News

A federal judge tossed out a defamation lawsuit brought by Consortium News against NewsGuard, a media rating site that gave the media outlet low scores for trustworthiness.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla also dismissed claims brought against the U.S. government, which was named in the lawsuit as NewsGuard once had a contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Usaf Research Lab.

Read the NewsGuard decision.

Launched in 2018 by Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, NewsGuard employs a team of journalists to review news sites and give them a score of 0-100, information that is used by consumers and clients including AI companies, search engines, news aggregators, brands and researchers.

Consortium News received a rating of 47.5 out of 100, with a NewsGuard “Nutrition Label” stating that it “frequently published false and misleading claims about the war in Ukraine and other important subjects.” NewsGuard said that it had “determined that the site...

A Snow White producer’s son is harshly slamming Rachel Zegler, accusing the star of hurting the film with her social media comments.

Jonah Platt, son of Marc Platt, took to Instagram to defend his father against Zegler fans in the wake of a Variety story that noted that Platt — apparently at Disney’s behest — flew to New York City in August to ask the actress to remove a “free Palestine” comment that she made on X while she was thanking Disney fans for watching the Snow White trailer.

A commenter called Platt’s father “creepy as hell” and said the producer’s efforts to control Zegler’s social media post was “uncalled for.”

In a since deleted reply, Jonah Platt, who hosts the Being Jewish podcast, wrote: “You really want to do this? Yeah, my dad, the producer of enormous piece of Disney IP with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line,...

The Sterba Antenna system for the Voice of America relay station in Dixon, California. (Graphic by The Desk)

The Director of Voice of America (Voa) and three journalists employed by the broadcaster have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (Usagm) and two of its senior advisors over plans by the Trump administration to reduce the operation’s activities, cut its funding and lay off employees.

The lawsuit is separate from one pursued by employees and unions representing hundreds of Voa journalists that was filed earlier this week, as well as a different but related legal action pursued by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and its executives last week.

The new lawsuit was filed Wednesday morning by Voa Director Michael Abramowitz, journalist Anthony Michael Labruto and two unnamed journalists who worked as contractors for the agency. It argues an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month was unlawful,...

As Rolling Stone reported Wednesday, some Trump administration officials have been privately gossiping among themselves, comparing the now-infamous national security breach in a Signal group chat to something out of the HBO political satire, Veep.

These officials are getting it wrong. This ongoing mini-saga of the second Donald Trump era isn’t Armando Iannucci’s American series, Veep; it’s becoming more like Iannucci’s series, The Thick Of It, in which British politicians and their profane spin doctors constantly obsess over words, doublespeak, and linguistic technicalities in order to...

Jonah Platt — actor, podcaster and son of blockbuster “Snow White” producer Marc Platt — slammed star Rachel Zegler for “hijacking” the live-action Disney film’s press run and “clearly” hurting its box office with politically driven social media posts.

The remarks, made in a since-deleted Instagram comment, came when one Instagram user, apparently a supporter of Zegler, questioned Jonah about Tuesday reports that his father had flown out to “speak directly” to Zegler over her public support to “Free Palestine” and her well-documented criticisms of the gender dynamics within the original animated film. Instagram user @brynnd13 called the move “creepy as hell and uncalled for.”

“Your dad flew to NYC to reprimand a young actress? Any words on this? Cuz that’s creepy as hell and uncalled for,” she wrote, apparently under a post featuring a promotion of of Jonah and his “Being Jewish” podcast guest Tiffany Haddish that has since disabled comments.

Javier Bardem has signed a letter by bereaved Israeli and Palestinian fathers that calls for an end to the Israeli-Gaza conflict and a return to negotiations to end the war.

“On behalf of more than 800 Palestinian and Israeli families, members of the Bereaved Families Forum, we demand the release of all hostages from Hamas and the release of the huge number of innocent Palestinian prisoners from Israeli government prisons, an end to all forms of violence and war and a return to dialogue and negotiations to end the conflict between the two peoples,” Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan said in a letter co-signed by Bardem and which was published on March 24 in the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Armin and Elhanan are members of the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum for Reconciliation and Peace, a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization representing families who have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict.

Both...

