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A chorus line of past presidents from past years showed up via old video to give an edited mash-up speech, but there was no current Potus, no VP, no roast by a comedian and few Hollywood power players at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner tonight in Washington DC.

Yet, with Donald Trump still yet to make his Whcd debut as president, White House Correspondents’ Association president Eugene Daniels had no intention of burying the lede Saturday of the barricades up between the current White House and institutional media in America. “We journalists are a lot of things,“ Daniels exclaimed to a standing ovation in his First Amendment celebrating closing remarks on this 96th day of Trump 2.0. “What we are not is the opposition. What we are not is the enemy of the people, and what we are not is the enemy of the state.”

Eugene Daniels attends the 2025 White House...

Former Ohio University journalism professor Justice B. Hill has proudly been a card-carrying member of the National Association of Black Journalists (Nabj) for nearly five decades. But this week, Hill echoed similar thoughts of many journalists who converged on the first day of the 2024 Nabj Convention and Career Fair in Chicago. As they heard the organization would be interviewing former President Donald Trump, Hill felt a sense of bewilderment and betrayal by his organization.

“It’s a mess,” Hill told The Hollywood Reporter. “The whole thing came together in the past couple of days. And I hate things being not transparent. There’s controversy among members — one of the co-chairs of the Chicago convention [Karen Attiah, a columnist for The Washington Post] resigned. You don’t surprise members this way. He has never spoken at our convention before. He was invited in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and he refused to come. So, why is he coming now?...

Updated: Donald Trump lit a firestorm from comments he made at a combative appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists, as he questioned whether his Democratic rival Kamala Harris was really Black.

“I’ve known her for a long time indirectly, directly, very much,” Trump said. “And she was always of Indian heritage and she was promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian, or is she Black?”

His comments quickly drew condemnation, including from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who called them “repulsive.” But he doubled down on them in a later posting on Truth Social, writing that “Crazy Kamala is saying she’s Indian, not Black. This is a big deal. Stone cold phony. She uses everybody,...

Updated: The president of the National Association of Black Journalists is defending its decision to invite Donald Trump to appear at a Q&a session on Wednesday, as some members decried the move given the former president’s conduct.

Trump is scheduled to appear at a session at the association’s Chicago convention with ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Fox News’ Harris Faulkner and Semafor’s Kadia Goba as moderators.

“While Nabj does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we understand the serious work of our members, and welcome the opportunity for them to ask the tough questions that will provide the truthful answers Black Americans want and need to know,” Ken Lemon, the president of Nabj, said in a statement posted on X/Twitter.

He said that Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were invited to appear, in keeping with a tradition of inviting candidates of both major parties each presidential cycle.

Updated: Sean Penn, LeVar Burton and Wilmer Valderrama are among the entertainment figures on the guest list for tonight’s state dinner at the White House for Kenya.

President Joe Biden welcomed Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House in an arrival ceremony earlier in the day.

Also on the list, per a pool report: Hunter Biden, Roger Goodell, Michaela Cole, Don McLean, Sheryl Sandberg, Barbara Kingsolver and Huma Abedin. Brad Paisley will perform.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also were there, having attended the last state dinner as well. Not on the list, but arriving to the event as well was former President Barack Obama.

Journalists on the guest list include NBC News’ Lester Holt, CNN’s Bianna Golodryga, MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend and The Grio’s April Ryan.

Other industry invitees include Paramount Global’s DeDe Lea, UTA Darnell Strom and Silver Eagle Acquisition Corp.

The cast of A Different World has reunited for a national tour of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). During a stop in Washington, D.C., hosted by Howard University, they appeared at the White House to meet Vice President Kamala Harris and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The Grio’s April Ryan shared a portion of the White House visit on Instagram, which included Jean-Pierre leading the cast in a sing-along of the show’s theme.

The group opted for the version featured throughout the majority of the sitcom’s run, sung in the original version by Aretha Franklin.

The tour features A Different World alums Darryl M. Bell (Ron Johnson); Charnele Brown (Kimberly Reese); Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert-Wayne); Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne); Dawnn Lewis (Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor); Cree Summer (Winifred Brooks); Glynn Turman (Col. Bradford Taylor); and Sinbad (Walter Oakes). They were joined by producers Debbie Allen and Susan Fales.

Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem — the Co-Founders of The Women’S Media Center — have announced the honorees for the 2023 Women’s Media Awards, to be held on Thursday, October 19th, at the Whitby Hotel in New York City.

The Women’S Media Center 2023 Women’s Media Award Honorees are:

Mariska Hargitay, Emmy-winning actor, director, producer, activist, Founder & President of the Joyful Heart Foundation, will be honored with the Wmc Sisterhood is Powerful Award. Fredricka Whitfield, CNN News anchor, will be honored with the Wmc Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award. Karen Lincoln Michel, President of Ict, formerly Indian Country Today, and President and CEO of IndiJ Public Media, will be honored with the Wmc Carol Jenkins Award. Emily Ladau, Disability Rights Activist, author of Demystifying Disability, will be honored with the Wmc Progressive Women’s Voices Impact Award. Koritha Mitchell, award-winning author, cultural critic, literary historian, professor of English, will...

Trump leveling a sexist attack against a woman who disagrees with him? Whomst among us could have seen it coming?

Donald Trump employed his preferred moniker for women he doesn’t like against CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who hosted a town hall with the former president on Wednesday. When Collins attempted to pin down an answer from Trump regarding his retention of classified documents following his departure from the presidency, he lashed out — calling her “nasty.”

“Can I talk? Do you mind?” Trump said to Collins.

“I would like for you to answer the question,...

White House Correspondents’ Dinner host Roy Wood Jr. made a stop at the second annual Politics & Inclusion Dinner on Friday night in D.C. ahead of his esteemed hosting gig on Saturday night.

Co-hosted by CNN’s Abby Phillip and ColorComm founder and CEO Lauren Wesley Wilson, the event celebrates diverse voices in political journalism, gathering established journalists of color and its rising stars for an intimate, invite-only dinner in the nation’s capital.

Taking place on the eve of the official correspondents’ dinner, the event featured upwards of 50 guests from across networks, presenting the opportunity to engage in dialogue and build relationships.

CBS Mornings‘ Gayle King, 60 Minutes‘ Cecilia Vega, and D.C. Bureau Chief for TheGrio April Ryan were among the major names in news and media to make an appearance Friday night in D.C., where they doubled as members of the Politics & Inclusion Dinner’s host committee.

The 2023 NAACP Image Awards continued their week–long celebration Friday with a non-televised dinner where winners in a number of categories were honored.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Abbott Elementary were among the top winners from night five, with each project winning three awards. The Best Man: The Final Chapters and P-Valley each won two awards.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leads this year’s NAACP Image Awards nominees with 12 nods, with Abbott Elementary landing nine nominations. P-Valley was nominated for six awards.

During the dinner at the L.A. Live Event Deck hosted by actress Bresha Webb, the Activist of the Year Award was presented to civil rights advocate Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the NAACP’s Dayton, Ohio unit and vice president of the Ohio NAACP. The dinner also recognized the Youth Activist of the Year: Bloomington-Normal NAACP Youth Council president Bradley Ross Jackson, who helped organize a...

HBO has released the teaser trailer for the five-episode limited series “White House Plumbers,” starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux.

The series revolves around Nixon’s political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt (Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Theroux), who wound up helping to topple the presidency.

The cast includes Lena Headey, Judy Greer, Domhnall Gleeson, Toby Huss, Ike Barinholtz, Kathleen Turner, Kim Coates, Yul Vazquez, Alexia Valdés, Nelson Ascencio, Tony Plana, Zoe Levin, Liam James, Kiernan Shipka, Tre Ryder, David Krumholtz, F. Murray Abraham, Rich Sommer and John Carroll Lynch.

“White House Plumbers” is created, written and produced by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, with David Mandel directing and executive producing. Frank Rich, David Bernard, Gregg Fienberg, Theroux, Harrelson, Len Amato and Ruben Fleischer serve as executive producers. The series is co-produced by HBO and executive producers Paul Lee, Mark Roybal and Nne Ebong for Wiip.

“White House Plumbers...

The Women’S Media Center hosted their 2022 Women’S Media Awards on November 17th at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City.

Wmc 2022 Women's Media Award Honorees

Credit/Copyright: Dave Kontinsky/Getty

The Wmc Awards were presented to outstanding leaders and champions for women in media. This year’s Wmc 2022 Women’s Media Awards honorees were: Andrea Mitchell, Robin Roberts, Mariana Ardila Trujillo, Loretta J. Ross, Salamishah Tillet, Loreen Arbus, and Maria Martinez.

