CNN

By Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

(CNN) — A year ago, few Americans knew Gregory Bovino’s name. Now he’s the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

And everything from the Border Patrol commander-at-large’s tactics in the field to his wardrobe choices have become lightning rods in a storm with no end in sight.

On the streets of multiple American cities, Bovino – sporting a buzzcut and the Border Patrol’s olive green uniform – has been spotted leading patrols, hurling tear gas canisters and verbally sparring with critics. He often stands out among groups of federal officers as one of the few people not wearing a mask.

On social media, he’s known for sharing photos and cinematic videos that tout Border Patrol agents’ determination to carry out their mission.

And now, his presence at the podium and on screens around the world is becoming more common as he delivers briefings from Minneapolis.

That’s where Bovino stood hours after a Border Patrol officer shot and killed a man in that city Saturday, telling reporters that officers had followed their training when faced with an armed suspect who “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Critics quickly slammed Bovino’s statement and others from Homeland Security officials, arguing that videos of the shooting show no evidence the man was trying to harm anyone.

But Bovino doubled down on his defense of officers Sunday.

“The fact that they’re highly trained prevented any specific shootings of law enforcement, so good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that,” Bovino told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Pressed to provide evidence, Bovino said more details would emerge as authorities investigate and argued that the man was trying to impede officers.

“It’s too bad the consequences had to be paid because he injected himself into that crime scene. I can’t say that enough. He made the decision to go there,” Bovino said.

The Border Patrol official’s account drew sharp criticism Sunday morning from Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy.

“Everybody saw that video, and yet there he was telling you and telling the American public that this young man was brandishing a weapon, that he was impeding officers, that he was there to attend a riot, that he was engaged in assault, when everyone can see that that’s not true,” Murphy told CNN. “It should freak the American public out that the Trump administration lies this easily, will lie to your face when you can see the evidence for yourself.”

Bovino is no stranger to criticisms of his approach. For months in interviews, court testimony and social media posts, he’s repeatedly defended f

By Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman, Tim Lister and Tal Shalev, CNN

(CNN) — Two Palestinian boys have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza while collecting firewood, according to their families.

The boys were cousins: Mohammad and Suleiman Al Zawaraa. Mohammad was 14; Suleiman a year younger, according to hospital authorities.

They were killed on Saturday morning and their bodies were taken to Al Shifa hospital. Video showed the distraught father of one of the boys cradling his body in his arms.

The two children and their families live in northern Gaza. Their uncle, Salman Al Zawaraa told CNN that the boys were close friends.

“They were full of life and joy, they wanted to help their parents so they went out to collect firewood for cooking and for warming the family in this harsh winter,” Al Zawaraa told CNN on Sunday.

The Israeli military confirmed to CNN on Sunday that “troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip identified several terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line, planted an explosive device in the area, and approached the troops, posing an immediate threat to them.”

It said the incident was the same in which the boys were killed. But a military source claimed that “they were not children,” without offering evidence.

The boys’ uncle insisted they were far away from the Yellow Line, “almost at the entrance of Kamal Adwan hospital. What the occupation army says is a lie; those are innocent children they killed in cold blood.”

In parts of Gaza, the yellow line is not clearly delineated or marked.

It’s not the first time that children in Gaza out looking for firewood have been killed.

Fadi and Jumaa Abu Assi – eight and 10 years old – went out to fetch firewood for their disabled father in November. They were killed in a drone strike.

The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out that strike in a statement, calling the children “two suspects who crossed the yellow line, conducted suspicious activities on the ground, and approached IDF troops operating in the southern Gaza Strip, posing an immediate threat to them.”

The Palestinian Health ministry said Sunday that over the previous 24 hours three people had been killed by Israeli military action, bringing the total since the ceasefire came into effect in October to 484.

It said that the cumulative death toll in Gaza since October 2023 was 71,657. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its data.

Journalists killed

Last Wednesday, at least 11 Palestinians were killed in a series of attacks, according to UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

It said there was “a broader pattern of post-ceasefire violence and the enduring effects of two years of devastation.”

Among those killed were three Palestinian journalists near the Netzarim area in central Gaza who had been on assignment for the Egyptian Relief Committee (ERC).

OPT said the killing of the three men brought the number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023 to 292.

