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President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and many more of his political foes.

“I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information: Antony Blinken, Jacob Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Andrew Weissmann, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Cheney, Kamala Harris, Adam Kinzinger, Fiona Hill, Alexander Vindman, Joseph R. Biden Jr., and any other member of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s family,” Trump stated in a presidential memo.

>More: Trump Revokes Security Clearances For Biden: ‘Joe, You’re Fired!’

“Therefore, I hereby direct every executive department and agency head to take all additional action as necessary and consistent with existing law to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals and to immediately rescind their access to classified information,” he added. “I...

During his 2024 run for the presidency, Donald Trump declared his desire to use the military on United States citizens who disagree with him, demonizing these Americans as the “enemy within.” He would go on to repeat his baseless claims throughout his campaign, from describing “evil” Democrats as more dangerous than China or Russia to targeting his Democratic rivals and the press.

Since taking office, it appears that the president has been following through on his plan to retaliate against his opponents. Earlier this month, a Trump admin revoked security clearances...

There’s no easy job description, or rest for that matter, for Roger Carstens, officially the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs (Spera) until just this January. Carstens was one of the negotiators behind aiding Brittney Griner to freedom as well as the release of Russia-held prisoners Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul Whelan. Now, in Adam Ciralsky and Subrata De’s moving and effectively edited documentary “Take No Prisoners,” we see the fallout and wrongful detention of Eyvin Hernandez, a public defender hailing from California who, in 2022, was arrested in Venezuela and held there by current president Nicolás Maduro.

Ciralsky and De follow Carstens throughout the state department, on the private jets that shuttle him to prisoner exchanges, and all the way to Caracas, where he eventually helped free Eyvin Hernandez in 2023. As the film points out, we’ve seen a 175 percent increase in wrongful detentions over the last...

As Kamala Harris maps out her next moves after a grueling general election campaign against Donald Trump, the former vice president has found Hollywood representation.

The California politician has inked with Creative Artists Agency, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The agency plans to focus on speaking gigs and publishing opportunities as Harris plots options after the end of her term.

The move reunites Harris with her former boss, President Joe Biden, who re-signed with the Century City-based representation giant earlier this month. “CAA will work closely with Harris on her post-White House initiatives, creating strategic opportunities that expand her platform in support of the issues she has championed throughout decades-long career in public service,” the agency announced.

CAA’s co-chiefs, Richard Lovett, Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane, were among the industry’s prominent backers of Biden and Harris’ re-election bid.

Harris has published two books, 2019’s The Truths We Hold:...

There’s nothing from the White House yet, but the incoming President of the United States says a peace deal has been reached in the Middle East today.

As rumors broke out that Israel and Hamas had come to a ceasefire deal that will see hostages held since October 7, 2023 released, Donald Trump jumped in front of the official announcement and took to social media.

“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East,” the 45th and 47th Potus said five days before he is sworn in for the second time.

As Joe Biden’s team ran down the clock to get an agreement before the 46th Potus leaves office, Trump has been repeating for weeks that ‘all Hell will break loose” if the hundreds of hostages weren’t free by noon on January 20th. As likely incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted in his confirmation hearing as the news broke,...

President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use guided long-range American missiles to attack Russia, two senior U.S. officials told The Washington Post on Sunday.

Officials said that the decision, a reversal of current U.S. policy, was made after thousands of North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk in southern Russia in October in order to try to help Russia take territory back from Ukraine — a major escalation. The Biden administration, one official said, is partly hoping to discourage North Korea from sending more soldiers to aid Russian...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers from the Season 2 finale of “The Diplomat,” now streaming on Netflix.

Season 2 of “The Diplomat” has finally dropped, as promised, just days before the most consequential election of our lives.

Debora Cahn, the show’s creator, wrote this season way before Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate for president, so whatever you’ve seen on “The Diplomat” concerning a Biden-like president and a female VP isn’t a reflection of those events. When Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), husband to the American Ambassador to the United Kingdom, played by Keri Russell, insults that VP (Allison Janney) — saying that the only thing she’s accomplished is wearing white, or that the White House doesn’t even like her enough to stick in the back of photographs — he’s not referring to Harris. So keep that straight. And vote!

