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Despite its huge international success, including a leading 13 Oscar nominations, “Emilia Perez” faces criticism in Mexico, where the transgender narco-musical has been accused of trivializing raging drug-related violence.French director Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language production shattered the record for the most Academy Award nominations for a non-English-language movie on Thursday, after winning four Golden Globe Awards.It will vie for the Oscars for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay and best international film, as well as multiple song, score and sound nods.But in Mexico, where a spiral of cartel-related violence has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, the reaction has been less enthusiastic.”The film trivializes the problem of the missing in Mexico,” argues a petition on the Change.org website that had more than 11,000 signatures calling for the movie to be pulled before its scheduled Mexican release on Thursday.”It is an insensitive film, disrespectful to our culture that goes far beyond drug trafficking and the pain of thousands of families,” it added.Angie Orozco, mother of one of the more than 100,000 people missing in Mexico, told local media that while she did not object to “Emilia Perez” being a musical, “it should be approached in a respectful way.””I hope that we can make use of all this noise, going beyond the superficial,” she said.The film stars Karla Sofia Gascon as a bloodthirsty narco who, after transitioning to life as a woman, helps relatives of the missing. The movie also features “Avatar” star Zoe Saldana, singer-actress Selena Gomez and Mexican actress Adriana Paz.Gascon became the first openly trans acting Oscar nominee, in the best actress category, while Saldana was nominated for best supporting actress.In stark contrast, the frosty reception in Mexico began in October at the Morelia Film Festival, where the film drew lukewarm applause.Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (“Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon”), launched an early salvo late last year against “Emilia Perez,” which was mainly filmed in a studio in France.Apart from the presence of Paz, the film “feels inauthentic and it really bugs me,” he said in an interview with Hollywood news outlet Deadline.”Especially when the subject matter is so important to us Mexicans. It’s also a very sensitive subject,” he added in reference to drug-related violence.Audiard has rejected criticism that the film misrepresented Mexico, but acknowledged on Thursday in an interview with AFP that he perhaps “handled it clumsily.”Ahead of the nominations, he told AFP in Bogota said that some scenes in the film deliberately sought to “defy credulity” and that his goal was to tell stories that are “both local and universal.””It’s a Spanish-language film that was shot in Paris. It’s a mongrel film,” he said.- ‘Clumsy prejudices’ -Mexican writer Jorge Volpi called the production “one of the crudest and most misleading films of the 21st century.”In an article in the newspaper El Pais, Volpi argued it “embodies all the clumsy prejudices against gender transitions,” while still praising Gascon’s “meticulous work.”In contrast, Gomez — a third-generation Mexican American — raised eyebrows in the land of her ancestors for her accent when speaking Spanish.Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez described her performance as “indefensible,” though he later apologized.The film has also been roasted by some social media users.”‘Emilia Perez’ is everything that is bad in a film: stereotypes, ignorance, lack of respect, making money from one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world (mass disappearances in Mexico),” Cecilia Gonzalez, a Mexican journalist living in Argentina, wrote on X.There have been some notable exceptions, however: Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro described Audiard as “one of the most amazing filmmakers alive.””It’s so beautiful to see a movie that is cinema,” he gushed in a conversation with Audiard at the Directors Guild of America, according to a video posted by The Hollywood Reporter.Audiard said he spent more than four years researching for “Emilia Perez.”But “at some point you have to stop doing research because…otherwise you end up doing a documentary,” he added.In a nod to the criticism, he said at a recent presentation in Mexico: “If things seem shocking in ‘Emilia,’ I would be ready to apologize.””It’s an opera and an opera is not very realistic.”

