Latest news with #NewsShapers
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Video Shows Moment GOP Senator Josh Hawley Leaves Stage Over Heckling
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, was temporarily escorted from the stage amid heckling from pro-Palestinian demonstrations during a panel discussion about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on American workers with Axios Wednesday morning. Newsweek reached out to Hawley's office for comment via email. Why It Matters Politicians from both sides of the aisle have faced protests from pro-Palestinian protesters during public appearances over the past few years, as the U.S. has remained a closer ally to Israel despite humanitarian concerns about its actions in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251 people. Israel has said 50 hostages remain in Gaza and that only 21 of them are believed to still be alive. Israel has since launched an offensive on Gaza, killing more than 59,000 people, according to The Associated Press, citing Gaza's Health Ministry. Critics have raised concerns about the number of civilians killed or displaced, as well as conditions such as the threat of starvation in the Gaza Strip. Others, however, have said Israel has a right to respond to the October 7 attack and have blamed Hamas for putting these civilians in harm's way. What to Know Hawley, who has been supportive of Israel, faced heckling during Axios' News Shapers conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning with journalist Stef Kight. The interruption came during a discussion about AI. Hawley warned about a his concerns on "a huge loss of jobs for working people," and that lawmakers need to "put people at the center of our technology policy." "If we don't do that, I'm worried about what that's going to mean for ordinary working Americans," Hawley said. Kight continued to ask if he feels like is "alone in that kind of approach," when one protester began shouting at the senator. Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on April 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on April 09, 2025 in Washington, DC."Josh Hawley cannot possibly care about people in this country because he is supporting a war of starvation," the protester said. Kight asked the protester to allow her to continue with the interview, noting that it was the first instance of a protester during Wednesday's event. She then escorted Hawley from the stage, though Hawley asked, "aAre you sure?" when she got up. Kight and Hawley quickly returned to the stage after about one minute. Kight asked attendees to "be respectful and allow us to continue our conversation." Hawley quipped that it was "just another day in the Senate" before continuing on with the conversation. The two protesters with the group Code Pink were removed from the event after the disruption, according to video footage that has circulated across social media. What People Are Saying Hawley wrote on X: "Hahahah - pro-Hamas CRAZIES tried to disrupt another event this morning. What a bunch of nutcases. I'm proud as ever to stand for America and our ally Israel." Code Pink, the group that led the protest, on X: "We shut down Josh Hawley because his career is built on suffering from Gaza to the U.S. As 2.2 million Palestinians face forced starvation, he doubles down on genocide. We won't let him speak freely while children starve." What Happens Next The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues as President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to head to the Middle East to try to broker a ceasefire deal.
Axios
28-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump asking Congress to help with $9.4 billion in DOGE cuts
The White House is planning to send a $9.4 billion rescissions package to Congress next Tuesday, giving lawmakers the opportunity to codify some of the potential cuts identified by DOGE, according to an administration official. Why it matters: The White House wants a big public fight over funding for NPR, PBS and foreign aid. They are likely to get it. The formal transmission of the package to Congress will start a 45-day clock for lawmakers to claw back funding that has previously been appropriated. The future of NPR, PBS, the USAID and United States Agency of International Development are hanging in the balance. Trump has been clear that he wants to defund those organizations, but he may need Republicans in Congress to supply the votes to cut off their money supply. Zoom in: The proposed cuts would trim $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance, from both USAID and the African Development Foundation. NPR and PBS receive the bulk of their funding from nongovernmental sources, but Corporation for Public Broadcasting allocates about $535 million in federal funding annually to them. The Office of Management and Budget has identified foreign aid grants that it's convinced will bolster its case for cutting funding for USAID and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Officials will identify grants like $882,000 for social media mentorship in Serbia and Belarus or $1 million for voter ID in Haiti to make their case against USAID, according to an administration official. Zoom out: On May 1, Trump signed an executive order to end "taxpayer subsidization of biased media," which directed the CPB to end its funding for NPR and PBS, the country's two biggest public broadcasters. PBS CEO Paula Kerger told Axios at News Shapers event April 30 that she was prepared to "vigorously" defend the independent broadcaster's board. NPR sued the White House on Tuesday, citing the First Amendment and alleging Trump's effort to starve them of their funding amounted to a "clear violation of the Constitution. NPR's CEO Katherine Maher was grilled by GOP lawmakers at a hearing in March including 2020 tweets where she described Trump as a "racist" and "sociopath." Speaker Mike Johnson told Axios back in April that it was fair for elected representatives to evaluate whether something is a "good use of taxpayer dollars." The intrigue: Trump's efforts to shutter the U.S. Institute of Peace have been challenged in the courts, with a federal judge ruling last week that the ousted president had a right to return after DOGE staffers took over the building earlier this
Axios
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Watch: Axios News Shapers event exploring takeaways from Trump's first 100 days
Axios is hosting a News Shapers event in Washington, D.C., featuring conversations with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on the biggest impacts stemming from Trump's first 100 days and the news of the day on Capitol Hill.
Axios
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Exclusive: Van Hollen says Trump has "no excuses" for violating Ábrego García's rights
Kilmar Ábrego García's unlawful deportation underscores a" constitutional crisis," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Wednesday at an Axios' News Shapers event. The big picture: Van Hollen has led the charge for Kilmar Ábrego García's return to the U.S., traveling to El Salvador earlier this month to meet with Salvadoran officials and the erroneously deported man. Driving the news: "It's clear that the Trump administration continues to violate the Constitution and Ábrego García's due process rights," Van Hollen told Axios' Stephen Neukam Wednesday. Van Hollen said Ábrego García remains in a "total communications blackout" and is unreachable by his family. "This is about more than one man," he said. "I'm not vouching for him — I'm vouching for his rights." He continued, "If you take away and trample on his rights, you threaten them for everybody." State of play: On Tuesday, Van Hollen released a strongly worded direct appeal to President Trump, slamming his administration's actions and failure to comply with court orders as "gross violations of the Constitution and due process rights." He emphasized Wednesday, as he did in his letter, that Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa told him during their meeting that "the ball was in America's court." Van Hollen argued, "There are no excuses for the Trump administration to continue to violate his due process rights." Catch up quick: The administration has argued that facilitating Ábrego García's return simply means assisting if El Salvador asks to send him back, Axios' Sam Baker reported. But Van Hollen contended in his letter, "The Government of El Salvador is imprisoning him because your Administration is paying them to do so and they claim to be contractually obligated," a point he reiterated Wednesday. In an ABC interview that aired Tuesday, Trump said he "could" get Ábrego García back. He added, "if he were the gentleman you say he is, I would do that." The administration has repeatedly claimed Ábrego García is a member of MS-13 — though he has not been charged with any gang-related crimes.