There is some backstory to the making of...

With just weeks to go in this election, we are on the brink of another transfer of power, with a near 50/50 chance that Donald Trump will again be preparing to govern. Ominous signs right now suggest Trump’s plan for this transition is chaotic and risky, flouting rules established to keep the country safe and secure.

What is most worrisome about the Trump planning, though, is the dangerous game of chicken he is playing with the outgoing Biden White House. We recently learned that the Trump transition team has not...

The World With Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim, a new weekly global affairs podcast from the well-known NBC News and Sky News faces, will only launch on Wednesday, Oct. 9. But its two stars are already busy preparing for it.

The podcast, revealed exclusively by The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, promises to “combine eyewitness reporting from the front line of the world’s most hazardous areas with in-depth analysis and conversation with some of the most important and influential figures on the global stage.”

On Wednesday, Sky News’ Hakim, recently deployed to Beirut in Lebanon, and NBC News’ Engel, as he was on his way to Beirut, took time for a video call with THR about their vision for the podcast, the challenge of fake news, the rise of social media and AI and the risks of more people avoiding the news. Plus, they gave a first taste of how they...

A 17-page memo from the U.S. Agency for International Development (Usaid) detailed instances of Israel deliberately interfering with humanitarian aid efforts including the killing of aid workers, bombing hospitals, and denying trucks carrying food and medicine from entering Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a “full-blown famine” in the northern region.

In April, Usaid sent their findings to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the State Department’s refugees bureau determination was made known to top diplomats. U.S. law requires that the government suspend weapons shipments to any country blocking U.

On Wednesday, September 25, CBS Mornings welcomes Secretary of State Antony Blinken, country music artist Mickey Guyton, and singer-author Lance Bass to the show. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joins the hosts to discuss the latest developments in foreign policy and global affairs. Mickey Guyton, a talented country music artist, will also grace the studio. […]

CBS Mornings Wednesday, Sept. 25: Antony Blinken, Mickey Guyton, Lance Bass...

A still frame from a broadcast on Russia-back news and opinion channel Rt.

The U.S. State Department on Friday said it was imposing more sanctions on Russia-backed international broadcaster Rt amid concerns that the news outlet is fundraising on behalf of a widely-criticized military effort.

Specifically, officials with the State Department said Rt (formerly Russia Today) had operated online fundraisers that generated money used by the Russian military to procure weapons and other equipment for its ongoing combat action in Ukraine.

For more than two years, American officials have criticized Rt for running a propaganda campaign that was largely favorable to Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine. The accusations lobbed against Rt this week are among the first to accuse the outlet of providing direct and material support to government forces beyond the typical scope of a TV broadcaster.

“Rt wants its new covert intelligence capabilities, like its longstanding propaganda disinformation efforts,...

A group of pro-Palestine actors, writers, directors and crew is taking their fight to SAG-AFTRA.

Mark Ruffalo, Cynthia Nixon, Common, Susan Sarandon and Rosie O’Donnell are among the more than 700 movie and TV professionals to sign an open letter from SAG-AFTRA & Sister Guild Members for Ceasefire, calling for an end to the “industry’s McCarthyist repression of members who acknowledge Palestinian suffering.”

Other signatories include Ramy Youssef, Riz Ahmed, Busy Philipps, Griffin Dunne, Kendrick Sampson, Indya Moore, Haaz Sleiman, Sara Ramirez, Tavi Gevinson, Bobbi Menuez, Atsuko Okatsuka, Leo Sheng, Poppy Liu, Isis King, E.R. Fightmaster, Angelica Ross, Lexi Underwood, Zoe Chao, Dylan Adler, Jordan Hull, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Jacob Tobia, Josh Thomas and more. Read it in full below.

Following Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the Israeli government’s subsequent attacks on Gaza, SAG-AFTRA previously shared a statement in support of the Jewish people.

The open letter acknowledged that...

She’s just stating it as it is. Tulsi Gabbard has once again gone on the record to slam the current presidential nominee for the Democratic party, Kamala Harris.