Women’S Media Center Co-Founders Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem, and Wmc President & CEO Julie Burton gave remarks at the gala. Wmc Co-Founder Jane Fonda, Wmc Board Chair Janet Dewart Bell, Wmc Co-Chair Emerita and Board Member Pat Mitchell made special appearances via Zoom. Farai Chideya, former Wmc President Carol Jenkins, and Wmc Board Member Erica González Martínez made appearances at the gala.

The Women’s Media Center opened the Women’s Media Awards with a special Wmc Solidarity...

Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem — the Co-Founders of The Women’S Media Center — announce the honorees for the 2022 Women’s Media Awards, to be held on Thursday, November 17th, at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City.

The Women’S Media Center 2022 Women’s Media Award Honorees are:

· Andrea Mitchell, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent, host of MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, and author of Talking Back … to Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels, will be honored with the Wmc Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award.

· Robin Roberts, Co-Anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America, President of Rock’n Robin Productions, and best-selling author of multiple books, will be honored with the Wmc Visible and Powerful Award.

· Mariana Ardila Trujillo, lawyer, professor, one of the leaders in the successful decriminalization of abortion in the country of Colombia, and newly appointed Transitional Justice Director of the Ministry of Justice and Law in...

Among the new announcements for events this weekend in D.C.: Saturday’s A Seat at the Table: A Celebration Of Black-Owned Media, which will honor TheGrio’s White House correspondent and CNN political analyst April Ryan.

The event will take place immediately following the Whca dinner, with Chris Tucker scheduled to host, along with a musical performance by Mary J. Blige. Also scheduled to make an appearance D-Nice, while Brian Henry will be the DJ.

Sponsors of the event are Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, Coca-Cola, Ford, the Hhs Covid-19 Public Education Campaign, JPMorgan Chase, the NAACP, Nationwide Mutual Insurance and Procter & Gamble.

Ryan has covered the White House for the past 25 years, and is the longest serving African American female White House correspondent, according to TheGrio.

In a statement, Allen called Ryan “an American treasure” who “always brings the truth.” “I am proud to say...

Exclusive: BET and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (Cbcf) are teaming up once again to broadcast the 50th Annual Legislative Conference events, including the National Town Hall and Phoenix Awards.

Programming will air on BET on Friday, September 17, also known as Foundation Friday and National Black Voter Day, starting with the National Town Hall at 7 p.m. Et/Pt. The Cbcf National Town Hall will assemble renowned thought leaders to for a conversation, moderated by April Ryan, about the importance of creating a Black agenda, honoring Black voices in a democracy, and addressing the most pressing issues for the Black community today.

The virtual Phoenix Awards will follow, with Angela Bassett serving as host. The annual awards ceremony seeks to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to society. Previous Phoenix Award honorees include President Barack Obama, Rev. Al Sharpton, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Tamika Mallory, and the late U.S.

The 52nd annual NAACP Image Awards will present its main ceremony live Saturday at 8 p.m. Et/7 Ct on BET, with the show to simulcast on fellow ViacomCBS outlets BET Her, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount, Pop, Smithsonian, TV Land, VH1, BET Pluto, CMT and for the first time CBS.

The two-hour show will be hosted by Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, who won the Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series category earlier this week as part of a five-day blitz that saw the organization hand out awards in more than 70 categories honoring the accomplishments of people of color across the fields of film, TV, music, literature and social justice in voting by the public.

Tonight’s show will showcase the winners the remaining categories including Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Motion Picture, as well as for the the marquee Entertainer of the Year award which this year features nominees D-Nice,...

The nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards are officially in, with Netflix taking the lead with 51 noms overall for titles across film and TV including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Bridgerton and Da 5 Bloods.

Set to simulcast across all ViacomCBS Networks including BET, CBS and MTV on Saturday, March 27th at 8 p.m. Et, the 52nd NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of Bipoc artists across TV, music, film and literature.

Additional titles receiving nominations Tuesday include ABC’s Black-ish, Miss Juneteenth, Soul, HBO’s I May Destroy You and Insecure.

Up for the ceremony’s entertainer of the year honor are D-Nice, Regina King, Viola Davis, Trevor Noah and Tyler Perry. Receiving a nomination for the new Social Impact honor are April Ryan, Debbie Allen, Lebron James, Stacey Abrams and Tamika Mallory.

