Sir Patrick Stewart, a preeminent British actor whose career spanned theater, films and television and who achieved his greatest fame portraying Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia, representatives for Stewart said in a statement Thursday. He was 86.

“His sonorous voice and singular talent will forever be synonymous with indelible performances in every genre,” the statement said.

In a career spanning more than 60 years, Stewart, who also portrayed Professor Charles Xavier in the Marvel “X-Men” film franchise, won or was nominated for multiple theater and film awards.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.

“He explored the human condition in all its poetic complexity and brought hope not only to the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but into science fiction’s most iconic final frontier aboard the Starship Enterprise,” the statement said.

Stewart was born in the town of Mirfield in Yorkshire, England. Prior to his prolific on-screen career, Stewart got his start on stage in the 1960s as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Days before Stewart’s death, fellow Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, who starred as Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original series, also died at the age of 90.

Tributes to the late great actor poured in Thursday evening. William Shatner, who played alongside Stewart as Captain Kirk in the original “Star Trek” series, called it “a heartbreaking week.”

“Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did,” Shatner said in a social media post. “Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him. I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work.”

Hugh Jackman shared a photo of himself with his “X-Men” co-star on Instagram.

“We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man,” Jackman, who plays Wolverine, said. “I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”

Marvel Studios said in a statement that it is “deeply saddened” by Stewart’s passing.

“He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends, and the countless fans around the world whose lives he touched with his art.”

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President Donald Trump warned rallygoers in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that the president’s political party typically doesn’t “win” during midterm elections — apparently preparing supporters for a possibly disappointing outcome for Republicans less than a week before Election Day.

“When I’m not on the ballot the midterms … there’s something strange because, if you’re president, Republican or Democrat, for whatever reason, you don’t win the midterms,” he said.

Trump went on to say he has been working hard to rally support for Republican candidates, adding, “No president has ever worked so hard on a midterm.”

Trump was in South Carolina in a last-ditch effort to rally support for Sen. Darline Graham ahead of the high-stakes election that could determine control of the Senate. It was his third time in three months stumping for Graham in the state. Some Republican supporters who spoke to MS NOW at Trump’s earlier South Carolina rally appeared unsure or unenthusiastic about Graham’s candidacy, with some saying they supported her primarily because Trump did.

Graham was appointed to temporarily fill the Senate seat after the sudden death of her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. With Trump’s full-throated endorsement, Graham won the GOP special Senate runoff election to permanently replace him in August. Trump has prioritized maintaining Republican strongholds this election cycle, including South Carolina, amid his historically low approval ratings.

“Darlene Graham has devoted her entire life to the people of this state, and now she’s running to save you from a radical left lunatic,” Trump said, referring to Graham’s opponent, Democrat Annie Andrews. The president repeatedly used a transphobic slur to describe Andrews, a term he has continued using throughout his campaign tour.

“I didn’t come up with that name,” Trump said of the slur. “I’m good with names.”

Trump urged every member of the crowd to vote for Graham, and, as he has repeated over the last few months, to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” Graham has been neck and neck with Andrews, holding a razor-thin lead of 1 percentage point, according to an MS NOW/FiftyPlusOne polling average.

“You know, she’s leading but I had to come here,” Trump said of Graham’s slight lead. “Politics, you never know, right? So you’ve got to get out and vote.”

Trump’s speech was interrupted multiple times by protesters, who were quickly ushered out of the venue. Undeterred, he then said without evidence that the protesters were “paid,” calling them “losers.”

Graham, who has never held elected office, struggled on the campaign trail. In her first debate in August, she struggled to answer a question about Taiwan and said that she was “not that informed on national security.” But on Thursday, Graham spoke fervently from the podium in defense of Trump’s agenda, opposing abortion and gun control and supporting hawkish immigration policies. Graham also touted her brief voting record in the Senate in lockstep with other Trump-aligned Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Tim Scott, R-S.C.; and Mike Lee, R-Utah.

