Please don’t Bari me
By 
In at CBS News: Epstein-associated creeps.
Out: Professionals with decent alternative options…
"It really has to sting for Bari. The person she wanted for the Evening News anchor chair is choosing to leave CBS altogether because of her," one CBS News staffer told me tonight. "This is 'fuck you' to Bari."
[image or embed]— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona.bsky.social) Feb 16, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Gee, I wonder why he wanted out?
Behind the scenes, Status has learned that Cooper had grown increasingly uneasy with the rightward direction the network has charted under Weiss’s leadership and David Ellison’s ownership of parent company Paramount. As one insider put it to me, “He wasn’t comfortable with the direction the show was taking under Bari, and is in a position where he doesn’t have to put up with it.” A second person familiar with the matter confirmed Cooper’s exit was related to discomfort with Weiss.
A representative for Cooper, who signed a renewal deal with CNN late last year, declined to comment. A CBS News spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As Status first reported in January, a “60 Minutes” piece Cooper had been working on since last year has been subjected to an intense level of editorial scrutiny, with Executive Producer Tanya Simon and Weiss both providing extensive feedback. The piece examines the Trump administration’s decision to accept refugees from South Africa, a move rooted in Donald Trump’s embrace of the debunked conspiracy theory that a “white genocide” is taking place in the country. The prolonged process left producer Michael Gavshon, a journalist who has worked at “60 Minutes” for more than three decades, exasperated, Status previously reported. It is unclear when—or if—the piece will ultimately air.
Since taking over CBS News, Weiss has exercised heavy editorial control over the storied newsmagazine, something unheard of in the program’s long history. For decades, “60 Minutes” operated with extraordinary autonomy, largely insulated from network interference. Unlike most previous leaders of the network, however, Weiss has inserted herself into the editorial process in a way that has rattled many on the show.
It’s amusing to think that Weiss would have ever thought that Cooper would be interested in working for a regime-aligned media outlet being micromanaged by a hack with no experience in network TV. But few people have ever been higher on their own supply.