Bad Journalism 2025…
CBS Kills 60 Minute CECOT Story

Detroit News, front page story of 12/23/25
(from the Washington Post)

The Detroit News, front-page story of 12/23/2025 (Unaired Story on Trump Policy Stirs ’60 minutes’ Spat) was written by two Washington Post reporters and re-published on the front page of the Detroit News. A response to journalistic standards of that story is absolutely necessary for the good of the order… “to wit” (as the lawyers say), for the good of the 1st. Amendment and the good of We the People’s Right to Know what’s going on.

That “Unaired story” was a 60 Minutes exposé that was set to run Sunday, 12/21/2025… exposing the treatment of immigrants who disappear from Trump’s America… into El Salvador’s, torturous, inhumane, hell hole prison, CECOT.

The Washington Post (slash) Detroit News, front page story quotes 60 Minutes reporter, Sharyn Alfonsi, who claims the (unaired) CECOT torture story was previously approved to air on 60 minutes, but was “killed” at the last minute by CBS’ Editor in Chief, Bari Weiss (apparently connected to Trump through various financial and/or political layers). 60 Minutes reporter, Alfonsi, says, she “learned Saturday that Bari Weiss [Editor in Chief of CBS— the producer and broadcaster of 60 minutes] killed the story, [even though it] was screened five times and cleared by both the standards department and by [CBS’s] network’s attorneys.” CBS’s Editor in Chief Weiss’ “proffered” reason for killing the story ??? Weiss says the story was killed because the White House refused the 60 minutes’ offer to respond. Countering Weiss, Sharyn Alfonsi (of 60 Minutes) tells us, “Government silence is a statement, not a veto” and “[the Trump Administration’s] refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story.”

And, if there is any question about CBS Editor, Barri Weiss’ motive to kill the “Unaired” 60 Minutes CECOT story by “playing, political favorites,” just remember two months later in February 2026, Weiss told CBS talk show host, Stephen Colbert, that he could not have Texas, Democrat, Senate candidate, James Talarico, appear on his (Colbert’s) show, nor talk about him, nor show an image of him.. which the ever outrageous and always courageous Colbert promptly ignored by exposing Weiss’ attempt to censor his 2/16/2026 Late Show.

Back to the 60 Minutes “Unaired Story.” For me (a voice of one), I am left to wonder whether the “fix” was in and “Trump & Friends” intimidated CBS or twisted CBS’s arm to force Bari Weiss (and/or others) to kill the 60 Minutes, “Unaired” CECOT (torture) story… because Trump, the Master of Fake News, wanted to control the narrative of that story and tamp down (or is it “tamp up”) his dismal approval ratings.

But, disappointingly, the front page, Washington Post (slash) Detroit News article does not cover the “motive and opportunity” Trump & Friends may have relied on to kill the “Unaired” 60 Minutes, CECOT prison story. There was no supporting role in the Washington Post article for a Detective Columbo (actor, Peter Falk), “Who done it” story or even who had the “motive and opportunity” to kill the 60 Minutes, Unaired Story. Some would argue that the Washington Post should have some editorial control over developing “Who done it” stories as well as the control to determine when the story is ready for “Who Done It” coverage. But the problem for the Washington Post is that … it’s owner, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, is a man who supports Trump (and his wife Melania)… even to the extent of vetoing the Washington Post’s editorial endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 Presidential election and also in funding a lackluster, multimillion dollar, Amazon Prime Video Documentary on Melania Trump.

Indecipherable Paragraph 14

And, the journalistic problem for the Washinton Post (slash) Detroit News article (on the killing of 60 Minutes “Unaired Story”) ???  The Washington Post (confusingly) published an indecipherable paragraph detailing the list of CBS and Trump Friends who may (or may not) have been pressuring Barri Weiss and CBS to kill the 60 Minutes’ “Unaired Story.” I refer to a very awkwardly written and indecipherable, para 14 of the Washington Post article quoted directly below,

“Weiss was named CBS’s top editor this fall after David Ellison’s newly formed Paramount Skydance bought the Free Press, the opinion website she founded, for $150 million. While the two properties are still technically separate, Weiss runs both. Her early days at the network have been marked by rapid changes, including restructuring and layoffs. Weiss launched a town hall series including an interview with Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Earlier in December, CBS promoted Tony Dokoupil, who has co-anchored ‘CBS Mornings’ since 2019, to anchor ‘CBS Evening News,’ one of the most prominent jobs in television journalism. Ellison is the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people and a Trump political ally. “ 

