Latest news with #freeSpeech
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sandra Oh on Paramount, Skydance and Colbert cancellation: ‘A plague on both your houses'
Actress Sandra Oh condemned the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' during an appearance on the program Monday. 'I am so sorry and properly outraged for the cancellation,' she told Colbert. 'Not only for you … but for our entire culture and what it means for free speech.' CBS announced last week it was canceling 'The Late Show,' citing financial constraints, though the move is being met with widespread skepticism about the motives of the network's parent company. Paramount, which owns CBS, Comedy Central and a number of other linear broadcast assets, is attempting to secure a multi-billion dollar merger with Skydance, a deal that will need approval from the Trump administration. Paramount agreed to pay Trump's foundation $16 million earlier this month to settle a lawsuit he filed against CBS News over a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Harris last fall. Oh, appearing on 'The Late Show' on Monday, took Colbert's hand, addressing CBS and Paramount directly. 'A plague on both of your houses,' she quipped. Colbert, who himself earlier in the evening ripped the network, thanked the 'Grey's Anatomy' star and said 'you're very kind.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US appeals court will not lift limits on Associated Press access to White House
July 22 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday declined to lift restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump's administration on White House access by Associated Press journalists after the news organization declined to refer to the body of water long called the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America as he prefers. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit kept in place a June 6 decision by a divided three-judge panel that the administration could legally restrict access to the AP to news events in the Oval Office and other locations controlled by the White House, including Air Force One. The D.C. Circuit order denied, opens new tab the AP's request that it review the matter, setting up a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Associated Press in a statement on Tuesday said it was disappointed by the court's decision and will remain focused on free speech rights as the case continues. "As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation," the AP said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. In a lawsuit filed in February, the AP argued that the limitations on its access imposed by the administration violated the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protections against government abridgment of free speech. Trump in January signed an executive order officially directing federal agencies to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The AP sued after the White House restricted its access over its decision not to use "Gulf of America" in its news reports. The AP Stylebook states that the Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. AP said that as a global news agency, it will refer to the body of water by its longstanding name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. Reuters and the AP both issued statements denouncing the access restrictions, which put wire services in a larger rotation with about 30 other newspaper and print outlets. Other media customers, including local news outlets with no presence in Washington, rely on real-time reports by the wire services of presidential statements, as do global financial markets. The Trump administration has said the president has absolute discretion over media access to the White House. The AP won a key order in the trial court when U.S. District Judge Treevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, decided that if the White House opens its doors to some journalists it cannot exclude others based on their viewpoints, citing the First Amendment. The D.C. Circuit panel in its 2-1 ruling in June paused McFadden's order. The two judges in the majority, Neomi Rao and Gregory Katsas, were appointed by Trump during his first term in office. The dissenting judge, Cornelia Pillard, is an appointee of Democratic former President Barack Obama.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
X calls French foreign interference probe ‘politically motivated'
X complained of bias in French authorities' choice of experts to examine its algorithm. (EPA Images pic) PARIS : A French probe into alleged foreign interference and bias via the algorithm at Elon Musk-owned social network X is 'politically motivated', the company said in a post today, adding that it was refusing to cooperate. 'X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,' the social network said. It added that it 'has not acceded to the French authorities' demands' to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data, 'as we have a legal right to do'. Cybercrime prosecutors announced the opening of the probe on July 11 into suspected crimes including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems 'as part of a criminal gang'. The move followed two complaints received in January about 'foreign interference' in French politics via X – one of them from Eric Bothorel, an MP from president Emmanuel Macron's centrist party. Bothorel had complained of 'reduced diversity of voices and options' and Musk's 'personal interventions' on the network since his 2022 takeover of the former Twitter. The Tesla and SpaceX chief has raised hackles in Europe with political sallies, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections. 'Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,' Bothorel said after the investigation was announced. The company responded today saying, 'Mr Bothorel has accused X of manipulating its algorithm for 'foreign interference' purposes, an allegation which is completely false.' Prosecutors have not confirmed whether they are also investigating under a French law against foreign interference in politics passed last year. X also complained of bias in French authorities' choice of experts to examine its algorithm, including mathematician David Chavalarias and computer scientist Maziyar Panahi. Both have been involved in a scheme called 'HelloQuitteX', designed to make it easier for users to migrate their X presence to other social networks. Picking them 'raises serious concerns about the impartiality, fairness and political motivations of the investigation', the company said. It also objected to the use of the 'organised gang' aggravating circumstance. The characterisation 'is usually reserved for drug cartels or mafia groups' and 'enables the French police to deploy extensive investigative powers… including wiretapping the personal devices of X employees', the company said.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Writers' union urges investigation into Paramount move to cancel Colbert show
