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The usual Democratic hand-wringing over the Latino vote exit polls seems almost quaint right now.

In past cycles, Democrats securing the Latino vote by big margins was all but a given, and the quibbling was at the margins around how much support Obama or Clinton actually got. But Latino demographics have changed: The group has become younger, less foreign-born, and increasingly English-speaking. As they’re more Americanized, polls show they’ve aligned closer to mainstream voters — and their support for Democrats has continued to drop cycle after cycle.

So after...

Fubo continues to claim that Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd) have structured their joint venture Venu Sports in a way that will destroy any potential competition.

In a 70-page document filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Fubo outlined how Disney, Fox and Wbd control “critical and unique live televised sports programming” that they license to U.S.-based distributors. Fubo also accused the trio of having a “built-in advantage,” saying they would consolidate their “rights to more than half of all U.S. live televised sports content,” thus blocking out any other competitors in the space.

“They further propose to give their Jv the exclusive right to offer consumers the ability to subscribe to sports and only to sports programming – a coveted arrangement known as a ‘skinny sports bundle,'” the documents read. “No distributor can compete in the market for...

The Joe and Anthony Russo-backed production company Agbo has announced the return of the fourth consecutive “No Sleep ‘Till Film Fest.”

The two-day festival challenges participants to make films that are three minutes or less for a chance to win prizes and receive ongoing mentorship from the independent studio.

The top three winners receive a filmmaking prize package with essential resources and “best-in-class” equipment for future filmmaking opportunities. They will also join the Agbo Storytellers Collective, an alumni network of winners from other Agbo-sponsored festivals and fellowship programs such as the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum and the Slamdance Film Festival Fellowship — the same festival the Russos received their start at in 1997 as emerging filmmakers.

In the past three years of the festival, “No Sleep ’til Film Fest” received over 2000 submissions from over 60 countries. 2023 winners included “Time of Your Life” directed by Darren Hinchy (Canada), “Just a Sec!

If Venu sounded too good to be true, well, now we won’t know until next year (at least).

A court has granted Fubo’s injunction against the sports-streaming service, a joint venture between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, set to launch on August 23. Now it is grounded until at least 2025, pending the joint venture’s appeal.

The Venu companies and executives wanted their service out in time for the 2024 NFL football season. At this rate, it’s missing all of that, most of basketball season, probably (at least) some baseball. It would’ve had some hockey games too.

The U.S. District judge in the case wrote that Venu would have “substantially lessened competition and restrained trade.”

“Today’s ruling is a victory not only for Fubo but also for consumers. This decision will help ensure that consumers have access to a more competitive marketplace with multiple sports streaming options,...

Disney (ESPN+), Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced the name and pricing for their joint sports streaming offering, Venu Sports. This has prompted Fubo to file an antitrust lawsuit that is currently being heard in court. Now, three bipartisan politicians are urging the Department of Justice (DoJ) to investigate.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusets), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) have sent a letter to the DOJ asking them to investigate and possibly prevent the new Venu Sports streaming service arguing that the service would violate antitrust and telecommunications laws.

They argue that the joint venture will control most sports access, does not offer competitors the same bundling opportunities, and, therefore, is unfair.

“We write to express serious concerns regarding the proposed joint venture (Jv) between Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney subsidiary ESPN, named Venu Sports (Venu).1

This massive new sports...

Lawmakers are ramping up scrutiny of streaming sports bundle Venu, with the aim of blocking the joint venture.

In a letter, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) called on the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission to initiate a probe of Venu and stop Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery from pooling their sports licensing rights to form the streaming service. They say that the platform will result in price hikes by further consolidating the market for live sports.

The streaming bundle is targeting a fall launch at $42.99 per month. Subscribers, who will be locked in at that price for a year, will be able to access a number of live, linear channels, including ESPN, Fox, ABC, TNT and TBS, as well as ESPN+. Between the three networks, they have rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, plus college sports and pro tennis.