“I am a proud conservative Christian, who will fight every single day for your family,” Graham said. “Or Democrat Annie Andrews, the most radical liberal candidate ever to run for office in the history of South Carolina — like they say in the country, ‘She’s just plain ole batshit crazy.’”

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Left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker sued conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings for defamation Tuesday over comments Jennings made on his podcast in August. Piker is seeking more than $72 million in damages.

In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., Piker’s attorneys allege that Jennings falsely said on his eponymous podcast that Piker was “out there calling for Black voters to be lynched,” had a “plan of returning our country to lynchings” and that the U.S. “should resume lynchings against black people.”

Piker’s legal team argued that Jennings’ statements about Piker, who has more than three million followers on Twitch and millions more across other platforms, were not opinion but falsehoods. They allege that the video of Piker that Jennings shared with his viewers was “falsified” and heavily edited to take sarcastic remarks out of context.

The lawsuit cites one of Piker’s videos, streamed in October 2024, in which he commented on a debate between a Black conservative commentator and a Black liberal commentator. Criticizing the conservative commentator’s position that “woke” district attorneys harm Black communities, Piker says:

“He said, ‘We need more Klansmen, okay? Can we go back to a better time when lynchings were happening? This is what I like as a Black man. Also, there’s no real racism in America.’ My man said, ‘Woke DAs,’ dude. What are you saying?”

The video was shared by other prominent Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

“Mr. Jennings did not merely mischaracterize something Mr. Piker said,” the lawsuit argued. “He took a false, fabricated, and manipulated video of Mr. Piker, added a made-up quotation that Mr. Piker never uttered, and then made accusations that went beyond even what the manipulated footage purported to show.”

Piker, who has been campaigning with Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections, has been at the center of a political firestorm after his controversial 2019 comments about the 9/11 attacks resurfaced, along with more recent comments he made comparing Israel to Hamas.

Several GOP candidates have zeroed in on the social media influencer and his presence on the campaign trail. In response to the criticism, Piker apologized for his 2019 comment that “America deserved 9/11.” Still, Democratic candidates who campaigned with Piker, including Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Colorado Democratic Congressional nominee Melat Kiros, have since downplayed their relationship to him over the backlash.

Piker’s attorneys said the streamer’s reputation has been damaged because of Jennings, who they characterized as a sophisticated political operative, and that his actions have affected his professional relationships with platforms and advertising partners on which his business relies.

“Mr. Jennings continues to falsely portray Mr. Piker as a violent racist who advocates the lynching of Black people. And Mr. Jennings continues to damage Mr. Piker’s reputation and his livelihood,” the lawsuit said.

Representatives for Jennings did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment on the lawsuit.

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Catholic leaders who met with President Donald Trump at the White House last week say they were unwittingly used for a political stunt ahead of the midterm elections and that images and video of the meeting were publicly distributed without their permission.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee was among a dozen bishops invited to the Oval Office by the recently created White House Faith Office on Oct. 22. During the event, Grob and other Catholic leaders stood behind Trump and prayed for the country. Then, according to Grob, photos were taken of the group and the bishops were ushered out of the room.

“Unbeknownst to the group of bishops a video was also taken. But permission for the public distribution or posting of either the video or photos was not given by the bishops,” Grob said in a public letter published Sunday.

In his letter, Grob apologized for appearing at the White House event, which he described as a “political photo opportunity.” Grob said the event was intended for leaders to discuss issues such as immigration, human rights and reproductive healthcare, but was instead “manipulated” by the White House.

“I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way,” Grob wrote in his letter. “We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few. We should never have been put in that position by the White House.”

On Saturday, Bishop William Joensen of the Diocese of Des Moines in Iowa also apologized for his attendance, saying in a statement that he wished he had been “more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes.” He said that the bishops were not aware that the meeting would be “on the cusp of a national election,” and emphasized that their involvement does not indicate an endorsement of any political party or candidate.

