Latest news with #TheLead
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen Arrives In Tehran; First Western Journalist To Enter Country Since Start Of Latest Conflict With Israel, Network Says
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen filed his first report on Wednesday after arriving in Tehran, reporting on hearing anti-aircraft gunfire as well as the sounds of potential Israeli airstrikes or some sort of interceptions. 'There's very few people actually though here. A lot of people appear to have left,' Pleitgen said of the streets of the city. In his report on The Lead with Jake Tapper, he reported that there was 'a good amount of traffic' going out of the city and stores that were closed. More from Deadline Iranian National TV Headquarters Hit By Israeli Airstrike During Live Broadcast Donald Trump Says Tucker Carlson Apologized Amid MAGA Split On U.S. Involvement In Iran Strikes Donald Trump Appears To Praise David Ellison Amid Pending Skydance-Paramount Merger Approval, Settlement Talks In '60 Minutes' Lawsuit He said that they drove through Iran, 'the mood there is fairly calm. Not a lot of panic.' In a digital video, Pleitgen, traveling with his producer, also described driving through a 'substantial part' of Iran to get to Tehran, where it 'appears to be almost business as usual.' The network said that Pleitgen is the first Western journalist to enter the country since the conflict with Israel started. President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that he had not yet decided on whether the U.S. would take part in further efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear arsenal. Pleitgen is CNN senior international correspondent and anchor. Networks have been mobilizing crews and coverage in the region since the Israeli airstrikes started on Thursday. Much of the reporting from the Middle East on broadcast and cable networks has been from Israel, as journalists have been reporting on Iran's retaliatory strikes and the damage in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. CNN has been providing images from Tehran from Iran's Mehr News Agency. The Committee to Protect Journalists said that the conflict with Israel has already increased media censorship among Iranian journalists, in a country where the government already controls broadcasting. CNN earlier in the day featured Christiane Amanpour's interview with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who told her, 'If the Americans decide to get involved militarily, we have no choice but to retaliate, wherever we find the targets necessary to be acted upon.' Best of Deadline 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Jake Tapper ripped on C-SPAN while plugging book on Biden's decline: ‘I really don't like you'
CNN anchor Jake Tapper faced sharp criticism from a caller on C-SPAN Tuesday over his new book about former President Joe Biden's cognitive decline, with the woman accusing him of unfair coverage and bias toward the current president, Donald Trump. Tapper appeared on Tuesday's edition of 'Washington Journal' to discuss 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' the bestselling book he co-wrote with Axios reporter Alex Thompson. During the C-SPAN call-in show, Tapper was confronted by Sarah, a caller from Virginia who voiced frustration over what she saw as one-sided reporting. 4 A C-SPAN caller bluntly told CNN anchor Jake Tapper 'I don't really like you' while he was plugging his book about former President Biden's decline on Tuesday. C-SPAN 'I watch you on CNN,' she began. 'But right now, I really don't like you. I think you're doing a disservice to Joe and also to the American people.' Sarah questioned why Tapper hasn't applied the same level of scrutiny to Trump's behavior and fitness for office. 'When are you going to examine what is going on with Trump? Joe Biden conducted himself for four years taking care of the United States. He took meetings. He went overseas. He negotiated with other leaders,' she said. 'This president has been pure chaos, which indicates to me that there is something wrong with him. We will never get a straight answer on his medical examinations, what medication he is on, and yet you have gone after Joe Biden with a vengeance that… I'm very disappointed in you.' The caller said she used to enjoy Tapper's show 'The Lead,' but that his recent focus had changed her view. 'And I think right now you ought to start writing another book examining Trump and how erratic [he is] and what he is doing, calling out the National Guard, the Marines, and everybody,' she added. 'When has a president ever done that? It's pure erratic!' Tapper, who has acknowledged that he failed to adequately devote scrutiny to the question of Biden's fitness while he was president despite apparent signs of his decline, responded calmly, defending his coverage and encouraging viewers to tune into his daily CNN broadcast. 4 Tapper appeared on Tuesday's edition of 'Washington Journal' to discuss the book he co-wrote with Alex Thompson of Axios. Joe Biden via REUTERS 'Sarah, as you know from watching my show on CNN, we cover President Trump every day for two hours — every day from 5 to 7 Eastern — and we cover all the things you talk about, in terms of the current president's behavior,' he said. He pointed to past instances where Trump confused public figures, saying, 'We have covered the times that he has confused Nancy Pelosi with Nikki Haley.' 'I think some of the questions about President Trump's behavior have more to do with personality than with cognitive decline,' Tapper added. 'Whatever lessons we've learned from covering President Biden, we would apply to any politician,' he continued. 'So I'm sorry if I'm disappointing you by covering President Biden. But journalists, we are supposed to cover stories that we think the American people have a right to know, that we think will enhance their understanding of how the country is run.' Tapper closed the exchange by reaffirming his belief in the book. 'We are proud of this book,' he said, adding that CNN would continue to cover current events in the days ahead. 4 The book alleges that White House aides worked to conceal the then-president's deteriorating mental and physical condition during his time in office. REUTERS 'Washington Journal' is a live, daily call-in program on C-SPAN that gives viewers the chance to directly engage with elected officials, journalists, policy experts and other public figures about current political and policy issues. It typically airs every morning, seven days a week, and covers a wide range of topics including legislation, national events, and public affairs. The show is known for its unfiltered, interactive format whereby viewers call in and ask questions or share opinions live on-air — often divided by political affiliation. 