The director of Voice of America filed suit against Trump administration officials today, seeking a court order to stop the dismantling of the U.S. operated international broadcaster.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, Michael Abramowitz sued Kari Lake and Victor Morales, who have been presiding over the placement of nearly all of Voa’s 1,300 employees on administrative leave and the termination of contractors’ agreements for 500 others.

Their moves came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to slash the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the entity that oversees Voa and other international networks, to only statutory functions.

“Congress created Voa; required it to fulfill certain statutory objectives, including producing and broadcasting journalism according to high professional standards; and has consistently appropriated funds to Voa so that it may continue serving its mission,” Abramowitz’s legal team wrote in the lawsuit. “Congress—and...

The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. has reportedly laid off as many as seven staffers of its Social Impact team, all but dismantling an initiative established in 2020 to “leverage the arts” to “advance justice and equity.”

According to the Washington Post and NPR, the layoffs occurred Tuesday and included the artistic director of Social Impact Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Three employees of the team whose work does not have an equity focus were retained, according to NPR.

Deadline has reached out to the Kennedy Center for confirmation and comment.

In a letter obtained by NPR, a Kennedy Center human resources exec wrote to one of the laid off staffers that “the decision was made after careful consideration and is based on the Kennedy Center’s staffing needs.”

The Kennedy Center website says its Social Impact programming “seeks to firmly establish the Center as a champion and resource for all communities and ensure our programs,...

Politics and Hollywood are often intertwined in places they shouldn’t be. However, what politics and Hollywood have in common is the audiences liking or disliking something. For Donald Trump, it’s both.

Donald Trump | Credits: Michael Vadon, licensed under Cc By-sa 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Well, although it wasn’t anyone’s intention, an iconic actor has been selected to portray a role in the upcoming MCU film Avengers: Doomsday. For some reason, the actor has a number of Donald Trump supporters as his fans!

Marvel confirms Wyatt Russell in Avengers: Doomsday

In 2021, Wyatt Russell made his debut as a U.S. Agent in the iconic Marvel show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Portraying the role of a soldier who wanted to be the next Captain America, fans loved to hate him and hated to love him.

Wyatt Russell in a still from Night Swim | Credits: Blumhouse Productions

Marvel...

Even when you're a powerhouse like Disney, having to explain why a $270 million film is underperforming at the box office becomes a necessity. This is what is happening with Snow White following its $43 million debut, which was well below expectations. The film has been at the center of various controversies, beginning in the development phase through its release over the weekend. The latest issue appears to be the blame game regarding the film's lower-than-expected box office start, and that seems to be being put squarely on its star, Rachel Zegler. It's an unfair assertion, but that hasn't stopped the son of producer Marc Platt from adding on to the head-scratching narrative that Zegler is solely to blame for the film's reception.

This all began with a piece written by Variety about the behind-the-scenes turmoil involving Snow White. The write-up covers a lot, but much of it seems to point to...

Some movies age like fine wine, while others age like milk left out in the sun. But once in a while, a film that was dismissed before finds a second life in the streaming era. Recently, Michael Douglas’ starrer, The Sentinel, has been that movie on Netflix!

A still from The Sentinel | Regency Enterprises

Nearly two decades later, this political thriller is clawing its way back to the spotlight. But how did it suddenly become a streaming hit, and why are folks tuning in to watch this movie after 19 years? Let’s dive into its rocky past and sudden rise.

Why The Sentinel was torn apart by critics A still from The Sentinel | Regency Enterprises

The Sentinel hit theatres in 2006 and battled against mixed reviews and critics’ disdain for the movie. It was labeled as a formulaic and uninspiring thriller that wasted its A-list cast. Michael Douglas was still enjoying...

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ stands as one of the most iconic religion-based films of all time. Much like most films of its kind, the film faced some controversy around its release. However, it was also immensely critically acclaimed outside of the religious overtones.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ | Credit: Newmarket Films

The project ended up becoming one of Gibson’s most iconic works to date, earning several accolades and even three Academy Award nominations. The project details the journey of Jesus Christ after he was betrayed and crucified. However, for years, the director has been looking to make a sequel, wanting to continue the tale he was trying to tell.

Thankfully for the director, he seems to have finally gotten the opportunity to do so, more than twenty years after the release of the 2004 film.

Mel Gibson is bringing Jesus Christ back to the...

