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Last week, Tony Dokoupil announced that the CBS Evening News, under his aegis, would eschew experts and elites. They were going for the common man.
So tonight, Tony had a blunted interview with Border Secretary Tom Homans, who has trouble speaking without marbles in his mouth.
See it below. Tony gets nowhere with Homans, who won’t concede that ICE has ever been violent.
Then, Tony took a helicopter ride with wealthy Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. He’s an “elite,” worth $20 billion. So much for that man on the street. Good seats for Cowboys games can run up to $1,000.
Why Jerry Jones? He’s a major Trump supporter, donating $1.1 million in 2020 and plenty more before and since then.
Very cozy, just like Dokoupil did with Hegseth, Noem, et al. Do they share a cigarette after the interview?
Banjo star Bela Fleck joins the list of musicians and performers who won’t play at the Kennedy Center.
His objection is the dictatorial name change to Trump-Kennedy Center, not to mention the whole takeover of the theater complex by Trump.
Fleck was supposed to play with the National Symphony Orchestra in mid February. He wrote on social media:
“I have withdrawn from my upcoming performance with the NSO at The Kennedy Center. Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music. I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art.”
Many artists have dropped out of the Kennedy Center since the changes. Most recently “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz said he wouldn’t host the annual gala.
Why is Fleck’s withdrawal different? He’s the first artist to leave a scheduled subscription with the NSO, the ballet, or opera. He’s not canceling a solo show. If this trend continues, and individual artists like Renee Fleming back out of singing with the opera, the Kennedy Center will grind to a halt pretty quickly.
Tricky Dick Richard Grenell will go down in history for this total destruction. As long as he lives, the story will accompany his name: The Man Who Wrecked the Kennedy Center.
For his second night anchoring the The CBS Evening News, live from Miami, Dokoupil appeared to be shilling for the Trump administration. The show featured Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and despicable Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. It was like Fox News lite.
Tony actually said: “Marco Rubio has become one of the most influential figures in U.S. foreign policy and President Trump’s point man on Venezuela. That’s in addition to his roles as Secretary of State, interim National Security Advisor, acting National Archivist and USAID chief. Rubio’s portfolio has led to a series of AI memes that are taking the internet by storm.”
This reminds me of a “Murphy Brown” episode when Murphy’s guest on the show is forced to say terrible things because he’s being paid by lobbyists. Tony looks like a man whose children are being held hostage by Thanos. In the space of two days (not counting Saturday with Pete Hegseth), Dokoupil is ruining his career.
What could save him? Maybe Bob Schieffer rolling in there and pounding his fist. “Enough!”
Marco Rubio has become one of the most influential figures in U.S. foreign policy and President Trump's point man on Venezuela. That's in addition to his roles as Secretary of State, interim National Security Advisor, acting National Archivist and USAID chief. Rubio's portfolio… pic.twitter.com/MglY7s4Zqw
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) January 7, 2026
The Trump administration has begun a massive deployment of hundreds of Department of Homeland Security agents to the Twin Cities area as it escalates its federal crackdown amid a widening fraud scandal in Minnesota. CBS News' @NicoleSganga spoke exclusively with DHS Secretary… pic.twitter.com/17EryX5AED
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) January 7, 2026
Big night at the New York Film Critics dinner, where “One Battle After Another” won Best Picture, Jafar Panahi got a standing ovation for Best Director, of “It Was Just An Accident,” and actors Wagner Moura, Rose Byrne, Amy Madigan, and Benicio del Toro won prizes.
Great guests and presenters turned up including Byrne’s husband, Bobby Cannavale, plus Ethan Hawke, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (who loved “The Secret Agent” so much she came to present Best Actor to Wagner Moura — they’d never met), Gaby Hoffman, director James Gray, playwright Tracy Letts (his new play, “Bug,” opens Thursday on Broadway), and Ben Stiller.
Strangest guest in the room actor Ken Jeong, a voice in the best animated feature, “KPop Demon Hunters.
Funniest speech goes to Ethan Hawke, presenting to Rose Byrne, star of “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You.” The star of “Blue Moon” revealed that he’d found a review of his first novel, The Hottest State,” published 30 years ago by none other than …Rose Byrne!
Hawke was howling as he recalled finding the review on the GoodReads website! Byrne then growing up in Australia, was 16. She wrote: “It reads like a poor man’s attempt at a Ryan Adams song.”
Her review? “She didn’t like it!”
Byrne, who is too beautiful with a very pink complexion, turned bright red as she picked her award.
“At she read it! Hawke laughed. (Most people liked the book, by the way.)
The major takeaway of the night. I asked director Paul Thomas Anderson if famously reclusive author Thomas Pynchon had seen PTA’s best picture, “One Battle After Another.”
“One Battle” is based on or shaped by Pynchon’s “Vineland.”
Anderson confirmed that even though he hadn’t seen Pynchon — one of the great literary legends — in a long time, he’d seen the movie and approved of it.
But how could he not like it? “One Battle” is on the way to winning the Oscar for Best Picture, with stops to come at other awards shows. It won the Critics Choice Award on Sunday night.
The critics dinner isn’t televised, but thrown at Tao Downtown. This year’s show cracked the three hour, thirty minute mark (not including an for cocktails and the red carpet). PTA joked when he accepted the final award, “Don’t ever say my movies are too long!”
I had a nice talk with Amy Madigan, whose supporting actress award was for “Weapons.” Forty years after an Oscar nomination for “Twice in a Lifetime,” Madigan has been the surprise of the season playing crazy Aunt Gladys in a horror movie of all things, called “Weapons.”
Madigan is a seasoned actress who should have been recognized a long time ago. When I told her she deserved tonight’s honor, she agreed wholeheartedly. “For doing the work,” she said. She’s an actor’s actor.