Congressman Joaquin Castro was joined by Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in a letter urging scrutiny for Venu.

Venu Sports is continuing to draw added layers of scrutiny from lawmakers in the United States. The joint venture service being produced by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery has already been promised a review by the Department of Justice for antitrust violations, and is the subject of a lawsuit from Fubo, which alleges that the service is indeed running afoul of federal antitrust laws. Congress has already expressed concern about the product, and a new letter from Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-tx) and Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-ma) and Bernie Sanders (D-vt) regarding the service shows that lawmakers are not satisfied with the answers they’ve been given by the three companies so far.

Key Details: The new letter urges the FCC and the DOJ to examine Venu closely for antitrust violations.

Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas has called for public suggestions of Latino films to nominate for the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

Submissions of Latino-driven films can be made by visiting his website. To be eligible, films must be at least 10 years old. Public members are encouraged to submit their nominations to Congressman Castro and the Library of Congress directly.

“For more than a century, Latino filmmakers have poured their talent and creativity into bringing our stories to the silver screen,” said Castro, who is putting out the public call for the third year. “As my office launches our third annual public call for nominations, I’m excited to hear from folks across the country about the Latino-driven movies that have had an enduring impact on their lives. I’m looking forward to putting together an incredible list of the Latino films that have shaped American...

Jessica Casano-Antonellis, a former exec at Disney+, Hulu and Vimeo, is returning to the streaming sector as the head of communications for the new sports-centric service coming from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.

As SVP of Communications, Casano-Antonellis will head up all communications efforts for the joint venture, which does not yet have a name. News of the service, which is slated to launch this fall, first emerged in February.

As a member of the Jv’s executive leadership team, Casano-Antonellis will report directly to CEO Pete Distad.

Casano-Antonellis begins her new position after a two-year stint heading communications for SiriusXM. Prior to that, she was VP of Communications for Disney+ and Hulu and worked for video sharing site Vimeo as it was breaking away from Barry Diller’s Iac.

“Jessica’s extensive experience in the direct-to-consumer streaming space makes her the perfect fit for this role,” Distad said in a press release.

Fubo is continuing its efforts to prevent ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery from launching a collective sports streamer this fal.

The television and entertainment industries are in a state of flux. Legacy media conglomerates are fighting for their financial survival and exercising their substantial power in the industry to keep stockholders happy and stay afloat. In doing so, they are pulling their resources together from across their corporate structures as well as collaborating with competitors, something that would never have been imaginable in previous entertainment generations. However, these decisions are putting even more pressure on smaller members of the industry and the partners that they have relied on for decades. The question is, whether these unprecedented moves to consolidate are anti-competitive, or if they are actually giving consumers better options to get the entertainment that they want at a better price. On Thursday, eight companies and organizations sent a...

While there’s no guarantee how much the companies will share about the platform with advertisers, it is the first time that the platform will be included in public presentations.

There’s still not a lot of information about the yet-unnamed, forthcoming joint venture that will collect the sports content of three of the country’s largest legacy media companies onto a single streaming platform later this year. However, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are reportedly set to finally pull back the curtain to some extent next month at the annual upfront presentations. The upfronts are essentially sales pitches that networks and outlets make to the advertising community in order to entice them to spend their clients’ money on commercials, sponsorships, and other forms of ads.

Key Details: The three companies are all scheduled to present to advertisers during May’s Upfront Week. The joint venture is expected to...

Editors note: Running until the final general election results come in, the Deadline ElectionLine podcast spotlights the 2024 campaign and the blurred lines between politics and entertainment in modern America. Hosted by Deadline’s political editor Ted Johnson and executive editor Dominic Patten, the podcast features commentary and interviews with top lawmakers and entertainment figures. At the same time, you can follow all the news in the Biden & Trump rematch and more on the ElectionLine hub on Deadline.

