The Original Heated Rivalry: Politico Co-founders John Harris and Jim VandeHei, speak at "Press Get Together 2014" in Berlin, Germany, 09 December 2014. (Photo by Wolfgang Kumm/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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In tonight's edition, after we broke the news last month about potential layoffs at the beleaguered Beltway outlet Politico, the publication has followed through, laying off around 30 people company-wide on Tuesday. We have the inside story on the changes below (including the big names who were let go).
Also tonight, Maria Bartiromo is a star at Fox Business. Just ask the editors at The Wall Street Journal, who have bowed to her demands. We can reveal tonight, through a series of leaked internal communications, what Bartiromo has been complaining about to Emma Tucker.
Plus, a relative of a well-known former Murdoch editor lands a plum gig (at a Murdoch outlet), a former Vanity Fair editor has a new book project, and bargaining for a new contract gets off to a rough start at The New York Times.
Finally, it’s Tuesday, which means Hamish McKenzie is back with his latest media industry hot sauce. Tonight, he unpacks the recently heard phrase “newsletters are the new homepages” and looks at the sacred relationship between publishers and readers.
Mentioned tonight: Carolyn Ryan, Marc Lacey, Goli Sheikholeslami, John Harris, Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Francesca Barber, Cally Baute, Elizabeth Ralph, David Letterman, Robbie Whelan, Brandon Riegg, John Koblin, Michael Savage, Adam Gabbatt, Jessica Testa, Troy Young, Brian Morrissey, Reeves Wiedeman, Jim Rutenberg, Ben Bolch, and more.
The D.C. Heated Rivalry
(Exclusive.) On Tuesday morning, Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and co-founder Mike Allen published a column reflecting on how they helped redraw the media map.
VandeHei first launched Politico (along with current Editor-in-Chief John Harris and Robert Allbritton) almost 20 years ago on January 3rd, 2007. Allen was their first hire, later splitting off with VandeHei to start Axios in 2017, and in the process, proved their worth as disruptive media innovators.
It was a split screen to events playing out at the outlet VandeHei co-founded, which had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2025 that is continuing into 2026.
Breaker first reported in December that layoffs were on the way in the new year (a scoop that Editor-in-Chief John Harris denied to his staff). In true Harris fashion, he sent the newsroom a verbose 1,126-word memo (maybe Harris was VandeHei and Allen’s inspiration for “smart brevity”) on Tuesday, finally confirming the accuracy of our reporting.
“We are acting now, as on earlier occasions in our history, with conviction and clear purpose,” Harris, who had always prided himself on never having to lay people off at Politico, told the troops.
“This place is where it is today—a strong publication with global reach and a reputation for journalistic excellence in every arena our banner flies—because over 19 years, the editorial and publishing professionals of POLITICO acted responsibly and creatively amid constantly changing competitive circumstances.”
Layoffs will impact 3% of staff (around 30 people company-wide), and all involved were at pains to stress it was part of a “re-org.” But a number of heavy hitters were laid off, including…
Keeping It In The Murdoch Family (Part 1)
(Exclusive.) It's one big happy family when you work for the Murdoch's. Just ask Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo.
"The Money Honey," (who The Guardian reported took home a whopping $70m from Fox and is interviewing Donald Trump at Davos next week), has complained to Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker that her …