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Update: CNN reached a settlement with a security consultant this afternoon, hours after a jury found the network liable for defamation and awarded him $5 million.

Judge William Henry announced the settlement as jurors were deliberating in the second phase of the trial, to determine how much in additional punitive damages to award Zachary Young, a Navy veteran who filed the lawsuit last year. He was featured in a 2021 report on the exorbitant fees being demanded on the black market to evacuate Afghans during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.

A CNN spokesperson said, “We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case.”

Earlier, the Florida jury today found CNN liable for defaming Young. The jury awarded $4 million in damages related to Young’s loss of earning potential and another $1 million for pain and suffering,...

A Florida jury began deliberations this afternoon in a security consultant’s defamation lawsuit against CNN.

Zachary Young sued the network following a report in 2021 that he sought exorbitant fees to evacuate Afghans in what amounted to a black market in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.

The segment from Alexander Marquardt was aired on CNN on November 11, 2021, and re-aired three times. Links to the segments also were posted on social media, and a digital article was posted on November 13.

In one instance, Young’s image appeared on screen with the chyron, “Afghans trying to flee Taliban face black markets, exorbitant fees, no guarantee of safety or success.”

Judge William Henry said that a jury would have to decide whether the use of the term “black market” meant illegal or criminal activity.

The jurors will have to decide a series of questions, starting with, Did CNN commit defamation per se? Did CNN commit defamation by implication?...

A security consultant testified in the second day of his defamation trial against CNN, as his attorney ran through a series of text messages with the network reporters.

Zachary Young claims that he was defamed by a a false 2021 report that tarred him with exploiting Afghan family members by charging exorbitant fees to get them out of the country during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.

On the stand today, Young testified about his interactions with CNN’s Katie Bo Lillis on Nov. 3, 2021. Young said that he reached out to the network because he thought they needed help in evacuation operations from Afghanistan. But Lillis told him that she was actually working :on some reporting related to ongoing efforts to help get at-risk Afghans out of the country and your name came up in a couple of conversations recently.” He said that he would cooperate with the story but did not want to be named.

Updated, with Des Moines Register comment: Donald Trump vowed to file additional lawsuits against media outlets and media figures, just days after he settled his lawsuit against ABC in which the network agreed to contribute $15 million to his presidential foundation and library.

“We have to straighten out our press. Our press is very corrupt, almost as corrupt as our elections,” Trump told reporters today in a press conference.

Trump suggested that he would file a lawsuit against Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register, which published her poll, just days before the election, that showed Kamala Harris with a three-percentage point lead in the state. As it turned out, Trump won the state by more than 13 percentage points.

Trump claimed that the poll was “fraud” and “election interference.” “We’ll probably be filing a major lawsuit against them today or tomorrow,” he said.

Selzer, in an interview with a local PBS station last week,...

Barack Obama’s now-famous “crowd size” joke at the DNC the other night? The words themselves might have been expected by his speechwriters, but the leave-nothing-to-the-imagination hand gesture was a surprise. And all Obama.

Jon Favreau, Obama’s former White House director of speechwriting who assisted in the crafting of the DNC speech, reiterated on CNN today what he says during the latest episode of his podcast Pod Save America: Obama’s hand gesture, sizing up Donald Trump, wasn’t scripted.

Obama’s full DNC quote about Trump: “Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually getting worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala. There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes.

Kasie Hunt has long been known for her work on the political beat, but in days to come she hopes people will think of her for news about culture or sports, maybe the weather. When the news cycle delivers something weird or surprising, the CNN early-morning anchor says she is even “willing to make faces on the air.”

Cable’s A.M. news shows have thrived in recent years by focusing relentlessly on politics, Now CNN and Hunt want to scramble viewers’ perceptions by widening the network’s aperture. “We want to be there for them even when politics is not the lead,” says Hunt during a recent interview.

People who tuned in to Monday’s “CNN This Morning,” the program Hunt anchors between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. — now with her name in the title — may have noticed a few new elements on screen, particularly starting at 6. New blue-and-yellow...

