Latest news with #Truth
Daily Tribune
5 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Expected to Step Down
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is reportedly preparing to resign by the end of August, according to several local media outlets. The news comes after his party suffered a major defeat in the recent upper house elections and shortly after finalizing a major trade deal with the United States. Sources say Mr. Ishiba has already informed close aides of his intention to step down, taking responsibility for the election results where his ruling coalition lost its majority. The Liberal Democratic Party leader has been facing increasing pressure from within his party to resign. According to Japan's Yomiuri newspaper, Mr. Ishiba told his inner circle on Tuesday that he would speak publicly about his future after wrapping up negotiations with the US. Both Mainichi and Sankei newspapers reported that his formal resignation announcement is likely to come next month, after key national events conclude. Adding to the timing of the news, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday via his Truth Social platform that a 'massive' trade agreement had been reached with Japan. The deal reportedly includes $550 billion in Japanese investments into the US and a reduction in planned tariffs on Japanese goods from 25% to 15%. If Mr. Ishiba steps down as expected, Japan will soon be preparing for a leadership transition amid shifting political and economic priorities.
Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
As Stephen Colbert drops F-bomb on gloating Trump, late-night counterparts join the fray
LOS ANGELES - Stephen Colbert shared a pointed message for President Donald Trump days after the latter rejoiced on social media that "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired." "Go f- yourself," the late-night veteran said Monday during his opening monologue. Monday's episode was Colbert's first time behind the desk after he announced last week that CBS had decided to cancel "The Late Show," bringing the franchise to an end after more than 30 years. The network's stunning decision - apparently "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" - was met with disappointment and shock from Colbert's loyal viewers, concern from his late-night cohorts and delight from his critics, notably President Trump. On his Truth Social app, Trump wrote that Colbert's "talent was even less than his ratings" and took an additional swipe at Jimmy Kimmel, who he claimed "has even less talent than Colbert." Earlier in his monologue, Colbert, 61, told his in-studio audience and viewers that until the "Late Show" goes dark in May, the gloves are officially off and "he can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump." Colbert, who took over the "Late Show" from original host David Letterman in 2015, has long been critical of Trump, even before the former reality TV star and businessman took office. Since becoming president, Trump has given Colbert and his late-night cohorts plenty of material to work with. In recent weeks, Colbert chided his own bosses for their decision to cave to Trump by settling the president's lawsuit over "60 Minutes" edits, a case that most First Amendment experts called frivolous. Paramount agreed to pay $16 million, with most of that going to Trump's future presidential library. Though Colbert kept things mostly light in his monologue, he questioned CBS' justification for canceling his show. "How could it be a 'purely financial decision' if 'The Late Show' is number one in ratings? It's confusing," he said, echoing concerns that fans have also voiced on social media. He continued his segment, citing reports that specified the alleged losses were somewhere between $40 million and $50 million. "$40 million's a big number. I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million - oh yeah," he said, alluding to the settlement. Mulling on Trump's diss on Truth Social, Colbert joked about the president's desire to see Kimmel's program go dark: "I'm the martyr. There's only room for one on this cross and I gotta tell you the view is fantastic up here." Amid the cancellation news, Colbert has found support in his fellow late-night peers including "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart ("The Daily Show" airs on Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount) and "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver, among others. On Monday, the late-night personalities took their support to the Ed Sullivan Theater, which Colbert has called home for the majority of the past decade. In a segment spoofing that viral kiss-cam fiasco at a recent Coldplay concert, guests Lin Manuel-Miranda and "Weird Al" Yankovic perform a version of "Viva La Vida," and the camera pans to the audience where Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Stewart and Oliver are spotted in the crowd. The hush-hush pair exposed by the kiss-cam? An animated Trump lovingly cuddling the Paramount logo. Though Letterman didn't return to his old stomping grounds to join the other late-night stars on Monday, his YouTube account shared a 20-minute compilation of him throwing shade at CBS throughout his "Late Show" tenure. "You can't spell CBS without BS," says the description for the video. Over on Comedy Central on Monday, Stewart dedicated a portion of his latest episode to discuss the "Late Show" cancellation. Stewart reminded audiences that he and Colbert were both "Daily Show" alumni, recalled watching his colleague "exceed all expectations in the role" over the years and skewered CBS for "killing a show you know wrinkled a fragile and vengeful president." Stewart ended his opening segment dancing and singing along with a choir to a familiar phrase. "If you're afraid and you protect your bottom line, I've got but one thing to say. Just one little phrase: 'Go f- yourself.'" Amid the uncertainty at Paramount, Stewart contemplated the future of the "Daily Show" in a podcast interview published before the "Late Show" cancellation. Speaking to the "Weekly Show" podcast, Stewart said he had not gotten any word about his series getting the ax. "They haven't called me and said like, 'Don't get too comfortable in that office, Stewart!'" he said, adding, "I've been kicked out of [more] s- establishments than that. We'll land on our feet." This week "The Daily Show" will push forward with former writer and current on-air correspondent Josh Johnson set to make his anchoring debut, starting Tuesday through Thursday. He joins a host rotation that also includes "Daily Show" personalities Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic. --- (Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.) --- Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Coca-Cola Confirms New Product Trump Had Demanded
