Latest news with #BarackObama
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michelle Obama shares why it's a pain to be married to Barack amid divorce rumors
Former first lady Michelle Obama revealed new details on some of the annoyances that come with being married to Barack Obama. Obama sat down with her brother Craig Robinson for an episode of their IMO podcast, bringing on as their guest Dr. Sharon Malone. Like Obama, Malone had a stint at being a political wife, as she's married to former Attorney General Eric Holder. Obama recalled that the women first met at a Congressional Black Caucus event when Barack Obama was a U.S. senator. 'They put us together because we were both reluctant spouses attending one of these huge dinners,' the former first lady recalled. 'And what, where were they? Was Barack a U.S. senator?' President Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 - after becoming a nationally recognized political figure for the stirring keynote he delivered at the Democratic National Convention earlier that year. He remained a senator until 2008, resigning after he was elected president of the United States. 'There was a line of people waiting to shake hands with our respective husbands,' Obama recalled. 'You know, people, like reaching over our heads and spilling water on us, trying to get to these two, you know, illustrious men.' Obama made eye contact with Malone and realized they needed to be friends. 'She had the same look on her face as I did, like, "Here we go,"' Obama recalled. 'And I looked over at this beautiful woman ... But I just saw the look on her face, which expressed the sentiments that I felt, which was.' 'P***ed off,' Robinson offered. Obama rejected that. She said it was more like, 'You see this? Like, this is crazy, isn't it, girl?' the former first lady said. For years Obama has been frank about being a 'reluctant' political spouse - but she pulled back even more earlier this year when she decided against going to the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral in January. She then skipped President Donald Trump's second swearing-in ceremony on January 20th, leaving her husband to go solo. Those absences sparked divorce rumors, which Obama addressed during a taping of actress Sophia Bush's podcast last month. 'That's the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know, they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,' Obama said. 'That this couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?' she continued. Obama added: 'That's what society does to us.' 'We start actually, finally going, "What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?" And if it doesn't fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible.'
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
TV series on Sam Bankman-Fried and crypto firm FTX heads to Netflix
Netflix is getting into the cryptocurrency business, with a limited series produced by the Obamas on the rise and fall of crypto exchange FTX and its disgraced founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. The Altruists, from Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Grounds Productions, will focus on the eccentric entrepreneur and his business – and sometimes personal – partner Caroline Ellison. The show will feature 'two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye – and then seduced, coaxed, and teased each other into stealing $8 billion', according to the official logline. Northern Irish actor Anthony Boyle will play Bankman-Fried, with US actor Julia Garner signed to play Ellison. Graham Moore, writer of the 2014 film The Imitation Game, and Jacqueline Hoyt, an executive producer of the Prime Videos series The Underground Railroad, will serve as co-showrunners of the eight-episode series. The Circle and Shrinking director James Ponsoldt will direct. 'For nearly three years now, Sam and Caroline's story has been my daily obsession,' Moore told the Hollywood Reporter. 'I'm so grateful to my friends at Netflix and Higher Ground for loving this story not only as much as I do, but in the same way that I do. And we can't wait to show all of you why.' FTX, one of world's best-known cryptocurrency exchange platforms with an A-list roster of celebrity proponents, collapsed in spectacular fashion in 2022 after a run on customer withdrawals revealed a missing $8bn in customer funds. Bankman-Fried, a leading proponent of the movement known as 'effective altruism' and a major donor to both political parties, was convicted in November 2023 on seven charges of fraud and conspiracy; he was ordered to forfeit $11bn in assets and spend 25 years in prison. Ellison, who was CEO of FTX's associated hedge fund Alameda Research, as well as Bankman-Fried's on-and-off girlfriend, served as the star prosecution witness after pleading guilty to other charges. The Altruists marks a return for Garner to Netflix – she played another notorious scammer, Anna Delvey, in the 2022 series Inventing Anna, and won three Emmys for her role on the Netflix hit Ozark. Boyle's credits include FX's Say Nothing, on The Troubles in Northern Ireland, and Apple's Masters of the Air and Manhunt. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The series is one of several projects in the works on the high-profile financial saga. It was announced in November that Girls creator Lena Dunham will write a movie based on Michael Lewis's 2023 bestseller Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon for Apple and A24. Amazon Prime Video has a limited series in the works from Marvel directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writer David Weil. There are also multiple competing nonfiction projects: one from Vice Media and the Information on effective altruism, another from studio XTR and director David Darg that promises 'unprecedented access to key players at FTX and the cryptocurrency community' in SBF's home base of the Bahamas. A third documentary from Fortune and Mark Wahlberg's company Unrealistic Ideas will focus on the relationship between Bankman-Fried and one of his most vocal critics, Binance founder and CEO Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao. Bloomberg has already aired a nonfiction special on the debacle, titled Ruin: Money, Ego & Deception at FTX.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Many US families depend on immigrant nannies. Trump's policies could upend that
Catalina, a 23-year-old US citizen, confidently drives to her job as a nanny and earns a fair wage. Yet her mother – an undocumented immigrant from Peru – has worked in the shadows for 30 years. 'Even though we have the same job, do the same thing, and work the same hours, the pay is very different,' Catalina tells CNN. 'I've done very well because I was born here, and the pay is very good when you speak Spanish.' CNN has changed her name to protect her identity and her mother's safety. During Barack Obama's time in the White House, Catalina's mother considered returning to Peru, according to her daughter. The Obama administration focused on curbing interior deportations (as opposed to deportations at the border) and, especially in its later years, on so-called 'quick returns' of recent border arrivals who were perceived to have fewer ties in the US. 'A lot of people told her nothing would happen, and indeed, nothing did,' Catalina says, explaining her mother ultimately decided to stay. However, the harsh immigration policies of Donald Trump's administration paint a bleaker picture for both. The 23-year-old fears her mother could be detained when she drops off the children of a family she cares for every afternoon to support her own family. 'She's a single mom. I'm the oldest daughter, so if something happens to her, I'd have to take care of my siblings,' Catalina says. 'She had to sign a paper leaving everything to me, just in case: what to do with my siblings, her things, her money. It's awful to think about, but she feels prepared.' Catalina's mother has raised her children alone and dedicated part of her life to childcare, a sector facing a deep staffing crisis—one that has worsened in recent months, as experts say immigrants are essential to sustaining it. 'The childcare sector broadly has long been facing a crisis and a shortage of workers. And immigrant workers are critical to keeping that system running. Both the formal sector and the informal sector,' Wendy Cervantes, director of Immigration and Immigrant Families at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), tells CNN. According to a report from the National Women's Law Center, 20% of early educators in the US – an umbrella term encompassing preschool teachers, home-based childcare providers, teachers aids and program directors – are immigrants. Women make up 'a significant percentage' of the workforce in this sector nationwide. 'Care work is the work that makes all other work possible and enables all families to thrive,' the report says. However, caregivers face low wages, lack of benefits, vulnerability to exploitation, and job insecurity. Undocumented workers, for their part, also lack basic labor rights and protections. Although she has lived in the US for years, Catalina's mother does not have access to work benefits like health insurance or social security. 'She gets paid in cash or by check, but no benefits. Nothing,' Catalina says of her mother's working conditions. Every year, undocumented immigrants living in the US pay billions of dollars in taxes even though they know they won't be able to enjoy the benefits unless their status is regularized. Additionally, the constant threat of being reported limits her even when accepting jobs. 'If a job comes from an American family, I don't think she'd take it. She's afraid that if something happens, someone will call the authorities.' According to Cervantes, immigrant childcare workers 'are often an invisible workforce.' Despite their crucial role in the early education of an increasingly diverse child population, they are not sufficiently recognized. 