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday night from the Oval Office. “That is the best way to unite our nation,” the 81-year-old incumbent added of his exit from the 2024 race and quick endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.

Certainly, reaction to Biden’s primetime TV speech has been almost totally united in praise. Blacklist founder Leonard Franklin and Stephen King both perhaps put it best and most bluntly soon after Biden’s just under 15-minutes remarks ended.

Hell of a speech.

— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) July 25, 2024

Hell of a speech.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 25, 2024

One of the big Hollywood donors who called for Biden to withdraw from his reelection efforts after the president’s debate debacle of June 27, Rob Reiner, the director of The American President, left nothing on the table tonight.

Updated with official announcement: As Deadline reported overnight, Warner Bros Discovery has named Robert Gibbs Chief Communications Officer. He will also be the company’s Public Affairs Officer, a newly created dual role overseeing Wbd’s corporate and business communications as well as public affairs.

He starts August 5, reporting to CEO David Zaslav.

“At this transformative time in our industry, Robert is the right leader to assume this new, critical global role, as we continue to grow the Warner Bros. Discovery brand and presence around the world,” Zaslav said. “Robert is an insightful and respected leader with experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, the White House, and winning political campaigns. He will be an invaluable part of the team as we create the most captivating stories and content for consumers around the world. I am thrilled to welcome him to Wbd.”

“I couldn’t be happier to join Warner Bros. Discovery and...

Warner Bros. Discovery is set to name Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary to former President Barack Obama, as its new communications chief, Variety has confirmed. The company is expected to make the announcement official on Monday, and is believed to have already informed Wbd chief David Zaslav’s direct reports with the news.

Gibbs will take over the role from former corporate communications chief Nathaniel Brown, who exited the company in January. The exec will work closely with Zaslav in shaping the company’s corporate messaging and in other arenas. The search for Brown’s replacement took six months as Zaslav was believed to be searching for a major name to fill the role, and sources said the exec believes he’s excited by the pick.

Gibbs was a longtime senior advisor to Obama and served as his press secretary from 2009 to 2011. He began working for Obama during his U.

Puck, the innovative new media company focused on putting journalists at the center of its business model, announced the launch of a new podcast hosted by John Heilemann, Puck's Chief Political Columnist and newest partner. The podcast, entitled Impolitic with John Heilemann, is in partnership with leading premium podcast network Audacy Podcasts and will publish new episodes every Tuesday and Friday starting on June 4.

Heilemann's new podcast comes on the heels of the launch last month of his weekly Puck column, also named Impolitic, which anchors a new Sunday edition of the company's political franchise, The Best & The Brightest. The podcast is a retooled, rebranded, and expanded version of Heilemann's previous hit podcast, Hell & High Water, in which the veteran magazine and television journalist and bestselling author interviewed newsmakers from the worlds of politics and culture: from former Attorney General Eric Holder and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki to renowned political strategists,...

Bill Maher had quite a lot to say on his latest episode of Real Time about Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial.

On Thursday, a New York jury found the former president guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. Throughout the five weeks of testimony, the jury heard from a former tabloid publisher, a Hollywood fixer, Trump’s former lawyer and a porn star. Sentencing for Trump is set for July 11.

Maher described Friday’s episode as a “historic show,” seemingly because Trump became the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes.

“Yeah, he’s pretty distraught and pissed off these days,” the host said. “But I gotta say, Don, if there was a silver line to this, you finally did something that made Stormy [Daniels] come.” (The case centered on a sexual encounter that Daniels said she had with Trump in 2006 that...

John Waters is still stirring things up at 78. A frequent Real Time guest of Bill Maher, the writer, actor, and filmmaker of such cult classics as Pink Flamingos and Cry-Baby can still zing with the best.

He started off with a brief discussion of this week’s biggest news, the Trump trial results in New York.

“If he gets home detention, you will hear Melania scream,” Waters said. Adding, “In jail, they pay guards for cell phones. He has to sneak in “Just for Men.”

The conversation took an abrupt turn when Maher brought up the Pope’s slur against gays this week, which prompted Waters to reminisce about the days of Glory Holes on both coasts. “God, I hope I didn’t blow Rex Reed!”