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. Coca-Cola confirmed that it would introduce a new product made with U.S. cane sugar after President Donald Trump said he had urged the beverage giant to use the ingredient again. "As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range," the company said in its second quarter earnings report on Tuesday, July 22. Trump previously said the company had agreed to use cane sugar in Coke, though its announcement is of a new product rather than a change to existing lines. Coca-Cola stopped using cane sugar in favor of high-fructose corn syrup decades ago. "I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so," Trump said in a July 16 post on his Truth Social platform. "I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!" This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
The Journal
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
'Go f**k yourself': Late night host Stephen Colbert attacks Trump after show cancellation
STEPHEN COLBERT HAD an unflinching message for US President Donald Trump in his first broadcast since his 'Late Show' was cancelled amid a political firestorm – 'the gloves are off.' Colbert, who addressed the cancellation of his show by a broadcaster that has been widely accused of seeking to curry favour with Trump for business reasons, came out swinging – telling Trump to 'go fuck yourself.' 'The Late Show,' a storied US TV franchise dating back to 1993 when it was hosted by David Letterman, will go off the air in May 2026 following a surprise announcement by broadcaster CBS last week. The channel is part of Paramount, which is in the throes of an $8 billion takeover that requires approval by the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission. It pulled the plug three days after Colbert skewered CBS for settling a lawsuit with Trump. He accused it of paying what he termed a 'a big fat bribe' of $16 million to the president for what he called 'deceptive' editing of an interview with his 2024 election opponent, former vice president Kamala Harris. Trump revelled in the firing of one of his most prolific detractors, posting on his Truth Social platform that 'I absolutely love that Colbert was fired.' Colbert joked yesterday that it had always been his dream starting out as an improv comic in Chicago in the 1980s to have a sitting president celebrate the end of his career. He also disputed the logic of CBS who insisted the cancellation was 'purely a financial decision.' He said that in an anonymous leak over the weekend, CBS had appeared to suggest his show lost $40 million last year. Colbert joked that he could account for losing $24 million annually – but wasn't to blame for the other $16 million, a reference to CBS News's settlement with Trump. Monday's cold open was an unsparing riff on Trump demanding that the Washington Commanders change its name back to its former name which was widely considered a slur against Native Americans. The segment suggested Trump sought to rename the franchise the 'Washington Epsteins', in reference to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein whom it has been widely reported was close to Trump. Colbert returned to this topic after addressing his show's cancellation, proclaiming that they had killed his show but not him, and doing a deep dive on reporting about just how close Trump and Epstein were. It was a formula that would have been familiar to fans of the show: the deadly serious leavened with humor and quick wit. Advertisement Outside the taping at Midtown Manhattan's Ed Sullivan theater, protesters held placards that said 'Colbert Stays! Trump Must Go!' Audience member Elizabeth Kott, a 48-year-old high school teacher, called Colbert's firing 'terrible.' 'It's really awful that it's come to that in this country, where companies feel the need to obey in advance. It's really awful,' she told news agency AFP. 'A plague on CBS' Demonstration in front of the Late Show Ed Sullivan Theater in support Stephen Colbert. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Colbert's lead guest Monday, acclaimed actress Sandra Oh, did not hold back, proclaiming a 'plague on CBS and Paramount' – the network on which Colbert's channel is broadcast and its media giant proprietor. Colbert's lip trembled as Oh paid tribute to his work speaking truth to power while staying funny. His other guest, actor Dave Franco, said he had loved Colbert's work in everything from 'The Daily Show' to 'The Colbert Report' and then 'The Late Show.' It was on 'The Daily Show,' under the supervision of comic 'anchor' Jon Stewart, that Colbert perfected his alter-ego – a blowhard conservative reporter whose studied ignorance parodied actual right-wing broadcasters night after night. He moved up to a show of his own on the same network, Comedy Central, which was then part of Viacom and today is part of Paramount. Before long he took one of the most coveted chairs in US television – host of the CBS late-night slot. Colbert dropped his arrogant conservative persona and cultivated a reputation as one of the most trusted yet funniest figures on US television. Through the coronavirus pandemic he became a reassuring presence for millions, broadcasting from a spare room in his house and narrating the challenges he faced alongside his wife Evelyn. He also became an arch-critic of Trump, skewering the president for everything from his policies to his fondness for Hannibal Lecter. Skipping a promised question and answer session following the taping of yesterday's show, Colbert told his studio audience that 'I was nervous coming out here.' 'I will miss you.'
Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Trump Envisions Jailing Obama
Donald Trump, who openly campaigned in 2016 against Hillary Clinton on chants of 'lock her up' but was ultimately persuaded not to pursue her prosecution, now appears to be fantasizing about throwing his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, in jail. And his Administration is actively taking steps in that direction. The current President shared on his Truth Social platform on Sunday a video from TikTok user @neo8171 that starts with a montage of Democratic politicians, including Obama, saying, 'No one is above the law,' to the tune of Luciano Michelini's 'Frolic' (made famous as the theme song of sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm). After about 40 seconds, the soundtrack changes to the Village People's 'Y.M.C.A.,' as apparently AI-generated video depicts Trump and Obama sitting in the Oval Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigations officers handcuffing Obama while Trump laughs. It ends with an AI-generated depiction of Obama pacing around a jail cell. Trump also shared an AI-generated image attributed to X user @sirtemplemount that showed fake mugshots of Obama and officials from his Administration with the words 'The Shady Bunch.' And the President shared a screenshot from X of user @Real_JaredMarsh, who responded to a clip of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R, Fla.) saying on Fox News that 'there needs to be criminal prosecution and arrests.' Marsh posted, 'I agree with @RepLuna!' alongside an image of men being arrested outside the U.S. Capitol with the words 'Unless this happens, nothing will change' overlaid on the image. Trump's posts come after his Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat turned MAGA Republican, on Friday announced that she was turning over evidence of an 'Obama Administration Conspiracy to Subvert Trump's 2016 Victory and Presidency' to the Department of Justice 'for criminal referral.' 'President Obama and his national security cabinet members manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump,' she alleged in a DNI press release. What Tulsi Gabbard claims about Obama officials Gabbard's office declassified a number of documents and released a memo outlining a timeline of alleged information 'manipulated and withheld' by the U.S. Intelligence Community beginning in 2016. In a series of social media posts summarizing her findings, she said the documents 'detail a treasonous conspiracy by officials at the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the will of the American people and try to usurp the President from fulfilling his mandate.' The announcement backs Trump's longtime contention that he was the victim of a 'witch hunt,' which the President has previously dubbed the 'Russiagate hoax.' Gabbard's announcement comes after Fox News reported earlier this month that the FBI is investigating its former director James Comey as well as former CIA director John Brennan for possible false statements to Congress after current CIA director John Ratcliffe released a review in June that was critical of a 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that claimed Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election to help Trump. Intelligence agencies in 2017 had assessed that 'Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency.' Gabbard alleges that Obama Administration officials leaked false statements to media outlets and manufactured information for the 2017 assessment. Gabbard's office asserts that there was 'no indication of a Russian threat to directly manipulate the actual vote count,' though the earlier assessment never suggested that. Gabbard's report is based on newly-declassified intelligence assessments and internal communications prior to the 2016 election that assessed that Russia and other foreign adversaries would 'probably not' try to influence the election through cyber means, as well as emails concerning an intelligence assessment at Obama's request after Trump's victory in November 2016 into 'tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.' The Obama Administration openly accused Russia of trying to influence the election through hacking campaigns, including of the DNC, in October 2016, and it was publicly reported in early 2017 that Obama Administration officials had scrambled to preserve evidence related to the then-ongoing probe of Russian interference and potential coordination with Trump and his associates. 'This was politicized intelligence that was used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump's victory, the years-long Mueller investigation, two Congressional impeachments, high level officials being investigated, arrested, and thrown in jail, heightened US-Russia tensions, and more,' Gabbard's office said. 'It's worse than even politicization of intelligence. It was manufactured intelligence that sought to achieve President Obama and his team's objective, which was undermining President Trump's presidency and subverting the will of the American people. So, yes, next week we will be releasing more detailed information about how this took place and the extent to which this information was sought to be hidden,' Gabbard told Fox News on Sunday, in a clip that was also shared by Trump. 