“In the event of a Trump loss …he’s going to yell, and scream, and kick and moan, I know that, and Fox will do the same, perhaps, unless Rupert Murdoch or Lachlan intervene and say let’s get back to reality,” postulates Brian Stelter of what America may wake up to the day after the election in November with a win for Joe Biden.

“But maybe nothing really happens,” the Network of...

Warners Bros has screened their axed Coyote vs. Acme to around 12 buyers we hear with a rigid buy price of $70M+; which is how much the animated live-action hybrid movie cost.

Netflix and Paramount put forth bids, which we told you about, but they were lower than the $70M asking price (between $30M-$50M), therefore in Warner’s eyes, rivals didn’t want the feature for what it cost.

What Deadline has received clarity on is that Warner Bros took a $70M writedown on Q3 earnings, not the upcoming Q4. Nonetheless, the movie, which the Burbank, CA lot decided back in early November not to release — remains in purgatory. That said, we hear the door isn’t officially closed on Coyote vs. Acme‘s prospects yet — it’s just that the Coyote could wind up in the cave with Batgirl.

“No one is doing anything at Warners to push this film for a sale,...

Republican governors have made a show of deploying National Guard troops to the southern border to block the Biden administration from removing razor wire that Texas has laid out to repel and harm migrants — in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling.

On Sunday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) suggested if President Joe Biden tries to federalize Texas National Guard forces — as some Democrats have urged — it could lead to a civil war.

“If he’s willing to do that and take away my authority as governor as commander-in-chief of those National Guard,...

Andre Braugher's character in the scrapped Scooby-Doo movie, Scoob! Holiday Haunt, was revealed by writer and producer Tony Cervone. The Warner Bros. project was shelved in August 2022 as part of cost-saving measures by the new management. Despite the cancellation, the movie's creative team completed the nearly-finished project, and Cervone shared images of Braugher's character after the actor's passing.

The late Andre Braugher’s character in the scrapped Scoob-Doo movie, Scoob! Holiday Haunt has been revealed by writer and producer Tony Cervone. Intended to serve as a prequel to 2020’s Scoob!, the Warner Bros. project was shelved in August 2022 alongside Batgirl as part of the studio’s broader cost-saving measures enacted by its new management. While there were no plans from Warner Bros. Discovery to ever release the finished product, the movie’s creative team continued to complete the nearly-finished Scooby-Doo project following the controversial announcement.

Following Braugher’s tragic...

Warner Bros Discovery has revamped its group focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and announced its new executive team.

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Asif Sadiq will head the group. Other key leaders include Karen Horne, SVP for North America; Rukasana Bhaijee, VP in Europe, Middle East and Africa; Niarchos Pabalis, director for Latin America; with a new role for Asia-Pacific to be announced soon. All four leaders will report to Sadiq.

The move comes nearly six months after the close of the 43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. The combined company has faced criticism in the early going over its decision to appoint a slate of entirely white, male directors to its board of directors and a relative lack of diversity in its top exec ranks. Advocates and lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Joaquin Castro, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, have voiced their concerns.

In announcing the new configuration and team,...

Click here to read the full article.

Months before the Justice Department blessed the 43 billion Warner Bros. Discovery merger, 30 members of Congress warned the agency in a letter that the resulting competition vacuum could allow the newly formed giant to ignore what consumers want. Among the antitrust concerns they pressed was that it could dampen diverse and inclusive programming — which has become a common criticism after Wbd canned its 90 million HBO Max film Batgirl, the first DC movie led by a Latina, Leslie Grace.

“There’s been no indication with Batgirl that they’ll shop it around,” Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So this incredibly gifted Latina actress and wonderful story get thrown down the drain for a tax write-off.”

In the four months since the deal closed, CEO David Zaslav has overhauled the entertainment powerhouse. During an Aug. 4 earnings call, he trumpeted a 10-year plan for...