The former presidential candidate herself said the pool f Democratic elite who are running the White House will not be leaving if Kamala Harris wins the presidency. She made her comments during an appearance on the Modern Wisdom podcast.

Tulsi Gabbard Slams Kamala Harris – ‘Nothing Will Change’

Gabbard said, “President Biden has not been the guy calling the shots. He has not been the guy making the decisions, nor has it been Kamala Harris for that matter.”

“It is this cabal of the Democrat elite, the woke war mongers made up of the likes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Tony Blinken and Jake Sullivan.”

“People who are in the military industrial complex, people who profit from us being in a constant state of war.

William Nevious had just grabbed his drum kit from the back of the truck, but this wouldn’t be a typical gig.

As the percussionist in the Screaming Eagles Combo, Nevious knew part of the reason he ended up in South Vietnam during the final months of 1967. When he and his fellow band members weren’t on kitchen duty, guard patrol, or setting aflame oil drums full of human waste, they’d be driven or flown to what his bandmate Rick Linton calls “bases and shitholes,” some in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle.

As the Toronto International Film Festival kicked off on Thursday, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war stole the spotlight.

Pro-Palestine protesters held a demonstration inside the Princess of Wales Theatre during the TIFF opening night gala, interrupting festival CEO Cameron Bailey’s speech and calling for sponsor Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) to stop funding Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

“Stop the genocide!” chanted five activists during the protest, which lasted four minutes before security escorted them out past the front of the theater. Canadian Pm Justin Trudeau was in attendance as the demonstration broke out.

As of last month, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since terrorist group Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack prompted Israel’s attack on Gaza, CNN reported.

The protest came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave an update that the Biden administration has been working with Qatar and Egypt on a new cease-fire proposal to...

Pro-Palestine protesters interrupted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert twice Tuesday night. In response, Pelosi said that the U.S. is committed to Israel and that she hopes Hamas will accept a ceasefire agreement.

A protester began shouting a few minutes into the segment, which aired live from Chicago, as Pelosi said that Democrats are electing Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s not clear what the protester was saying.

“It’s going to be a great, great election,” Pelosi said over the protests.

Kevin Macdonald’s documentary follows the former boxer in charge of Ukraine’s capital as he deals with the fallout of the Russian invasion

The bad blood between Vitali Klitschko, former heavyweight champ and now mayor of Kyiv, and Ukraine’s hero president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is not exactly a secret but there’s fascinating detail in this film by Kevin Macdonald that shows how both men – who we’d fondly like to think are united at the hip in the struggle to repel the Russian invasion – appear to undermine each other. I say “appear” of course, because this can’t be anything other than a partial view; with Macdonald’s camera and access firmly focused on Klitschko, and no response provided from Zelenskiy’s camp.

Still, the footage Macdonald gets is remarkable, particularly of Klitschko in meetings with senior American politicians (including secretary of state Anthony Blinken) during which he attacks,...

Édgar Ramírez is opening up about his homeland.

The 47-year-old Borderlands actor spoke about Venezuela, and why he hasn’t traveled home to the country in about seven years, at the premiere of his new movie while holding the Venezuelan flag.

“I can’t because I’m vocal against Maduro and the government,” he said to Variety‘s Marc Malkin on the red carpet.

Keep reading to find out more…

“It hurts. The capital punishment for the ancient Greeks wasn’t death — it was exile. You turn into an emotional zombie in a way. The pain of having to leave your country not because you want to, but because you’re forced to do it. That’s why the immigration issue is so delicate because no one — no one! — wants to leave home. You want to see the world but no one wants to leave the world that they know.

In response to a lawsuit by Rolling Stone and National Security Counselors, the Department of Justice has turned over two tranches of FBI documents related to former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Rolling Stone’s Freedom of Information Act request, filed hours after the announcement of his death in November 2023, seeks expedited processing of FBI files related to the former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to President Nixon. Kissinger is widely considered to be a war criminal for his role in the bombing of Cambodia, a coup in Chile,...

