America Needs Colbert
Among these roles, the first quality is always the most important: audiences tune in to be entertained. But the lines between satire and political commentary have always blurred on the late-night format, and America has benefited greatly from the overlap. So when Paramount Global's CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, it was clear that the move would be a disservice to the public.
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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boeing defense workers launch strike over contract dispute
Thousands of members of a union representing Boeing defense industry workers in the US states of Missouri and Illinois went on strike Monday after rejecting a contract proposal. In a post on X, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers said: "3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing went on strike at midnight because enough is enough. "This is about respect and dignity, not empty promises." It came hours after the union said in a statement that members at Boeing facilities in Missouri and Illinois had voted to reject a modified four-year labor agreement with Boeing. The St. Louis local's stoppage follows a bruising Boeing strike last fall in the Pacific Northwest region of some 33,000 workers that halted production at factories that assemble Boeing commercial planes. Local broadcast media showed footage of workers picketing outside the St. Louis factory. Members of the union's local chapter "have spoken loud and clear, they deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and the critical role they play in our nation's defense," said IAM District 837 representative Tom Boelling. The American aerospace giant's initial proposal, which included a 20 percent wage increase over four years and more vacation time, was rejected a week earlier. The new offer doubled the wage increase, according to Boeing. "We're disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40 percent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules," Dan Gillian, Boeing Air Dominance vice president and senior St. Louis, Missouri site executive, said in a statement. "We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers." The storied company has been in crisis since last year due to production quality issues and a seven-week strike that crippled two of Boeing's major assembly plants. IAM is one of North America's largest unions, representing some 600,000 members in aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, transportation, health care, manufacturing and other industries. Products produced at Boeing's St. Louis operation include the F-15 and F-18 combat aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk Advanced Pilot Training System and the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft. The site was originally part of the McDonnell Douglas company, which Boeing acquired in 1997. Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg described the business hit from the strike in Missouri as manageable, noting that the operation has a far smaller number of workers compared with those who went on the picket lines last fall. "I wouldn't worry too much about the implications of the strike," Ortberg said on an earnings conference call. "We'll manage our way through that." Shares of Boeing rose 0.2 percent on Monday. ni-jmb/des Solve the daily Crossword
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Brazil's high court orders Bolsonaro's house arrest, angering Trump admin.
President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro listen to reporter's questions during joint press conference in the Rose Garden of the Washington, D.C.m on March 19, 2019. On Monday, Brazil's Supreme Court order Bolsonaro's house arrest. File Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered the house arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, prompting swift condemnation from the Trump administration, which has imposed penalties against those prosecuting President Donald Trump's ally. Bolsonaro is being prosecuted on charges of conspiring to overturn his 2022 election loss. In his order Monday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the house arrest of Bolsonaro on allegations he violated court-imposed precautionary measures by using the social media accounts of allies, including his three sons, one of whom is a congressman, to post statements online. Moraes described the social media posts as a "continued attempt to coerce the STF and obstruct justice." STF stands for Supremo Tribunal Federal, or Supreme Federal Court, in Portuguese. "The arrest is to be served at Bolsonaro's residence in Brasilia. He will not be allowed to receive visitors, except for his lawyers and other individuals previously authorized by the STF," the order states. "The former president is also prohibited from using a cell phone, either directly or through third parties." A search and seizure of any cell phones in Bolsonaro's possession was also ordered by Moraes, who is overseeing the criminal case. "There is no doubt that Jair Messias Bolsonaro violated the precautionary measures imposed on him, as the defendant produced material for publication on the social media accounts of his three sons and all his followers and political supporters, with clear content encouraging and inciting attacks on the Supreme Federal Court and openly supporting foreign intervention in the Brazilian judiciary," Moraes said. Trump, who has similarly been accused of trying to overturn his own election loss, in 2020, is an ally of Bolsonaro, and has repeatedly used his executive powers to punish those involved in the 70-year-old politician's prosecution, which has prompted accusations of meddling in Brazil's judicial system. Among the measures imposed by the American president are slapping a 40% tariff on Brazilian goods and sanctioning Moraes, as well as revoking his visas and those of his family. The U.S. State Department on Monday night condemned the house arrest order as Moraes' alleged continued use of "Brazil's institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy." "Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro's ability to defend himself in public it not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!" the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in both English- and Portuguese-language statements. "The United States condemns Moraes' order imposing house arrest on Bolsonaro and will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct." Brazil charged Bolsonaro in February with attempting a coup following his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to court documents, his supporters claiming voter fraud stormed Brazil's Congress and other federal facilities on Jan. 8, 2023. The indictment accuses Bolsonaro of spreading debunked claims of fraud in election machines as far back as July 2022 in order to prepare conditions for the coup. As part of the scheme, prosecutors said they even planned the possibility of assassinating Lula. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, while Trump has described the trial as a "witch hunt."