Anika Noni-Rose, Chloe Bailey, Erika Alexander and Nicco Annan and Tc Carson presented the nominees this morning.

In today’s TV news roundup, Showtime announced the premiere date for Season 3 of “Desus & Mero,” and Rooster Teeth and All Elite Wrestling unveiled plans for a podcast premiering Jan. 18.

Dates

Showtime revealed that “Desus & Mero” will return for Season 3 on Jan. 31. The late-night talk show — which marked the first venture into late-night for Showtime — will air at 11 p.m. each Sunday and Thursday. Co-hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero bring guests on each episode to discuss relevant topics from politics, sports, entertainment and other pressing moments from the week. The series is executive produced by Desus Nice, The Kid Mero, Lilly Burns, Tony Hernandez, Victor Lopez, Suzanne Fagel and Mike Pielocik.

Executive News

Allen Media Group announced the hiring of April Ryan to the position of White House correspondent and Washington, D.C. bureau chief for broadcast network TheGrio.TV. She will take on the position starting Jan.

Longtime political journalist April Ryan will serve as White House correspondent and D.C. bureau chief for Byron Allen’s upcoming network TheGrio.TV.

She begins her new role on Jan. 4, a couple weeks before Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th U.S. president.

Ryan is a political analyst on CNN — a role she will remain in — as well as a former board member of the White House Correspondents Association. During Donald Trump’s term, she became known for her frequent willingness to verbally spar with the president and other members of his administration.

“It is a new era in our nation! Not only do we have new leaders, but it is a new season for me professionally, as well. After nearly 24 years, I am beginning a new chapter and bringing my political expertise to Byron Allen’s media company as well as continuing my work as a political analyst for CNN,...

April Ryan is joining Byron Allen’s TheGrio.TV as its first White House correspondent and Washington, D.C., bureau chief.

Ryan will start her position at Allen’s Allen Media Group on January 4.

TheGrio.TV is a newly branded network that airs on broadcast stations, including a recent deal with Fox to be carried on the company’s owned-and-operated digital sub channels in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Orlando. TheGrio.TV will officially launch on January 15.

Ryan said that she will continue to be a political analyst on CNN. She had been correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks and has covered the White House for 24 years. She also authored the 2018 book, Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House, and was the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’ 2019 Freedom of the Press Award winner.

Allen purchased TheGrio.

Peter McGuigan, who co-created the New York literary agency Foundry Literary + Media with Yfat Reiss Gendell, has launched a new agency dubbed Ultra Literary.

The move comes after the news last week that Gendell exited Foundry to form Yrg Partners, taking Foundry agents Tanusri Prasanna, Peter Steinberg and Adriann Ranta Zurhellen and their clients with her. That agency will focus on representing publishing rights for writers and consumer brands.

McGuigan’s client include Trevor Noah, Patrick deWitt, April Ryan, Ben Jealous, Bret Witter, Pamela Des Barres, Ellis Henican, Mike Massimino, Wesley Snipes, Andy Richter, Jeff Foxworthy, Robin Gaby Fisher and Frank Figliuzzi among others. His producer credits include adaptations of the No. 1 bestseller Dewey, as well as Stronger, Dopesick and others.

Foundry agent Kirsten Neuhaus, whose clients include Shark Tank shark Daymond John, is joining McGuigan and will be a part of the management team. Alička Pistek, who worked with McGuigan at Sanford J.

In today’s TV news roundup, Nickelodeon announced plans to bring YouTube’s Tiny Chef to its preschool platforms, and Court TV revealed that “Judgment With Ashleigh Banfield” will premiere Sept. 13.

Dates

Court TV has announced that “Judgment With Ashleigh Banfield” is set to premiere Sept. 13, with weekly episodes Sundays at 8 p.m. The show will delve into well-known and provocative trial cases, featuring interviews and information reveals meant to expand viewers’ knowledge bases on the famous court cases. Ashleigh Banfield, the show’s lead, was previously a legal analyst for CNN and MSNBC. She was also formerly a special contributor on Court TV. Featured cases on the show include those involving Casey Anthony, Jodie Arias, O.J. Simpson and Conrad Murray.

Greenlights

Nickelodeon has announced that “The Tiny Chef Show,” a viral YouTube channel, will be brought to the television network’s preschool platforms via a new series produced in association with Imagine Kids+Family,...