Updated: Sean Penn, LeVar Burton and Wilmer Valderrama are among the entertainment figures on the guest list for tonight’s state dinner at the White House for Kenya.

President Joe Biden welcomed Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House in an arrival ceremony earlier in the day.

Also on the list, per a pool report: Hunter Biden, Roger Goodell, Michaela Cole, Don McLean, Sheryl Sandberg, Barbara Kingsolver and Huma Abedin. Brad Paisley will perform.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also were there, having attended the last state dinner as well. Not on the list, but arriving to the event as well was former President Barack Obama.

Journalists on the guest list include NBC News’ Lester Holt, CNN’s Bianna Golodryga, MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend and The Grio’s April Ryan.

Other industry invitees include Paramount Global’s DeDe Lea, UTA Darnell Strom and Silver Eagle Acquisition Corp.

The International Criminal Court issued applications for arrest warrants on Monday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and several other Israeli and Hamas officials on war crimes charges and allegations of crimes against humanity.

The court alleges that both Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, in which more than 1,000 Israelis were killed and hundreds kidnapped, as well as Israel’s retaliatory offensive against the Gaza Strip and blockade of aid to Palestinians were conducted in violation of international law. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.

A politician was cringy and tone-deaf — what a shock! On Tuesday (May 14th), United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken hopped on stage at a bar in Kyiv, Ukraine, to cover the Neil Young classic “Rockin’ in the Free World,” surprising Americans, Ukrainians, and, reportedly, the band.

As reported by The Guardian, the band Blinken joined at the Barman Dictat bar, 19.99, were initially told they would be performing the song with Neil Young himself. It wasn’t until just before they were set to play that they found out the special guest was, in reality, Blinken.

“Your soldiers, your citizens — particularly in the north-east, in Kharkiv — are suffering tremendously,” Blinken said prior to launching into the song. “But they need to know, you need to know, the United States is with you, so much of the world is with you, and they’re fighting not just for a free Ukraine,...

Sen. Lindsey Graham doesn’t want Israel to hold back on its assault in Gaza, comparing the Israeli military’s efforts against Hamas to when the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, killing more than 100,000 civilians.

Right now, one million Palestinians — including many women and children — are huddled in the southern Gaza city of Rafah while 300,000 have fled the area as Israel advances its ground invasion. Already Israeli tanks have entered Rafah. The United Nations warned that if Israel invades Rafah, puts hundreds...

Now that a potential TikTok ban has been passed by Congress and signed by President Biden, some lawmakers are getting more comfortable saying what exactly the ban would help them accomplish. In recent days, at least two prominent Republican lawmakers have linked the possible ban to their concerns that content on the extremely popular social media app is too sympathetic to Palestinians under siege in Gaza.

On Friday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) hosted an interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at this year’s McCain Institute Sedona Forum. Romney...

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone Sunday to discuss a potential hostage and cease-fire deal along with other demands as the assault in Gaza continues.

On Sunday, the White House said Biden inquired about the likelihood of a deal with Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, talks which have slowed in recent weeks. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is heading to Israel this week to assist with reigniting the discussions.

Officials said Biden also...

The chants and shouts of pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted the entry to the Washington Hilton for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, but once inside, attendees were greeted with what has become the usual scene: Celebrities on the red carpet, a crush for the security line and glitterati packed into a cavernous ballroom.

“I want to thank my wife for enduring lots of jokes and for agreeing to individually meet everyone in this room right after the ceremony,” the evening’s featured entertainer, Colin Jost, quipped about Scarlett Johansson, who posed for photos with a non-stop stream of attendees. She continued to do so later in the evening, at the Comcast-nbcu after party at the French ambassador’s residence.

Joe Biden laughs at Colin Jost as he entertains at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

The protests outside — now ubiquitous at any public event, much less one that mixes politics,...

Washington — “You look beautiful in your blood-stained gown,” a protester shouted at a finely dressed woman, opulent in heels and done up to perfection as she made her way to the Washington Hilton, the site of this year’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday, April 27.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is Washington, D.C.’s hallmark event — a night where top Beltway journalists mingle with politicians and White House staff, and the president makes jokes. This year’s event was the target of a protest aimed at...