Ukraine on Thursday announced evacuations of children from several towns in the northeastern Kharkiv region threatened by Russian forces, as Moscow said it saw nothing new in US President Donald Trump’s call for it to end its invasion. The evacuation announcement came as the Kremlin said that while it was ready for “mutually respectful dialogue” with Trump, his declarations on the conflict marked no break with the previous US administration.Trump on Wednesday threatened fresh sanctions on Moscow if Russia did not strike a deal to end the military campaign against Ukraine, which he called “ridiculous”. But on the ground in northeastern Ukraine, Kharkiv region governor Oleg Synegubov said “267 children and their families are to be evacuated from 16 settlements to safe places”.Synegubov said the towns and villages affected are near Kupiansk, a town which Russia has tried to capture for months where fighting is raging around its outskirts.Outnumbered Ukrainian forces are struggling to hold back a better resourced Russian army across a long front line. “The decision was made due to the intensified hostile shelling. We urge families with minors to save their lives and leave the dangerous areas,” Synegubov said on social media. He earlier said a 54-year-old woman was killed in a Russian attack on a village near Kupiansk.Kyiv also said that Russian air attacks had killed at least three others and wounded dozens in other frontline towns. – ‘Waiting for signals’ -Expectations are high that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will soon hold a phone call to discuss the conflict, after the Republican pledged on the campaign trail to bring a swift end to the fighting.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was “ready for equal, mutually respectful dialogue”.”We are waiting for signals, which we have not yet received,” he added.Russia also said it considered the policies of Joe Biden’s administration “criminal”, calling on Trump to “correct” them. Trump has not said publicly how he sees the contours of a potential peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.Putin has outlined maximalist demands that include the Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of its own territory still under Kyiv’s control.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has meanwhile ruled out territorial concessions, though he has said he would consider trying to secure the return of land captured by Russia through “diplomatic” means.Kyiv is also demanding security guarantees from NATO and the United States along with the deployment of Western, including American, peacekeeping troops.- Sanctions threat -In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Wednesday told Putin to make a deal “now” and threatened “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on Moscow.Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and had “always had a very good relationship with President Putin,” a leader for whom he has expressed admiration in the past.”All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” he said.Asked about the comments on Thursday, Peskov said the Kremlin did not see anything “particularly new” in Trump’s threat of sanctions.He said it was clear from Trump’s first presidency that the Republican “liked” sanctions, adding that Moscow was “closely following” all of his statements.The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed the barrage of Western sanctions that it has been hit with since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022.The Russian economy has largely defied Western hopes the restrictions would push it into economic collapse.Peskov on Thursday conceded that Russia faced economic “problems” — like “almost all countries” — but said Russia had the resources to meet “all military requirements”.Russia’s troops have been advancing on the battlefield in recent months, while both Moscow and Kyiv have increased their aerial attacks deep behind the front lines.Moscow’s army on Thursday claimed to have captured another small settlement in the eastern Donetsk region, which Russia declared to have annexed in 2022.

Here are the nominees in key categories for the 97th Academy Awards, to be handed out in Hollywood on March 2.”Emilia Perez,” Jacques Audiard’s audacious musical about a ruthless Mexican drug lord who transitions to life as a woman, leads the competition with 13 nominations.Epic immigrant saga “The Brutalist” and show-stopping musical adaptation “Wicked” each picked up 10 nominations.- Best picture -“Anora””The Brutalist””A Complete Unknown””Conclave””Dune: Part Two””Emilia Perez””I’m Still Here””Nickel Boys””The Substance””Wicked”- Best director – Sean Baker, “Anora”Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Perez”Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”- Best actor – Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”Timothee Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”- Best actress -Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”Karla Sofia Gascon, “Emilia Perez”Mikey Madison, “Anora”Demi Moore, “The Substance”Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”- Best supporting actor – Yura Borisov, “Anora”Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”- Best supporting actress -Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”Ariana Grande, “Wicked”Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”Zoe Saldana, “Emilia Perez”- Best international feature film – “I’m Still Here” (Brazil)”The Girl with the Needle” (Denmark)”Emilia Perez” (France)”The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Germany)”Flow” (Latvia)- Best animated feature – “Flow””Inside Out 2″”Memoir of a Snail””Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl””The Wild Robot”- Best documentary feature -“Black Box Diaries””No Other Land””Porcelain War””Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat””Sugarcane”- Films with eight or more nominations – “Emilia Perez” – 13″The Brutalist” – 10 “Wicked” – 10″A Complete Unknown” – 8″Conclave” – 8 