The death of Rep. Elijiah Cummings (D-Md.), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, led coverage on the morning shows today, including a personal reflection by Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski: Cummings was the celebrant at Scarborough and Brzezinski’s wedding last year.

Cummings, 68, died early this morning after “complications from longstanding health challenges.”

“We are personally heartbroken this morning,” Brzezinski said on the show as she and Scarborough paid tribute to Cummings.

“We were honored that Elijiah agreed to marry Mika and me last year,” Scarborough said. “It seemed just perfect. He was just perfect. It was so great to have him, our dear friend there. We were even more grateful for the public service that he so selflessly committed his life to, every day of his life.

“He will now be mourned and his remarkable life will be celebrated and his work, his work,...

The bodyguard for CNN analyst April Ryan has been charged with assault following an August incident during which he is accused by a journalist of forcibly removing him from an event.

According to reports, Joel Morris has been charged with harassment, assault and theft in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Also Read: White House Reporter April Ryan on Trump's 'Nasty' Diss: He Has a Problem With Women of Color (Video)

New Brunswick Today editor Charlie Kratovil has maintained Morris violently removed him from an event at the Heldrich Hotel on Aug. 3, tweeting his version of events and sharing a video of the removal.

“I’m pleased to report that the Municipal Court has found probable cause to charge Joel Morris, the bodyguard for April Ryan, with three different criminal offenses related to the unfortunate incident that happened here in our city Aug. 3,” he said in a video posted to Twitter Monday,...

Don’t expect an apology from President Donald Trump to the so-called Central Park Five, the five men who are the subject of Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us Netflix miniseries, which has brought renewed attention to the case.

When asked today by White House correspondent April Ryan if he would apologize to the five men who were falsely accused of a brutal rape, but were later completely exonerated, Trump asked Ryan, “Why do you bring that question up now? It’s an interesting time to bring it up.”

Trump continued, “You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein, and you look at some of the prosecutors, they think that the city should never have settled that case. So we’ll leave it at that.”

Trump in 1989 bought full page ads in New York City newspapers calling for the...

Reporters like to tell stories, and they try to do it without becoming part of the tale. Jim Acosta has had little choice in the matter.

The journalist, whose profile has risen over the past two years while serving as CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, has often found himself enmeshed in the headlines, particularly when the Trump administration in November of last year tried to block him from covering the president because the Commander-in-Chief often didn’t like the questions Acosta asked him at various events. Acosta later became a symbol of America’s belief in the First Amendment when CNN prevailed and got its employee reinstated.

Had CNN lost, says Acosta, “it would have been a radical change for our business,” with national and local politicians able to toss reporters out of public events simply because they asked impertinent questions. “It would have been a devastating blow to...

Mother’s Day is still over a week away, but a festive celebration for the holiday came early in Los Angeles Thursday evening, as H.E.R., La La Anthony, Anthony Anderson and more came together to celebrate their moms and moms everywhere during VH1’s annual “Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Mom” tribute.

Ahead of the live taping at the Theater at the Ace Hotel, they hit the carpet with their moms in tow, and shared the advice their mothers have given them that has helped them the most along the way.

“This is the third year that I’ve hosted this, and it’s such a great night honoring moms…so many great performances,” Anthony told Variety as her proud mom Carmen Surillo beamed beside her. “It’s just a night that’s about them and I just love to be a part of that.” As for the best advice her mom gave her,...

“What about Maga and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments?” President Donald Trump asked Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who Chicago cops now say staged his own January assault Smollett had said was perpetrated by men wearing Maga hats.

Smollett staged the hoax because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” on the Fox series, and to promote his career, according to “angry” Chicago Supt. Eddie Johnson at a Thursday morning presser carried on all the cable news networks and ABC News, which is now maybe wishing it had not scored that exclusive Smollett interview on Good Morning AMerica, when he was still pushing his victim of hate crime storyline.

Smollett turned himself in today at 5 Am Chicago time, after which Windy City police held a presser on the actor’s arrest.

Johnson said Smollett paid siblings Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo $3,500 to participate in the phony attack.

President Trump officially weighed in on the Jussie Smollett arrest on Thursday, just minutes after Chicago police wrapped a press conference where they said that the attack had been staged by the actor.

“@JussieSmollett – what about Maga and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #Maga,” Trump tweeted — tagging Smollett for his over 58 million Twitter followers.