President Donald Trump’s military and intelligence leaders irresponsibly texting in an unsecured group chat about upcoming air strikes in Yemen. Dangerous, yes, and likely illegal. But more than anything, it was plain stupid in the vein of dark farce. The evolving saga, including predictable defenses of the breach from administration loyalists, rivals the hallmarks of that well-established Hollywood trope: the idiot plot.

Historians, psychologists, sociologists and economists have sought to explain the present U.S. situation. Yet it’s the satirists who, as ever, may understand it best. Their specialization’s output, at least, is the most entertaining.

The idiot plot requires every character involved to be too foolish to stop it. Signature elements include shortsightedness, conceitedness and ineptness. Think of the Farrelly brothers’ Dumb and Dumber, or Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain. The subgenre limning the heights and depths of American power runs from Stanley Kubrick’s Dr.

When Chuck Lorre initially ventured into his quest to find a replacement for Charlie Sheen, who was practically the face of Two and a Half Men, he had no intentions of casting an actor who was in their 30s. However, things changed after he met Ashton Kutcher, whose fearless approach and comedic instincts had Lorre convinced that Kutcher was the man for the job.

Two and a Half Men | Credit: CBS

As for the reception to this decision, it was pretty mixed, as not many were thrilled to welcome the new dynamic between Walden and Alan. But this issue could’ve been avoided entirely if they had just promoted another fan-favorite member of the sitcom to the lead.

Ryan Stiles’ Herb could’ve been the better fit to fill Charlie Sheen’s shoes Two and a Half Men | Credit: CBS

Although Kutcher’s Walden was a pretty decent alternative to...

Updated: NPR and PBS were in the spotlight at a House hearing this morning before the Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee, as Republicans grilled the CEOs of the public broadcasting outlets over alleged biases.

The hearing, titled Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable, signaled a tough federal government funding fight ahead for the broadcasters. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes the funds, is receiving $535 million in the current fiscal year, but about 70% of that outlay goes to public media stations.

At the end of the hearing, its chairwoman, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-ga), said that they will be calling for “the complete and total defund and dismantling of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”

“We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime,” she said.

She questioned the need for public media, given that so many listeners and viewers get their information via podcasts and on the internet.

After various senior members of the Trump administration denied sharing “war plans” — classified or otherwise — in a Signal group to which they had inadvertently added The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazine is now releasing additional details about the chat’s contents previously withheld over national security concerns.

The Atlantic on Tuesday published the full contents of what Goldberg and other members of the chat received from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth roughly two hours before airstrikes began against Houthi targets in Yemen. The message includes specific information on timing, aircraft,...

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, a local adaptation of Dick Wolf’s global Law & Order TV series franchise, has nabbed a field-leading 20 nominations heading into the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Citytv series will challenge for best drama, best episode director for Sharon Lewis and Holly Dale, and best drama writing for Tassie Cameron, among other categories. The best TV drama competition also has entrants for the CBC’s Bones of Crow drama, which picked up 12 nominations, and the CBC’s police procedural Allegiance.

Other multiple nominees on the TV side include CTV’s Children Ruin Everything and CBC’s Run the Burbs with 12 mentions each, followed by the CBC’s Paris 2024 Summer Olympics telecast with 11 nominations.

In the film categories, director Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language leads the field with 13 nominations, including for best drama and best direction. Rankin’s Farsi- and French-language offbeat homage to Iranian cinema...

Amid uncertainty around the fate of the TikTok ban, Meta is one of the major social media platforms making overtures to creators.

In January, Meta launched a “Breakthrough Bonus” program, which would give creators up to $5,000 for posting videos on Facebook and Instagram Reels, and also announced plans to offer content deals to select TikTok creators to “help grow their communities on Instagram and Facebook.” In turn, creators are approaching the ban with a mix of uncertainty and plans to spread content out across several platforms.

“It’s a large part of my livelihood, so it’s something that is concerning. But, I feel like no one really knows. It’s just a lot of questioning, and it can be a little nerve wracking, to say the least,” says social media creator Daniel Mac, who has 14 million TikTok followers.

In January, the Supreme Court upheld the law that essentially banned TikTok in the United States.