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman promised on Thursday to pile $600 billion into US trade and investments as he congratulated Donald Trump on his return to the White House.Prince Mohammed, de facto leader of the world’s biggest oil exporter, made the pledge in a phone call following Trump’s inauguration on Monday, state media said.Trump forged close relations with Riyadh in his first term and is now expected to push Saudi Arabia, home of Islam’s holiest sites, towards normalising ties with Israel as a major foreign policy objective.”The crown prince affirmed the kingdom’s intention to broaden its investments and trade with the United States over the next four years, in the amount of $600 billion, and potentially beyond that,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.It did not give details of the source of the funds, which represent more than half of Saudi GDP, or how they are expected to be used.Prince Mohammed, 39, also passed on congratulations from his father, King Salman, during the call with Trump.Trump’s first visit as president in 2017 was to Saudi Arabia, and this week he joked that a major financial commitment could persuade him to do the same again.”I did it with Saudi Arabia last time because they agreed to buy $450 billion worth of our product,” he said.Trump quipped he would repeat the visit “if Saudi Arabia wanted to buy another 450 or 500 (billion dollars) — we’ll up it for all the inflation”.During Trump’s first term, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco broke with longstanding Arab policy to recognise Israel under the Abraham Accords.The new Trump administration is expected to try to repeat the process with Saudi Arabia, following similar efforts under president Joe Biden.- Iran threats -Saudi Arabia broke off talks with US officials about ties with Israel early in the Gaza war, and has repeatedly insisted it will not recognise Israel without the existence of a Palestinian state.However, a long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza and a possible easing in regional tensions could pave the way for a resumption of dialogue.In exchange for recognising Israel, the Arab world’s richest country hopes to secure a US defence pact and Washington’s help with a civil nuclear programme.In his own call with the crown prince on Thursday, new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and “the threats posed by Iran and its proxies”, according to a statement.”They also discussed the benefits of the US-Saudi economic partnership and the opportunities to grow their economies in a variety of fields including AI,” a spokesperson for Rubio said. Trump actively courted Saudi Arabia, long an important energy and security partner for Washington, during his first term.When he arrived in Riyadh in 2017, he was treated to an elaborate welcome involving a sword dance and a fly-past of air force jets.Relations later cooled with Prince Mohammed faulting Trump for failing to respond more aggressively after a 2019 attack widely blamed on Iran halved the Gulf kingdom’s crude output.Riyadh and Trump’s team nevertheless sought to boost ties after his departure from the White House, in particular through investments and construction deals for his privately owned conglomerate the Trump Organization. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has defended receiving a Saudi investment in his private equity firm that reports put at $2 billion.

Donald Trump will star in an eagerly-anticipated online appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, addressing global elites whose annual gabfest has been consumed by the US president’s days-old second term.Trump’s name has come up in almost every conversation in the Swiss Alpine village this week — in formal panel discussions, in shuttles ferrying people up and down the mountain, and in exclusive parties along the promenade.Davos will finally hear from the man himself during a live video appearance, with banking and oil industry CEOs given the chance to lob questions at Trump, himself a businessman who made his fortune in real estate.One of the Republican president’s biggest cheerleaders on the world stage, Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, took the stage hours before Trump, delivering a fiery speech against “the mental virus of woke ideology”.Milei said Argentina was “re-embracing the idea of freedom” and “that is what I trust President Trump will do in this new America”.He praised like-minded leaders such as Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.”Slowly an international alliance has been formed of all those nations that want to be free and that believe in the ideas of freedom,” he said.He also defended his “dear friend” Elon Musk.The US billionaire and Trump ally caused a stir this week by making hand gestures at an inauguration event for the US president that drew comparisons to the Nazi salute.Milei said Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been “unfairly vilified by wokeism in recent hours for an innocent gesture that only means… his gratitude to the people”.- ‘A new day’ -Trump has already given Davos a taste of what is to come since his inauguration on Monday, which coincided with the WEF’s first day — tariff warnings against Mexico and Canada, the US withdrawal from the Paris climate pact and a threat to take the Panama Canal, just to name a few.His plans to cut taxes, reduce the size of the US federal government and deregulate industries may find a sympathetic ear amongst many businesses, though economists warn the policies could rekindle inflation.One of his backers in the business world, Marc Benioff, the chief executive of US tech firm Salesforce, was enthusiastic at a Bloomberg event on Wednesday.”I’m very positive,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen. And it’s a new day and, it’s an exciting moment.”Trump will be quizzed by Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan, Blackstone investment firm boss Stephen Schwarzman, Spanish group Banco Santander executive chairwoman Ana Botin and the head of French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne.- ‘No winners’ -US trade partners and rivals already had a chance to react in Davos earlier this week, as they brace for a second round of his America First policies.Without invoking Trump’s name, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang warned: “There are no winners in a trade war.”European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels was ready to negotiate with Trump. But she also underscored the European Union’s diverging policy with him on climate, saying the bloc would stick by the Paris accord.Julie Teigland, a managing partner at EY consulting firm, told AFP: “Trump has been running America like America Inc. He’s been very focused on getting the best advantage for the US in any way that he can.””He knows that he needs trade partners to do that. He does. And so I expect him to give messages along these lines,” she said.

