Mentioned in this edition: JD Vance, Elon Musk, Vani Hari, Nate Silver, Charlie Kirk, Dennis Prager, Joe Rogan, the Tate brothers, Meghan McCain, Andy Cohen, Scott Jennings, and more.

Good morning. JD Vance memes have exploded onto the scene, and we here at Upward News particularly get a kick out of them. Though originally intended to insult the vice president, conservatives have embraced and continued spreading the memes. On a darker note, anti-Jewish commentators have been all over the right’s media ecosystem lately, and we’ll dive into their wild claims and the broader trend.

🔎 WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🤳 JD Vance became the target of viral memes. Following his heated clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Vice President JD Vance was widely mocked online with doctored images portraying him as everything from being fat and scruffy to a child with a lollipop. The memes, shared millions of times on social media, have gone far beyond just critiquing the White House meeting, taking on a life of their own; Vance even joined in, posting his own meme of himself. The hilarious JD Vance memes are not seen by his supporters as a mockery of the vice president, as many on the left insist. Conservatives have fully embraced the memes and even created more themselves.

🔎 Senators call for DOJ probe into Elon Musk and X. Five Democratic senators have asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Elon Musk is using his government influence to pressure advertisers into returning to X. The request follows reports that Musk and X threatened Interpublic Group, implying that their $13 billion merger could be affected by the Trump administration if they didn’t increase ad spending on the platform. While on one level, these senators raise concerns over potential violations of ethics and extortion laws, it is difficult to ignore the retribution these senators seek, especially as some of them, namely Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), are viciously anti-Musk.

🥤 The MAHA movement is still active as PepsiCo faces scrutiny. The MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement remains strong as Vani Hari, a Big Food critic and RFK Jr. supporter, criticized PepsiCo for only partially removing artificial dyes from select products. PepsiCo's defense that reformulating existing products is “really, really hard” was quickly debunked, as they have already reformulated several popular brands like Doritos and Gatorade for other countries. The MAHA movement is still alive and well as major brands face pressure from activists who demand healthier, more transparent food options.

🎬 Disney slashed six percent of staff and shut down the 538 site. Disney has laid off 200 employees from ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks due to falling ratings and revenue. The closure of the 538 site, once a major election-predicting platform, marks a significant loss of credibility and influence, further highlighting the company's struggle to keep up with the shift from cable to streaming. The shuttering of 538 is particularly notable, as the site used to stand — with top pollster Nate Silver leading it — as one of the flagship podcasts for breaking down political data. The show, especially after Silver left, became fully partisan to the left, removing any semblance of objectivity.

🏆 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

🔒 This section is for members only

Mentioned behind the paywall: Which media player is up, and who is down, from the past week.

👀 WHO WE’RE WATCHING

🔒 This section is for members only

Mentioned behind the paywall: James Uthmeier, Andrew and Tristan Tate, Meghan McCain, Andy Cohen, Scott Jennings, Jonathan Levine, and Michael Grimes.

Welcome to the tinfoil right

The right-wing podcast ecosystem is increasingly focusing on Israel and Jewish conspiracies, pushing narratives that diverge from mainstream conservative politics. Major online voices are platforming figures who argue that Jews control American politics, were responsible for historical assassinations, and played a central role in global conspiracies…

🔒 This article is for members only

Join now to access this article and all our exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage of the conservative movement.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.