Italian Media Baron, Prime Minister Dies at 86

[Mark Jeffries]

Before Donald Trump, there was Silvio Berlusconi, who used a commercial TV monopoly (and arguably the world's trashiest television) to become prime minister of Italy, giving him control over the state pubcaster RAI (he didn't give up ownership of his Mediaset) and the opportunity to preside over one of the world's most corrupt governments, until he got thrown into part-time jail in 2014--the story from NPR's Sylvia Poggioli (and I thought she retired):

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/12/1168143250/silvio-berlusconi-obituary?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20230612&utm_term=8577644&utm_campaign=news&utm_id=10634280&orgid=309&utm_att1=

[M-D November]

In lieu of a funeral, a graveside bunga-bunga party is planned for Thursday.