The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, known for its oft-critical reports on Hollywood’s hiring practices and portrayals of underrepresented groups, is launching a “new focus” that will measure the film and TV industry’s depictions of a wide range of political issues, including abortion, gun violence, voting, marriage equality and interracial relationships.

The new approach comes in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade and concerns that other long-held rights also might be in danger.

“With the curtailing of reproductive rights, it is not only necessary to find legal solutions to protect marginalized communities, but it is essential to educate and inform audiences about these topics,” said Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. “Entertainment has a unique ability to reach viewers and provide that education. Our goal is to illuminate how many opportunities there are to use storytelling as a tool to expand...

Click here to read the full article.

USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative is expanding its research focus from analyses of demographic diversity (i.e. gender, race/ethnicity, disability, sexuality and age) to address how entertainment narratives handle topical issues, including reproductive health, voting and gun violence.

“With the curtailing of reproductive rights, it is not only necessary to find legal solutions to protect marginalized communities, but it is essential to educate and inform audiences about these topics,” AI2 founder Stacy L. Smith said in a statement. “Entertainment has a unique ability to reach viewers and provide that education. Our goal is to illuminate how many opportunities there are to use storytelling as a tool to expand the conversation and create substantial attitude and policy change.”

As with past AI2 studies, the Initiative intends to include solutions and suggested best practices for storytellers and content creators as part of this work.

Season 2 of the cooking competition series “The Great American Recipe” is set to premiere in Summer 2023, PBS announced Monday. The programmer also announced that Silvia Martinez, a home cook from California, won the series’ first season.

“The Great American Recipe” celebrates the multiculturalism that makes American food unique and iconic. The second season will once again give home cooks from around the country another opportunity to showcase their beloved signature dishes. Alejandro Ramos will once again serve as host, and chefs Leah Cohen, Tiffany Derry and Graham Elliot will return as judges. Production for Season 2 of the series, which is co-produced by Vpm and Objective Media Group America, is scheduled to begin in Fall 2022.

“We’re excited to be bringing back this wonderfully warm show to PBS,” Jilly Pearce, president of Objective Media Group America, said. “It’s a unique kind of cooking competition, a celebratory series where the judges...

Roe v. Wade has been overturned, children and teachers are dying in classrooms and healthcare is not yet a fundamental right for every citizen in the United States. But Cristela Alonzo is still smiling like she does during all of her stand-up specials, including her newest Netflix venture, “Middle Classy.”

“I have always smiled in my stand-up because I’m so excited to be there,” Alonzo tells Variety. “I always tell people that the audience wants to be on your team in stand-up. You got to show them that you’re there for them, and you’re happy. So why do we not have those moments of joy more often?”

Even through a Zoom video interview, Alonzo radiates positivity and delight in a time when it’s easy to give in to despair and anger. In 2014, Alonzo made history as the first Latina woman to create, produce, write and star in her own U.

Joy Behar is pretty tired of gun advocates and conservative lawmakers citing mental health as the core driver behind gun violence in the United States. In her eyes, it’s actually “an irrelevant point.”

On Wednesday’s show, the women of “The View” once again dug in on what they feel needs to be done to stop the frequency of mass shootings in the country, following the horrific events in Uvalde, Texas last week. To kick off the show, the hosts mocked the many reasons conservatives have tried to place blame on, including marijuana, “teaching wokeness” and more.

“It’s not any of those things!” Whoopi Goldberg said exasperatedly. “You can put it through a Bs lens if you want to, and keep pretending like you don’t know we have an issue with an assault weapon — and this will be the last I have to say on it. This weapon,...

Trevor Reed, a Marine who had been jailed in Russia since 2019, was released last month as part of a prisoner swap. Upon his return to Texas, Reed’s family commended home state legislators like Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Republican Reps. Michael McCaul and August Pfluger, and Democrats Joaquin Castro and Sheila Jackson Lee, for their efforts to secure his release.