What ??? What does CBS news anchor, Tony Dokoupil, have to do with killing the “Unaired” 60 Minutes story on CECOT ??? What do the others mentioned have to do with the story ??? There was no attempt to tie paragraph 14 into Bari Weiss’ killing of “Unaired” CECOT story. Paragraph 14 begs the question, “What are the Washington Post writers even saying and why are they saying it” ??? The above, paragraph 14 is not just poorly written. It is (at first, second and third glance) indecipherable “theoretically” (i.e. in and of itself) and indecipherable “practically” (i.e. in the “context” of the story). Why is paragraph 14 even in the article about 60 Minutes “Unaired Story” ??? And, what does it add to that “Unaired Story” ???

The paragraph 14 quote (above) just stands out like a thumb on the hand. I am not an expert on AI search results, but I question whether the above quote was an AI generated blurb that stayed in the story… even though it seemingly has no relevance and there was no attempt to tie that paragraph 14 into the frontpage story. Whatever the source (human error or AI hallucination), the above, paragraph 14 quote is just inadequately developed, poorly written, out of sequence, and a giant, mind-numbing distraction. Paragraph 14 is a lack of communication and the antithesis of Journalism. Paragraph 14 defeats the very goal and purpose of the 1st. Amendment “to inform” We the People of… what’s going on ???

Paragraph 14 (from the frontpage, 60 Minutes’ “Unaired Story”) is so awkwardly written that it forced me to diagram and outline each sentence, after which I had to throw up my hands up in defeat and move on allowing for the possibility that I am just not that bright or fluid with the written word. But, I did do a double check with my, independent-minded, Summa cum Laude, 25-year-old daughter who major in Media Journalism at the University of Miami Florida. She put in the time, did her own diagram and then after 10 minutes, she also threw her hands up in the air.

And, whatever the answer or reasons for the indecipherable paragraph 14 being in the story, the toll on newspaper readers everywhere is the same. As my Bookie Father would aptly say about a sure bet, “$5 gets you $10,” most readers (of newspaper media) who read the above quoted paragraph 14… wouldn’t even finish the whole paragraph 14 before throwing their hands up in the air and walking away from the Washington Post article, learning nothing. Hey, If the undereducated Common Man and Forgotten Woman (or even the educated Common Man and Forgotten Woman) can’t understand the story, can’t “connect the dots” of the layers of players mentioned in Paragraph 14 or don’t have the time I spent trying to decipher the story… where are they supposed to get their news ???

Even if paragraph 14 is an AI hallucination, why was it left in the story ??? (with its distracting string of names and players that never get connected to the larger story of, Who Shot J.R. ??? Dallas T,V, series). Or, in this case, WHO was the Puppeteer in Chief, pulling the strings when CBS Editor in Chief, Bari Weiss, (ostensively) killed the 60 Minutes, “Unaired Story” (of harsh and torturous treatment of American immigrants at CECOT’s notorious prison) ??? Or, stated differently, perhaps, the stringing-together of names, positions and relationships of people in the above paragraph 14 are the dots (if you will) that were never connected to figuring out WHO may have been twisting the arm of Bari Weiss, who may have been in her ear or who may have been calling the shots when she, ostensively, pulled the plug on the 60 Minutes, Unaired Story on CECOT ???

And, maybe… the answer from the Washington Post is, “It doesn’t matter” to the story who was actually involved in calling the shots on pulling the plug on the 60 minutes Unaired Story because the “Who” and “Why” were not the focus or the purpose of the Washington Post piece. If so, then, I ask… why did the Washington Post, the Detroit News and their Editors allow the great distraction of the indecipherable paragraph 14 to stay in the article ??? Could the answer to my question be… because the Washington Post writers and their editors studiously avoided giving any “Who done it and Why” evidence, instead, leaving it to the readers to connect the dots, out of paragraph 14’s list of the names ??? A list of names that (in some combination or other) were, most likely, responsible for the killed 60 Minutes Unaired Story… while (at the same time) those Washington Post writers, editors and newspaper owner, Jeff Bezos, alike, were being purposely vague in paragraph 14 so as to avoid the wrath of a vindictive Trump & Friends ???

