Latest news with #60Minutes'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
A parish priest and several injured as airstrikes hit Gaza's only Catholic church
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Strikes hit the Holy Family Church in northern Gaza on Thursday morning, injuring several people including the parish priest, officials with the Catholic Church said. Parish priest Fr. Gabriel Romanelli was very close with the late Pope Francis and the two spoke often during the war in Gaza. The church — the only Catholic church in Gaza — was damaged in the attack, officials said, in what witnesses said appeared to be an Israeli tank shelling. The Israeli military did not have immediate comment on the strike. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the church strike. 'The attacks on the civilian population that Israel has been demonstrating for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude,' she said. In the last 18 months of his life, Francis would often call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip to see how people huddled inside were coping with a devastating war. Last year, he told CBS' '60 Minutes' that he calls a priest daily at 7 p.m. at the Holy Family Church to hear what was happening to the nearly 600 people sheltering at the facility. Only 1,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly Muslim territory, according to the U.S. State Department's international religious freedom report for 2024. The report says the majority of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox but they also include other Christians, including Roman Catholics. The war began with Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. That day, militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
Los Angeles Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
After CBS and ABC's Trump settlements, Democrats want to curb presidential library gifts
President Trump's future presidential library has a growing list of corporate sponsors, and Democratic lawmakers are sounding alarms. To settle Trump's lawsuit over edits to a CBS '60 Minutes' broadcast, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to help finance the future library and cover the president's legal fees. Walt Disney Co. earlier pledged $15 million to Trump's library to resolve a defamation lawsuit over inaccurate statements about Trump by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos. And this spring, the nation of Qatar donated a $400-million Boeing 747-8 luxury jetliner for Trump's use — a gift that ultimately will be registered to his library, whatever form it takes. On Wednesday, a group of progressive lawmakers, led by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), introduced the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act, a proposed measure that would require transparency and impose restrictions on donations to presidential libraries. 'This new bill will close the loopholes that allow presidential libraries to be used as a tool for corruption and bribery,' Warren told reporters on a Zoom call. 'Slamming the door shut on apparent corruption at the highest levels of government is an important step forward and something everyone should get behind.' For now, the lawmakers — including Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) — lack support from Republicans in Congress. Still, the measure is needed, the lawmakers said, because there are no rules that specifically target solicitation of gifts or payments by individuals and companies to try to curry favor with the president. The bill would create a cap on contributions, prohibit donations from lobbyists and foreign governments and delay fundraising until a president leaves office, with a carve-out for nonprofits. Violators would risk criminal or civil penalties, which could equal as much as the value of the gift. The measure also would prohibit the conversion of a donation to personal use, as some have feared will happen with the acceptance of the Qatar plane. 'What is Qatar getting in exchange? ... Nobody knows,' Warren said. 'All of this shady stuff is happening because there are essentially no rules for presidential library donations.' Under the legislation, quarterly disclosures would be required. 'People have a right to know who is, in effect, gaining favor with a president in office through donations to a library,' Blumenthal said. 'These kinds of requirements ought to apply to both Republican[s] and Democrat[s], because the donation can be problematic no matter which party the president may belong to.' Critics blasted former President Clinton for pardoning late fugitive commodities trader Marc Rich after his wife donated $450,000 to Clinton's library. In addition to the CBS '60 Minutes' and ABC settlements, Facebook parent company Meta donated $22 million to Trump's library. The payment was part of Meta's $25-million settlement to a lawsuit brought after Facebook banned Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, donated $10 million. Contributions to Trump's inaugural celebrations this year that went beyond money spent are expected to be steered to the library as well as money raised from people who want to dine with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Warren's office said. Warren and others previously raised the notion that Paramount's settlement with Trump, in particular, could constitute a bribe. It has been widely believed that resolving the legal dispute with Trump was a prerequisite for getting the company's pending $8-billion merger with David Ellison's Skydance Media cleared by the Federal Communications Commission.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