Jimmy Kimmel has noticed a big change with President Donald Trump since he got back into the White House. The former The Apprentice host – who is famous for saying “You’re fired!” – doesn’t seem so trigger happy when it comes to firing people anymore. Kimmel discussed that very point while addressing the scandal over the government group chat mishap that saw a reporter added to top-secret military plans. At the top of Tuesday’s (March 25) Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host joked, “Quick question for the audience – did anyone else get a group chat invite from the National Security Adviser today? Just me?” “I know we shouldn’t enjoy the fact that we have a confederacy of dunces running this country. But I’ll be honest. I can’t help it. I’m enjoying it right now,” he continued, adding, “This week, in the race between dumb and evil,...

Exclusive: Gemma Arterton has revealed to Deadline that she will star in the five-part ITV adaptation of Tom Bradby’s ITV spy thriller Secret Service.

She’ll play a senior UK intelligence officer who goes rogue in order to uncover a Russian mole embedded in the highest echelons of the British government. “It’s so timely,” Arteton tells me during an exclusive interview in which she notes that Russian influence is everywhere.

“Just look at what’s happening in America,” she adds ruefully, referencing President Trump’s ever growing bromance with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Bradby, whose day job is ITV News anchor, penned his page-turning novel in 2019. However, he and co-screenwriter Jemma Kennedy (Captain Webb) have shifted the book’s gripping storyline to 2026, which is when the Potboiler Productions series, directed by feature filmmaker James Marsh, will premiere on ITV1, Stv, Itvx and Stv Player.

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...

Investigative journalist Christo Grozev, a key contributor to Oscar-winning documentary “Navalny” and central protagonist of “Antidote,” is one of Vladimir Putin’s most wanted men for having exposed his assassination operations against opponents such as the late Alexei Navalny. At Copenhagen’s Cph:dox documentary festival on Tuesday, he spoke about the dangers he is facing.

Grozev was part of a panel at the festival that looked at the guts and sacrifice that have to be made to expose truth through filmmaking and news reporting. He was joined on stage by the director of “Antidote,” Emmy-winning British filmmaker James Jones (“Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes”).

With “Antidote,” which won best editing at the last Tribeca Film Festival and screens at Cph:dox in an updated version, Jones told the audience that his initial idea was to investigate Putin’s poison program with the open source investigation platform Bellingcat with which Grozev was collaborating.

Daredevil: Born Again has a surprising political undercurrent. It’s never been stronger than in episode 6.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for all available episodes of Daredevil: Born Again.

From its very first episode, Daredevil: Born Again introduced us to a new Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). He wasn’t just a crime lord anymore, now he’s an officially elected politician. Does he have much experience in politics? No, not really, but he is an excellent businessman, which apparently counts for something in the modern world..

Sound familiar? Showrunner Dario Scardapane, along with his writing and directing team, aren’t afraid to draw a comparison between Fisk and the current President of the United States, but episode 6 takes it to a new, chilling level.

Here come the spoilers: a masked serial killer going by the name Muse has been terrorising New York. The killer’s preferred method is to drain...

Following the meek opening of Disney’s live-action film Snow White, actress Rachel Zegler faced an onslaught of criticism due to her past political statements. However, netizens learned that she stood her ground and didn’t let the movie empire change her mind, which earned her immense respect.

Rachel Zegler in Snow White / Credits: Walt Disney Studios

Zegler played the titular role in Marc Webb’s Snow White, a reimagining of the famed Disney story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs based on the 1812 Brothers Grimm tale. Gal Gadot starred opposite her as the Evil Queen.

Fans praised Rachel Zegler for standing her ground amid a controversial tweet

Rachel Zegler made the headlines last year after posting a tweet expressing her gratitude for the fans who watched the trailer for Snow White, which amassed over 120 million views in 24 hours. Along with the film’s promotion was an addendum that said,...

Billy Ray Cyrus is celebrating his daughters’ achievements amid reported feuds within his family.

The 63-year-old musician made a shoutout to both Miley and Noah Cyrus on Instagram on Tuesday (March 25).

“You are witnessing in real time what it feels like for a Dad who with in less than one weeks time has had his a– kicked and his mind blown by not one …but two of his own daughters,” he captioned a photo of Miley, 32, and Noah, 25.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Flesh and blood … completely taking their art to a whole new level . Congratulations girls! Well done. I’m so damn proud of both of you. I’m actually crying as I write this. Thank God you can’t see me. Have fun now and be happy! Love Dad,” he added.