Jon Stewart took the Biden administration to task over how it deals with Israel, pointing out the stark contrast between the U.S. government response to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and that over the war in Gaza.

On Monday’s episode of The Daily Show, Stewart took a “wellness check” on the war on Gaza, adding that “as the war has grinded on, justice is beginning to look like cruelty.”

In a segment the Daily Show has dubbed “The Futile Crescent”, the host looked at the Biden administration’s recent determination to uphold a rules-based order inherent to the U.S.’s “universal values” — but only in relation to the Ukraine conflict. Using clips of President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Stewart focused on their robust condemnation of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and in particular, their comments about Russian attempts to target and suppress the free press and weaponize food shortages against Ukrainians,...

On the “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart decided it was time for a “wellness check” on Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war reached the six-month mark Sunday.

“As the war has grinded on, justice is beginning to seem more like cruelty,” “The Daily Show” host said on Monday night. “But not to worry: America, the shining city on a hill, is on the case with our universal values.”

Stewart then pointed out that America’s values are quite inconsistent, especially when comparing the government’s response to the war in Gaza versus the war in Ukraine.

In one clip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Russia’s weaponization of food in Ukraine “unconscionable.”

Stewart agreed with Blinken’s description, adding: “Speaking of which, there is a literal famine in Gaza caused by the war. I assume America will also consider this unconscionable.”

However, when asked about the situation in Gaza,...

Following the killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers by an Israeli strike while delivering food to Gaza earlier this week, House Democrats wrote a letter on Friday to U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging them to halt the the transfer of weapons to Israel until a full investigation into the airstrike was completed.

The letter, spearheaded by Reps. Mark Pocan, Jim McGovern and Jan Schakowsky, was signed by 40 lawmakers including Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“In light of this incident, we strongly urge...

President Joe Biden is “warming” to the idea of being more publicly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his country’s assault on Gaza continues unabated, The Washington Post reported.

The paper reported that Biden is becoming increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu, citing interviews with multiple sources familiar with internal White House discussions. Per the Post, the president and his aides are “no longer viewing Netanyahu as a productive partner who can be influenced even in private.”

Biden and the prime minister have known each other for more than four decades,...

On Tuesday night, the United States Senate tabled a resolution that would have required the State Department to report to Congress on Israeli human rights violations committed in Gaza involving the use of U.S. arms and equipment.

Only 11 senators voted in favor of the resolution: nine Democrats [Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-n.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-n.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)], one Republican [Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)], and one Independent [Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.

Washington — The Kennedy Center Honors was a decidedly tuneful affair, with musical talents representing four of its five recipients – vocalists and/or songwriters Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Queen Latifah and Barry Gibb — along with actor/comedian/filmmaker Billy Crystal.

The program, in its 46th year, followed the traditional format that showcases tributes to each honoree by artists and celebs whose identities are undisclosed in advance. It kicked off with a lively parade of dancers down the aisles, led by emcee and former honoree Gloria Estefan and accompanied by Sheila E on drums — a first for the event. Produced again by Done and Dusted Inc., it will air Dec. 27 on CBS.

Omitted this year was one familiar staple at the event – the inclusion of brief video biographies of each honoree that emphasized their childhoods and routes to success. Instead, minimal use of videos embellished career highlights.

The tribute to Warwick led...

It was a busy week for Colin Jost and Michael Che as they joked on Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” about everything in politics and pop culture.

The big news right now is media and tech companies pulling their ad dollars from X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after advertisements started appearing next to anti-semitic posts.

“Which is a huge relief because I was definitely worried about where this was going to end up,” Jost quipped.

An image of Jost making a thumbs-up appeared on-screen with the SNL “Weekend Update” anchor smiling gleefully.

Colin Jost on ‘SNL’

Later on in the segment, Jost took on the news that Rupert Murdoch was stepping down as CEO of Fox News parent Fox and News Corp, joking that he passed “the position to his son, Darth Murdoch.” Jost made a reference to the villain Darth Vader of Star Wars.