Sen. Ted Cruz was not among them. In fact, Reed’s father tore into the senator in a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News. “He didn’t do anything,...

Update, 7:33 Pm Pt: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-ga) said that he tested positive for Covid.

“Late this afternoon after a routine test, I tested positive for Covid-19. I’m so thankful to be both vaccinated & boosted, and at the advice of the Attending Physician I plan to isolate. If you haven’t gotten your shot yet, I encourage you to do so,” Warnock wrote on Twitter.

Warnock’s test came after he voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Another senator, Susan Collins (R-me), announced her positive result late on Thursday afternoon.

Collins was among those who attended last weekend’s Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, which has so far reported more than three dozen cases among attendees to the event. In a message sent to members on Thursday evening, the club said that they had learned of 37 positive tests among dinner guests, including two at the head table.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Thursday joined a long list of high-profile figures in Washington, D.C., who have contracted Covid-19 in the past few days.

“After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for Covid-19 and is currently asymptomatic,” Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, wrote on Twitter. “The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided.”

Collins’ office announced later on Thursday that she, too, had tested positive.

2Nd Update, 2:05 Pm: So far at least 14 attendees of Saturday’s Gridiron Club dinner have tested positive for Covid.

In a note sent to Gridiron members, club president Thomas DeFrank wrote, “As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, we know of 14 guests at Saturday’s dinner who have tested positive for Covid. There is no way of being certain about when they first contracted Covid. But they did interact with other guests during the night and we have to be realistic and expect some more cases. Except in cases of public officials who have on their own disclosed their status, we will protect the privacy of guests who test positive.”

DeFrank said that the Gridiron will alert “anybody who was in close proximity with a positive case.” He urged those sitting across the table or on either side of the positive person to get tested.

“Our top concern is the health...

John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, said an effort by Democratic leaders in Congress to characterize the proposed merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery as an anticompetitive threat to the media industry was “unfounded.”

“What is articulated in those letters is really unfounded,” said Stankey, speaking Monday at Ubs’s Global Tmt Conference, referring to a communication from several Democratic senators and representatives to the Justice Department urging scrutiny of the WarnerMedia-Discovery deal.

Stankey said the “foundation of their concerns” expressed in the letter is “not very strong” and said he isn’t worried about AT&T’s ability in “navigating through that.”

“Getting letters from Congress is not unusual,” Stankey added. “We are a large company… we are in a lot of businesses.” Overall, from a regulatory-review perspective, “There’s nothing unusual about this transaction,” Stankey asserted.

The letter to the DOJ sent by Democratic members of Congress said in part about the pending WarnerMedia-Discovery deal,...

Democrats in Congress are taking aim at the pending $43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, pushing the Justice Department to scrutinize the transaction on antitrust grounds.

In a letter sent Monday to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Justice Department antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter, the legislators assert that too much consolidation in media will hurt competition in Hollywood’s labor market and result in less diversity overall in content.

“This transaction raises significant antitrust concerns. In particular, the merger threatens to enhance the market power of the combined firm and substantially lessen competition in the media and entertainment industry, harming both consumers and American workers,” the letter states. “In light of these concerns, we respectfully urge the Department to conduct a thorough review of this transaction to ensure that it does not harm American consumers and workers by illegally harming competition.”

The letter was spearheaded by U.S. House member Joaquin Castro of Texas,...

Rosie Perez, Tessa Thompson and Salma Hayek are among the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Impact Awards honorees. The 24th annual celebration will be held virtually December 5 at 5:30 p.m. Pt hosted by Mario Lopez, with additional appearances from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-tx) and the Saldana sisters. It will also feature performances by recording artists Chrisol and Eddie Zuko & Vel the Wonder.

“It is such an honor to celebrate Latinx talent that have paved the way for a more inclusive entertainment industry, one that reflects the diversity not only within the Latinx community, but also the diversity of the Latinx experience,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “The evening’s honorees have exemplified leadership in the fight for representation and inclusivity throughout their careers and continue to open doors for others through their work.”