Fortunately for Walters, he claimed his films are “doing better than ever,” though he admits he lost every obscenity case he was ever involved in.

Bill Maher hosts a new episode of his talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher, on HBO, this Friday, May 31, 2024, at 10:00 p.m. This week’s guests include John Waters, the writer, actor, and filmmaker known for the classic musical film Cry-Baby, along with David Axelrod, a former senior advisor to President Obama and […]

Real Time with Bill Maher: John Waters, David Axelrod, Ken Buck...

Real Time With Bill Maher continues Friday, May 31 (10:00-11:00 p.m. Et/7:00-8:00 p.m. Pt). Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show continues with its opening monologue, one-on-one interviews with notable guests, roundtable discussions with panelists, and its signature “New Rules.” The series airs on HBO and is available to stream on Max. This week features a one-on-one interview with John Waters, writer, actor, and filmmaker of the 1990 classic musical film “Cry-Baby.” This week’s panel discussion includes David Axelrod, former senior advisor to President Obama, CNN political contributor, and host of the podcast “The Axe Files with David Axelrod”; and Ken Buck, former Republican congressman from Colorado. In 2023, Mediaite named Bill ... Read more...

Michael D. Ratner is being singled out as Storyteller of the Year.

The veteran director, producer and content guru, who serves as founder and CEO of Obb Media, has been tapped to receive the special honors from Project Healthy Minds at the nonprofit’s fundraising gala, set for New York’s Spring Studios on Oct. 10. The timing coincides with World Mental Health Day and the organization’s World Mental Health Day Festival.

The honor comes after Ratner has made a name for himself as a music video director turned documentary storyteller and entrepreneur working with some of the world’s most famous pop stars like Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato. His credits, some of which destigmatize the mental health conversation, include the Kid Laroi’s Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About a Kid Named Laroi, Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil and Justin Bieber: Seasons. His other credits include...

The unexpected death of political pundit Alice Stewart has drawn immediate response from her colleagues in the CNN newsroom and beyond.

Stewart was found dead outdoors in her Bellevue neighborhood in northern Virginia early Saturday morning. No foul play is suspected, and officers believe a medical emergency occurred with the 58-year-old.

She was a regular contributor to CNN and had a strong social media presence. Stewart also built a lengthy resume as a political communications head on several campaigns.

Some of the early reactions:

Horrible news about our beloved and gifted commentator Alice Stewart. Just awful. We are all gutted. https://t.co/07iMO30HWP

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 18, 2024

Such an awful shock. Alice Stewart was a consummate pro who made every show she was on so much Better. More importantly, she had a huge heart and a generous spirit https://t.co/GA0B2LxKNM

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May...

According to leading bookmakers, Michelle Obama is the frontrunner to replace Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee in the event that Biden steps down before the 2024 election. Although the former first lady has not indicated an interest in a White House bid, betting company Betfair currently offers odds of 8/1 (11 percent) on Michelle Obama as the most likely alternative to Biden.

Betfair’s odds reflect growing concerns about Biden’s health, exacerbated by recent gaffes, which have sparked speculation about the possibility of him withdrawing from the race. While Biden has secured victories in Democratic primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, his challengers within the party remain on the fringe.

Sam Rosbottom, a spokesperson for Betfair, acknowledged that doubts about Biden’s mental acuity have influenced some bettors to place their money on other potential candidates. Rosbottom noted that four years ago, at the start of the primary season,...

Last week, former President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social, “MSNBC (Msdnc) uses Free government approved airwaves, and yet it is nothing but a 24-hour hit job on Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party for purposes of Election Interference.”

He continued, “Brian Roberts, its Chairman and CEO, is a slimeball who has been able to get away with these constant attacks for years. It is the world’s biggest political contribution to the Radical Left Democrats who, by the way, are destroying our Country. Our so-called ‘government’ should come down hard on them and make them pay for their illegal political activity. Much more to come, watch!”

Journalists and pundits have swiftly condemned his remarks and have cautioned the former president’s clear commitment to the restriction of press freedoms and his retaliation against those who voice dissent.