“All vehicles belonging to the Egyptian Committee have the logo of the Egyptian Committee on them, despite that the vehicle was targeted by Israeli aircraft,” committee spokesman Mohamed Mansour told CNN. He said the journalists filmed the site “as usual on a daily basis.”

The Egyptian Relief Committee is a state-run humanitarian organization that operates in Gaza with Israeli authorization “to support the Palestinian people amid the successive crises,” according to the group’s website.

In that case, the IDF said troops identified “several suspects” operating a drone they claimed was affiliated with Hamas in central Gaza “in a manner that posed a threat to their

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Por Betsy Klein, CNN

La primera dama Melania Trump y Amazon MGM Studios afrontan esta semana una prueba de alto riesgo con el estreno del documental “Melania”: ¿valdrá la pena la inversión multimillonaria?

Aproximadamente US$ 35 millones se han gastado en la promoción de “Melania”, una película que documenta los 20 días en torno al regreso de Trump a la Casa Blanca, según una fuente familiarizada con el tema. Los anuncios muestran imágenes de la primera dama en televisión, en vallas publicitarias, en estaciones de metro, cubriendo autobuses en todo el país e incluso en la Sphere de Las Vegas.

Eso se suma al acuerdo de alrededor de US$ 40 millones que Amazon MGM Studios alcanzó con la primera dama, lo que marca un presupuesto de gran escala para el documental, que se estrena en cines este viernes.

“Después de que estructuré para ella el acuerdo récord con Amazon, se puso manos a la obra”, dijo Marc Beckman, agente de Trump y asesor principal, en una entrevista esta semana con One America News.

La primera dama figura como productora ejecutiva del proyecto, lo que significa que se realizó con su plena participación y control editorial. Y ha estado profundamente involucrada en el proceso.

“Estuvo involucrada en la producción, la posproducción, toda la campaña publicitaria, el tráiler… Y cuando digo involucrada, quiero decir que no solo aprueba. Ella construyó ese tráiler. Creó el suspenso, seleccionó la música. Lo mismo con la campaña publicitaria que estamos viendo ahora en casi 30 países”, dijo Beckman.

El significativo presupuesto de marketing, según el cineasta documental Stefano Da Frè, probablemente está respaldado por métricas y por la convicción de Amazon de que la película será un éxito en taquilla y en streaming. Da Frè, que no participó en el proyecto, ha dirigido varias películas disponibles en Amazon y otras plataformas, incluida “Stolen Dough”, un documental de 2023 sobre un hombre cuyo invento de la pizza con borde relleno fue robado por Pizza Hut.

Amazon, dijo a CNN en una entrevista, “es una empresa impulsada por datos. Con todas sus herramientas, toda su IA, Amazon Web Services, no se les ocurrió ese número al azar. Creen, a partir de sus métricas, que vale esa cantidad”.

Los eventos en torno al debut de la película comenzaron el sábado por la noche, cuando la primera dama y el presidente Donald Trump organizaron una proyección privada en el Salón Este de la Casa Blanca con un pequeño grupo de amigos y familiares, según un funcionario de la Casa Blanca.

Melania Trump ha mantenido un perfil relativamente bajo en su segundo mandato, eligiendo con cuidado sus compromisos mientras divide su tiempo principalmente entre New York y Florida. Sin embargo, ha incrementado sus apariciones públicas de cara al estreno del documental y se espera que toque la campana de apertura en la Bolsa de Valores de New York el miércoles por la mañana.

El jueves, los Trump caminarán por la alfombra roja y asistirán a un evento de proyección en el Kennedy Center, recientemente renombrado como Trump Kennedy Center por su junta directiva.

Habrá 21 proyecciones simultáneas solo por invitación en ciudades de todo el país, incluidas New York, Boston, Las Vegas y Los Angeles, según la fuente.

La película llega a los cines este viernes. Aún no se ha anunciado la fecha de estreno en streaming.

Observadores de medios seguirán de cerca el desempeño en taquilla y si la primera dama logra movilizar a sus seguidores —y a los curiosos— hacia las salas, que han tenido dificultades para atraer público en los últimos años.

Donald Trump —exestrella de reality— no ha sido una figura popular en Hollywood desde que ingresó a la política en 2015. Pero la decisión de Amazon de licenciar el proyecto indica que la plataforma reconoce la fascinación de muchos estadounidenses por la primera familia. Y Melania Trump, que sigue sien

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