Hundreds of political appointees and government staffers representing over 40 U.S. agencies signed a letter to the Biden administration calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

According to The New York Times, which reviewed a copy of the letter, more than 400 individuals anonymously signed on to Tuesday’s missive demanding the president’s administration call more forcefully for de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Israel’s retaliatory siege against Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas, which killed 1,400 Israelis, has now killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.

Over 100 congressional staffers staged a walkout in front of the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, calling on the representatives they work for to endorse a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

The staffers held a vigil for the 1,400 Israelis killed in Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack against Israel, as well as the more than 10,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s retaliatory siege against the Gaza Strip.

“We were horrified by the brutal October 7th attacks on Israeli civilians, and we are horrified by the overwhelming response by...

Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza repeatedly interrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. The protesters derailed proceedings at least five times, staggering their interjections throughout his opening statement.

“Blinken, you have blood on your hands! Murderer!” one protester yelled amid calls for a ceasefire from others in the room. “From Palestine to Mexico all the walls have got to go,” the demonstrators chanted.

“Blinken, you have blood on your hands! Murderer!”

— Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s...

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was repeatedly interrupted at a Senate hearing today by about a dozen protesters opposed to Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The demonstrators, some of whom chanted “ceasefire now” and “no Gaza genocide,” were escorted or dragged out of the hearing by Capitol Police.

On CNN, which was carrying the hearing live, one woman was seen standing up behind Blinken with the sign, “ceasefire in Gaza.” Others in the crowd had painted their hands red to represent blood and held them up during the hearing.

“I appreciate that people feel passionately about these issues. I would ask that you respect our witnesses and our committee members and allow the American people to hear their testimony. We will pause until the room is clear,” said Sen. Patti Murray (D-wa), the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Blinken was interrupted again by another demonstrator, and then by a larger group.

CBS’ Margaret Brennan is attempting to combat an overwhelming news cycle by “connecting the dots” between domestic and foreign policy as the host of “Face The Nation.”

“You’re talking about a period of global instability in the Middle East, in the land war in Europe, with the growing competition with China, and you have back here at home some of the basic functioning of our institutions of democracy being paralyzed,” Brennan told TheWrap.

For “Face the Nation” Brennan said, “We try to weave all of those together and explain that one affects the other.”

But between Brennan’s dual role at the network, as anchor and chief foreign affairs correspondent, there are “a lot of fires in a lot of places right now,” she said.

This week’s edition of “Face The Nation” on Sunday included an interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,...

“We should have those hostages released and then we can talk,” President Joe Biden said Monday as two more hostages were let go by Hamas amid further rising tensions and deaths in the Middle East.

Speaking at a D.C. event to announce an investment in regional tech hubs and to discuss the economy, Biden’s remark came in response to a reporter’s question about whether the U.S. supports a “hostages for ceasefire deal” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The release today of Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, now confirmed by the Israeli government, dominated coverage on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and BBC World News today. Seen online, Biden’s speech and comments were not covered live – unlike a press briefing earlier in the day by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

While not mentioning the hostages specifically, Biden cut short his remarks as news of their release spread.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused militant group Hamas of blocking Americans and citizens of other nations from crossing into Egypt from Gaza and said that “some significant number” of the 10 unaccounted for Americans are being held hostage by Hamas.

“We have several hundred Americans and other nationalities, other civilians from other countries who want to leave Gaza,” Blinken said on Face the Nation. “We’ve had people come to Rafah, the crossing with Egypt. And to date, at least, Hamas has blocked them from leaving, showing once again, its...

More than 2,000 figures from the UK’s arts and culture world have signed an open letter calling for the immediate cessation of Israel’s blockade and bombing of Gaza.

“We are witnessing a crime and a catastrophe. Israel has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, and cut off the supply of water, power, food and medicine to 2.3 million Palestinians,” reads the letter. “In the words of the Un’s undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, ‘the spectre of death’ is hanging over the territory.”

The signatories include acting stars Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance, Steve Coogan, Miriam Margolyes, Peter Mullan, Maxine Peake and Khalid Abdalla.

