper, and Zuckerberg Gets Uncomfortable
Feb 20, 2026
A heated clash over a blocked interview and whether FCC pressure spooked a major network. A veteran news anchor’s surprising exit and internal editorial shakeups that rattled a newsroom. A network’s near silence on explosive files tied to powerful figures. Mark Zuckerberg on the stand as a trial threatens design features that shape how we scroll.
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Colbert Publicly Rebukes CBS
- Stephen Colbert says CBS lawyers forbade him from interviewing James Talarico and then the network publicly contradicted him.
- Colbert filmed the interview and uploaded it to YouTube, where it racked up millions of views.
Preemptive Compliance Silences Hosts
- CBS preemptively self-censored after FCC guidance, which chilled speech more than enforcement would have.
- Oliver and Jon argue Paramount feared regulatory retaliation while pursuing other business with the Trump administration.
Equal-Time Is More Threat Than Penalty
- The equal-time rule is archaic and rarely enforced, but threats alone can spook networks into changing behavior.
- Brian Stelter's reporting shows penalties would likely be minor, making CBS's reaction strategic rather than legally required.