Chris Brown has filed a $500 million lawsuit against Warner Bros and others for making a “defamatory documentary” about his alleged sexual assault and other accusations, according to a lawyers’ statement posted to the singer’s Instagram.The film, “Chris Brown: A History of Violence,” which was released in October by Warner Bros’ Investigation Discovery channel, chronicles allegations of domestic violence, assault and sexual misconduct against the American R&B singer and rapper over the years.Brown, 35, rose to fame at a young age with his rich R&B voice and later rap, but his reputation was later tarnished by allegations of domestic violence and other abuse — most famously when he was convicted of beating Rihanna, then his girlfriend, before the 2009 Grammy Awards, forcing the pop star to miss the annual gala.In a complaint filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, Brown’s lawyers said the documentary, streamed on Max, has a “misleading narrative” that accuses their client of “heinous acts, including sexual assault and evidence tampering — allegations that had been discredited in court and dismissed as baseless.”The attorneys said the film “sensationalized debunked claims to drive viewership and revenue, recklessly damaging Mr Brown’s reputation and spreading false information to the public,” according to the statement, posted by Brown on Wednesday.”To be clear Mr. Brown has never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime,” they added.A spokesperson for Investigation Discovery said in a statement published by USA TODAY on Wednesday: “We stand behind the production and will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit.”The $500 million claim was brought against Warner Bros, Ample, LLC and individuals involved in producing the documentary, the lawyers’ statement said.Brown’s attorney Levi McCathern said the documentary makers had undermined Brown’s “decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence.”The singer, who rose from a local church choir in Virginia to sudden fame, was arrested in 2016 after a woman alleged that he pointed a gun at her.Earlier that year, another woman accused him of battery in Las Vegas.He also was previously accused of raping a woman in a luxury Paris hotel. He denied the claim and was not charged.

The Kremlin said Thursday it saw nothing new in US President Donald Trump’s calls for Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine, and that Moscow was ready for “mutually respectful” dialogue with him. The US leader had on Wednesday threatened fresh sanctions on Moscow if Russia did not strike a deal to end its nearly three-year campaign against Ukraine.Expectations are high that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will soon hold a phone call to discuss the conflict, after the Republican pledged on the campaign trail to bring a swift end to the fighting.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was “ready for equal, mutually respectful dialogue.””We are waiting for signals, which we have not yet received,” he added.Trump has not said publicly how he sees the contours of a potential peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.Putin has outlined maximalist demands that include the Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of its own territory still under Kyiv’s control.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has meanwhile ruled out territorial concessions, though has said he would consider trying to secure the return of land captured by Russia through “diplomatic” means.Kyiv is also demanding security guarantees from NATO and the United States along with the deployment of Western, including American, peacekeeping troops.- Sanctions threat -In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Wednesday told Putin to make a deal “now” and threatened “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on Moscow.Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and had “always had a very good relationship with President Putin,” a leader for whom he has expressed admiration in the past.”All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” he said.Asked about the comments on Thursday, Peskov said the Kremlin did not see anything “particularly new” in Trump’s threat of sanctions.He said it was clear from Trump’s first presidency that the American “liked” sanctions, adding that Moscow was “closely following” all of his statements.The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed the barrage of Western sanctions that it has been hit with since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022.The Russian economy has largely defied Western hopes the restrictions would push it into economic collapse.Peskov on Thursday conceded that Russia faced economic “problems” — “as all countries” — but said Russia had the resources to meet “all military requirements.”Russia’s troops have been advancing on the battlefield in recent months, while both Moscow and Kyiv have increased their aerial attacks deep behind the frontlines.Moscow’s army on Thursday claimed to have captured another small settlement in the eastern Donetsk region, which Russia annexed in 2022.