'One thing that often goes unrecognized is that these workers are among the few who are bilingual and culturally competent, particularly in the formal sector, which is highly sought after. Many families want their children in bilingual education programs, and these workers are essential for serving an increasingly diverse child population,' adds the CLASP director. Beyond the numbers, the tightening of immigration policies under Trump's administration has directly impacted the reality of thousands of families like Catalina's. A few weeks after Trump took office, his administration announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could now make arrests near places like schools, churches, and hospitals, ending a longstanding policy that prevented them from operating in so-called 'sensitive locations.' 'And now, in some states where there is greater cooperation with local police, a nanny simply driving to work could be arrested, deported, and separated from her family,' Cervantes notes. Catalina's mother experiences that anxiety firsthand every day when she gets in the car to pick up the children she cares for in the afternoons. 'When she arrives, there are always police officers managing traffic. Sometimes she hides in the car, doesn't get out. She waits for the kids to get in the car. It's awful,' Catalina says. 'If I meet her at the school, she feels a little better. But if she's alone, she doesn't.' Without protective policies in place, like the 'sensitive locations' policy, it is much harder for nannies to serve families and feel safe continuing their work, Cervantes warns. 'The way immigration enforcement measures are being applied across the country is happening with very little oversight and accountability. More people are becoming vulnerable to deportation because there is no longer prosecutorial discretion, for example, for parents or people with humanitarian reasons not to be deported. There's no way to prioritize who should or shouldn't be deported. Everyone is a priority. Therefore, everyone without status is in danger,' adds the CLASP director. Catalina is currently studying, hoping to build her mother a house in Peru in case she decides to return one day. 'Here my mom has no one, no family, no sisters, no mother. Nothing. She's alone,' she says, but insists she doesn't want to leave her alone either. 'She worries more because she says, 'My daughter will be left alone.'' Meanwhile, the Trump administration's growing push to advance its mass deportation plan could further harm the US childcare system. 'If we lose immigrant workers, especially those who care for our children, as a country we will suffer. If deportations continue at the current pace, if this budget proposal passes Congress—which would allow the administration to further increase its enforcement measures—and if we keep seeing more people lose their immigration status, then this will have a very negative impact on the workforce overall, making it harder for all working mothers and fathers to find childcare and go to work,' Cervantes says. This is the invisible role of Catalina's mother: she is the one who allows others to work while their children are cared for. Without her and many like her, the United States would be a very different country.
New York Post
15 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Media embraced Biden White House's ‘cheap fakes' story until ill-fated debate, new book reveals
The Biden White House and its allies in the legacy media were essentially telling voters not to believe their lying eyes in 2024 when pushing the now-infamous 'cheap fakes' narrative. A new book detailing Biden's cognitive decline has dominated headlines and has reignited scrutiny of how the media shielded the then-presumptive Democratic nominee, particularly when it came to his age. In the weeks leading up to the disastrous debate performance exposing his cognitive decline on the world stage, Biden went viral on multiple occasions in videos his critics said showed him losing his faculties. The first was of him appearing completely frozen while others danced around him at Juneteenth celebration at the White House. The second was of him appearing to wander off at the G-7 Summit away from other world leaders while trying to engage with paratroopers, only to be corralled by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The third was Biden's freezing moment at an L.A. fundraiser which showed former President Barack Obama escorting him offstage. 7 The media is facing scrutiny over coverage of Joe Biden's cognitive decline. Getty Images It wasn't until the latter that the Biden White House latched onto the term 'cheap fakes' to describe the viral videos they said were misleading and peddled by right-wing foes of the then-presumptive Democratic nominee. 'I think you have all called this the 'cheap fakes' video. And that's exactly what they are,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press briefing last June. 'They're done in bad faith.' Jean-Pierre was likely referring to The Washington Post, a pioneer in dismissing Biden's viral moments as 'cheap fakes.' 