Saturday, September 16, 2017

New York bodega owner is a popular commentator on Egyptian television news programs

NYT:
Mr. El-Gamasy owns the Lotus Deli in Ridgewood, Queens, a place known for its sandwiches, extensive craft beer selection, and its gracious, friendly owner. But few of his customers — and likely, none of his viewers in Egypt — know that the man making egg sandwiches and small talk behind the counter is the same one who appears on popular Egyptian television news programs, holding forth on subjects from immigration policy to North Korea.

Nor do many know that his television studio is actually a washroom in the back, past the potato chips display.

...

Mr. El-Gamasy’s improbable broadcast career began last year, not long after he wrote an opinion piece for an Egyptian news organization predicting Donald J. Trump’s victory in November