“There are many things tied to this present Administration that are blatantly at odds with our Catholic faith. The advance communication we received indicated that we were to have a conversation and that key officials would be interested in hearing our perspective,” Joensen wrote.

“In retrospect,” he added, “I would have done well to be more mindful of Jesus’ admonition: ‘Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves,’” invoking a verse from the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible’s New Testament, likening himself and other faith leaders to well-meaning, vulnerable people in a hostile environment.

Shortly after the event, White House official Margo Martin shared a video of the event to social media in which one bishop can be heard praying to “surround our country to protect us against any influence of evil.”

Later that day, White House Faith Director Jennifer Korn also shared a video from the event on X, denying that it was “just a ‘photo op.’”

“These are Catholic Archbishops and Bishops who spent time talking with us about important issues on religious freedom, school choice, family tax credits, religious visas, and life,” Korn said. “They are leaders within their communities and have a seat at the table.”

When asked about the bishops’ public statements, including the accusation that published media from the meeting was distributed without their permission, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers defended Trump as a strong president for Catholics in a statement to MS NOW.

“There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it: he stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation’s children, and protected parents’ rights,” Rogers said.

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Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s lawsuit — filed at President Donald Trump’s request — seeking to block Alaska from certifying its election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.

In a contentious interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” he denied the president is laying the groundwork to contest the outcome of the midterm elections in just over one week.

“President Trump is not trying to take over a state election in any way, shape or form,” Blanche insisted.

But when pressed on what crime the administration alleges is being committed the attorney general said, “Well, it depends.”

“There could be a crime,” Blanche said. “But the real wrong here is that Alaskans are going to be confused and will not have their vote heard.”

With a little over one week to go before Election Day, Trump administration officials have set their sights on the key Senate seat, where Sullivan is facing a surprisingly competitive challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. The lawsuit has heightened Democrats’ fears that Trump could try to undermine the integrity of the midterm elections.

Sullivan, the incumbent, is also being challenged by a retired elementary school teacher who shares his name.

“There is no dispute that the only reason the second Dan Sullivan is running is to pull votes away in a confusing and inappropriate manner from the Dan Sullivan incumbent,” Blanche said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Host Margaret Brennan pushed back, explaining that “Dan S. Sullivan” is clearly listed on the ballot as the incumbent while his opponent is listed without a party affiliation as “Dan J. Sullivan.” She also pointed out that early voting began in the state on Oct. 19.

The Alaska Supreme Court had already settled the issue in June, ordering that both Sullivans be placed on the August primary ballot.

Alaska’s senior Republican senator, Lisa Murkowsi, who frequently breaks with Trump, criticized his administration on Friday for filing the lawsuit. “Alaskans don’t need any help voting for their preferred candidates, and the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot,” she said.

Peltola, who narrowly leads Sullivan, according to MS NOW polling partner FiftyPlusOne, told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace over the weekend that “this is exactly the kind of corruption that Alaskans are sick and tired of.”

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President Donald Trump is standing behind Vivek Ramaswamy after the Ohio Republican’s gubernatorial campaign put out a television ad featuring his opponent’s mother saying that her daughter, Amy Acton, had lied about being sexually assaulted by her stepfather.

The ad, which Ramaswamy’s campaign spent $4 million to air, has drawn fierce bipartisan backlash for invoking the Democratic challenger’s traumatic childhood history, specifically allegations that her stepfather sexually abused her when she was 12 years old.

“The Press, in a concerted and well coordinated attack, is trying to get Vivek Ramaswamy to ‘take down the Ad.’ Frankly, anybody whose mother spoke about a daughter in that way would normally lead to the daughter being precluded from serving in Office, let alone the Office of Governor,” Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday, calling Acton “a liar, and much worse.”

He later told reporters outside the White House that he was defending the ad “because I know that if that ad were about my mother, you would love it. You would love every inch of it.”