A...

The National Hispanic Media Coalition has set its honorees lineup for the 24th annual Impact Awards.

Salma Hayek, Rosie Perez, Tessa Thompson, Matthew López and Monica Lozano will be honored during the Dec. 5 virtual event. Hosted by Mario Lopez, the Impact Awards will also feature appearances by U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro and Zoe, Cisely and Mariel Saldana, with performances by Chrisol, Eddie Zuko and Vel the Wonder.

Hayek will receive an award for outstanding achievement in film following work in this year’s Eternals and House of Gucci; Perez will be honored on the series side for her work in The Flight Attendant; Thompson will be ...

The National Hispanic Media Coalition has set its honorees lineup for the 24th annual Impact Awards.

Salma Hayek, Rosie Perez, Tessa Thompson, Matthew López and Monica Lozano will be honored during the Dec. 5 virtual event. Hosted by Mario Lopez, the Impact Awards will also feature appearances by U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro and Zoe, Cisely and Mariel Saldana, with performances by Chrisol, Eddie Zuko and Vel the Wonder.

Hayek will receive an award for outstanding achievement in film following work in this year’s Eternals and House of Gucci; Perez will be honored on the series side for her work in The Flight Attendant; Thompson will be ...

People who identify as Hispanic or Latinx make up 18.5% of the United States’ population, but as a Hollywood Diversity Report TV analysis from UCLA released today indicates, the country’s demographic reality is not being reflected on our small screens.

In fact, the share of total cast roles in television for the 2019-2020 season for Latinx actors stood at just 6.3% for broadcast, 5.7% for cable and 5.5% for digital. Though in broadcast Latinx actors were slightly more prominent, standing at 7.1%, numbers still remained flat last year, with 3.9% cast in cable main roles and 4.7% in digital. While the report showed that TV content from diverse writers’ rooms and/or with diverse casts resonated with audiences during the pandemic, Latinx actors, directors and writers still remain largely shunned by the industry. The report analyzed key job categories, as well as ratings and social media engagement scores, for 461 scripted shows across 50 television programming providers.

“This...

UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report for 2021 finds TV viewers embraced content from diverse writers rooms and featured diverse casts.

The report, which covers statistics for the 2019–20 TV season, tracks racial and gender diversity among key job categories, as well as ratings and social media engagement for 461 scripted shows across 50 broadcast, cable, and streaming providers.

For example, among households of all races in 2019–20, the scripted broadcast shows that earned the highest median ratings were those in which people of color were credited were between 31 percent and 40 percent of the credited writers. Popular shows include Netflix’s Gentefied, BET+’s First Wives Club, and HBO Max’s Doom Patrol.

“Our findings reveal that diverse audiences prefer shows that have diverse representation in their casts and among their credited writers, Ana-Christina Ramón, co-author of the report and the director of research and civic engagement in the UCLA Division of Social Sciences, told Deadline.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Amazon Studios presents “Voices/Voces,” a one-day virtual event headlined by John Leguizamo, Rep. Joaquin Castro, Laz Alonso, Gloria Calderón Kellett and comedian Gina Brillon, celebrating the rich culture and heritage of more than 60 million people living in the United States and their contributions to the entertainment industry.

The special event will take place on Sept. 30 and will be available to stream on Amazon Live and Amazon Studios Dei Twitch.

By taking a deep dive into discussions of representation in film and media, “Voices/Voces” is intended to highlight the diversity within the community, which represents more than 22 countries labeled “Hispanic” by the U.S. Census.

The event also underscores the fact that this non-monolithic culture is not so easily defined under one label. While many people refer to themselves as Latino, others feel more comfortable being referred to as Latinx or Latiné, with...

Kim Kardashian reached out to President Donald Trump’s advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner in an attempt to garner help for A$AP Rocky, who has been detained in a Swedish jail for the past two weeks. TMZ first reported the story and a source close to the situation confirmed the report to Rolling Stone.