The post comes shortly after Miley announced her new album Something Beautiful, and Noah released a...

As he courted cryptocurrency investors last year, Donald Trump promised to fire Gary Gensler, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair who had scrutinized the industry, and install a new crypto-friendly regulator in his place.

Trump, who launched his own crypto meme coin days before he took office, didn’t just select an industry ally to lead the SEC — he chose one of its biggest boosters in Washington, Paul Atkins. According to his new financial disclosure, Atkins co-chaired a crypto advocacy group, consulted for crypto interests, and has significant crypto holdings.

A federal judge has put a stop, for now, to Donald Trump’s effort to abolish Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, one of the U.S.-funded broadcasting entities targeted by a presidential executive order.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a temporary restraining order to the broadcaster, concluding that the administration’s efforts to shut it down would cause irreparable harm.

“The Court concludes, in keeping with Congress’s longstanding determination, that the continued operation of Rfe/Rl is in the public interest,” Lamberth wrote. He wrote that the U.S. Agency for Global Media acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” in cutting off grant funding to the non-profit broadcaster.

“Congress has found that ‘it is the policy of the United States to promote the right of freedom of opinion and expression’ and that ‘open communication of information and ideas among the peoples of the world contributes to international peace and stability.

Bob the Drag Queen — real name Christopher Delmar Caldwell — has blazed quite the trail for himself since winning the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

He’s toured with Madonna; found a legitimate place in the competitive stand-up scene; and even found time to appear on the American version of The Traitors — the show that stole the reality Emmy crown from Drag Race.

Now the quick-witted renaissance star, 38, is moving into higher-brow terrain with his first published novel, Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert (out today from Gallery Books).

A historical fantasy in which the slave-saving hero walks among us once more (as do other deceased celebrities) and is enlisted to record a hip-hop album, the book has earned praise from critics.

It’s just the latest feather in Bob’s multi-feathered hat. Or wig. Or purse (first). He caught up with The Hollywood Reporter for a colorful chat about writing fiction,...

A control studio at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. (Courtesy image)

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Agency for Global Media (Usagm) to stop depriving Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty of federal grant money for its operations, The Desk has learned.

The action — which was handed down in court on Tuesday, according to court documents obtained by The Desk — comes after attorneys for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty sought a restraining order that prevents Usagm from moving forward with austerity measures connected that are rooted in an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

The Executive Order required Usagm and six other federal agencies to wind down their activities and suspend non-essential federal employees, a move that led to layoffs affecting more than 1,000 journalists at media organizations directly under Usagm’s control, including the Voice of America (Voa).

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an independent,...

New insights regarding the controversies surrounding the Snow White film starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot have been released.

For context, in August 2024, Rachel wrote “Free Palestine” on her X account in a post tied to the Snow White trailer.

Meanwhile, Gal used to serve in the Israel Defense Forces under the country’s compulsory military service laws, and has previously voiced her support of Israel amid the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Keep reading to find out more…

According to Variety, Rachel‘s post apparently “shocked” Disney executives, causing a producer to reportedly fly to New York to speak with her. However, Rachel‘s post remained, and Disney allegedly had to pay for additional security for Gal after death threats towards her were reported.

“She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone,” an insider told Variety of Rachel‘s vocal political comments.

Conor McGregor is, without a doubt, one of the greatest of all time to have ever stepped in the ring. Fans and the entire wrestling community admire his skills and desire to compete at the highest level. The former UFC Champion is relentless both in and out of the ring.

The WWE universe has always lit up to the prospect of elite wrestlers joining the company. Think of the kind of clash we witnessed between superstars like Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman at their absolute best. Time and again, WWE has relied on pure wrestling, apart from epic storylines, to spike its rating.

Conor McGregor has pursued Mma during his entire professional career. (Image Credit: UFC)

In their quest to garner new talent within the fold of WWE, fans have always wanted someone like Conor McGregor in the company. His unconventional personality and intimidating aura can certainly hit new records...

On August 12, 2024, Rachel Zegler introduced the first official trailer for Disney’s live-action “Snow White” at the D23 fan event. The trailer quickly gained 120 million views in just 24 hours. But in a follow-up social media post, Zegler wrote, “and always remember, free palestine.”