But don’t ask Madigan any personal questions. She’s been married to Ed Harris for over 40 years (they have a daughter), but hasn’t thanked in him her two consecutive acceptance speeches this week. She just talks about the work, playing it close to the vest.
There were some odd moments at the critics dinner. Clothing designer Isaac Mizrahi talked too much introducing “Marty Supreme” director Josh Safdie for Best Screenplay with Ron Brownstein. Mizrahi, who’s in the movie, got so caught up in his own mishegos that he blurted out something very inappropriate. The sophisticated audience just bleeped right past it.
For “One Battle,” 25 year old actress Chase Infiniti — getting noms for lead actress in her first film — introduced PTA. She wore a very elegant and conservative Carolina Herrera dress, and conducted herself like a veteran of the circuit. Later, we discussed our mutual love of Denee Benton as Peggy in “The Gilded Age.” This girl is a keeper.
I also got to meet Autumn Durald Arkapaw, cinematographer for “Sinners.” She won last night. There are few female cinematographers. (Ask award winning Ellen Kuras, the pro, who was her buddy for the night.) Akapaw has already killed it on a bunch of movies including Ryan Coogler’s “Wakanda Forever.” Up next is Coogler’s “X Files” series. She also shot that terrific Pamela Anderson film, “The Last Showgirl.”
Some of the night dragged, but mostly it was a pleasure to hear movie artisans tell stories about how movies are made — and how they feel about critics. For Panahi, the first Iranian to win tonight’s award, it’s a sweet victory lap before he returns to his country and a possible year in jail for criticizing his government.
“Please don’t go back,” many implored him.
“Oh, he’s going,” said his interpreter. “It’s home.”
2025 Winners
Best Film: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Best Actor: Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Best Actress: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Best Screenplay: Marty Supreme
Best International Film: The Secret Agent
Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
Best Cinematography: Sinners
Best Non-Fiction Film: My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
The dance troupe “Shen Yun” returns to the Kennedy Center tonight. They are part of a cult that includes right wing conspiracy newspaper, The Epoch Times.
Janice Trey, acting CEO of Epoch Times, is among the few people on the Kennedy Center Circles Board, so it’s no surprise Shen Yun is so welcome.
But even Shen Yun has issues. Due to low ticket sales, two of their performances this month at the Kennedy Center have been canceled. Like many other productions, Shen Yung — presented by the Falun Gong cult — has suffered because of the change to the Trump Kennedy Center.
Read my original story here. By the way, update on below: the case of Bill Guan — former CEO of Epoch Times — accused by the DOJ of laundering $67 million through the Epoch Times, still has not been settled. If you see Janice Trey tonight at the opening, maybe you can ask her where all that money went.
New Zealand pop star Lorde, the noted antisemite and anti Israel performer.
Lorde, 29, will headline the Governors Ball, an outdoor New York concert weekend, on Friday, June 5th.
Lorde — real name Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor — has just one hit, called “Royals,” from years ago.
Right from the beginning O’Connor said she was BDS — anti-Israel — and refused to tour in that country.
In October 2025, it was reported that Lorde was a signatory to the “No Music for Genocide” campaign, a movement where hundreds of artists pledge to geo-block their songs, making them inaccessible to Israeli listeners. This action led to her music being pulled from Apple Music in Israel.
During a concert in New York that same month, Lorde reportedly yelled “Free f***ing Palestine” while the stage was lit in the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The singer has signed every stupid celebrity boycott letter about Israel.
It hasn’t done her much good. Lorde’s record sales in recent years have dwindled severely. Her most recent album sold less than 100,000 copies in the US, and half of that was from streaming.
Producers of the Governors Ball have made a huge mistake booking her. But I can see from the lists of artists, the producers had trouble booking any big name artists. Look at this list. Not exactly Woodstock, or Live Aid, or even Farm Aid.
Hilton Hotels prove themselves to be cowards, too.
They’ve disavowed the Minneapolis hotel and franchise that tried to ban ICE immigration thugs from stay at their place.
The hotel refused to put up ICE agents and yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security went public whining they couldn’t get rooms.
The internet cheered Hilton for denying entry to these violent, cruel agents of Kristi Noem.
But now Hilton corporate has pulled the plug with the franchise, declaring they refuse to deny anyone a room, even if they’re in town to harass and separate families.
Hilton said: “We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies. They have taken immediate action to resolve this matter and are contacting impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”
Uh huh. So all those people who cheered Hilton and said they were signing up for Hilton Honors can forget it.
His official debut as anchor of the CBS Evening News suddenly went sideways after a mostly sound 15 minutes.
He lost control of the show, and so did the director, confusing Dokoupil about what story was next. The whole disaster lasted just more than a minute, but it seemed like it went on forever.
Tony panicked and tried to recover the best he could. For the first half of the show, Dokoupil seemed a little scared, but he managed to plow through. He introduced ABC News’s Matt Guttman awkwardly but what followed was at least informational. Charlie D’Agata came next, and was very calming in a sea of novices.
Dokoupil’s other big problem is that he keeps thanking correspondents. Lavishly. Tony just say Thanks, and move on. This is a grown up show, not an Andy Hardy musical. We want to hear the story, not how polite you are.
The upside: CBS has restored the news set from the last year of silliness. Tony is sitting in front of a newsroom, and reading headlines. No more weird suburban finished basement and feature stories. The logo is traditional, too. It’s a throwback to the real days of the Tiffany network. We’ll take it.
If this were the good old days, Dokoupil would be over at the Biarritz on West 57th St. knocking back a few with Morley Safer and Harry Reasoner and flirting with the waitresses. But it’s 2025, so Tony’s probably home having cocoa and doing homework with his kids.
Tomorrow is another day. Note: how about a dress rehearsal at 5:30?
