As of 5pm ET on Friday, August 1, CNN has yet to cover the investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over his possible obstruction of a commission trying to expose political corruption in the Empire State's government. Instead, New Day, the network's morning show (which is co-anchored by the governor's brother, Chris Cuomo) has covered seemingly more important stories, such as the controversy surrounding the NFL's two-game suspension of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.
The New York Times broke the Cuomo investigation on July 23. Since then, the only Big Three morning or evening newscast to cover the story has been CBS This Morning. The morning show aired a full report on Friday about the possible witness tampering. Fox News Channel's Carl Cameron also covered the scandal on Friday's Happening Now: [video below the jump]
The July 25, 2014 edition of New Day aired an eight and half minute segment about the Ray Rice controversy, which featured CNN legal analyst Mel Robbins and sports agent Doug Eldredge. Four days later, the CNN morning newscast set aside over six and a half minutes to boosting anchor Carol Costello's CNN.com op-ed on the controversy, and got her take on the suspension of ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, after his comments on the matter. The July 30, 2014 episode of the program also aired a 26-second news brief on the story.
New Day also covered the firing of the director of Ohio State University's marching band, after allegations of a hostile environment due to sexual harassment. The July 25, 2014 edition of the morning show aired a 21-second news brief on the firing. The following Monday, the program aired a full report on the story, as well as interviewed the fired directors' attorney. The two segment totaled seven minutes and 15 seconds.
During the same week-long period, the CNN morning newscast set aside a minute and 16 seconds of news briefs to the latest on the Donald Sterling case. Besides its coverage of the Ray Rice controversy and the OSU scandal, the July 25, 2014 edition of New Day also aired a minute and 16 second segment on Queen Elizabeth II supposedly photobombing two Australian women. It also set aside a minute and 50 seconds to the 17 siblings in New Jersey who split a $20 million lottery jackpot.
On July 30, 2014, the morning show aired two segments totaling two minutes and 12 seconds to the major water break in Los Angeles that flooded parts of the UCLA campus. The following morning, New Day devoted a 44-second news brief to former President George W. Bush's upcoming biography of his father, former President George H.W. Bush. Anchor Kate Bolduan jokingly wondered if there was going to be a full chapter to the 41st president's famous socks.