Her statement, which reached 8.8 million views, shocked Disney executives. They were concerned about the impact on the film and her co-star Gal Gadot, who is Israeli. Following the post, death threats toward Gadot increased, forcing Disney to provide her with extra security.

An insider said, “She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone.”

A few months later, after the U.S. presidential election, Zegler shared another post, saying, “F*** Donald Trump” and “May Trump supporters … never know peace.” At this point, Disney decided to intervene. Since her statements could alienate half the film’s potential audience,...

Bong Joon-ho easily has to be one of the best directors of the current generation. Over the years, he has been bending genres like a mad scientist, which feels unorthodox yet so right. Watching his movies is like a roller coaster ride; one moment, you are laughing till your stomach hurts, and the next, you end up gasping from whatever unexpected surprise he has planned for the audience.

He has mastered the art of blending social issues with genres like dark humor or sci-fi horror without making it a mess. Now, it’s hard for me to say how he does what he does. I’m sure there are people studying his movies as part of their thesis, but as someone who enjoys watching movies, I can guarantee you that you will be glued to the screen and won’t even realize where the time went by the time the movie is done.

A political commentator with a significant TikTok following is looking to unseat a Congresswoman who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than two decades. Kat Abughazaleh is hoping to turn out young people and disenchanted liberals in Illinois’ ninth congressional district, where she is mounting a Democratic primary challenge against Jan Schakowsky.

Abughazaleh’s political takes and parodies of the American right have brought more than 200,000 followers to her TikTok account. She used that platform to announce her Congressional run by uploading a video that lays out her progressive platform. “Unfortunately this party has become one where you have to look to the exceptions for real leadership, as the majority work from an outdated playbook,” she said. “We need a makeover, which means we need a vision that is bigger than what we’ve been told is possible.”

@katmabu oh hey I’m back #fyp...

Leo Brent Bozell III. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday withdrew his nomination of Leo Brent Bozell III to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media (Usagm).

The withdrawal was made in a notification to Congress that said Bozell, the founder of the press watchdog organization Media Research Council, was withdrawn from consideration to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Usagm, the global media agency that oversee the Voice of America (Voa), Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and other external broadcasters funded by the U.S. government.

Instead, Trump has nominated Bozell to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, according to notifications submitted to Congress this week. As with his prior nomination, the post in South Africa requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

It isn’t clear who Trump intends to nominate to lead the Usagm. Senior policy advisor...

Chris Lacivita. (Courtesy photo)

A former campaign manager for President Donald Trump has filed a federal lawsuit against The Daily Beast over its reporting that allegedly painted him as a greedy official who prioritized his personal benefit over the effectiveness of Trump’s position in the election.

The defamation case filed by Chris Lacivita focuses squarely on a claim that he was paid $22 million for his advocacy work on the Trump campaign while the campaign itself was in the middle of a financial crisis. The Daily Beast later amended its story to clarify that Lacivita was actually paid $19.2 million, not the $22 million first reported.

The amendment was made after Lacivita objected to the original report and provided campaign finance documents from the Federal Election Commission that showed how much the Trump campaign paid him for his work.

Mark Geragos, a prolific litigator whose past or current clients include convicted murderer...

On Aug. 12, 2024, three days after Rachel Zegler hit the stage at Disney’s D23 fan event to introduce the first official trailer of “Snow White,” she thanked supporters effusively in an X post for driving the teaser to 120 million views in 24 hours. One minute later, she added an afterthought in the same thread: “and always remember, free palestine.”

That addendum, which amassed 8.8 million views, nearly four times the number for the initial post, quickly made the rounds, with many inside the studio expressing shock that the “Snow White” star would commingle the promotion of its $270 million tentpole with any kind of political statement. A Disney executive raised the studio’s concerns with Zegler’s team, while the film’s producer Marc Platt flew to New York to speak directly with her. But the actress, whose relationship with the studio began to unravel in 2022 during a contentious “West Side Story” awards...

Whoopi Goldberg has often said that she is an actress first, despite her day job as moderator and cohost of The View, and on Tuesday’s (March 25) show, she reminded audiences of that fact in a different way than usual. While introducing the first “Hot Topic” of the day, which was of course the jaw-dropping national security blunder involving several top-tier members of Donald Trump‘s administration, she channeled a Valley girl persona to mock the debacle. First, she reviewed footage of coverage of the situation — in which, essentially, Jeffrey Goldberg (who Whoopi joked was her “cousin”), the editor in chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally included in a Signal text chain where the secretary of Defense and other high echelon officials discussed international attack plans in Yemen in real time. Then, she rolled clips of the Republicans’ attempts to spin and defend the muck-up and compared the comments to...

