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Sen. Chuck Schumer makes his Broadway debut
(New York Jewish Week) — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer made his Broadway debut on Tuesday night in the final scene of “Gutenberg! The Musical!” in the role of “producer.”
In a one-minute long video posted to his Instagram account, Schumer pops up from the crowd to uproarious applause. “I need them two,” he says, while bounding up to the stage.
“It’s Broadway producer Sen. Chuck Schumer,” says Josh Gad, who stars alongside Andrew Rannells as the show’s main characters, Bud Davenport and Doug Simon.
“This show is fantastic,” Schumer says after he joins Rannells and Gad on stage. “I don’t need to hear another note.”
“I’m a Broadway producer and I hold in my hands a Broadway contract. You’ve got your show,” he says, waving a folder above his head before handing it to Gad’s character and hugging the two actors. He then dances off stage.
The musical comedy, which premiered in London in 2006, follows friends and aspiring playwrights Bud and Doug as they write and attempt to sell their own Broadway musical about Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. Bud and Doug act out the show themselves to win over producers — with no funding, minimal props and no other cast members, Bud and Doug have to play every role themselves. They eventually win over a producer to fund their Broadway dreams.
In the 2023 Broadway version of “Gutenberg,” playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre at 138 West 48th St., the role of the producer who finally gives the pair a contract is often a surprise celeb, usually an actor or singer. Earlier this week, Jewish Broadway stars Ethan Slater and Idina Menzel guest-starred. Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Victor Garber also made cameos this month.
“What fun to join Doug, Bud, and everyone at Gutenberg tonight! Congrats to Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells on an incredible show!” Schumer captioned his social media posts. His office provided the same statement via email in a comment to the New York Jewish Week.
Over the past weeks, Schumer has worked to avoid a government shutdown in Congress and maintained support for aid to Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. In mid-October, Schumer led a bi-partisan congressional delegation to Israel, where his group had to hide in a bomb shelter under the threat of rocket attacks. He also spoke at the March for Israel on the National Mall on Nov. 14, which drew a crowd of 290,000 Israel supporters.
In a statement released yesterday, he applauded the Israel-Hamas deal to release 50 of the hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7. “I am pleased and relieved that we are close to seeing the first 50 hostages be released and reunited with their loved ones,” he said. “The release of 50 out of 240 hostages would mark real progress, but we cannot rest until all the hostages are free.”
Schumer also added that the Senate will “continue working to pass additional humanitarian assistance for innocent Palestinians, and make sure that Israel has the aid it needs to defend itself to ensure Hamas can never again pose such a threat to Israel.”
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The post Sen. Chuck Schumer makes his Broadway debut appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.
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Trump Urges NATO Countries to Halt Russian Oil Purchases
US President Donald Trump gestures during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Aug. 26, 2025. Photo: Jonathan Ernst via Reuters Connect
i24 News – US President Donald Trump issued a letter to NATO nations on Saturday, impressing upon them to stop purchasing Russian oil and impose major sanctions on the regime of Vladimir Putin to end its war in Ukraine.
“I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA. As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia,” the message read.
“Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when? I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR. China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip.”
Trump’s post comes after the recent flight of multiple Russian drones into Poland, widely perceived an escalatory move by Russia as it was entering the airspace of a NATO ally. Poland intercepted the drones, yet Trump played down the severity of the incident and Russia’s motives by saying it “could have been a mistake.”