7 Biden went viral in videos his critics said indicate a loss of his faculties, such as appearing to wander off at the G-7 Summit away from other world leaders. X/RNCresearch 7 A Democratic fundraiser in LA shows President Biden appearing to freeze up and get lost on stage. X/CollinRugg 7 Former President Barack Obama escorted Biden offstage. X/CollinRugg The Post used 'cheap fakes' to shield Biden from scrutiny as early as July 2022 in a fact check accusing an RNC social media post of painting 'a misleading picture of mental fitness' based on a viral moment Biden had while in Israel. It defined 'cheap fakes' as 'the practice of misrepresenting events that take place in a video by adding or leaving out context.' Fast-forward to June 2024, when The Post published a lengthy report combating Republicans sharing embarrassing clips of Biden during his trip to Normandy, including when he awkwardly paused while bending to sit down as others remained standing. 'Such deceptively edited videos, known as 'cheap fakes,' have become staples of Republican attacks against the president,' The Post told readers at the time. 7 'I think you have all called this the 'cheap fakes' video. And that's exactly what they are,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press briefing in June about the clips they claim were misleading. REUTERS NBC News accused Republicans of pushing a 'false' narrative by claiming Biden was wandering aimlessly at the G7 summit. 'Experts have warned that while advanced technology like generative artificial intelligence can spread misinformation, so-called cheap fakes that often use only minor or selective editing can be more effective at spreading false narratives,' NBC News wrote . The New York Times ran a story with the headline 'How Misleading Videos Are Trailing Biden as He Battles Age Doubts,' insisting the viral clips were either 'edited or lack[ed] context,' and CBS News released a report sounding the alarm on 'cheap fakes' and their impact on the upcoming election, echoing the White House's claim that Biden is 'victim to a simpler version of 'deepfakes.'' 7 The newly released book 'Original Sin' focuses on Joe Biden's mental and physical fitness during his run for a second term as president. Getty Images CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter offered an explainer of what 'cheap fakes' are and similarly warned about their impact on the 2024 race. 'We've been worried for years about AI deepfakes that computer-generated images are going to trick people into believing something that's totally false. Cheap fakes are a little bit simpler,' Stelter said. 'They're cheap,' he continued. 'They're just distorted, out-of-context videos chopped up in certain ways, constructed in certain ways. That's what we're seeing.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters CNN host Abby Phillip offered a rather sober message to her viewers, saying, 'The November choice is between two old men. We know that. But tonight, I want to talk to you about the Joe Biden that Republicans want you to see and the pipeline of videos that aren't telling the full truth. And those videos are probably right now clogging the public consciousness as Americans start to think about their votes.' MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace condemned the 'highly misleading and selectively edited videos,' calling out the 'insidious' trend from right-wing media. The Associated Press ran its own fact-check attempting to debunk the claim that Biden froze at the L.A. fundraiser. 'CLAIM: Biden froze onstage during his fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night and had to be led away by Obama,' AP wrote . 'THE FACTS: Biden paused amid cheers and applause as he exited the stage with his predecessor following an interview moderated by late-night host Kimmel.' 7 President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on January 15 in Washington, DC. Getty Images Perhaps Biden's strongest media defender regarding the false 'cheap fakes' narrative was CNN's media reporter Oliver Darcy, who has since left the network. 'These outlets are wrapping these videos in very misleading context, right? Saying that this is evidence that Biden was freezing. He's not able to walk offstage on his own, and that's obviously not the case, but that's how it's been portrayed in right-wing media,' Darcy told CNN's Kaitlan Collins. 'And it plays into this years-long narrative where they have tried to portray Biden as a senile old man incapable of governing the country. And this is just the latest example,' Darcy said. 'These attacks are obviously ramping up in the lead-up to the November election.' Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and the co-author of 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' now acknowledges the Biden White House lied about the 'cheap fakes' while discussing Biden's L.A. fundraiser, which became a major focal point in his book. 'The Biden White House falsely- when people showed that clip and asked what was going on- said it was a 'cheap fake.' They did this all the time when there was video that seemed to show Biden acting in an odd or unusual, seemingly out-of-it way, they would call it a 'cheap fake.' It was not fake. It was actual video,' Tapper said on CNN earlier this month.