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
My awakening: How Gen Z's relationship with religion is changing
When someone told me it was going to be like the Catholic version of Woodstock, I laughed. But as soon as I got there, I thought: OK, now I get it! As I walked through the 237-acre Tor Vergata grounds just 10 miles east of Rome, around me were hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world, setting up their tents, blowing up air beds, singing and dancing as Christian music pumped from the speakers. It was a hot Roman day, around 90 degrees, and some of these pilgrims had walked for up to eight hours to get here. But still, the heat was no deterrent to the joy in the air. Advertisement What was extraordinary about this event, the Jubilee of Youth, was that while there were well-known Christian artists performing, the young people hadn't come to see them. They were waiting to pray. Yes — pray! And when, at 7:30 p.m., the roar of a helicopter was heard overhead, the crowd erupted. The white papal chopper had made the short journey from the Vatican and circled the crowd twice. 'Viva Papa,' they cheered. Throwing up clouds of dust, the chopper was glowing in the evening sun as it landed. Then on the large screens, people watched as Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope — emerged and boarded the Mercedes Popemobile. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! 'Incredibly moving' Advertisement After weaving through the crowd, going back and forth blessing the sea of people on either side, the pope took to the stage and led a two-hour, deeply spiritual prayer vigil. The moment Pope Leo brought out the Eucharist, what Catholics believe is the real body of Jesus in the bread, 1 million young people suddenly fell silent, many on their knees with their eyes closed. Fr. Vincent Bernhard, the university chaplain at NYU, who was there leading a pilgrimage of young men from across the US, was moved by that moment: 'It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. When I looked around, you could see everyone kneeling and looking in one direction. It was incredibly moving. Only the pope could do that. Make everyone stop and look towards Jesus.' Something is changing in society when it comes to Gen Z and their relationship with religion. Their parents may have drifted from the Church — because of scandals, laziness, shifting priorities, etc. Advertisement But from the young people I spoke to at Tor Vergata, I got a sense they are searching for deeper answers to life's oldest questions. This is something Pope Leo spoke to directly from the stage: 'There is a burning question in our hearts, a need for truth that we cannot ignore, which leads us to ask ourselves: What is true happiness? What is the true meaning of life? . . . Jesus is our hope.' True meaning Indeed, from traveling the world covering the Catholic Church and people's relationship with faith for EWTN, I think young people — especially — have been fed the lie that they'll find fulfillment in fame, fortune and followers. Advertisement They've been encouraged to hang their identity on their career, on their social-media persona, and on their popularity. And while these things might offer instant, short-term gratification, more and more young people seem to be realizing that they don't lead to lasting, meaningful fulfillment. When the three F's disappear — fame, fortune, followers — what gives your life fulfillment and meaning? Young people today are looking for meaning, and many are finding it in the tradition, culture and beauty of the Catholic Church. For years it hasn't been 'cool' to be Catholic, or even easy to say you believe in God. But as with anything pushed aside or suppressed, sometimes the opposite happens — it re-emerges as something unexpected, something different. Something countercultural that intrigues young people and starts to draw them in again. Cue the Jubilee of Youth, and a million young people on their knees in a field outside of Rome. Something profound is drawing them, and with the Catholic Church having a new, relatively young and timely pope who talks about social media, algorithms, and artificial intelligence, young people are engaged. Found a home As darkness fell over Tor Vergata, the choir sang, 'Jesus Christ, you are my life,' as the papal helicopter once again roared into the air and turned back toward Vatican City. One of the most powerful messages the pope left the young people with was, 'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less.' One of the young men with Fr. Vincent on pilgrimage was 19-year-old Marco Terrizzi from Illinois. He recently came into the faith and told me, 'This was sensational. I truly feel changed forever. I feel like I've found my forever home in the Catholic Church.' Colm Flynn is a correspondent for EWTN, global Catholic television.