Atlantic writer Brian Klaas wrote, “Trump continues his deranged authoritarian outbursts,...

The Michigan home of Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, was defaced this weekend with graffiti that said: “Nazis.”

Emanuel, who is Jewish and served as former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and as the mayor of Chicago, was out of the state when the vandalization occurred. It was discovered by the head of the homeowner’s organization in his southwest Michigan residential community.

“This was scrawled on the fence outside the Michigan home of Rahm Emanuel,” former Obama chief campaign strategist David Axelrod posted on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a photo of the graffiti. “It’s despicable. It’s disgusting. It’s just one more flashing red light. Stop the hate. Stop the antisemitism and the Islamophobia. We know where it leads!”

This was scrawled on the fence outside the Mi home of @RahmEmanuel⁩.

It's despicable. It's disgusting.

It's just one more flashing red light.

Project Healthy Minds, a Millennial & Gen Z-driven mental health tech non-profit, today hosted its second-annual World Mental Health Day Festival.

Over 1,500 cultural leaders, business executives, creators, and mental health advocates participated in the world’s largest festival for World Mental Health Day.

Mainstage conversations featured Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Today Show Co-Anchor Carson Daly; mental health advocate and son of the late Robin Williams, Zak Williams; United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy; Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates; Former Senior Advisor to President Obama, David Axelrod; Indianapolis Colts Owner & Vice Chair Kalen Irsay Jackson; CNN This Morning Anchor Poppy Harlow; and more.

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Co-Founders of The Archewell Foundation, spoke about mental wellness in the digital age alongside United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy.

“Profound and inspiring, the second-annual Project...

President Joe Biden is set to deliver his second State of the Union speech before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday: “The president will underscore the progress we have made during one of the most challenging times…in history.”

The speech will be carried live at 9 p.m. Et by every major broadcast and most cable news outlets. It can also be livestreamed via the player embedded below. The Republican response to Biden’s address, delivered directly after, will also be available via the player.

This is Biden’s first address to a divided Congress and Kevin McCarthy’s first State of the Union as Speaker of the House.

Network Coverage Plans On TV & Online

ABC News will have special coverage of the 2023 State of the Union and the Republican response from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. Et on ABC,...

CNN Audio announced today that Steve Lickteig has joined the network as the Executive Producer of podcast and audio content, managing production and strategy. Lickteig will report into Katie Hinman, CNN’s Vice President of Development, whose portfolio includes overseeing the CNN Audio brand, with marquee programming such as All There is with Anderson Cooper, The Assignment with Audie Cornish, Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, The Axe Files with David Axelrod, CNN 5 Things, CNN One Thing, and more. Lickteig brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in the media and audio industry for over 20 years.

Lickteig is the co-founder of Small Good Thing, a podcast consulting and development company. Prior to that, he was the Executive Producer of Podcasts and Audio for NBC News and MSNBC. He also spent three years running the Slate Podcast Network, overseeing 25 shows, including Slow Burn, Decoder Ring and Slate’s daily news podcast,...

CNN has cut some staffers from its audio team, in what the network said was a change in strategy at the division.

A CNN spokesperson said, “Audio is an important growth area for the company. Over the last several years we’ve learned a lot about the topics and productions that most resonate with our audiences. As a result, we’ve refined our strategy to focus our resources more specifically in those areas.”

Business Insider reported that eight people were affected, and they were sales and editorial positions. A network source said that “a small number of changes” but that it was “a relatively small group.”

CNN’s audio division has produced a number of podcasts, including a recently launched series in which Anderson Cooper explores loss and grief. Other podcasts are hosted by on-air personalities including Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Harry Enten, as well as The Axe Files with David Axelrod.

Chrissy Teigen has revealed that the miscarriage she suffered in 2020 when she was 20 weeks pregnant with Jack, her and John Legend’s third child, was actually a life-saving abortion.

“I had to make a lot of difficult and heartbreaking decisions,” she explained during a recent appearance at social impact agency Propper Daley’s “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation” summit. “It became very clear around halfway through that he would not survive and that I wouldn’t either without any medical intervention.”