George Clooney has dabbled in various genres in his decades-long career but he is reportedly finally saying goodbye to romances. The actor was the heartthrob of a whole new generation and was a huge reason why they loved doctors (he had a leading role in ER). However, Clooney has called it quits on love.

This comes on the heels of actress Sandra Bullock also saying goodbye to rom-coms, which is a huge blow for fans. The Proposal star criticized Hollywood’s treatment of the genre and expressed the difficulties of getting a film of the genre made. She also mentioned how executives saw the genre and wanted to make it formulaic.

George Clooney says goodbye to rom-coms, citing age as a factor A still from Ticket to Paradise | Credits: Universal Pictures

George Clooney was last seen in the hitman comedy with Oceans Eleven buddy Brad Pitt in Wolfs. The actor...

Nathaniel Brown. (Photo via LinkedIn)

Nathaniel Brown, the former top communications executive at Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) who departed the company earlier this year, has joined TikTok as its new communications chief, The Desk has learned.

This week, Brown started his new role as Global Head of Corporate Communications for TikTok, the short-form video sharing and social media platform owned by China-based ByteDance. Brown will be in charge of all external corporate communication initiatives for the company. TikTok has not issued a statement on Brown’s hiring.

Brown left Wbd in January after spending five years with the company. His departure was mutual, according to reports, and came about a month after Axios said the top executives at Wbd and Paramount had held a secret meeting about the possibility of merging the two companies — something that ultimately did not happen. Brown was not implicated in the leak of the information to Axios,...

In a video viewed over 2.8 million times, Mitch and Jack play a game. The rules are simple: They bring up a topic and then either respond affirmatively by saying “That’s what’s up” or negatively, by saying “What’s up with that?” On the list of things that are given the stamp of “That’s what’s up” approval: setting boundaries with your partner, backflips, and night-vision goggles. Using racial or homophobic slurs and kidney stones are dismissed with furrowed brows and “What’s up with that?” In the comments of the TikTok video,...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other high-ranking figures in Donald Trump’s administration recently used an unsecured Signal group chat to discuss plans to bomb Houthi militants in Yemen. The group chat somehow included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, who wrote about the experience on Monday.

The administration’s stunning carelessness with this kind of highly sensitive information would have, in normal times, led to resignations. These are not normal times, though, and the White House...

A couple of days after Hollywood star George Clooneyappeared on the CBS news program 60 Minutes to promote his new Broadway show, President Donald Trump has responded to the actor via social media. Although Clooney did not exactly point fingers during his appearance on the CBS show, he did say that "governments don't like the freedom of the press." It appears that he may have hit a nerve, and once again, Trump has expressed his disdain for the actor, calling him a "second rate movie star."

As reported by Variety, Clooney is currently promoting the stage version of Good Night, and Good Luck, his 2005 Academy Award-nominated movie starring David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow. The film portrays the journalist's clash (usually broadcast live on television) against U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in the times of McCarthyism, and the witch hunt that ensued when far too many Americans were accused of communism.

Last year, Elon Musk bought himself a president, now he’s following through on his promise to turn his billions towards down-ballot races — beginning with Wisconsin.

After spending $290 million last election cycle to elect Donald Trump and Republicans, the Tesla billionaire and so-called Department of Government Efficiency chief has now poured millions into Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race to help Republicans regain control and hold onto their gerrymandered congressional majority in Washington.

Last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state’s legislative maps, which were so heavily...

Rosie O’Donnell is making a fresh start with her 12-year-old daughter, Dakota, after moving from the United States to Ireland following the presidential victory of Donald Trump, her long-time public rival. Appearing on the Irish network RTÉ’s The Late Late Show on Friday (March 21), the Emmy-winning actress and comedian opened up about her 20-plus year feud with the former The Apprentice host revealing the precise moment she believes it all kicked off. O’Donnell said Trump has “had it out” for her for 20 years after she “told the truth about him on a program called The View.” “I mentioned his bankruptcies, and I mentioned all of the sexual assault charges, and I mentioned that he was not, in fact, the businessman that everyone thinks he is because of the show, The Apprentice, where they sold a bunch of lies to America for over 10 years, and half of America believed it,...

