'South Park' targets federal takeover of Washington, DC, police in latest episode
A 20-second promo of this week's episode released by Comedy Central depicts the show's recurring character 'Towelie' — an anthropomorphic towel — riding in a bus past the U.S. Supreme Court building and White House, where armed troops are patrolling. A tank rolls by in front of the White House.
'This seems like a perfect place for a towel,' the character says upon disembarking the bus.
'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently signed a reported $1.5 billion, five-year deal with Paramount for new episodes and streaming rights to their series, which began its 27th season this summer.
Their second episode of the season depicted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shooting puppies, a reference to a story from the former South Dakota governor's biography where she said she killed the family dog because of its behavioral issues. Noem is also depicted being trailed by a team of beauticians having to reattach her face.
'It's so easy to make fun of women for how they look,' Noem told Glenn Beck in response to the episode.
The season premiere mocked President Donald Trump's body in a raunchy manner and depicted him sharing a bed with Satan.
The White House has dismissed 'South Park' as a fourth-rate, no-longer-relevant show. But it has been attracting attention; Comedy Central said the Noem episode had the highest audience share in the show's history, a reference to the percentage of people with televisions on watching the cartoon.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
a minute ago
- New York Times
Adams Adviser Suspended From Campaign After Giving Cash to Reporter
A close adviser to Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election campaign on Wednesday after giving a journalist cash tucked inside a potato chip bag. The adviser, Winnie Greco, who was the mayor's former director of Asian affairs at City Hall and one of his best fund-raisers, had returned to the campaign trail as a volunteer during Mr. Adams's run for a second term. She had been at the center of controversy after the F.B.I. raided her homes last year as part of a federal investigation into possible Chinese government interference in the 2021 mayor's race. On Wednesday, Ms. Greco attended an event with Mr. Adams in Harlem and gave more than $100 in a red envelope stashed inside the snack bag to a reporter for The City, according to an article in the online news outlet. The City promptly reported the incident to the city's Department of Investigation, and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn contacted the newspaper's lawyers, according to the newspaper's account. 'We are shocked by these reports,' Mr. Adams's campaign spokesman, Todd Shapiro, said. 'Winnie Greco holds no position in this campaign and has been suspended from all volunteer campaign related activities.' He said Mr. Adams has 'always demanded the highest ethical and legal standards.' Ms. Greco's lawyer, Steven Brill, said that it is common in Chinese culture to give cash to reporters 'in a gesture of friendship and gratitude.' 'I grant you this looks odd,' Mr. Brill said. 'But I assure you that Winnie's intent was purely innocent.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
a minute ago
- Washington Post
State Department employee fired after questioning talking points on Israel and Gaza
WASHINGTON — The State Department has fired a press officer who was responsible for drafting Trump administration talking points about policy toward Israel and Gaza after complaints from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Officials said Shahed Ghoreishi, a contractor working for the Bureau of Near East Affairs, was terminated over the weekend following two incidents last week in which his loyalty to Trump administration policies was called into question. Ghoreishi, who is Iranian American, also was targeted Wednesday following his dismissal by right-wing personality Laura Loomer , who accused him of not being fully supportive of the administration's policies in the Middle East. According to Ghoreishi and two current U.S. officials, Ghoreishi drew the ire of a senior official at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and then top aides to Secretary of State Marco Rubio for drafting a response to a query from The Associated Press last week. The question related to discussions between Israel and South Sudan about the possible relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan. The draft response included a line that said the U.S. does not support the forced relocation of Gazans , something that President Donald Trump and his special envoy Steve Witkoff have said repeatedly. However, according to Ghoreishi and the officials, that line was rejected by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, leading to questions about policy back in Washington. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel changes. Ghoreishi also said he questioned a statement from the embassy that referred to the West Bank as 'Judea and Samaria,' the Biblical name for the Palestinian territory that some right-wing Israeli officials prefer. Mike Huckabee , U.S. ambassador to Israel, also has repeatedly backed referring to the West Bank by Judea and Samaria. The ouster shows the lengths that the Trump administration has gone to ensure what it sees as loyalty to the president and his goals , including a foreign policy approach that has offered overwhelming support for Israel in the war against Hamas . The administration this week also revoked security clearances for 37 current and former national security officials, including many who had signed a 2019 letter critical of Trump that was recently highlighted by Loomer. 'Despite a close working relationship with many of my dedicated and hardworking colleagues, I was targeted following two events last week when I attracted the ire of the 7th floor and senior officials in Embassy Jerusalem: stating we are against forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza as President Trump and special envoy Witkoff have both previously claimed and cutting a reference to Judea and Samaria,' Ghoreishi said, referring to the floor where top leaders have offices at the State Department. 'Both of these had been consistently approved at the senior level in the past, so it begs the question why I was suddenly targeted without a direct explanation and whether our Israel-Palestine policy is about to get even worse — including an unwillingness to take any stand against ethnic cleansing. The future looks bleak,' he said. State Department spokespeople declined to comment on his firing, calling it an internal personnel matter. Without addressing the specifics, deputy State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement that the agency 'has zero tolerance for employees who commit misconduct by leaking or otherwise disclosing confidential deliberative emails or information. Federal employees should never put their personal political ideologies ahead of the duly elected President's agenda.' The firing was first reported by The Washington Post. Loomer claimed Wednesday that she had a hand in Ghoreishi's removal from the State Department. She said he was affiliated with pro-Iran groups and jihadists, which Ghoreishi denies. Just days ago, the State Department said it was halting all visitor visas for people from Gaza pending a review soon after Loomer had posted videos on social media of children from Gaza arriving in the U.S. for medical treatment and questioning how they got visas.
CBS News
a minute ago
- CBS News
FIU President Jeanette Núñez prepares for fall semester amid growth, challenges
Just days before the start of the fall semester, Florida International University President Jeanette Núñez, the former lieutenant governor of Florida, invited CBS News Miami to campus for a one-on-one conversation about the school's future and her new role. "So are you ready? For the fall semester I'm sure it's kind of like your first day of school as well?" Rodriguez asked Núñez. "I should take my traditional first day of school picture, which is what we do with our kids and they roll their eyes at us, but it's an exciting time. There's a lot of buzz; you can feel the energy on campus," Núñez said. Núñez said the university is preparing to welcome its largest and most distinguished freshman class ever. She reflected on how the school has grown from a small commuter university. "I think FIU, the beauty of when we came here was the simplicity of the university and how it was really a place where most of the local kids just came to because it was expected. It was an easy thing to do, now it's hard to get into FIU," Núñez said. Núñez acknowledged the difficulties undocumented students now face after losing access to in-state tuition. "Back when we were looking at it and analyzing it from a prior perspective, it was probably several hundred and we understand it as a challenge and we understand there's going to be some level of difficulty. I understand it as a challenge and we understand there's going to be some level of difficulty for students to continue with their education to graduate, but I understand that there are many people in the community who are eager to help those students," Núñez said. Her arrival on her alma mater's campus was met by protests, which resurfaced after FIU police signed an agreement to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "That issue obviously brought a lot of questions, a lot of protests if you will from some members of the faculty, and so we've had a number of town halls, we've had a number of opportunities to discuss it. The chief of police, he signed on to the agreement and he made it very clear and open to public forms. He feels very strongly that he wants to be in control," Núñez said. Touring the West Miami-Dade campus, Núñez stopped at two facilities she said make her especially proud. She highlighted the Azzam Lab, which is at the center of FIU's cancer research efforts, and the school's expanding partnership with Baptist Health, aimed at keeping more medical professionals in South Florida after graduation. "FIU has been such a part of my heart, my family a part of this community, so it really is a proud moment. Did you ever think they'd be calling you, Madam President? Of FIU, no, never in 1 million years," Núñez said. The school says demand for housing is up 75 percent, but officials added they are working to keep pace with the increase.
