Politics

From the Hollywood Reporter: South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone probably saw this coming, and to their credit, simply didn’t care. The most recent episode of South Park, “Band in China,” has been generating loads of media attention for its sharp critique of the way Hollywood tends to shape its content to avoid offending Chinese government censors in …

The New York Times reports: First came a destabilization campaign in Moldova, followed by the poisoning of an arms dealer in Bulgaria and then a thwarted coup in Montenegro. Last year, there was an attempt to assassinate a former Russian spy in Britain using a nerve agent. Though the operations bore the fingerprints of Russia’s intelligence services, the authorities initially …

Vox reports: If Bernie Sanders becomes the Democratic nominee, he envisions a 2020 Democratic National Convention that is completely free of corporate sponsorship. Under a new anti-corruption plan Sanders released Monday morning, the progressive senator from Vermont is taking aim at money and influence within political parties, national party conventions, and presidential inaugurations. His plan would also scrap the Federal …

The New York Daily News reports: Former President Jimmy Carter didn’t let a black eye and 14 stitches stop him from rallying volunteers for a Habitat for Humanity project in Nashville on Sunday. Carter, who turned 95 last Tuesday, fell earlier Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, but still made it to the stage at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville …

ABC News reports: Bernie Sanders left a Las Vegas hospital Friday afternoon after undergoing a heart procedure earlier this week. The Democratic presidential candidate, 78, was spotted leaving the hospital with wife Jane O’Meara Sanders at his side. Sanders said in a statement, “I want to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center for …

The Associated Press reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-awaited pre-indictment hearing on corruption charges began Wednesday in Jerusalem, as a jittery political world eagerly sought clarity on his legal standing amid the stalemate that followed the country’s second inconclusive election of the year. Netanyahu is currently struggling to prolong his lengthy rule by building a unity government with his …

Just in via press release: “During a campaign event yesterday evening, Sen. Sanders experienced some chest discomfort. Following medical evaluation and testing he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted. Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days. We are canceling his …

Deadline reports: Hillary Clinton (and her daughter) were on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, which is solid timing with all the bombshell reporting regarding that infamous phone chat involving the presidents of the United States and Ukraine. And a few other folks, apparently. “How many times, when you were Secretary of State, did you have to say …

Minneapolis’s CBS News affiliate reports: Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura hinted in an interview over the weekend on a possible run for president in 2020. Speaking Saturday on “The Issue Is,” the 68-year-old author and TV show host said that if he were to join the race for the White House, he’d wait until the pool of candidates narrowed. “I …

Fox Business reports: Rap legend Kanye West said he will only make gospel music going forward — no more secular music, according to a Chicago music promoter who was in the room. West reportedly made the comment Saturday at a listening party in Chicago for his new album “Jesus is King: A Kanye West Experience.” “Kanye also announced that he …

CNN reports: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been referred to a police watchdog over his alleged relationship with an American businesswoman when he was mayor of London. On Friday, the Greater London Authority (GLA) said in a statement that it has asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct to assess whether it is necessary to investigate Johnson for the …

The New York Times reports: Joseph C. Wilson, the long-serving American diplomat whose clash with the administration of President George W. Bush in 2003 led to the unmasking of his wife at the time, Valerie Plame, as a C.I.A. agent, resulting in accusations that the revelation was political payback, died on Friday at his home in Santa Fe, N.M. He …

The Texas Tribune reports: U.S. Rep. Will Hurd said Thursday he is considering a run for president in 2024. The third-term Republican congressman from Helotes is leaving the House at the end of this term, and his retirement announcement sent shockwaves throughout national politics. In an interview Thursday with The Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, Hurd addressed a slew of …

The New York Times reports: The comeback campaign of Al Franken is coming soon to a satellite radio near you. SiriusXM announced on Wednesday that the former United States senator from Minnesota will host a weekly program, “The Al Franken Show,” starting Saturday. He will also contribute to 2020 election coverage on the broadcaster’s left-wing political channel, SiriusXM Progress. Mr. …

Politico Europe reports: Spain’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Francisco Franco’s remains can be removed from the Valley of the Fallen, endorsing the Socialist government’s plans against his descendants’ will. The generalísimo’s body is set to be disinterred from the giant mausoleum on the outskirts of Madrid — a basilica dug into a hillside topped by a cross 150 …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tapped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government, setting off weeks of political jockeying as the incumbent tries to maintain his hold on power. Mr. Rivlin’s announcement came as talks between Mr. Netanyahu and rival Benny Gantz to form a broad unity government after last week’s inconclusive election have …

Politico reports: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said today that content by politicians would stay up on the video-sharing website even if it violates the company’s standards, echoing a position staked out by Facebook this week. “When you have a political officer that is making information this is really important for their constituents to see, or for other global leaders to …

The Associated Press reports: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned global leaders Tuesday of the looming risk of the world splitting in two, with the United States and China creating rival internets, currency, trade, financial rules “and their own zero sum geopolitical and military strategies.” In his annual “state of the world address” to the General Assembly’s gathering of heads of …

The Independent reports: Twitter suspended the account of former Saudi royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani on Friday, nearly a year after he was sacked over his suspected role in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The social network also separately removed accounts linked to Saudi Arabia’s “state-run media apparatus” and others in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, …

CBS News reports: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke Thursday afternoon about the controversy of him appearing in photos from years ago dressed in blackface and brownface. At least three photos have been released that show Trudeau wearing darkened makeup on his face. Trudeau on Thursday spoke to reporters in Winnipeg where he apologized for wearing brownface and blackface. “This …