'Everyone knows that C-SPAN callers are cranky and that's part of the charm of the show,' a media source told The Post. Unlike many news programs, 'Washington Journal' maintains a nonpartisan approach, providing a neutral platform for discussion and civic engagement. 4 The book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' has become a bestseller. AFP via Getty Images The book alleges that White House aides worked to conceal the then-president's deteriorating mental and physical condition during his time in office. Since its release, Tapper has made headlines by calling the alleged cover-up 'worse than Watergate' and describing Hunter Biden as acting like the 'chief of staff of the family.' He has also stated that 'conservative media was right' to raise concerns about Biden's age. House Republicans have already cited the book to justify an expanded investigation into what they claim is a cover-up of Biden's health. A representative for Tapper declined to comment when reached by The Post.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers say Nezza is not banned from stadium for singing national anthem in Spanish
What started as a subtle act of protest has become national news. Three days after singer and social media personality Nezza performed a Spanish version of the national anthem at Dodger Stadium — despite being asked by a team employee to sing it in English — the performer further addressed the situation Tuesday in an interview with CNN. 'With everything that's been happening, I just felt like I needed to stand with my people and show them that I'm with them,' Nezza (whose full name is Vanessa Hernández) said on CNN's The Lead. 'I wanted to represent them that day.' Nezza's performance of the Spanish anthem — a version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' commissioned by the U.S. State Department in 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt — became a viral story after she posted a video on TikTok of an unidentified Dodgers employee telling her beforehand that 'we are going to do the song in English today, so I'm not sure if that wasn't relayed.' Nezza proceeded to sing the Spanish version anyway; doing so on the same day thousands gathered downtown to protest President Trump and recent ICE raids around Los Angeles in the last two weeks. In email communications with the team leading up to her performance, Nezza said she asked if she could sing the anthem in both English and Spanish, but was told no because she would only have a 90-second window for her performance. Still, she said she arrived at the stadium 'fully thinking that I was welcome [to sing in Spanish], because nobody told me in that email thread, 'No, you can't.'' 'Had they told me you can't have any Spanish in there,' she added, 'I would have respectfully declined and not shown up on Saturday.' Instead, Nezza performed the anthem in Spanish prior to the Dodgers-Giants game, before posting two videos on TikTok explaining the situation that quickly went viral. On Sunday, a Dodgers official told The Times in a statement that she would be welcome back at the stadium. In Tuesday's CNN interview, Nezza said she was 'very shocked' to learn she was welcomed back at the ballpark, noting that '30 seconds after my performance, we actually received a call that said, 'Don't ever call us again. Don't ever email us again. The rest of your clients are never welcome here again.' So for me, that kind of feels like a ban.' The Dodgers, however, reaffirmed to CNN that there were 'no hard feelings' resulting from the situation. And a team spokesperson confirmed to The Times this week that, 'She is certainly welcome back at the stadium. She is not banned from the stadium.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic rep hits Trump over LA protests: He ‘wanted this fight'
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Tuesday slammed President Trump over the recent immigration protests in Los Angeles, saying the president 'wanted this fight.' 'He wanted to focus on immigration and crime enforcement to distract attention away from the problems that his reconciliation bill is [having],' Smith told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'The Lead.' 'You know, the bill that's going to knock like 12 million people off of health care and balloon the deficit by $2.5 trillion,' he added. 'I think President Trump wanted this fight, and I think he picked it.' Both California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have clashed with the president over his recent intervention amid immigration protests in the Los Angeles area. Bass slammed Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in her city as a 'chaotic escalation' in a Sunday message to Los Angeles residents. 'What we're seeing in our city is chaos provoked by the Trump Administration,' Bass said in her message. 'When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you cause fear and panic,' she added. 'And deployment of federalized troops on the heels of raids is a chaotic escalation.' Newsom has been firing off posts on the social platform X, taking swings against Trump and his administration in recent days. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Democratic rep hits Trump over LA protests: He ‘wanted this fight'
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Tuesday slammed President Trump over the recent immigration protests in Los Angeles, saying the president 'wanted this fight.' 'He wanted to focus on immigration and crime enforcement to distract attention away from the problems that his reconciliation bill is [having],' Smith told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'The Lead.' 'You know, the bill that's going to knock like 12 million people off of health care and balloon the deficit by $2.5 trillion,' he added. 'I think President Trump wanted this fight, and I think he picked it.' Both California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have clashed with the president over his recent intervention amid immigration protests in the Los Angeles area. Bass slammed Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in her city as a 'chaotic escalation' in a Sunday message to Los Angeles residents. 'What we're seeing in our city is chaos provoked by the Trump Administration,' Bass said in her message. 'When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you cause fear and panic,' she added. 'And deployment of federalized troops on the heels of raids is a chaotic escalation.' Newsom has been firing off posts on X, taking swings against Trump and his administration in recent days. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