'For the American people to have any sense of trust in the integrity of our democratic republic, accountability, action, prosecution, indictments for those who were responsible for trying to steal our democracy is essential for us to make sure that this never happens to our country again.' How Republicans have reacted Fox News called Gabbard's announcement 'a potential blockbuster scandal,' and Trump shared the clip alongside the latter two words in all caps. A number of Trump allies have also supported Gabbard's declassifications and call for prosecutions. 'This is potentially Watergate-esque,' Rep. Pat Fallon (R, Texas) told the right-leaning news network over the weekend. 'Makes Watergate look like amateur hour,' Rep. Pat Harrigan (R, N.C.) posted on X. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt boosted Gabbard's posts on X, writing 'Every American should read this.' White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller said in a post on X that Gabbard 'exposed the startling depths of a seditious coup against the Republic. The forces behind this coup have done and will do anything to protect their grasp on illegal & illegitimate power. Do not underestimate their capabilities or depravities. But WE are stronger.' 'These tyrants are finally being called out for what they've done,' Sen. Mike Lee (R, Utah) posted on X. 'The Russiagate hoax was a far more effective attack on our republic & our elections than any foreign adversary could have managed. Those who sold this lie to the American people became the very same villains they invented,' he added from his official account. 'The corruption runs deep in the Swamp. Thank goodness we have a President and administration committed to truth and accountability,' posted Rep. Troy Nehls (R, Texas). 'EVERYONE involved must be held to account,' Rep. Andy Biggs (R, Ariz.) posted. Added Rep. Greg Steube (R, Fla.): 'This is only the beginning. Much more will be revealed.' How Democrats have reacted Democrats have criticized the report as misleading and politically motivated. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called the report 'baseless' and an attempt to rehash 'decade-old false claims about the Obama Administration.' 'Few episodes in our nation's history have been investigated as thoroughly as the Intelligence Community's warning in 2016 that Russia was interfering in the election,' Himes said in a statement. 'Every legitimate investigation, including the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, found no evidence of politicization and endorsed the findings of the 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment.' Himes referred to a Republican-led Senate report in 2020 that agreed with the 2017 findings of Russian influence. That report was backed by now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio and found 'no evidence' of collusion between Trump and the Russian government in the 2016 election but did find 'irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling.' There have been several other reviews since 2017 that also backed the assessment. Even the CIA report last month that criticized the 2017 assessment as rushed and potentially biased did not dispute the assessment's conclusion that Russia favored Trump in the 2016 election. Himes also seemed to suggest that the report is an effort to distract from controversy rocking the Trump Administration surrounding Trump's links to convicted sex offender and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. 'It's a day that ends with 'y' and Donald Trump desperately wants to change the subject,' Himes said in his statement. Himes told CBS News that he doubted any charges against Obama Administration officials would actually come, saying: 'They won't, because there's not a judge in the land—not a single judge—who will treat this with anything other than laughter that will be heard from the Atlantic to the Pacific.' Himes related the outrage Republicans are now ginning up among their supporters over alleged 'treason' to the conspiracy theories Republicans had previously fanned about Epstein before Trump and his Administration told them the case was closed and to move on. 'This is Epstein all over again.' Read More: Why Trump Can't Put Out the Epstein Fire He Helped Ignite Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Community, told the New York Times: 'This is one more example of the Director of National Intelligence trying to cook the books.' He added that a March Intelligence Community report 'acknowledged that Russia's effort to meddle goes on. That was an assessment under [Gabbard's] watch.' 'Moscow probably believes information operations efforts to influence U.S. elections are advantageous, regardless of whether they affect election outcomes, because reinforcing doubt in the integrity of the U.S. electoral system achieves one of its core objectives,' the annual threat assessment had said. 'It is sadly not surprising that DNI Gabbard, who promised to depoliticize the intelligence community,' Warner said in a statement, 'is once again weaponizing her position to amplify the President's election conspiracy theories.'