Updated, with Gabbard comment and The Atlantic statement: The White House’s strategy to deal with the fallout over a Signal app security breach is a familiar one: Blame the media.

This time, it’s that the story is overblown.

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg wrote on Monday that he was mistakenly given access to a Signal group chat involving National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and other top Trump administration officials. At one point, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared plans for strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, hours before they were carried out.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this morning attacked Goldberg, saying that he is “well-known for his sensationalist spin.”

She wrote, “1. No ‘war plans’ were discussed. 2. No classified material was sent to the thread. 3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump’s top officials to communicate...

Following Donald Trump’s installation of loyalists on the Kennedy Center board to elect him chairman, the president is now floating himself as the next host of the Kennedy Center Honors. Stephen Colbert is more than happy to see that happen — provided it comes with a trade.

Really, during his monologue on Monday night, the CBS host wasn’t at all surprised to hear Trump suggest his own name as host.

“You could have given me a thousand guesses, and that would have been all of them,” Colbert said with a laugh. “I just want to point out I hosted the Kennedy Center Honors. I did it for three years! Yeah, went down there every year. Did it for three years, it was a lot of fun. And I’ll tell you what, sir, I’m willing to trade.”

“You host the Kennedy Center Honors, I’ll be president,” he finished,...

YouTube hit a record 11.6% of all TV viewing in February, according to the latest edition of Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge Report.

That put the Google-owned video giant in the No. 1 spot, ahead of Disney. The 11.6% stat had been released as part of a prior February recap by Nielsen, but Tuesday’s rankings measure viewing by distributor.

The top finish was only YouTube’s second since the Media Distributor Gauge Report launched about a year ago. The report groups together all platforms of the Walt Disney Co., and most times the breadth of the portfolio carries the day. In February, though, Disney fell to No. 2, while Fox Corp. rode a surge of tune-in to the Super Bowl across broadcast and streaming outlet Tubi to edge Netflix and end up third. (See full ranking below.)

Disney’s slip was caused in part by the absence...

“Comedy is tragedy plus time,” they say, but in today’s hypersensitive world, timing is everything. Just ask Nikki Glaser, who took the stage at the 2025 Golden Globes and proved herself a natural at hosting—even if her humor occasionally strayed into dangerous waters. While her jokes landed with most, some were deemed too hot to handle.

Nikki Glaser in a still from her comedy special Someday You’ll Die | image: HBO

Take, for instance, her quip about Adrien Brody being a two-time Holocaust survivor due to his roles in The Pianist and The Brutalist — a joke so bold that it teetered dangerously close to crossing the line.

Well, Glaser’s boldness was refreshing, but there’s no denying the delicate balancing act she was walking. But hey, if a joke doesn’t hit right, you just gotta laugh it off, right? After all, even the best of us slip up now and then.

Actress-singer Rachel Zegler achieved worldwide recognition after she starred in Steven Spielberg’s musical adaptation of West Side Story as María. Not only was the actress highly appreciated for her portrayal of the character, but she also earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress-Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her work in the movie. Zegler later appeared in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and others.

Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Disney’s Snow White | Credits: Disney

Zegler’s most recent work is Snow White in Disney’s Snow White alongside Gal Gadot. The musical fantasy movie is a live-action reimagining of 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White has found itself in hot waters since the announcement, and Zegler’s comments about the original movie just work, like adding fuel to the fire. However, fans have found...

Conor McGregor has turned out to be one of the most controversial figures in recent years despite his career at the UFC. The UFC champion seems to be becoming more famous because of his controversies and scandals than he is for his career as a professional mixed martial artist. Over the years, McGregor has been accused and even found guilty on charges like driving offenses, s*xual assault, robbery, causing violence, and disrupting mixed martial arts events.

Conor McGregor | Credits: Road House / Prime Video

Recently he was found guilty of r*pe, visited the White House, and announced his plans to run for President of Ireland. Well, another controversy has erupted following his old tweets related to the 2023 Dublin riots. If found guilty, the former UFC fighter faces up to seven years in prison.

What is Conor McGregor’s tweets controversy that can send him to jail? Mma fighter Conor...