CNN
15 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Far-right activist with history of anti-gay comments fired from leadership role at Kennedy Center after CNN investigation
Floyd Brown, a far-right political activist with a history of anti-gay rhetoric and promoting conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama, said he was fired from a senior leadership role he briefly held at the Kennedy Center — just hours after CNN reached out with questions about his past statements. Brown's past statements include calling homosexuality 'a punishment' upon America and condemning the legality of gay sex. He has also falsely claimed that Obama is Muslim and promoted conspiracy theories about his birth documents. Brown briefly served as a Vice President of Development, a top fundraising role responsible for helping raise tens of millions of dollars annually in support of the nation's most prominent performing arts center. His appointment, which had not been formally announced by the Kennedy Center, had sparked internal concern among some staffers, according to sources. It was the latest change to the Kennedy Center since President Donald Trump was installed as the new chair in February and overhauled the board. In an email to CNN on Wednesday, Brown said it was an 'honor' to work at the Kennedy Center. He defended his remarks as rooted in his Christian faith and said they did not influence his professional conduct. 'It was truly not my intention to offend anyone with my comments,' he wrote. Later on Thursday morning, Brown posted a lengthy note on X explaining his dismissal and criticizing Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center's interim president, who is gay. Brown claimed in an email he was asked to 'recant' his belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman. 'I refused to recant and was shown the door,' Brown wrote. 'He preemptively fired me for my Christian beliefs on marriage,' Brown wrote in reference to Grenell. Brown's statement did not address his past comments on Obama. Grenell did not respond to a request for comment from CNN. A source familiar with the Kennedy Center confirmed to CNN that Brown is no longer there and said that Grenell had not met with Brown, did not know him, and was not involved in his hiring. Brown's new role was listed on his LinkedIn page and his appointment had been confirmed by several sources involved with the Kennedy Center. A long-time political consultant, Brown helped found Citizens United, a conservative non-profit best known for successfully challenging campaign finance laws. He was also executive director of Young America's Foundation, a non-profit that supports conservative college students. He is perhaps best known for his involvement in helping produce the racially charged Willie Horton ad from the 1988 presidential campaign, which is seen as among the most effective and infamous political attack ads of all time. It's unclear what led to Brown's hiring, but sources told CNN he reported to Lisa Dale, the Development Department's senior vice president. Brown, like Dale, was an advisor to former Arizona Republican candidate Kari Lake. Sources told CNN Brown worked at the Kennedy Center for a month and that donors and staff had expressed concern over him bringing in traditional political donors at the expense of the center's more frequent and core donor base. Brown told CNN that his past comments did not affect his work. 'As a Christian, I am called to work with others of different beliefs and worldviews,' Brown said. 'It was truly not my intention to offend anyone with my comments. I have never intended to attack or demean any person in my statements, and have always shared the mission of Jesus, striving to love others unconditionally.' Brown's history of anti-gay commentary stretches back years. As a commentator Brown once attacked CPAC for 'an acceptance of the open promotion of the gay lifestyle inside the tent of conservatism,' called same-sex marriage both 'godless' and a 'hoax,' and posted cartoons on his personal website that attack the 'queer military.' In 2008, his website attacked Obama for saying homosexuality was not a choice and not believing that homosexuality was 'immoral.' Speaking at a Christian event in 2023, Brown discussed his time working as a staffer on Capitol Hill, and referenced what he said was 'the dirty little secret' of gay staffers working for Republican lawmakers. Brown said that unlike himself, with a wife and children at home, gay congressional staff lacked family responsibilities outside the office, allowing them to focus entirely on work. 'They literally worked for the member 24/7 and then went out to Adams Morgan and had their gay sex, and then came back to work the next day,' said Brown Brown later attacked George W. Bush for appointing Ken Mehlman, who later came out as gay, as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Brown said Mehlman 'systematically filled it with homosexual staff. And that's why we never make any progress on family issues.' A syndicated 2011 column from Brown lamented that homosexual intercourse is now legal. 