In September 2020, Teigen was placed on bed rest and...

Anderson Cooper will debut a new CNN Audio podcast that will be devoted to exploring loss and grief.

All There Is with Anderson Cooper will premiere on Sept. 14.

According to the network, Cooper began recording the podcast alone during his final weeks packing up the apartment of his mother Gloria Vanderbilt. He found unopened boxes belonging to his late father and brother, and overwhelmed by the experience, he began to record intimate conversations with others about coping with grief. Among those who share their experiences are Stephen Colbert, Molly Shannon and Laurie Anderson.

In a statement, Cooper said, “I’ve often felt isolated and alone in grief and yet it is something all of us will experience in our lives. It’s helped me tremendously to hear from others on how they move forward in the face of loss, and I hope it helps listeners of this podcast as well.

Never misunderestimate George W. Bush. The former president and infamous wordsmith is taking on higher education — and looking back at some of his presidential gaffes — as the latest instructor for MasterClass.

The 43rd president has joined the online platform to teach a class on “Authentic Leadership.” The class spans three hours (divided into 12 video lessons) and includes instruction on everything from “the art of personal diplomacy” to “crisis management” and “building a strong team.”

President Bush also speaks out about some of the most pivotal events from his time in office,...

President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 9 p.m. Et/ 6 p.m. Pt. The speech comes as Biden — and the nation — face a host of generational crises including a burgeoning war in Ukraine, an ever-shifting pandemic and the overarching threat of climate change. It will mark Biden’s second address to a joint session of Congress.

A broad swath of outlets will be carrying the speech as well as offering analysis and reaction. See below for a breakdown of the expected coverage. You can also watch the President’s speech via the video embedded below.

ABC’s David Muir will lead the network’s coverage from Washington, D.C., with ABC News’ political team, including Linsey Davis, Cecilia Vega, Jonathan Karl, Martha Raddatz, Pierre Thomas, Chris Christie and Donna Brazile. Correspondents will also report during on ABC News Live.

Stephen Colbert will be offering his live take on the news on the night of the State of the Union.

The Late Show will be broadcasting live on the East Coast on Tuesday March 1 as the CBS late-night show marks the 44th time that it has broadcast live since 2016.

Senator Bernie Sanders will be Colbert’s guest at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. There will also be a music performance by Jon Batiste and indie country rockers Big Thief.

It also marks Sanders’ 14th appearance on the late-night show.

March 1 will be President Joe Biden’s first official State of the Union – he delivered an address before a joint session of Congress last April. Earlier this week, former President Obama’s advisor David Axelrod warned Biden to “be humble” during his address, calling the state of the union “stressed.”

The Late Show is produced by The Late Show Inc.

A jury found that New York Times and one of its top editors were not liable in Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit, affirming a judge’s earlier announcement that he would dismiss the case irregardless of their decision.

The jury’s verdict was unanimous.

As the jury continued its deliberations on Monday, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff told attorneys that he would toss out the case after concluding that Palin’s attorneys had failed to show that the Times and James Bennet, a former editor, had acted with actual malice, the threshold for proving libel against a public figure. Rakoff said that he would still allow the jury to reach a verdict because of the likelihood of an appeal.

The case centered on a June 14, 2017 Times editorial, written hours after a shooter opened fire on a congressional softball game, that delved into harsh political rhetoric and its links to violence.

Attorneys for Sarah Palin and The New York Times wrapped up their case on Friday with lengthy closing arguments, leaving it to jurors to decide whether a faulty 2017 editorial that linked the former governor’s political action committee to a mass shooting was merely “a mess up” or actual malice.

Jurors went into deliberations after they were presented with instructions by U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff.

During the trial, James Bennet, who was then the Times opinion editor and also is a defendant in the case, said that he was to blame for inserting, under the pressure of a deadline, sentences that linked the “incitement” of Palin’s Pac to the 2011 Tucson shootings in which six people were killed and congresswoman Gabby Giffords was severely wounded. Palin sued in 2017.

The editorial was written and published online on June 14, 2017, inspired by a shooting earlier in the day: James Hodgkinson opened...

