41 h. ago Some Democrats want to use gerrymandering. That’s a bad idea | Carlo Invernizzi

When a house is on fire, more fire won’t helpWhen Texas Republicans unveiled yet another contorted congressional map last week – one that would all but erase Austin’s Latino-led seat and increase the Republican party’s federal House tally by up to five seats in total – the outcry from Democrats was immediate and justified. But beyond the Democratic state legislators’ brave effort to stymie the proposal by boycotting the vote, a different refrain has also been heard by leading Democrats in other states: if they do it, why can’t we?Governor Gavin Newsom of California has vowed to “fight fire with fire”, advancing a proposal that would redraw California’s own congressional map to offset Republican gains in Texas. New York’s Kathy Hochul has also embraced the prospect of aggressive gerrymandering in Democratic-controlled states, sidestepping the independent commissions that Democrats themselves had once championed and successfully implemented in both California and New York. Continue re...

Politics

51 h. ago Musk’s Grok calls Trump the ‘most notorious’ criminal in DC when asked about violent crime in the city

The tech tycoon’s attempt to build a reliably right-wing AI chatbot continues to go off the rails

Events

4 d. ago Stephen Colbert jokes about joining Netflix following The Late Show cancellation

The late night host also said he would ‘entertain offers from Amazon’

Politics

6 d. ago Elon Musk’s Grok loses to Sam Altman’s OpenAI in AI chess tournament

OpenAI’s o3 achieves a clean sweep against xAI’s Grok 4

Politics

6 d. ago ‘The economics made it a challenge’: CBS boss talks Stephen Colbert cancellation

As the Paramoung-Skydance merger is made official, George Cheeks has finally spoken about the controversial decision to end The Late Show after 32 yearsAfter much media consternation and criticism over the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS chief has spoken up about the company’s decision to end the television institution after 32 years.Speaking at a press conference following the takeover of Paramount by the media conglomerate Skydance, George Cheeks, the chair of TV media at the company, attributed the cancellation to financial headwinds faced by the format. Continue reading...

Economics

7 d. ago JB Pritzker refuses to rule out gerrymandering in Illinois because GOP has ‘thrown the rule book out’

Pritzker tells Stephen Colbert that Illinois has ‘got to fight fire with fire’ amid Texas Republicans’ redistricting plans

Politics

8 d. ago Stephen Colbert: ‘What you thought you knew is just history’

Late-night hosts discuss Trump administration’s erasure of US history and attempts to cover up bad numbers from the Bureau of Labor StatisticsLate-night hosts dig into Donald Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner and an unnerving story about radioactive wasps. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Stephen Colbert lands new role following The Late Show’s cancellation

‘The Late Show’ host will be testing his acting skills

Politics

3 w. ago The unwatchably awful Stephen Colbert interview that proves why he was doomed: MAUREEN CALLAHAN delivers the real story... and unmasks America's most loathsome late

Another one bites the dust. R.I.P. The Late Show, dead at 33 - the same age as Christ, which I mention because Colbert, a vocal Catholic, is busy turning himself into a martyr.

Politics

3 w. ago Cancelling Colbert, bribery, an $8bn deal: what’s going on at Paramount?

The fallout from the Trump payoff comes as a merger threatens the company’s integrity and A-list talent, such as Stephen Colbert, have already been sacrificedFor a decade the comedian Stephen Colbert has mocked, ridiculed and eviscerated Donald Trump from every conceivable angle. On Thursday Colbert told his audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York that his popular late night TV show is being cancelled. “Yeah, I share your feelings,” he said in response to a chorus of boos.The CBS network insisted that it had made “a purely financial decision” to wind up The Late Show next year. But others are not so sure. Adam Schiff, a Democratic senator who was a guest on Thursday’s show, tweeted: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.” Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Democrats condemn CBS for axing Colbert show: ‘People deserve to know if this is politically motivated’

Lawmakers note cancellation follows Colbert’s criticism of parent company Paramount for settling Trump suitDemocrats are condemning CBS for its recent decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, noting the news comes just a few days after its host criticized the network’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a $16m lawsuit with Donald Trump.Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who appeared as a guest on Colbert’s show on Thursday night, later wrote on social media: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.” Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Did money or politics cause Colbert cancellation? Either way, the economics are tough for TV

CBS parent Paramount insists that this week's decision to cancel Steven Colbert's “Late Show” was strictly financial, and had nothing to do with politics

Economics

3 w. ago Embarrassing REAL reason Stephen Colbert's show was canceled after bosses hatched plot while star vacationed

Colbert's surprise cancelation comes amid claims he got the boot for taking a noble stand against Donald Trump.

Politics

3 w. ago Writers’ union urges investigation into Paramount move to cancel Colbert show

Writers Guild of America requests New York attorney general investigate ‘potential wrongdoing’ after shock cancellationThe 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. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Democrats say ‘public deserves to know’ if Stephen Colbert cancellation linked to Trump

Democrats are questioning timing of CBS cancellation of The Late Show days after Colbert criticized parent company Paramount for settling with TrumpTrump launches fresh defense of inaction in Epstein case following report he sent birthday letterIt was a friendship that spanned three different decades. To Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein was a “terrific guy”. Epstein believed himself to be Trump’s “closest friend”, and praised the future president as “charming”.The relationship would eventually break down, the men falling out over a bidding war on a property in Florida. And after Epstein was convicted of child sex offences in 2008, Trump distanced himself from the financier, claiming he was “not a fan” and wondering, in recent days, why his supporters would “waste time and energy” on demanding that FBI and Department of Justice files on Epstein be released. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Stephen Colbert's The Late Show cancelled after 8 years as fans fume at decision

The popular US late night talk show host previously comically "backed" Scottish independence in one of his 2014 skits

Politics

3 w. ago Elon Musk unveils new AI ‘companion’ inspired by 50 Shades of Grey and Twilight

The tech billionaire’s artificial intelligence offshoot xAI debuted the new features, allow users to interact with animated characters, on Monday

Politics

3 w. ago ‘I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next’: Trump takes victory lap over CBS axing Colbert and calls out ‘moron’ Fallon, too

CBS has claimed that the cancellation of Trump-bashing was a ‘financial decision’ despite timing of merger

Politics

3 w. ago Trump trolls Colbert after CBS firing and predicts which 'moron' late

President Donald Trump trolled Late Show host Stephen Colbert after CBS pulled the plug on the long-running show.

Politics

3 w. ago CBS staff in turmoil over ‘Trump shakedown’ after Stephen Colbert and The Late Show are canceled

Exclusive: Multiple CBS staffers who spoke with The Independent said they aren’t buying the company’s claim that Colbert’s cancellation was a ‘financial decision,’ adding that the demise of the show has left ‘everyone stunned.’

Politics