'It was not until the teachings of Christ and Saint Paul conquered Rome and Western Europe that sodomy was outlawed,' Brown wrote in a column with his wife. 'But alas much has changed. Now sodomy is once again legal, and some states believe these acts deserve celebration in the most public of ceremonies, the wedding.' 'Homosexuality is a punishment that comes upon a nation that has rejected God,' Floyd said in 2023 on conservative talk radio. 'They're debasing themselves and their humanity.' As the founder of and the far-right website Western Journal in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brown often shared inflammatory misinformation about Obama, including photoshopped images depicting him with a long beard and turban similar to a photo of Osama bin Laden. 'As the son of a Muslim father, Obama is a Muslim, period,' read a 2010 post on his blog attributed to by Brown and his wife, under the crude picture of Obama with the turban and beard. In 2008, Brown wrote on his personal website that he was 'vindicated' in insisting that Obama was a Muslim. In 2008, Brown gained national recognition for raising money for a TV ad – 'Was he Muslim?' – that questioned if Barack Obama was formerly a Muslim as a child. Another ad on Brown's personal YouTube page features a video 'intended for Barack Hussein Obama' with an Islamic call to prayer and a link to his website ' accusing Obama of lying about being a Muslim. 'Are you embarrassed that you once followed Muhammed,' the ad asks. The website appears to have launched in 2008 according to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine and included tags for articles like 'Muslim Roots.' A defunct, but still online X account for the website shows links to numerous articles questioning if Obama was Muslim or a natural born citizen. One post on his website cited birth conspiracy theorist Joe Arpaio saying that Obama's birth certificate 'fraud' was '10 times worse than Watergate.' Archived results searchable on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine similarly show scores of articles by Brown questioning Obama's birthplace and religion. Brown has even raised that Obama might not be a citizen, even if he was born in the United States. In 2009, Brown argued on the radio that Obama had not proven he was a citizen. 'He has not proven to me definitively that he was born in the United States,' Brown said in 2009. In 2009, Brown also claimed Obama 'changed his story' around being Muslim in his syndicated column. That same year, Brown promoted plans to impeach Obama just months into his new term citing claims that Obama was not a natural born citizen – saying on the radio his goal was a half a million people for a petition to impeach Obama on The website was a project of the Policy Issues Institute, a non-profit group where Brown served as president as late as 2023 and paid him nearly $500,000 that year in compensation, according to public records. One of the website's so-called articles of impeachment said that Obama, 'unlawfully engaged in a conspiracy to suppress evidence of the true place of his birth,' which violated, 'the Constitutional provision that a President of the United States must be a natural born citizen.' In February Trump dismissed 18 Kennedy Center board members appointed by President Joe Biden and appointed 14 new ones, most of whom are his close allies. The newly appointed board then elected Trump as the new chair of the Kennedy Center and voted to terminate Deborah Rutter as president – appointing Grenell as interim president. Trump has said he wants to have the Kennedy Center's programming align with a new vision for American arts and culture – which he has criticized as overwhelmingly liberal and out of touch. 'I want to make sure it runs properly,' Trump said in February. 'We don't need woke at the Kennedy Center, and we don't need — some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on.' The changes have sparked backlash from the arts community, leading to cancellations from some high-profile performances. The Kennedy Center's Development Department raises tens of millions annually through donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events to support its performances and arts education programs. It manages relationships with individual, corporate, foundation and government donors to sustain the institution's mission and operations. The Center usually receives around $43 million in federal funding each year, which helps cover costs related to operating, maintaining and repairing the facility. This amount represents approximately 16% of its total annual budget of $268 million, according to the New York Times. The House Republican budget passed last week allocates nearly $257 million to the Kennedy Center, a substantial increase, signaling Trump's desire to reshape the institution with both influence and government investment.