Symone Sanders, who last month departed as senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, is joining MSNBC, where she will host on weekends and on the network’s Peacock streaming channel, The Choice from MSNBC.

Sanders’ is one of the first major hires by Rashida Jones, who coming up on a year in her role, as MSNBC’s president. She made the announcement to staff on Monday morning.

Sanders’ show will “explore issues at the intersection of politics, culture and race and break down how decisions made in Washington impact electorates, industries, and communities across the country,” the network said in its announcement. She also will interview elected and government officials.

Sanders also will serve as a fill in anchor on the network. The show title and launch date of Sanders’ shows have yet to be announced.

On The Choice from MSNBC, Sanders will join other figures such as Zerlina Maxwell,...

Symone Sanders, who has been senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, will depart her role at the end of the month.

“It has been an honor to serve the Vice President in this role,” Sanders wrote in an email to staff, per CNN and Politico.

Sanders, who also has the title of senior adviser to the vice president and deputy assistant to the president, is the latest departure from Harris’ office, as Ashley Etienne, Harris’ communications director, also plans to leave. Their exits come amid stories of internal friction and discord in the vice president’s office.

Sanders was a political commentator for CNN until 2019, when she joined Joe Biden’s presidential campaign as senior adviser. She previously served as national press secretary for Bernie Sanders in his 2016 presidential campaign. She also authored the book No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America,...

Exclusive: CNN is unveiling a slate of new limited series podcasts for this fall, including one focusing on California’s 2003 recall and another hosted by Clarissa Ward, who recently was reporting on the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

Other podcasts include ones hosted by Harry Enten, longtime podcaster Aminatou Sow, and a companion series from Hln.

With California Gov. Gavin Newsom facing a recall on Sept. 14, the Total Recall: California’s Political Circus podcast, hosted by Dana Bash, will look back at what happened in 2003, when voters ousted Gov. Gray Davis in favor of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although this year’s recall has its share of celebrity candidates and fame seekers, more than 100 candidates sought the governorship in the 2003 race. Bash, CNN’s chief political correspondent, “will unpack the scandal, partisanship, and celebrity of the Golden State’s 2003 recall election – and explore what it might have forecasted about politics today,” according to CNN.

Former present Barack Obama will scale back his 60th birthday party, which was expected to be a largely attended event on Martha’s Vineyard this weekend, due to concerns about Covid-19, The New York Times reports.

“Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends,” Hannah Hankins, a spokeswoman for Obama, said in a statement. “He’s appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar...

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“Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union,” a three-part HBO documentary series offering a behind-the-scenes look at President Barack Obama, arrives on HBO Max on August 4, coinciding with the former commander in chief’s 60th birthday.

Directed by Emmy-winner Peter Kunhardt, “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union” will premiere on HBO on August 3, before hitting the streaming service. HBO described the documentary as detailing the “personal and political journey of President Obama as the country grapples with its racial history.” The documentary shares a cohesive portrait of America under its first Black president, beginning with Obama’s childhood. The series takes viewers inside his perspective of being the son of...

Documentary filmmaker Peter Kunhardt began working on HBO’s “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union” in 2014, while the former president was still in the White House. The director-exec producer and Jelani Cobb, a writer for the New Yorker and exec producer on this three-part docuseries, spent four years researching and discovering rare and never-before-seen archival footage of Obama before filming commenced in 2018. Kunhardt conducted 39 interviews with a wide range of people including Cobb, late Congressman John Lewis, Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Rev. Al Sharpton as well as Rev. Jeremiah Wright during the course of production.

The diverse voices allowed Kunhardt, who previously directed “John McCain: From Whom the Bell Tolls” for HBO, to examine and critique the former president’s personal and political journey, as well as the United States’ fraught racial history. The goal: to look at Obama “through a critical eye, but not get bogged down...

HBO has released a new trailer for its upcoming three-part docuseries on Barack Obama, Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. It will premiere August 3rd, with additional episodes airing on the 4th and 5th.