However, it is unclear what specific comments the president thinks were “racist.” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap on Thursday.

Also Read: Chicago Police Commissioner Calls Out Media, Stars and Politicians for Pushing Smollett Hoax

In his original story, Smollett had accused two men in ski masks of attacking him and tying a rope around his neck. During the alleged assault Smollett said the men had shouted “this is Maga country” — a pointed allusion to the...

There was nothing but love for Spike Lee when the filmmaker swung through Washington on his way to London’s BAFTA Awards, drawing an invite-only crowd to a double-header showing of his Oscar-nominated film BlacKkKlansman at D.C.’s Newseum, co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus. The screenings book-ended an intimate panel discussion that included Lee, CNN’s Van Jones and April Ryan and Congressional Black Caucus leader Karen Bass.

In addition to the screenings, the filmmaker also introduced the audience to his new short protest film, a collaboration with The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers, called Land of the ...

There was nothing but love for Spike Lee when the filmmaker swung through Washington on his way to London’s BAFTA Awards, drawing an invite-only crowd to a double-header showing of his Oscar-nominated film BlacKkKlansman at D.C.’s Newseum, co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus. The screenings book-ended an intimate panel discussion that included Lee, CNN’s Van Jones and April Ryan and Congressional Black Caucus leader Karen Bass.

In addition to the screenings, the filmmaker also introduced the audience to his new short protest film, a collaboration with The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers, called Land of the ...

President Donald Trump condemned the attack of “Empire” star Jussie Smollett, calling it “horrible” on Thursday.

“That I can tell you is horrible. It doesn’t get worse,” the president told White House reporter April Ryan when asked about the incident.

Smollett was attacked at around 2 a.m. Tuesday in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood when he said that two people began yelling racial and homophobic slurs at him. Smollett told police that the attackers yelled “Maga.”

Also Read: Jussie Smollett Attack: Chicago Pd Seeking 'Potential Persons of Interest'

In a statement on Tuesday, Chicago Police Department said a “cast member from the Fox series ‘Empire’ was injured in what police called a ‘possible racially-charged assault and battery.'”

On Wednesday evening, detectives released photos from a surveillance video showing “potential persons of interest” in the attack.

The photos show two silhouettes walking in the area of where Smollett was sometime between 1:30 a.

Washington — President Donald Trump told reporters that the attack this week on “Empire” star Jussie Smollett was “horrible” and “doesn’t get worse.”

“I can tell you that it’s horrible. It doesn’t get worse,” Trump said in response to a question on Thursday from April Ryan, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks.

The Chicago Police Department has released two images from surveillance video of “potential persons of interest” in the attack of Smollett.

The attack is being characterized as a possible hate crime, and involved two men yelling out “racial and homophobic slurs” at Smollett, pouring an “unknown chemical substance” on him, and wrapping a rope around his neck, according to the Chicago Police Department. In a follow-up interview with police, Smollett also told investigators that he heard attackers shout “Maga country.” Maga stands for Make America Great Again, President Trump’s campaign slogan.

ABC News...

It was a big night for “A Star is Born” at the National Board of Review in New York on Tuesday, but the movie wasn’t the centerpiece of the evening. While Lady Gaga accepted her first acting award of the season and Bradley Cooper accepted his first for directing, they couldn’t capture the national mood. That fell to “If Beale Street Could Talk” filmmaker Barry Jenkins, whose acceptance speech for Best Adapted Screenplay coincided with President Donald Trump’s televised remarks about the government shutdown.

“Literally, right now, the President of the United States is talking about walls and borders. Literally, right fucking now,” he said. “So I can’t help talk about the president, the borders, and all these walls. There is a film here called ‘Minding the Gap’ that is being celebrated, by [director] Bing Liu. His family immigrated here and the president does not want them here.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended President Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying that she had no problem when Trump singles out female journalists for tough criticism.

“The president is certainly not singling out women and frankly I think it is actually a detriment when we do that,” Sanders told Politico White House reporter Eliana Johnson during the website’s Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday.

“Women wanted to be treated equally and we have a president that certainly does that. He is not going to hold back and the people in this country elected him in large part because he’s a fighter.”

Also Read: Sarah Sanders Blasts Media for 'Outrageous' Response to Bomb Scare (Video)

Sanders passed on answering a question from Johnson about whether Trump’s behavior toward journalists of all genders was appropriate, and turned the question back on the press.