Trump again defended the attack ad during an Iowa rally Thursday night, reiterating he advised Ramaswamy “leave it up” despite mounting backlash.

“I said, ‘You got to ride with it,’” Trump told a crowd of supporters in Sioux City, Iowa. “They want him to take down an ad. I only wish I could have had an ad like that against somebody, but as it turned out, we didn’t need it.”

In the ad, Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, who was married to Acton’s stepfather until he died in 2004, says: “Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor.”

On Friday morning, Ramaswamy doubled down on the ad during a campaign event. “We ran an ad about lying. Amy Acton is lying,” he said. “The irony is, they are lying about an ad that is about lying. That is the truth of the matter. It had nothing to do with childhood abuse.”

Several Republicans who have said they were appalled by the ad called on Ramaswamy to cut it. Republican Senate nominee Ashley Hinson, whom Trump campaigned for in Iowa, called the ad “absolutely terrible” and said Ramaswamy should take it down.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters at the Statehouse on Thursday that running the ad is “wrong.”

“And, even at this late time — my wife, Fran, saw the ad just run this morning on TV — I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down,” DeWine said.

In his post, Trump slammed DeWine, whom he called a “RINO,” a Republican-in-name-only, for criticizing Ramaswamy.

“Our RINO Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, who I unfortunately helped get elected years ago … was, as usual, disloyal to the Republican Party,” Trump said.

Vice President JD Vance, who traveled to his home state of Ohio on Wednesday to boost Ramaswamy, echoed Trump’s remarks, saying he was “disgusted” by Republicans speaking out against the ad.

“I have to admit that I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America,” Vance said. He did not address the ad’s content.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., joined her party members in condemning Ramaswamy. Calling herself as a “tried and true conservative,” Mace told CNN on Wednesday that “this ad is going to go down as the most shameful, disgusting, offensive ad this election season.”

Former Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, also broke with the president and vice president, telling Politico that the ad “crosses the line.” He added, “I hope the ad will be taken down and the final days of the campaign will focus on policy differences.”

On Tuesday, Philip Stearns, Acton’s brother, called the ad a “desperate, disgusting attack.”

“It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point,” Stearns said.

MK Pritzker, the wife of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, on Wednesday announced that she had donated $500,000 to support Acton after the ad was released.

“Bad men gain power when we refuse to stand up and fight. Vivek Ramaswamy represents everything that is wrong with our politics today: arrogance, cruelty, dishonesty, and the belief that it’s acceptable to say and do anything for power,” she said in a statement. “This race is about standing up to bullies, confronting extremism, and making damn sure that men who thrive on cruelty and division don’t get a free pass to govern.”

With less than two weeks until the elections, Acton is narrowly leading Ramaswamy, 49% to 45%.

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CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga announced Thursday that she is leaving the network, days after its chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, made a similar announcement.

“After nine wonderful years at CNN, I’ve decided to leave for an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Golodryga said in a statement shared on X. “I’m grateful for the experiences, friendships and support from fabulous colleagues during my CNN years. Exciting news to share very soon!”

Golodryga is a co-anchor of CNN International’s “One World,” alongside Zain Asher. She has also regularly filled in for Amanpour, host of the network’s eponymous global affairs interview show.

Prior to CNN, Golodryga was a co-host of CBS News’ “This Morning.”

Friday will be Golodryga’s final day at CNN, a spokesperson for the network confirmed to MS NOW. Golodryga did not provide further details about her next opportunity.

Like Golodryga, Amanpour, who has hosted “Amanpour” for 17 years, did not give a specific reason for her departure when she announced it Monday.

“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” the journalist said in a statement.

Amanpour’s show will be scaled back from a daily show to a weekly one at the start of 2027, with its final episode set to air in May.

Golodryga’s and Amanpour’s announcements come amid major shake-ups at the network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, following its acquisition by Skydance, the company run by billionaire David Ellison. Skydance is financially backed by Ellison’s father, Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle and a major Trump donor.

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