Directed by Peter Kunhardt, the series will chronicle Obama’s personal and political journey, particularly through the lens of race. The trailer touches on Obama’s childhood, where he was one of just a handful of black kids in his school class, his early political efforts and how he built the unique coalition that...

After an extraordinarily busy first 100 days, Joe Biden is not expected to let up in his his first address as president to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday.

He’s expected to present his American Families Plan, a $1 trillion proposal that aims to provide free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-old children, bolster health care, education and other core aspects of the average American household. Along with his American Jobs Plan, it represents a $4 trillion infrastructure proposal from Biden.

The president plans to pay with it through a corporate tax hike and via increased taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Americans, including a near doubling of the capital gains rate on incomes above $1 million.

Below is a rundown of how to watch Biden’s United States Capitol address on TV and online.

Deadline will have the livestream right here — see below — starting at 9 p.m. Et/6 p.m. Pt.

Fox News Channel...

Barbara Boxer was in Greenland in July 2007, watching chunks of ice slide off glaciers into the rising ocean. She had brought Republican senators there with her, hoping a first-person confrontation with climate change would persuade them to take action. And as the newly calved icebergs flowed past, the then-senator thought her colleagues might be persuaded to vote yes on legislation to transform the U.S. from one of the world’s biggest greenhouse-gas polluters into a leader in addressing the crisis. “This was a moment in time,” Boxer tells Rolling Stone,...

On Election Night, CNN dispatched its spirited primetime anchors to host shows in daytime and late-night, and reserved 7 p.m. on for analysis, analysis, analysis.

John King emerged as an early and heavy presence on CNN, working his regular shift at the network’s signature “Magic Wall,” but this year, he is armed with caveats. Nearly every other phrase out of King’s mouth this year is one urging viewers to be patient, using phrases like “this is early,” “I just want to caution you,” “if it holds,” and “we will check back later in the night.”

Part of that is a feature of this year’s Election Night preparation at CNN. The network, like many of its rivals, wants to make sure viewers understand where the vote is heading and why, using graphics representing how many votes were cast early, how many are left to come in, and more...

This is it, America – Election Day 2020. With President Donald Trump, his Democratic challenger Joe Biden and so many others declaring this “the most important election of our lifetimes,” it’s time for the final votes to be cast and tallied. Deadline will provide live coverage all day – and, likely, night – long, and here is a rundown of how to watch as the historic day unfolds.

You can keep abreast of called states with the Electoral Map on our homepage, and watch our poll closing times to get a sense of where things stand at any given moment. There promises to be no shortage of drama, along with the potential for a 2016-esque GOP surprise or a 2018-like blue wave. But prognosticators gonna prognosticate, while Americans await their new president.

If you haven’t voted yet, please do. Then follow all the action of the strangest election in the strangest year.

The final debate of the 2020 presidential election cycle is tonight in Nashville, with the second nationally televised meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden set to begin at 9 p.m. Et/6 p.m. Pt at Belmont University.

NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker will moderate the debate, which will be simulcast across a total of 16 broadcast and cable networks and available on several streaming services and digital platforms. You can also watch the livestream on Deadline (courtesy of PBS NewsHour) here:

Like the first debate on September 28 in Cleveland — which drew 73.1 million viewers across the networks, the third-highest total ever — tonight’s debate will be 90 minutes without commercial interruption, with the subject matter (chosen by Welker) across six 15-minute segments to include fighting Covid-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security and leadership.

The Commission on Presidential Debates, which organizes the proceedings, has tweaked...

There’s a little TV event taking place tonight that you might have heard about. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden will square off in their first debate of the 2020 election season. Deadline is offering the C-span livestream above, but there are numerous other ways to watch.

Moderated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, the 90-minute tussle starts at 9 p.m. Et from Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. The Fox News Sunday host already has laid out what tonight’s topics will be, in no particular order: the Trump and Biden records, the Supreme Court, Covid-19, the economy, race and violence in our cities and the integrity of the election.

All the major broadcast and cable news networks and their radio and online outlets will carry the feed, while it will be shown on online platforms ranging from Roku to Twitter.

Here’s a...

Chris Wallace’s “Fox News Sunday” interview with President Donald Trump generated buzz over the weekend, with some of the praise coming from unexpected sources.