The Writers Guild of America has called on New York state officials to launch an investigation into Paramount following its sudden decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, the Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West asked New York state attorney general Letitia James to investigate Paramount over 'potential wrongdoing' after the company announced the cancellation of the 'Late Show' on Thursday. The unions pointed to Paramount's decision earlier this month to settle what it condemned as a 'baseless lawsuit' brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by Donald Trump for $16m. Trump had claimed that CBS News misleadingly edited an interview with Kamala Harris last fall during the presidential campaign. Citing the California state senate's decision in May to launch an inquiry into Paramount's $16m settlement with Trump as precedent, the unions said: 'Given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show's cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump administration as the company looks for merger approval.' It continued: 'Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount's decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.' The unions called on James to launch an investigation into Paramount, saying that she is 'no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices'. 'We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the president,' the WGA added. The cancellation comes after Colbert – who has long been a critic of Trump on his show – called Paramount's settlement a 'big fat bribe' on air on Monday. 'As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended… I don't know if anything – anything – will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16m would help,' he said. Echoing Colbert's disapproval, Jon Stewart, who works for Comedy Central – which is also owned by Paramount – condemned the deal on air last week, calling it 'shameful'. He added: 'I would assume internally, this is devastating to the people who work in a place that pride themselves on contextual, good journalism?' Following Paramount's announcement, numerous lawmakers have weighed in on the cancellation, casting skepticism at the company. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X: 'CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery.' Similarly, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said: 'CBS's billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late night host, slams the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO.' In a statement on Thursday evening, CBS executives said that the decision to cancel the show was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night', adding that it was 'not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount'. The Guardian has contacted the WGAE and James's office for comment.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Slams Paramount Over ‘The Late Show' Cancelation, Fears Move Is A 'Bribe' & Calls NY State AG To Investigate
The Writers Guild of America has slammed Paramount's decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The WGA, which represents a slew of writers on the show, put out a strongly worded statement against the move and called for New York State Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation into 'potential wrongdoing' at Paramount. More from Deadline Jimmy Fallon & Seth Meyers Praise Stephen Colbert Following CBS' 'The Late Show' Cancellation Donald Trump Celebrates CBS' Cancellation Of Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' Adam Schiff Talks Of Donald Trump's "Climate Of Fear" In 'Late Show' Guest Appearance; California Senator Later Addresses CBS Cancellation 'Given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show's cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval,' it noted (see full statement below). The guild has highlighted how close the decision to axe the show was to Colbert calling Paramount's $16M with President Trump a 'big fat bribe'. Statement from Writers Guild of America West & Writers Guild of America East: On July 2nd, Paramount agreed to settle a baseless lawsuit brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by President Trump for $16 million. On July 15, during a regular show of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert went on-air and called the settlement a 'big fat bribe' in exchange for a favorable decision on the proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance, a charge currently under investigation in California. Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, Paramount canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a show currently performing first in its timeslot, giving vague references to the program's 'financial performance' as the only explanation. For ten years, the show has been one of the most successful, beloved and profitable programs on CBS, entertaining an audience of millions on late night television, on streaming services and across social media. Given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show's cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount's decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR. The Writers Guild of America calls on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices, to join California and launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount. We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President. In the meantime, the Writers Guild of America will support our members at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and across the late-night industry as they speak truth to power and we will explore all potential legal and political avenues to fight for our members in the aftermath of this decision. Best of Deadline The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About 'Stranger Things' Season 5 So Far