The Paramount comics, Colbert and Stewart, are sharp critics of the '60 Minutes' deal
Colbert's 'bribe' reference was to the pending sale of Paramount to Skydance Media, which needs Trump administration approval. Critics of the deal that ended Trump's lawsuit over the newsmagazine's editing of its interview last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested it was primarily to clear a hurdle to that sale. Advertisement 'I am offended,' Colbert said in his monologue Monday night. 'I don't know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help.' Related : He said the technical name in legal circles for the deal was 'big fat bribe.' Jon Stewart terms it 'shameful' Stewart began discussing the 'shameful settlement' on his show a week earlier when he was 'interrupted' by a fake Arby's ad on the screen. 'That's why it was so wrong,' he said upon his 'return.' He discussed the deal in greater detail with the show's guest, retired '60 Minutes' correspondent Steve Kroft, making his views clear through a series of leading questions. Advertisement 'I would assume internally, this is devastating to the people who work in a place that pride themselves on contextual, good journalism?' Stewart asked. 'Devastating is a good word,' Kroft replied. Related : A handful of media reports in the past two weeks have speculated that Skydance boss David Ellison might try to curry favor with Trump by eliminating the comics' jobs if the sale is approved. A representative for Ellison did not immediately return a message for comment on Tuesday. It would be easier to get rid of Stewart, since he works one night a week at a network that no longer produces much original content. Colbert is the ratings leader in late-night broadcast television, however, and is a relentless Trump critic. The antipathy is mutual. Trump called Colbert 'a complete and total loser' in a Truth Social post last fall, suggesting CBS was wasting its money on him. 'HE IS VERY BORING,' Trump wrote. Colbert slips in a quip Colbert alluded to reports about his job security in his monologue, pointing to the mustache he grew during his vacation. 'OK, OK, but how are they going to put pressure on Stephen Colbert, if they can't find him?' he joked. Colbert and Stewart both earned Emmy nominations this week for outstanding talk series. Together with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, all three nominees are tough on Trump. Related : CBS News journalists have largely been quiet publicly since the settlement's announcement. Two top executives, Reporting about the settlement on the day it was announced, 'CBS Evening News' anchor John Dickerson said viewers would have to decide on their own what it meant to them. Advertisement 'Can you hold power to account after paying it millions?' Dickerson asked. 'Can an audience trust you when it thinks you've traded away that trust? The audience will decide that. Our job is to show up to honor what we witness on behalf of the people.'
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Paramount comics, Colbert and Stewart, are sharp critics of the '60 Minutes' deal
NEW YORK (AP) — This isn't a joke. They've made that clear. CBS 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert condemned parent company Paramount Global's settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' story as a 'big fat bribe' during his first show back from a vacation. Colbert followed 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart's attack of the deal one week earlier. Stewart works for Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount, making the two comics the most visible internal critics of the $16 million settlement that was announced on July 1. Colbert's 'bribe' reference was to the pending sale of Paramount to Skydance Media, which needs Trump administration approval. Critics of the deal that ended Trump's lawsuit over the newsmagazine's editing of its interview last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested it was primarily to clear a hurdle to that sale. 'I am offended,' Colbert said in his monologue Monday night. 'I don't know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help.' He said the technical name in legal circles for the deal was 'big fat bribe.' Jon Stewart terms it 'shameful' Stewart began discussing the 'shameful settlement' on his show a week earlier when he was 'interrupted' by a fake Arby's ad on the screen. 'That's why it was so wrong,' he said upon his 'return.' He discussed the deal in greater detail with the show's guest, retired '60 Minutes' correspondent Steve Kroft, making his views clear through a series of leading questions. 'I would assume internally, this is devastating to the people who work in a place that pride themselves on contextual, good journalism?' Stewart asked. 'Devastating is a good word,' Kroft replied. A handful of media reports in the past two weeks have speculated that Skydance boss David Ellison might try to curry favor with Trump by eliminating the comics' jobs if the sale is approved. A representative for Ellison did not immediately return a message for comment on Tuesday. It would be easier to get rid of Stewart, since he works one night a week at a network that no longer produces much original content. Colbert is the ratings leader in late-night broadcast television, however, and is a relentless Trump critic. The antipathy is mutual. Trump called Colbert 'a complete and total loser' in a Truth Social post last fall, suggesting CBS was wasting its money on him. 