“I don’t always find...

President Donald Trump shot back at former First Lady Michelle Obama over an excerpt of her new book in which she said she would never forgive him for his birther conspiracy about her husband and the impact it had on her family.

“I guess she wrote a book. She got paid a lot of money to write a book. And they always insist you come up with controversial,” Trump snarked on the White House lawn, as he was heading to Paris.

“Well, I’ll give you a little controversy back: I’ll never forgive [President Obama] for what he did to our United States military. By not funding properly, it was depleted. Everything was old and tired. And I came in and I had to fix it,” Trump added.

“So I’ll never forgive him for what he did to our military. I’ll never forgive him for what he did in...

When asked during a pool spray on Friday morning how long CNN's Jim Acosta will have his White House press pass suspended, President Trump hinted that he could take a similar action against other reporters he dislikes, mentioning CNN contributor April Ryan as a possibility.

"As far as I'm concerned, I haven't made that decision," he said about Acosta's suspension. "But, it could be others, also."

Trump has long disliked Ryan, an African-American reporter and veteran of the White House press corps who primarily works for American Urban Radio Networks. Like Acosta,...

President Trump's relentless attacks on CNN have forced the network to take extreme measures -- offering armed security to on-air talent who have reason to fear for their safety. Network sources tell TMZ ... CNN brass offered reporters and anchors who have been targets of President Trump around-the-clock protection. We're told the logic is simple ... there are Trump fanatics who believe the President when he calls the media and certain reporters "the enemy of the people,...

1:05 Pm Pt -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, April has received at least 2 serious threats. The first one came in September ... someone emailed her and said, "Your not black. Your a loser with a big mouth that need slapped. If I ever see you, you're slap is coming. Go eat more s***." The other came last month. April got a letter from a guy who claimed to be an ex-Army Ranger. He said, "I...

While political navel lint gazers argued whether Democrats or Republicans were the big winners of Tuesday’s midterm elections that won Dems control of the House and handed the Gop a bigger majority in the Senate, some media outlets also scored varying degrees of success with their midterms coverage.

Best Public Wrist Slap Of Grown-Too-Big-for-Britches On-Air Talent:

Fox News Channel’s biggest ratings getter, Sean Hannity, was Mia from the network’s election night, though Fox News previously had listed the primetime star as a player in its Tuesday night coverage. Two other primetime stars also slated to participate, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, showed up to weigh in on the election results coverage led by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

One day earlier, Fox News described as an “unfortunate distraction” Hannity’s appearance onstage with President Donald Trump at his final political rally of the midterms push. Hannity earlier...

Donald Trump’s post-midterms White House victory lap broke into verbal brawling when CNN’s Jim Acosta poked the presidential bear with his line of questioning about Trump’s Caravan Invasion rally rhetoric.

“That’s enough! Put down the mic!” Trump ordered Acosta. “CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You should not be working for CNN.”

“The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. The way you treat other people is horrible!” Trump hissed at Acosta.

“I’m not a big fan of yours either!” Trump spit back when NBC’s White House Correspondent Peter Alexander came to Acosta’s defense, telling Trump his comment was “unfair” and adding, Acosta is “a diligent reporter who busts his butt like the rest of us.”

Acosta jumped back up and, minus microphone, could be heard talking “pipe bombs” – three of which...

CNN contributor Ana Navarro will join “The View” as a regularly occurring guest host, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to TheWrap on Friday. Navarro has been a guest co-host in the past.

Navarro — once a prominent Gop strategist — became an outspoken anti-Trump voice during the 2016 election and regularly appears on CNN. Her new gig with ABC is not expected to affect her relationship with CNN.

Navarro will appear on Fridays and her first appearance is scheduled for today. The news was first reported by Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh — who is currently writing a book about the show.

Also Read: 'A Private War' Film Review: Rosamund Pike and Jamie Dornan Give Searing Performances as Real-Life War Correspondents

Once an obscure Florida political operative, Navarro’s profile has risen during the Trump era where she became one of television’s most prominent #NeverTrump conservatives.

Navarro’s pivot toward...

Few reporters have lived the Trump administration's war against the press more vividly than April Ryan, a 21-year veteran of the White House press corps who has seen her national profile grow along with concerns about her physical safety.