Kardashian and her husband, Kanye West, were reportedly concerned about Rocky, who was arrested by Swedish police for suspected “gross assault” after allegedly throwing a man across a street in Stockholm late last month. He...

Last month, lawyers conducting welfare visits to Texas Customs and Border Protection facilities revealed that detained migrants are being held in conditions more appalling and inhumane than most could have imagined. They found filthy, cramped women and children who had been deprived of basic hygiene and forced to sleep on concrete floors. Physician Dolly Lucio Sevier wrote in her medical declaration that the conditions could be compared to those of “torture facilities.”

On Monday, a delegation of lawmakers visited border facilities in El Paso and Clint. Among them were Rep.

MSNBC contributor Noah Rothman didn’t get his Castros straight in an interview today on Morning Joe.

On live TV, Rothman asked Rep. Joaquin Castro about a Fox News town hall statement. “Congressman, I wanted to ask you briefly — you had said on a Fox News town hall that it is your impression that this administration is ‘hell-bent on moving towards war with Iran,'” Rothman said.

But it wasn’t Joaquin Castro who made the statement. It was Julian Castro, his twin brother.

“Well, the first thing is, I have to correct you,” Joaquin Castro said. “The person who did the Fox News town hall was my brother, Julián, who is running for president. I’m here in the Congress.”

Rothman immediately apologized, adding, “But I’m sure that’s not the first time this has happened.”

Castro was gracious. He told Rothman not to worry and added that it “literally happens everyday.

As the Democrats controlling the House of Representatives grow more comfortable with their power to investigate, President Trump is leaning on the same tactic he favored for decades as Shady Real Estate Developer Trump: filing lawsuits. The latest came Monday, when Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and the Trump Organization sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One in an effort to prevent the two banks from complying with subpoenas filed by multiple congressional committees.

“This case involves congressional subpoenas that have no legitimate or lawful purpose,” the suit begins.

With a handful of Republicans bucking the president, the Senate now appears to have the 51 votes needed to pass a resolution nullifying Donald Trump’s emergency declaration that seeks to spend billions toward building a southern border wall. The resolution, passed by the House on February 26th, is likely to prompt Trump’s first-ever presidential veto.

This bipartisan opposition to the president’s border policy follows the standoff that yielded the longest government shutdown on record. Congress finally reached an agreement in mid-February to spend just $1.375 billion on “pedestrian fencing...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution to “terminate” the national emergency President Trump declared earlier this month to secure funding for a border wall. The bill’s passage was expected, as 230 lawmakers, including one Republican, co-sponsored it before it was brought up for a vote. The measure ultimately passed by a vote of 245-182.

13 Republicans who voted to block Trump:

— Amash

— Fitzpatrick

— Gallagher

— Herrera Beutler

— Hurd

— Johnson (Sd)

— Massie

— Cmr

— Rooney (Fl)

— Sensenbrenner

— Stefanik

— Upton

— Walden https://t.co/dSHp5V6r9q

— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) February...

Earlier this month, President Trump declared a national emergency under the guise that undocumented immigrants represent a security threat to the United States. On Monday, a bipartisan group of 58 former national security officials released a statement explaining why the action is unwarranted. “Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border,” the group wrote.

Exclusive: Full Text of Declaration of 58 former senior U.S. officials refuting...

One week ago, hours after President Trump declared a national emergency, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-tx) announced plans to introduce a resolution to block it. “I ask all members of Congress — Democrat and Republican — to support this joint resolution to terminate President Trump’s unconstitutional national emergency declaration to build his border wall,” Castro tweeted, along with a draft of the bill. “It sets a dangerous precedent and steals congressional authority. Will you sign on?”

Reuters reports that House Democrats plan to formally introduce the resolution on Friday, and that 92 lawmakers...

