Politics
California’s longest-serving Senator, Dem Dianne Feinstein dies at 90 leaving seat vacant

Democrat Senator from California, Dianne Feinstein, has died at the age of 90. Feinstein was the oldest member of the Senate, where she served since 1992 and held her seat in the chamber longer than any other woman, and any senator from California. Her office confirmed she passed away Thursday night in her Washington, D.C. home.
“There are few women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother. Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state,” her chief of staff James Sauls said in a statement.
CNBC notes that as for political repercussions, Feinstein’s death leaves vacant her powerful Senate seat, requiring Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor. Newsom in a statement called Feinstein “a political giant, whose tenacity was matched by her grace.”
From the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein: pic.twitter.com/rvcAmVk8O0
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) September 29, 2023
“She broke down barriers and glass ceilings, but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation,” he said. “There is simply nobody who possessed the poise, gravitas, and fierceness of Dianne Feinstein.”
“Jennifer and I are deeply saddened by her passing, and we will mourn with her family in this difficult time.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the chamber floor, “We lost a giant in the Senate.”
“Today, there are 25 women serving in this chamber, and every one of them will admit, they stand on Dianne’s shoulders,” he said.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the former speaker of the House, grew emotional as she told reporters, “It’s a very sad day for all of us.”
“May she rest in peace,” Pelosi said.

Media
Robert De Niro anti-Trump speech mysteriously replaced in teleprompter at Awards Show

Actor Robert De Niro got a taste of Hollywood’s own medicine when he was reportedly unable to deliver his planned Trump-bashing speech at an awards show. The “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor spoke at Monday’s Gotham Awards, but says when he took the stage he discovered that his anti-Trump remarks had been altered.
Variety reports:
The actor said he had not been informed of the changes, which took out any mention of the former president. De Niro, who was on hand to present “Killers of the Flower Moon” with the Gotham Historical Icon and Creator Tribute, criticized the awards show and Apple. “I don’t feel like thanking them at all for what they did,” he said. “How dare they do that, actually.”
According to sources with knowledge of the show, a revised version of the speech was placed into the teleprompter less than ten minutes before the event started. Reportedly the speech was altered at the behest of Apple, the film’s producer.
The source says the company was responding to feedback from the filmmaking team that wanted the actor’s remarks to be centered on the movie. However, a source close to the film denied that there was any censorship involved and said that the incident was a miscommunication.
There had been multiple versions of De Niro’s speech and there was a desire to focus solely on the moviemakers and their artistry, according to the source. Apple and the filmmakers were unaware that De Niro hadn’t signed off on the final draft, the source maintained.
De Niro did however take the opportunity to criticize Trump regardless of the prompter; the actor read his remarks from his phone. “Lying has become just another tool in the charlatan’s arsenal,” De Niro said. “The former president lied to us more than 30,000 times during his four years in office. And he’s keeping up the pace in his current campaign of retribution. But with all his lies, he can’t hide his soul. He attacks the weak, destroys the gifts of nature and shows disrespect, for example, by using ‘Pocahontas’ as a slur” he stated.
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