'HE IS VERY BORING,' Trump wrote. Colbert slips in a quip Colbert alluded to reports about his job security in his monologue, pointing to the mustache he grew during his vacation. 'OK, OK, but how are they going to put pressure on Stephen Colbert, if they can't find him?' he joked. Colbert and Stewart both earned Emmy nominations this week for outstanding talk series. Together with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, all three nominees are tough on Trump. CBS News journalists have largely been quiet publicly since the settlement's announcement. Two top executives, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon and '60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, both quit or were forced out prior to the settlement for making their dissatisfaction about the idea known internally. Reporting about the settlement on the day it was announced, 'CBS Evening News' anchor John Dickerson said viewers would have to decide on their own what it meant to them. 'Can you hold power to account after paying it millions?" Dickerson asked. 'Can an audience trust you when it thinks you've traded away that trust? The audience will decide that. Our job is to show up to honor what we witness on behalf of the people.' ___
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
The Paramount comics, Colbert and Stewart, are sharp critics of the ‘60 Minutes' deal
NEW YORK (AP) — This isn't a joke. They've made that clear. CBS 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert condemned parent company Paramount Global's settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' story as a 'big fat bribe' during his first show back from a vacation. Colbert followed 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart's attack of the deal one week earlier. Stewart works for Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount, making the two comics the most visible internal critics of the $16 million settlement that was announced on July 1. Colbert's 'bribe' reference was to the pending sale of Paramount to Skydance Media, which needs Trump administration approval. Critics of the deal that ended Trump's lawsuit over the newsmagazine's editing of its interview last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested it was primarily to clear a hurdle to that sale. 'I am offended,' Colbert said in his monologue Monday night. 'I don't know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help.' He said the technical name in legal circles for the deal was 'big fat bribe.' Jon Stewart terms it 'shameful' Stewart began discussing the 'shameful settlement' on his show a week earlier when he was 'interrupted' by a fake Arby's ad on the screen. 'That's why it was so wrong,' he said upon his 'return.' He discussed the deal in greater detail with the show's guest, retired '60 Minutes' correspondent Steve Kroft, making his views clear through a series of leading questions. 'I would assume internally, this is devastating to the people who work in a place that pride themselves on contextual, good journalism?' Stewart asked. 'Devastating is a good word,' Kroft replied. A handful of media reports in the past two weeks have speculated that Skydance boss David Ellison might try to curry favor with Trump by eliminating the comics' jobs if the sale is approved. A representative for Ellison did not immediately return a message for comment on Tuesday. It would be easier to get rid of Stewart, since he works one night a week at a network that no longer produces much original content. Colbert is the ratings leader in late-night broadcast television, however, and is a relentless Trump critic. The antipathy is mutual. Trump called Colbert 'a complete and total loser' in a Truth Social post last fall, suggesting CBS was wasting its money on him. 'HE IS VERY BORING,' Trump wrote. Colbert slips in a quip Colbert alluded to reports about his job security in his monologue, pointing to the mustache he grew during his vacation. 'OK, OK, but how are they going to put pressure on Stephen Colbert, if they can't find him?' he joked. Colbert and Stewart both earned Emmy nominations this week for outstanding talk series. Together with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, all three nominees are tough on Trump. CBS News journalists have largely been quiet publicly since the settlement's announcement. Two top executives, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon and '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, both quit or were forced out prior to the settlement for making their dissatisfaction about the idea known internally. Reporting about the settlement on the day it was announced, 'CBS Evening News' anchor John Dickerson said viewers would have to decide on their own what it meant to them. 'Can you hold power to account after paying it millions?' Dickerson asked. 'Can an audience trust you when it thinks you've traded away that trust? The audience will decide that. Our job is to show up to honor what we witness on behalf of the people.' ___ David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and .