President Trump on Friday morning signed a national emergency declaration in order to build a wall along America’s southern border. He announced the news during a press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House. “I’m going to be signing a national emergency and it’s been signed many times before,” he said. “It’s rarely been a problem. They sign it. Nobody cares.”

Though Trump claimed indifference to previous national emergency declarations due to the fact that they “weren’t very exciting,” it’s likely because,...

Tom Brokaw is used to delivering the news, not being at the center of it. So when NBC News on Monday said remarks made by the longtime anchor on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” “were inaccurate and inappropriate and we’re glad he apologized,” it marked just the latest bump in a tumultuous news cycle for the veteran.

Brokaw sparked social-media opprobrium on Sunday when he appeared on NBC News’ flagship public-affairs program and said “that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation.’ He added: “They ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities,” he added.

Backlash was swift, drawing condemnation from Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.

“I am sorry, truly sorry. My comments were offensive to many,’ Brokaw said Sunday via Twitter, after some other attempts to apologize were rebuffed.

President Trump could be in trouble. For real this time.

On Thursday night, BuzzFeed News reported that the president personally directed his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress about the nature of an aborted project for a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow. Frustrated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into his campaign’s relationship with Russia, Trump reportedly attempted to obscure his involvement in the deal by instructing Cohen to tell Congress that negotiations were called off in January 2016, according to two federal law enforcement officials who spoke to BuzzFeed.

Washington — Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the White House Correspondents Association dinner dominated the headlines coming out of the evening — even if it was a mere sliver of the four-hour event and only a moment in what is traditionally D.C.’s most social weekend.

The surreal aspect is usually the mix of newsmakers on opposite ends of the political spectrum or at odds in other ways — Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’ attorney, was at the annual Garden Brunch on Saturday along with Kellyanne Conway.

Hollywood had a presence, although it was much more muted than in previous years. At Hamilton Live, Kevin Bacon and The Bacon Brothers at one point played “Footloose,” as they were the headliners to a series of journalist-bands, including Lester Holt and the Rough Cuts.

Some of the other events:

Bytes and Bylines (Thursday): One of the first events of the weekend, held at the...

Updated 5:20 p.m. Pt with guests of The Hill “Madam Secretary” star Téa Leoni won’t have far to go to meet some real life cabinet secretaries Saturday night. CBS News announced that Leoni would be among its guests at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, aka the “Nerd Prom.” The network is also bringing actress Gina Rodriguez and her actor boyfriend, Henri Esteve; “Madam Secretary” actor Tim Daly; Virginia Sen. Mark Warner; former CBS newsman and now NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counter-terrorism John Miller; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro; Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro; Lebanon Ambassador to the U.

Working as an executive in a company that has both a television operation and a motion-picture business is like “peanut butter and jelly,” said Sony Television President Steve Mosko this morning at an MPAA-sponsored panel at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, on “The Future of Viewing.” Mosko was joined by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). The San Antonio-area Congressman is, along with twin brother and now Hud Secretary Julian Castro, considered a fast-rising star in…...

Working as an executive in a company that has both a television operation and a motion-picture business is like “peanut butter and jelly,” said Sony Television President Steve Mosko this morning at an MPAA-sponsored panel at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, on “The Future of Viewing.” Mosko was joined by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). The San Antonio-area Congressman is, along with twin brother and now Hud Secretary Julian Castro, considered a fast-rising star in…...

TV Picks: You know we will be tuned in to HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” which continues its 13th season Friday, Jan. 30 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live Et/tape-delayed Pt), with a replay at 11:00 p.m.Maher begins with a monologue and unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show then features an opening interview and then roundtable discussions with panelists, and subsequent interviews with guests throughout the show.Documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras is the top-of-show interview guest. Humorist Mel Brooks is the mid-show interview guest. The roundtable guests are Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, anchor Katty Kay and journalist Monica Mehta. Laura Poitras brings […]...