"They've put a target on my head.... I've had death threats. I've had craziness," said Ryan, who revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she recently hired a bodyguard to protect her. "All I'm going to say for my safety is: I have a team." (She said the White House should pay for her ...

April Ryan is throwing some serious shade at Omarosa ... saying she never put pen to paper because she used a ghostwriter.   Ryan -- who has reported at the White House for more than 20 years -- bashes Omarosa for her secret recordings and being a backstabber.  April says her upcoming book, "Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House," unlike Omarosa's book, is the real deal. As for bowing down to Trump...

This week, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (Awmf) presented the 43rd Annual Gracie Awards at a luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Judy Woodruff presented by 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jane Pauley

Host Erica Hill of CNN led the program alongside presenters Pam Oliver from Fox Sports; multimedia host, actress and author Angie Martinez; April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks and CNN; and Larry Mullins from Entercom’s 1010 Wins. The Gracie Awards were presented to honorees which were previously announced in recognition of individual achievement and outstanding programming by, for and about women in local and student TV, radio and interactive media.

Highlights from the show included:

Awmf Board Chair and Katz Radio Group President Christine Travaglini opened the Luncheon. After welcoming the record-breaking crowd, she introduced Awm Board Treasurer and Gracies Co-Chair Heather Cohen, executive vice president of The Weiss Agency.

Washington — Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the White House Correspondents Association dinner dominated the headlines coming out of the evening — even if it was a mere sliver of the four-hour event and only a moment in what is traditionally D.C.’s most social weekend.

The surreal aspect is usually the mix of newsmakers on opposite ends of the political spectrum or at odds in other ways — Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’ attorney, was at the annual Garden Brunch on Saturday along with Kellyanne Conway.

Hollywood had a presence, although it was much more muted than in previous years. At Hamilton Live, Kevin Bacon and The Bacon Brothers at one point played “Footloose,” as they were the headliners to a series of journalist-bands, including Lester Holt and the Rough Cuts.

Some of the other events:

Bytes and Bylines (Thursday): One of the first events of the weekend, held at the...

I have to be really honest with you.

As passionate and driven a journalist as I am, if given the assignment to cover Trump and his whacked-out administration, I absolutely couldn’t do it. I’m too angry about how incompetently our great country is being run and how our mealymouthed president has the audacity to characterize the press corps as “the enemy of the American people.”

Nope, I could not be objective in reporting on the absurd reality show playing out in the Trump presidency, and impartiality is what our profession demands. If Trump dared to attack me or any outlet I was representing as “fake news,” I would, well … lose it.

I’ve never taken well to being bullied. Just ask any of the industry’s biggest offenders, like Harvey Weinstein. I fight back. That’s not to say that the exceptional reporters covering the White House would...

On a chilly and gray Monday in D.C. a few weeks ago, President Trump was sitting on the South Lawn among a group of children during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, when CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, shouted a question at him.

“Mr. President, what about the Daca kids? Should they worry about what is going to happen to them, sir?”

Trump answered, blaming the situation on the Democrats, but Acosta persisted in a follow-up: “Didn’t you kill Daca, sir? Didn’t you kill Daca?”

Trump didn’t respond, but plenty of others did. Conservative sites were indignant, accusing Acosta of behaving “rudely.” Sean Spicer, the former White House press secretary, called him a “carnival barker,” and Brad Parscale, who is managing Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, tweeted, “Pull his credentials for each incident.”

A few days later, in an interview with Variety, Acosta says,...

Update, with video Colin Kaepernick, Lavar Ball, Barack Obama, Whoopi Goldberg, Don Lemon and April Ryan all have something in common, noted Bill Maher tonight. Actually, a couple things. “If Donald Trump keeps insisting that he's the least racist person anyone ever met,” said the host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher tonight, “he has to explain why the single most consistent thing in his whole life is he loves to pick fights with black people.” “Of all his myriad…...

April Ryan Thursday afternoon said she did not accept a tweeted apology from a Trump appointee who fat-shamed her on Twitter. Ryan said she is anxious to talk to the official’s boss, Ben Carson, about the attack. A Twitter war that erupted between Ryan and event-planner turned Hud honcho Lynne Patton foamed over when Patton called Ryan “Miss Piggy” in one of her shots. "I hear #MissPiggys still on a rampage," she wrote in the since-deleted tweet, adding "Gee, I must've…...