Happy Monday! Warner Bros. Discovery moves to match Amazon's NBA deal, Russia sentences another American journalist to prison, AMC strikes a restructuring deal with its creditors, Fox News scores a pair of legal victories, Elon Musk praises the GOP, Google backs off its cookies plan, "Twisters" takes the box office by storm, Eminem dethrones Taylor Swift on the Billboard charts,  and so much more. But first, the A1.

What Made Joe Go

CNN Photo Illustration/Yves Herman/Reuters

The stark political reality facing President Joe Biden, prompting his unprecedented decision to exit the 2024 race, might look different had he enjoyed the support of a blindly loyal, propagandistic news media.

While Donald Trump has relied on Fox News and an army of MAGA Media loyalists to endlessly shield him from scandal after scandal, Biden had no such defenses in his arsenal when serious questions were raised about his age and mental acuity. Instead, the president — unable to conjure up his own version of reality and successfully disseminate it to the masses — was forced to grapple with the truth and make a stunning 11th hour decision that rocked the country in a political earthquake.

The entire affair, which played out in just three weeks, punctured a hole in the claim that Trump and the GOP have regularly peddled: that the news media is in the pocket of Biden and the White House. That obviously has not been the case, as exemplified by the hard-hitting coverage the president has been subjected to since his poor showing last month at the CNN debate.

In the hours and days that followed the fateful showdown with Trump on an Atlanta stage, The New York Times editorial board called on Biden to exit the race. The respected New Yorker editor David Remnick penned a blistering piece urging him to step aside. And a parade of outlets like CNN raised questions and scrutinized Biden's ability to wage an unrelenting campaign and effectively prosecute the case against Trump. 

Even MSNBC, the progressive cable news channel, did not offer a safe harbor to protect Biden against the crush of criticism he faced over the last three weeks. In the immediate moments after the debate, the outlet's prominent hosts, led by Rachel Maddow, gave voice to the concerns over Biden's disastrous performance. In the weeks since, those concerns repeatedly found their way to MSNBC's air, despite a good chunk of the channel's viewership making it clear they did not want to hear criticism of Biden.

"There has been so much consternation about the fight in the party but also the media coverage of the fight," Maddow acknowledged Sunday. "We have talked about all that. And we know people don't want to hear about it or had strong feelings .... but throughout, even as difficult as it was, it was a good faith fight. It was a good faith effort to try to do the right thing about the country."

Even as some MSNBC personalities passionately defended Biden's ability to carry on with the race, a barrage of questions about his political future still found a way through. While right-wing media is now void of antibodies to keep its political system clean and healthy, MSNBC showed that progressive outlets are still rife with them and not absurdly loyal to any one political figure.

Contrast how the news media covered Biden's woes with how the MAGA Media has treated Trump in recent years.

In the wake of numerous scandals, two impeachments, the January 6 attack, and a conviction on 34 felony counts, sycophantic talk show hosts such as Sean Hannity virtually never acknowledged the reality of the moment. Instead, they defended Trump, spinning up wild conspiracy theories, and ruthlessly attacking anyone who dared question his actions.

But that was not the case for Biden, underscoring the ethical reality that flows through the news media and largely extends to progressive personalities. In fact, in the end, the news media played a notable role in the unraveling of Biden's campaign by offering a forum for an uncomfortable stream of questions about his abilities to enter the national discourse.

Had the news media looked the other way and run cover for Biden, he very well may not have felt the need to abandon his bid for a second term in office.

CNN Photo Illustration/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

WBD's Buzzer-Beater Attempt: Warner Bros. Discovery is not going gently into that good night. The David Zaslav-led company on Monday notified the NBA that it will match Amazon's $1.8 billion per year package of the league's games. "We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them," TNT Sports said in a statement. "Our matching paperwork was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract." The NBA issued a short response, saying only, "We've received WBD’s proposal and are in the process of reviewing it." Of course, it is quite unlikely the NBA will accept the matching offer from WBD, CNN's parent company, a development league officials surely expected given the media giant has telegraphed its intentions for some time. Instead, this dispute seems destined for the courts, and WBD executives have strongly hinted that they intend to bring a lawsuit should the NBA reject its offer. CNN's Liam Reilly has more here.

🔎 Zooming in: If this standoff makes its way to the courts, there is no telling how it will ultimately resolve. But if Zaslav & Co. manage to secure the Amazon package via its matching rights, it will amount to quite a coup d'état. That said, the reverse is also true. If WBD loses in court, it will unquestionably be a black eye for a company that cannot afford many more. 

CNN Photo Illustration/Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Fox Defeats Jankowicz: Fox News scored a legal victory after a federal judge in Delaware dismissed a lawsuit filed by former "disinformation czar" Nina Jankowicz. "Fox contends, and I agree, that Jankowicz has not pleaded facts from which it could plausibly be inferred that the challenged statements regarding intended censorship by Jankowicz are not substantially true," Judge Colm F. Connolly wrote in his opinion. Fox News said in a statement that it was "pleased with the court’s decision to protect the First Amendment." Mediaite's Jamie Frevele has more here.

CNN Photo Illustration/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Google Eats Its Cookies Plan: Google has backed down! After inciting panic in the advertising and publishing world, the Silicon Valley titan said Monday that it will not move forward with plans to ban third-party tracking cookies from its Chrome web browser, after all. "At the same time, we recognize this transition requires significant work by many participants and will have an impact on publishers, advertisers, and everyone involved in online advertising," Google VP Anthony Chavez wrote in a blog post. "In light of this, we are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice. Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time. We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out." CNBC's Jennifer Elias has more here.

CNN Photo Illustration/Warner Bros. Pictures

'Twisters' Storms Box Office: After some initial worry, it is now safe to say that the summer box office is alive. "Twisters" unleashed a massive storm on the box office over the weekend, with the film opening to a powerful $80.5 million at the domestic box office. That makes it the third biggest opening of the year, behind only "Inside Out 2" and "Dune: Part Two." Overseas, the film has sucked up $42 million. Meanwhile, "Deadpool & Wolverine" are waiting in the wings. Variety's Rebecca Rubin has more.