Across the political and media spectrums, Wallace was roundly cheered for his grilling of Trump on the coronavirus response and Joe Biden, as well as his willingness to correct the president’s untrue statements.

Watch the interview in the video above.

Axios’ Jonathan Swan wrote on Twitter, “I think I’ve watched every television interview Donald Trump has done since announcing his candidacy in 2015. Chris Wallace just did the best one, and by some distance.

Also Read: Chris Wallace vs Donald Trump: Fox News Anchor's Toughest Questions

Legendary broadcaster Dan Rather weighed in, too: “A tip of the Stetson to Chris Wallace. A consummate pro. Tough. Prepared. Fair. Always ready with a fact check and a follow-up question. I imagine there is quite a scene...

Joe Biden was the projected winner of the Florida, Illinois and Arizona presidential primaries Tuesday, giving him a delegate lead that makes it all but impossible for Bernie Sanders to catch up.

Biden was projected to win each state handily, after dominating the primary contests on the last two Tuesdays.

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As some pundits declared Biden the presumptive nominee, attention will now focus on whether Sanders stays in the race, especially as states move to postpone their primary contests because of the coronavirus crisis.

“The race for the nomination is over,” David Axelrod, the CNN commentator and...

Update: The Iowa Democratic Party said that the vote results from the caucuses are delayed due to “inconsistencies” and “quality checks,” forcing news personalities and pundits to wait even longer — and try to size up what is going on.

“This is a very serious problem. They have got to get this up pretty soon,” Wolf Blitzer said on CNN.

On Fox News, Chris Wallace said that the snafu threatened the state’s status as the first in the nation to vote.

“I love Iowa and I think the people there take it very seriously, but the Iowa Democratic Party has failed them terribly tonight and I would be very surprised if Iowa leads the state rolls when we get to 2024,” he said.

The state party initially said that the problem was technical, but later reported that it also involved the actual vote.

“We found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results,...

Jon Stewart said he was "stunned" to hear the recent revelations that Louis C.K. sexually harassed multiple women during an interview on Today.

"You give your friends the benefit of the doubt," Stewart explained. "I've had friends who have had compulsions – gambling, drinking or drugs – and we've lost some of them; some of them have died. You always find yourself back to a moment of, did I miss something? Could I have done more? In this situation, I think we all could have."

"You get mad at yourself to for laughing it off,...

Jon Stewart was “stunned” after five women publicly accused Louis C.K. — who later admitted the allegations “are true” — of sexual misconduct.

“You give your friends the benefit of the doubt. I tried to think about it in terms of, I’ve had friends who have had compulsions and have done things: gambling or drinking or drugs. And we’ve lost some of them. Some of them have died,” he said Tuesday on the Today show. “You always find yourself back to a moment of, ‘Did I miss something? Could I have done more?’ And in this situation, I think we all could have.

Louis C.K. is the latest celebrity to face multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

The 50-year-old comedian is at the center of a The New York Times expose where five women claim he either asked to masturbate in front of them, or masturbated in front of them without their consent.

While the accusations in the Times date back to the 1990s, media speculation surrounding C.K.'s behavior started in 2012. C.K. has repeatedly refused to address rumors even as they've gained more momentum in recent years.

More: Matt Damon Says He and Ben Affleck Knew About Harvey Weinstein Allegedly Sexually Harassing Gwyneth Paltrow

As for the Times article, C.K.’s publicist, Lewis Kay, told the newspaper in an email on Tuesday that “Louis is not going to answer any questions." Et has also reached out to the comedian.

In light of the report, here is an extensive timeline detailing all the instances when the five-time Emmy winner...

First Lady Melania Trump spoke out against bullying at a U.N. luncheon on Wednesday — in a speech the Twitterverse found more than a little ironic.

“It remains our generation’s moral imperative to take responsibility for what our children learn. We must turn our focus right now to the message and content they are exposed to on a daily basis — social media, the bullying,” she said at an event for spouses of world leaders at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

“When we join together as parents caring for children, whether they live in our own families,...