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☆ Bottas settled for a six pack after winning weight in beer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas settled for a six-pack after winning his weight in beer in a cycle race in Colorado over Formula One's August break. "The prize for the best costume was your weight in beer, and I really wanted to win the prize," said Bottas of last week's event. "I was thinking about it, obviously being mainly an American crowd, so I went for The Simpsons and Duffman." Bottas admitted his favourite character was Homer Simpson but also figured it would be tougher riding uphill dressed in that guise. He also rode a 100-mile gravel race on Sunday, finishing 20th out of 926 entrants.

Persons: Valtteri Bottas, Finn, Bottas, Homer Simpson, Lewis Hamilton, Duff, Tiffany Cromwell, Alan Baldwin, Toby Davis Organizations: Formula One's, The, Alfa Romeo, Thomson Locations: ZANDVOORT, Netherlands, Colorado, Steamboat Springs, Australian, London

☆ Fact Check-The Simpsons did not show ‘directed energy weapon’ causing fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An episode of the animated series “The Simpsons” depicted fires caused by sunlight reflecting off a chrome statue, not a “directed energy weapon,” as claimed in social media posts linking such weapons to August 2023 wildfires in Hawaii. Posts on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter (here), and Facebook (here), (here) link the clip to the natural disaster on Hawaii’s island of Maui with captions such as “The Simpsons predicting Direct Energy Weapons!?. The term “Directed energy weapons” (DEW) refers to technology that harnesses concentrated electromagnetic energy fired at the speed of light, according to an April 2023 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) (here) (here), (here). The full episode contains no references to directed energy weapons. Reuters Fact Check has previously addressed false claims of directed energy weapon use in the 2023 wildfires (here).

Persons: Monty Burns ’, “ Springfield, Read Organizations: Facebook, U.S, Government, Office, U.S . Department of Defense, GAO, YouTube, Reuters Locations: Hawaii, Maui, “

☆ Survivor stories: Victims of Maui wildfires tell of watching Lahaina burn down
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN“The smoke started getting thicker and blacker,” Kaleiopu recalled. An emergency alert soon reached him by phone, urging Lahaina residents to flee: The smoke had given way to flames. Not far away on the ocean, boat captain Christina Lovitt soon found herself on a skiff, also trying to help. Stymied from anchoring by 70- to 80-mph gusts, they drifted and eventually were pulled onto a 120-foot boat, Lovitt recalled. Aguiran watched his parents’ house burn down, one of five family homes destroyed, Tacderan said, and among more than 270 structures declared impacted so far by the fire in Lahaina.

Persons: Phena Davis, “, Dustin Kaleiopu, Hurricane, ”, ” Kaleiopu, Davis, Bryan Aguiran, ” Aguiran, Teri Lawrence, Lawrence, you’re, Christina Lovitt, ” Lovitt, Lovitt, who’d, Reza Danesh, ’ ”, Danesh, He’d, Tiffany Kidder Winn, Aguiran, Ella Sable Tacderan, Tacderan, ‘ You’ll, I’m, I’ve, grandpa, ” Davis, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, “, Coast Guard, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters, MODO Mobile Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Kaanapali, Hawaiian, That’s, “, ”, New York, Wailuku Maui, Huelo

☆ ‘Futurama’ Review: Latest Go-Round Mines the Past
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Mike Hale | More About Mike Hale | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If “Futurama” were a person, you could imagine it saying “Doh” when it returns after 10 years and “The Simpsons,” the show in whose shadow it has always resided, is still around. The new season picks up in the next moment, with both fictional time and the actual show rebooted. If you haven’t watched the show before, you won’t know what you’re missing, but you probably will be aware that you’re missing something and that this is a problem. A greater concern is that a little of the zip has gone out of the writing and the overall comic conceptualism. Episodes aimed at big, easy targets like Bitcoin and Amazon feel routine, no matter how many opportunities they provide for making connections to the show’s past.

Persons: Matt Groening, David X, Cohen, Philip J, Fry, Billy West, ”, Homer Simpson, Leela, Katey, Farnsworth, Bender, John DiMaggio, it’ll, you’re Organizations: Hulu Locations: Hulu

☆ ‘Conan,’ ‘Goodfellas’ and MTV: How Tony Bennett Revived His Career
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the 1970s, Tony Bennett’s career and life were in disarray. He was performing mostly in Las Vegas, a declining city that glued him to a bygone era. His music was out of vogue — his last Top 40 single had been in 1965. The rebirth of Mr. Bennett, who died on Friday, ensured that he would remain one of the most revered singers of American popular music for generations to come. Mr. Bennett managed a career resurgence in the late 1980s and ’90s without changing much about his music.

Persons: Tony Bennett’s, Bennett Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, American, MTV Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

US singer Tony Bennett (Anthony Dominick Benedetto) performs on stage during an invitation only concert at the newly opened Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Massachusetts on August 8, 2019. "No country has given the world such great music," Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. The evening's performance resulted in the album, "Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged," which won two Grammys, including album of the year. Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists ("Here's to the Ladies"), Billie Holiday ("Tony Bennett on Holiday"), and Duke Ellington ("Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot & Cool"). He also won two Emmy Awards — for "Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special" (1996) and "Tony Bennett: An American Classic" (2007).