This year’s Oscar nominations will be unveiled Thursday in an announcement delayed by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, with transgender cartel musical “Emilia Perez” expected to lead a highly competitive field.Voting deadlines had to be extended this month, as the US entertainment capital and home city of the Academy Awards was devastated by multiple blazes that have killed more than two dozen people and forced tens of thousands to flee.Nominees will be unveiled virtually, and in subdued circumstances, as a town that typically fixates on the Oscars race has more pressing matters to handle.Even so, the glitzy Oscars ceremony itself is still set for March 2, and the stars and studios who have spent months and millions of dollars campaigning will learn if they have made the coveted final shortlists.”Emilia Perez,” French director Jacques Audiard’s Mexico-set musical, in which a narco boss transitions to life as a woman and turns her back on crime, seems certain to pick up best picture and multiple song, score and sound nods.”It’s going to rack up a big number,” Pete Hammond, awards columnist for movie trade outlet Deadline, told AFP.Nominations for its star Karla Sofia Gascon — who would become the first openly trans acting nominee — and Zoe Saldana appear set too.Their more famous co-star, Selena Gomez, has been criticized for her Spanish-language dialogue and could miss out.Even so, the Netflix film could become the most nominated non-English-language movie ever — a record held by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Roma,” each with 10.”It’s so strong in all of the categories that it could get nominated in,” said Hammond.Competition atop the nomination list will likely come from Vatican thriller “Conclave,” epic immigrant saga “The Brutalist” and show-stopping musical adaptation “Wicked.”Sci-fi sequel “Dune: Part Two,” indie darling “Anora” and Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” are also expected to do well.- ‘Political statement’ -Academy Award nominations are fiercely contested by Hollywood’s biggest stars, and this year’s race for best actress appears especially intense.A-listers like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman went all-out with their performances in “Maria” and “Babygirl,” respectively, but many pundits believe they will miss out.Comeback queen Demi Moore charmed the industry with her Golden Globes acceptance speech for body horror-satire “The Substance,” and seems a lock for a nomination along with Gascon and “Anora” star Mikey Madison.”It’s those other two slots that could go any which way,” said Hammond, pointing to Brazil’s Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”) and Britain’s Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) as popular alternates.”Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo is also in the mix.For best actor, Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) is a firm favorite, along with Timothee Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”) and Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”).This year could finally bring first Oscar nods for rom-com veteran Hugh Grant, who is radically different in horror “Heretic,” and former 007 Daniel Craig, for literary adaptation “Queer.”Or the Academy could ruffle a few feathers in the new White House by selecting Sebastian Stan for his unsettling transformation into a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.”The movie drew threats of lawsuits from Trump’s attorneys, particularly for a scene in which the new US president is shown raping his wife.”It could be a political statement” to nominate Stan, said Hammond.- ‘Lost homes’ -The Los Angeles wildfires have cast a somber shadow on this year’s Oscars, and the chaos and displacement they caused could also directly impact Academy voting patterns, Hammond said.”We know so many members that have lost homes (in Los Angeles)… some will just not have voted” at all, said Hammond.He predicted the upheaval at home could increase the influence of the Academy’s many overseas voters, who often opt for more artsy fare from outside of the US-centric Hollywood orbit.”They’re the furthest away from it, and it will be business as usual for that group,” he said.”Though I don’t particularly think ‘Emilia Perez’ needs any help,” Hammond added.The nominations announcement will begin Thursday at 5:30 am (1330 GMT) in Los Angeles.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday floated ending federal disaster relief and leaving states to fend for themselves during emergencies in his first Oval Office interview since returning to power.With Los Angeles scorched by wildfires and the eastern United States still recovering from two devastating hurricanes, Trump falsely accused the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of turning its back on victims.”FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida, we had Alabama tornados,” Trump told Fox News.”But unless you have certain types of leadership, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems.”Trump’s remarks came as an explosive new wildfire erupted north of Los Angeles, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes and setting nerves jangling in an area still reeling from two deadly blazes.Trump and Republicans in Congress have said that help for California should be conditioned on the actions of the state’s Democratic leaders, despite making no such suggestion when storms killed more than 100 people and caused destructive flooding across the US southeast.Trump’s freewheeling press conferences and interviews distinguish him from