Latest news with #VargasReports'
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
85% of Iranians are against the government: Nick Berg
(NewsNation) — Iranian-born author Nick Berg told NewsNation that Iran has publicly executed at least 1,700 people in 2025, adding that much of the country is against its current government. Berg, an Iranian-born author of 'Shadows of Tehran,' joined 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports' to discuss the current reality in Iran and why he believes a dayslong internet blackout has occurred. 'About 85 to 90% of the people, ordinary Iranians, are against the government,' Berg said. 'The Iranian regime lives by fear, and they have killed hundreds of thousands of people throughout these last 40 years in Iran. There are mass graves in Iran that nobody knows about from the people, from the people who were against them. Just this year, they carried out about 1,700 public executions.' Trump says DNI Tulsi Gabbard 'wrong' on Iran Berg has not spoken to his 85-year-old mother or any other family members in five days. He believes the blackout is an intentional move by the government to maintain control and prevent large-scale protests. 'One of the reasons they cut off the internet is exactly that, because people use the internet to organize things,' he added. Despite images of Iranians burning flags often making their way into the media, Berg believes some are paid actors and others are merely fanatics. 'Those are the religious fanatics who, every time something happens, come to the streets and start screaming and doing all of that. This is nothing new for Iran. It always happens,' he said. 'A lot of them come from villages, and the government sends buses to the villages; they gather these people up and pay them to come to these demonstrations.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NOLA jailbreak: Louisiana rep. calls for sheriff to resign
(NewsNation) — Louisiana state Representative Aimee Adatto Freeman is calling for Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson to resign following a jailbreak that has left six dangerous inmates still at large, citing 'lack of accountability' and a 'grand failure of leadership.' 'It's embarrassing to me that she has one job, which is to keep the inmates in the jail and keep the rest of us safe,' Freeman told NewsNation's 'Vargas Reports' on Tuesday. 'I think she should resign.' Late Tuesday evening, Hutson suspended her reelection campaign for sheriff. In a post, she wrote, 'I cannot spend a moment putting politics over your needs. Now is the time to focus on security, accountability, and public safety.' The criticism comes as authorities arrested a jail maintenance worker allegedly involved in Friday's escape from the Orleans Parish Justice Center. Sterling Williams, 33, faces 10 counts related to the incident after allegedly shutting off water to a cell where inmates removed a toilet and sink to escape through the wall. According to an arrest affidavit, Williams told investigators that inmate Antoine Massey threatened to 'shank him' if he didn't turn off the water. Four jail employees have also been suspended following the escape. $1.1M bond for New Orleans jail worker accused of helping inmates escape Freeman, who sits on the state House Appropriations Committee, disputed Hutson's claims that insufficient funding contributed to security failures. The sheriff had blamed 'time and deferred investment' during a city council meeting where she took 'full accountability' for the escape. 'No one ever mentioned to me that there were broken cameras or doors that didn't function properly,' Freeman said. 'She could use that money and leverage those funds and bond them out. I mean, there's a lot of ways to run a budget.' Freeman noted that Hutson has '$14 million in reserve' that could have been used for infrastructure repairs and criticized the sheriff for not implementing recommendations from federal monitors who twice inspected the jail last year. 'If you've already been given the instructions on how to fix the jail, you should fix it,' Freeman said. 'The buck stops with her. She is the sheriff.' Orleans sheriff declines to apologize for jail break The federal monitors had 'strongly urged' the sheriff's office to reestablish a high-security unit, yet the escaped inmates, many described as convicted killers, were housed on the first floor of the jail, making their escape easier. Freeman said another Orleans Parish representative, Jason Hughes, has joined her call for Hutson's resignation. Both lawmakers are Democrats representing New Orleans. The situation has created significant safety concerns, with witnesses who testified against the escaped inmates and prosecutors who tried their cases reportedly leaving the state and going into hiding. 'I'm really worried about where these inmates might go,' Freeman said, noting that elderly residents are avoiding daily activities like church services out of fear. Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the capture of each inmate. Four of the original 10 escapees have been captured, with authorities believing the remaining six are still within New Orleans city limits. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tammy Bruce: Proof needed Putin ‘serious about stopping the carnage'
(NewsNation) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally announced a temporary ceasefire in his nation's conflict with Ukraine set to begin May 8 and end May 11, the latter date coinciding with Russia's annual celebration of its victory over the Nazis in World War II. 'We're going to look at what Putin does, not what he says,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told NewsNation's 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports' on Monday when asked about the ceasefire and its potential to end the war. 'We need to see real action that indicates these parties, in particular President Putin, is serious about stopping the carnage.' Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 started a war that has since become the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. The announcement of the unilateral ceasefire followed U.S. President Donald Trump's weekend meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after which Trump said Ukraine may be willing to cede Crimea to Russia in exchange for peace. US Space Force working to develop space 'aircraft carrier' Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Previously, Ukraine had stated that it would not consider any peace agreement with Russia that would result in the loss of the region, a stance it continues to emphasize publicly. Bruce said that if Russia and Ukraine are unable to reach a peace agreement on their own, the U.S. will 'begin to look at other options' to end hostilities, with increased economic sanctions on Russia being one such option. 'The additional sanctions the president hinted at indicates that we're not going to walk away, that this matters to us,' Bruce told Vargas. 'If anyone can get a (peace deal) done, it's President Trump.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tallahassee commissioner recounts 2014 shooting at FSU
Community members are mourning after a gunman opened fire, killing two and injuring six others at Florida State University on Thursday. The tragedy hit home for those who were around for another shooting on campus in 2014. Tallahassee City Commissioner Jacqueline Porter joined "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" to discuss.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former deputy special envoy: Election a referendum on antisemitism
(NewsNation) — A former Trump staffer says the pro-Palestinian protests that have occurred on college campuses since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, are 'disgraceful.' Ellie Cohanim, who was the deputy special envoy to combat antisemitism in President Donald Trump's first term, joined 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports' to talk about how the protests have impacted Jewish students on campus. 'I think that the election was a referendum on antisemitism and anti-Americanism,' Cohanim said. 'This country elected President Trump with a huge mandate because they reject that.' Former hostage says Hamas ate to 'heart's content' while he starved Cohanim said Trump taking aggressive actions towards alleged antisemitism, like pulling funding from Columbia University and the arrests of students like Rumeysa Ozturk for their suspected roles in protests, was a good thing. Cohanim is reportedly on the shortlist for U.N. ambassador. She said she would be honored to serve in the Trump administration for a second time if picked for the role. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
