CNN bans conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky after verbal attack on journalist Mehdi Hasan
Mehdi Hasan expresses disbelief over verbal attack, says he has "never been so stunned”
Washington DC: CNN has permanently banned conservative political commentator Ryan Girdusky after he verbally attacked British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan during a heated debate on "NewsNight With Abby Phillip." The incident occurred on Monday night when Girdusky made a controversial remark, saying, "I hope your beeper doesn’t go off," in reference to a series of deadly explosions in Lebanon.
The discussion centred around the upcoming United States presidential election and criticisms of a recent rally by Republican candidate Donald Trump, where derogatory remarks were made against various minority groups. Hasan, the founder of the new media company Zeteo, criticised the inflammatory rhetoric at the rally and asserted, “If you don’t want to be called Nazis, stop doing, stop saying.”
After Girdusky's remark, Hasan responded, questioning whether Girdusky suggested he should die. Host Abby Phillip interjected, apologising to Hasan and confirming Girdusky's removal from the panel, stating, "There is a line that was crossed there, and it’s not acceptable to me."
https://youtu.be/e6qjI2xK4XM?si=6vtMALn3Bj6g5ZXt
Following the broadcast, CNN released a statement asserting, "There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air." The network condemned Girdusky's comments, stating he would not be welcomed back.
New: CNN says in a statement that Ryan Girdusky will no longer appear on the network after this remark https://t.co/CQu2ILswNm pic.twitter.com/Jjny0eE60c
— Aidan McLaughlin (@aidnmclaughlin) October 29, 2024
Phillip later expanded on the incident in a statement posted on X, clarifying that Hasan had been welcome to continue the show but chose not to return. “As you may have seen, Ryan was asked to leave the show, and we put out a statement saying that he’s not welcome back on our air,” she wrote. “We really wanted [Hasan] to come back and finish the show… but I just wanted to make sure that you all knew that was not what happened there.”
Sharing @CNN’s statement and a quick message from me about what happened on tonight’s show.
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) October 29, 2024
I take this very seriously and want to again apologize to @mehdirhasan and I hope he’ll join us another time. pic.twitter.com/O9l0Ftv5NZ
Girdusky later tweeted, "Apparently, you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke," in response to the backlash.
You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media. Apparently you can't go on CNN if you make a joke. I'm glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) October 29, 2024
Responding to the incident, progressive commentator and journalist Mehdi Hasan said that he was "so stunned" when a conservative commentator told him, "I hope your beeper doesn't go off," during a panel on CNN.
Hasan, a frequent critic of Israel, said on Wednesday in a video message shared on YouTube that while he has "interviewed" and "sparred with controversial, opinionated, offensive people from across the world ... never in my 25 years as a journalist, and 15 years of doing live TV, have I been so stunned by what was said to me."
"But as shocked and stunned as I was, there was no way I was going to let him say that to me unchallenged," Hasan added. He said that he was happy to see CNN decide to ban Girdusky from appearing on air and that Phillip took the time to apologise to viewers "after I walked off set."
Hasan strongly condemned Harris' policies toward the Israel-Hamas conflict in his video message on Wednesday but raised an even bigger warning about a second Trump presidency should the former president win on November 5. "If she [Harris] loses—and to be clear, because of her refusal to budge even an inch on Gaza ...—we will get a Trump presidency," Hasan said. "A white supremacist presidency, an anti-Black, antisemitic, Islamophobic presidency, in which people like the bigot I had to deal with on CNN will be emboldened like never before," Hasan added.
https://youtu.be/iSq7vnw3gWI?si=TPNsCEZH1RLI6gA3
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