previous presidents, particularly Joe Biden, who almost never agreed to sit down for detailed conversations with journalists.The Republican was praised during his campaign for his embrace of podcasts, YouTube and other new media, but he went with tradition for the pre-taped primetime appearance, sitting down with Fox News star and staunch loyalist Sean Hannity.Trump, who has more than a dozen ex-Fox News employees in his administration, discussed his barrage of executive orders and his plans for the first 100 days — the third day in a row he has spoken directly to the press.But while the Republican president gets credit from the press for being more accessible, it’s not clear that the American public is hanging on every word.The TV viewing figures for his second inauguration were significantly lower than in previous years, with a peak of 34.4 million people tuning in, according to The New York Times — four million down from his first inaugural speech.Hannity — an unapologetic mouthpiece for Republican talking points who became known as Trump’s “unofficial chief of staff” — has the highest rated cable show for the 9:00 pm hour, pulling in an average of 2.8 million viewers.Trump again defended his blanket pardons for hundreds of violent criminals who stormed the Capitol in 2021, dismissed security concerns over Chinese-owned app TikTok and discussed the possibility of cutting off federal funds to so-called “sanctuary cities” that shield undocumented migrants from federal detention requests.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday deployment of an extra 1,500 US troops to the Mexican border, as he stepped up a crackdown against illegal immigration and diversity programs in a whirlwind start to his second term.The 78-year-old Republican — who has pledged a “golden age” for America — halted refugee arrivals and threatened to prosecute local authorities that fail to deport migrants.As part of his blitz of right-wing measures on returning to office, the billionaire also ordered that US government employees in diversity programs — conceived as ways to combat racism and sexism — be put on paid leave immediately.Trump held what was reportedly his first phone call with a foreign leader since taking office Monday, talking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who promised increased trade to the United States, according to the kingdom’s foreign ministry.And in the latest round of appointments, Trump announced that fast food executive Andrew Puzder — who has previously faced questions over his business and private conduct — will be the new US ambassador to the European Union.He named his longtime Secret Service bodyguard Sean Curran — who was at his side when an assassin opened fire and grazed his ear during a presidential campaign rally last July — as director of the security agency, which protects the president and other top officials.But while Trump is steamrolling through Washington, there have been surprise speedbumps.Close advisor and world’s richest man Elon Musk revealed budding tensions when he bashed an AI investment mega project that Trump himself publicly touted at a televised White House event, flanked by top Silicon Valley tycoons.And Trump prompted questions when he threatened Russia with sanctions if it doesn’t accept an unspecified Ukraine peace deal — something he previously had claimed he would broker within 24 hours.His predecessor Joe Biden had left him a “lot of work,” Trump told Fox News’s Sean Hannity in his first television interview since taking office.As Los Angeles continues to be scorched by wildfires, he also floated the idea of ending federal disaster aid and disbanding FEMA, the government agency that manages disasters.”I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,” he told Hannity.- Migrants and diversity fight -Trump, who has more than a dozen ex-Fox News employees in his adminstration, discussed his barrage of executive orders and his plans for the first 100 days.But it was a typically divisive conversation, with Trump — investigated for leading unprecedented efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss — calling Democrats “stupid” and claiming that “the only thing they’re good at, really, is cheating.”Since reentering the White House, Trump has focused heavily on harsh migration measures.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump was dispatching 1,500 troops to add to the 2,000-plus contingent already at the Mexican border.He likewise halted arrivals of refugees already cleared to enter the United States as part of the crackdown, according to a State Department memo.Trump’s other main target has been on anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.He ordered related government websites and social media accounts to go offline and federal workers involved to put on paid leave.Trump also ended what he called “radical” affirmative action in awarding federal contracts, revoking an order crafted to combat racism that dates back to the civil rights era of the 1960s.One of Trump’s first acts as president on Monday was to pardon more than 1,000 supporters who stormed the US Capitol, attacking police and vandalizing the seat of US democracy, after he lost in 2020.A row between Trump and the bishop at the National Cathedral, who asked him during her sermon at a service he attended Tuesday to show “mercy” to “scared” migrants and LGBTQ people, simmered on.Trump called Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde “nasty” and she later told The New York Times that she felt compelled to speak up.”Was anyone going to say anything about the turn the country’s taking?”