The Israeli action is in retaliation for a brutal terror attack out of Gaza by Hamas on October 7, which killed more than 1,400 people and resulted in the taking of 199 hostages.

More than 2,750 Palestinians are reported to have died in Israel’s subsequent bombing campaign, while electricity, food and...

Gigi Hadid, who is half-Palestinian, has spoken up about Israel-Hamas war, saying, “The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with and does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement.”

Hadid, whose father Mohamed Hadid is a Palestinian immigrant and practicing Muslim, took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the conflict, which began with a brutal and violent Hamas attack on the Israeli people over the weekend.

“My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy and every day that innocent lives are taken...

The Recording Academy is in a global state of mind.

With the rise of genres like K-pop and Afrobeats and the steady domination of Latin music — from traditional regional Mexican to contemporary Latin trap music — the organization that puts on the Grammy Awards annually has been on a mission to globalize and expand its presence and work around the world.

This year, the Academy partnered with the United Nations to show how the power of music promotes social change around the world and launched a campaign that encourages artists to use their talent to support human rights issues, including advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, women’s empowerment and climate justice; the Latin Recording Academy, launched 25 years ago, will hold the Latin Grammys (set for Nov. 16) outside of the U.S. for the first time — in Sevilla, Spain; and the Grammys will debut its best African music performance category at the 2024 show,...

As coverage continues of the war between Hamas and Israel, CNN reporter Nic Robertson choked up as he discussed the likelihood of rescuing Israeli hostages.

CNN’s Nic Robertson choking up discussing the prospects of rescuing the hostages taken by Hamas. @Mediaite #Israel #Idf pic.twitter.com/1F1AUg6od8

— Artane (@Artane_33) October 8, 2023

There are 30 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, according to another terrorist group in Gaza, Islamic Jihad — but it’s unknown if that number is accurate, Robertson said.

As Robertson related how he asked a major in the Israeli Defense Force how they planned to get those hostages back, the journalist had to pause as he collected himself.

“I’m sorry, Abby. He told me that they were going to do everything in their power to get them back — no one would be left behind,” Robertson said. “But I think I picked up from him the extreme difficulty that is presented here,...

Americans have been captured and are being held hostage by Hamas amid the militant group’s attack on Israel that began Saturday, two Israeli ambassadors said, although the number of American hostages remains unconfirmed.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that “dozens” of Americans are being held in Gaza amid a Hamas attack. “I know that there are dozens — dozens, Ok? — of Israelis holding American citizenship who are being held hostage in Gaza,” Erdan told Fox News, according to Haaretz. “There are many Israelis who have American citizenship,...

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. is “working to verify” reports that “several Americans were killed” and others were taken hostage in Israel over the weekend.

“We have reports that several Americans were killed. We’re working overtime to verify that. At the same time, there are reports of missing Americans and there again, we’re working to verify those reports,” Blinken told Dana Bash on Sunday’s State of the Union.

Secretary of State Blinken says the US is "working overtime" to verify reports of...

President Joe Biden condemned the “appalling Hamas terrorist attacks” in Israel Saturday after Gaza militants launched a surprise assault that has so far resulted in at least 250 people killed and over 1,000 wounded, an Israeli official said late Saturday, Haaretz reports.

“Today, I spoke with @IsraeliPM about the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. I offered our support and reiterated my unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” Biden tweeted. “@Flotus and I express our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.”

Militants videotaped shooting around a southern city near Gaza border.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken kicked off a new state department global music diplomacy initiative by showing off his own skills as a singer-guitarist.

After delivering remarks at a State Department event, Blinken said that it would not be complete “without a little bit of blues,” before playing and singing the Muddy Waters classic “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Watch below.

I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy. Was a pleasure to launch @StateDept’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. pic.twitter.com/6MUfTXO9xK

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 28, 2023

The State Department on the diplomacy initiative, which is designed to highlight music as a diplomatic tool in foreign policy, includes the Recording Academy as a partner. An American music mentorship program will bring international music industry professionals for mentorship and other opportunities. The first will be held in fall 2024.

Also announced was the Fulbright-Kennedy Center...