The ultimate question ??? Who are we Americans to get our News from if not America’s newspapers ??? From Trump ??? the Pinocchio in Chief ??? From Trump’s Truth Social ??? From Trump’s vassal, Hillbilly J. D. ??? From Trump’s Secretary of War, Peter Hegseth ??? (when he comes up for air from his daytime job as Judge, Jury and Executioner of boat passengers in the Caribbean Sea). From Elon Musk’s “X” ??? From Trump’s Fox News  ??? From Trump’s Press Secretary, “I have all the answers” Karoline Leavitt ??? From Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem (she who does her photo ops at CECOT lecturing the rest of the world that, if they are bad, they too will go to CECOT for a “time out) ??? From Trump’s Homeland Security spokesperson, the ever-defensive, Tricia McGlaughlin ??? From Trump’s head of the FHFA, William “Wild Bill” Pulte and his, mortgage, fraud “investigative force of one” ??? From Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Bobby Kennedy Jr. ??? From MAGA ???

Who then ??? If not the press ???

If paragraph 14 isn’t an AI hallucination…  then something else may be going on to protect Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, and/or CBS (the producer and television outlet of 60 Minutes), both of whom want and need the ever-vindictive and punishing Trump to be in their corner … in Trump’s all powerful and punishing world of Crony Capitalism.

Leaving behind the undecipherable, “chase your tail” specifics for the moment… what I see going on is a changing world in which today’s younger generations are more influenced by Trump & Friends “transactional” mindset aka “If it makes us rich, even at the expense of humanity, it must be good”… rather than the integrity and the philosophical “mindset and idealism” of the Founding Fathers and the Greatest Generation. Ugg !!!

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf …
Probably killed the 60 Minutes Unaired Story 

Let me try to connect the probable “dots of censorship” that the Washington Post (slash) Detroit News article may have hinted at in the above paragraph 14, but never connected or explained.

More probably true than not… the names, titles and relationships thrown out by the Washington Post in the above quoted paragraph 14 killed the “Unaired” 60 Minutes Story …

• Larry Ellison (the Father) owns Oracle. He is Billionaire (a hundred times over). Larry Ellison is/was a financial backer of both his Son, David Ellison and Donald Trump.
• David Ellison (the Son) owns Paramount Skydance (probably with the financial backing of his Father Larry).
• Paramount Skydance owns CBS News (Getting warmer ???).
• Apparently, CBS News produces 60 Minutes and airs it on CBS Television
• Paramount Skydance (the Son) recently bought out Bari Weiss’ opinion website, The Free Press, for $150 million. Nice payday.
• Thereafter, Bari Weiss was retained to run (apparently) both her former opinion website, The Free Press and Paramount Skydance (both, as I say, apparently, owned by the Son, David Ellison).
• Thereafter, in the Fall of 2025, Bari Weiss was appointed CBS’s Editor in Chief and (in that capacity) she (ostensibly) killed 60 Minute’s, El Salvador, CECOT torture story.
• But, as I say, the question remains… who was the Puppeteer(s) in Chief who was pulling the strings when Bari Weiss, ostensibly, killed the 60 Minutes Unaired Story ???

So, where do we end up ???  “Apparently,” the  players in paragraph 14 (all connected in some fashion or other to the financial interests of CBS) are living by the rich man’s/rich woman’s code, “one hand washes the other”… especially important when those players are (or, someday, may be) “beholden” to the good graces of Trump & Friends for future business opportunities and the billions they’ll earn. So, those players may be just “playing ball” and giving-in to Trump’s self-serving, narcissistic need to look good in his pompadour spotlight of current events. And, currying favor with those Trump & Friends connections, probably, had a lot to do with killing the “Unaired” 60 minutes story… the exposé on the torture in El Salvador’s CECOT, Supermax facility.

Could it be ??? Could it be…  that the Washington Post journalists (who wrote the Unaired Story on Trump Policy Stirs ’60 minutes’ Spat) were “purposefully vague” in not connecting the dots so they would not draw the wrath of Trump or his billionaire supporter, Jeff Bezos  (owner of the Washington Post) and find themselves in the Trump-Bezos’ rifle sights or out on the streets without a job, or, worse yet, referred by Trump to the U.S. Attorney’s office for investigation ??? Just ask former FBI Director, James Comey, former Special Counsel, Jack Smith and New York State Attorney General, Letitia James.

After hours of diagraming, that’s about as good as I can do… to try and decipher the Washington Post’s story (Unaired Story on Trump Policy Stirs ’60 minutes’ Spat) reproduced in the 12/23/2025 Detroit News. But, the reality ??? None of us citizens are going to be informed by the newspaper media if it takes hours to attempt to decipher a single, frontpage story ???