Persons: Tony Bennett, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, Bennett, Antonia Benedetto, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Sylvia Weiner, Bennett didn't, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Sinatra, Sinatra's, Cheek, Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, Oscar, Amy, Porter, George Gershwin, George Cory, Douglass Cross, Ralph Sharon, Ralph, Danny, David Letterman, Fred Astaire, Elvis Costello, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, — Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Long, Susan Crow Benedetto, Anthony, Anna, James Infirmary, Bel, Miriam Spier, you'll, it's Bing Crosby, Art Tatum, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Joe Bari, Rosemary Clooney, Arthur Godfrey's, Pearl Bailey, Bob Hope, Mitch Miller, Hank Williams, Miller, Chuck Wayne, Chico Hamilton, Art Blakey, Count Basie, Harry Belafonte's, Martin Luther King Jr, Selma, Bennett's, Johnny Mandel's Oscar, Clive Davis, Tony, Bill Evans, Patricia Beech, Sandra Grant, Susan, Johanna, Antonia, Dae, —, Benedetto — Organizations: Associated Press, American, MTV, Ellington, New, Frank Sinatra School of, Arts, Armed Forces Network, Armed Forces Radio, American Theater, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, Greenwich Village, Paramount Theater, Sinatra, Columbia Records, Count Basie Orchestra, Army, Civil Rights Movement, Carnegie Hall, Columbia, IRS, Kennedy, National Endowment, Arts Jazz, Smithsonian Museum of American Locations: Everett , Massachusetts, Francisco, New York, San Francisco, Little Rock , Arkansas, Astoria, New York City, Queens, Italian, Germany, Greenwich, Montgomery, Los Angeles

☆ Tony Bennett, crooner who sang ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco,’ dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —Legendary singer Tony Bennett, best known for singing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” has died, according to his longtime publicist, Sylvia Weiner. From Tony Bennett Bennett was discovered by Bob Hope while performing at a New York City club in 1949. In 1963, his recording of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" won Grammy Awards for record of the year and best solo vocal performance. ABC Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television/Getty Images Bennett and San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein hang onto the outside of a San Francisco cable car before taking a test ride in 1984. His performance of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” won Grammys for best record and best male vocal performance.

Persons: Tony Bennett, “, ”, Sylvia Weiner, Bennett, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, ” Bennett, he’d, CNN’s Larry King, Susan Benedetto, Danny, Dae Bennett, Johanna Bennett, Antonia Bennett, Paul McCartney, Larry Busacca, Anthony Benedetto, Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto, Hope, ‘, ’, ‘ Anthony Dominick Benedetto, ’ ” Tony Bennett, Virginia Sherwood, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, John, Mary, John Jr, Tony Bennett Bennett, Bill Randall applauds, Patricia, D'Andrea, Daegal, Pat, collie, David McLane, Sammy Davis Jr, David Redfern, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Ley, Sandra, Malcolm MacNeil, Mirrorpix, Joanna, Howard Cosell, Dianne Feinstein, Feinstein, Jeff Reinking, David Letterman, Richard Drew, Patti LaBelle, Hans Deryk, Mark J, Terrill, Elton John, Scott Gries, Madame Tussaud's, Kevork, Tim Mosenfelder, Fernando Leon, Tina Turner, Robert Redford, Julie Harris, Suzanne Farrell, Scott Suchman, Kevin Winter, Billy Joel, York's Shea, Kevin Mazur, Duke Ellington, Brendan Hoffman, Stevie Wonder, Shahar Azran, Amy Winehouse, Kevork Djansezian, Susan, Michael Loccisano, Sean Zanni, Ball, Tony, San Francisco ”, …, ’ ” Bennett, NPR’s Terry Gross, it’s, Clinton, JP Yim, you’re, “ It’s, Danny Bennett, kd, Elvis Costello, “ Tony Bennett, Jack Benny, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Gary Gershoff, –, Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi, Bono, ” Sinatra, “ Larry King, Ella Fitzgerald, Ella, Bing Crosby, “ Cheek, Cheek, Alzheimer’s Organizations: CNN, MTV, Recording Academy, Los Angeles Convention Center, Paramount, NBCU, Bank, Getty, Facebook, Columbia Records, Bettmann, Patrick's, NY, Smithsonian, Daily, Hulton, ABC, Walt Disney Television, San Francisco, United Nations, Super, Rainforest Foundation, New York's Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Giants, Kennedy, Apollo, New York's Radio City Music Hall, American Ballet, Children's Diabetes Foundation, Children's Diabetes, Radio City Music Hall, San, Clinton Global, New York Times, New York’s High, of Industrial Art, Kennedy Center, ”, AARP, Radio City Music, CBS Locations: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Astoria , New York, Greenwich Village, New York City, Cleveland, St, Manhattan, Redferns, Washington , DC, View , California, Washington, Lady

☆ The media industry is in turmoil, and that's not changing anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

All of this turmoil will be on investors' minds as the media industry kicks off its earnings season this week, with Netflix up first on Wednesday. Netflix, with a new advertising model and push to stop password sharing, looks the best positioned compared with legacy media giants. At the top of the list is contending with Disney's TV networks, as that part of the business appears to be in a worse state than Iger had imagined. The labor fight blew up just as the industry has moved away from streaming growth at all costs. Last week's ruling from a federal judge that Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of game publisher Activision Blizzard should move forward serves as a rare piece of good news for the media industry.

Persons: Mike Blake, Bob Iger, Iger, Bob Iger's, Michael Nathanson, SVB, CNBC's David Faber, Nathanson, Producers –, Mark Boidman, Ross Benes, Benes, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Solomon, Boidman, Random, Paramount's Simon, Schuster, Tegna, Jason Anderson, Peter Liguori, Anderson, HBO Max, Homer, Marge Getty Organizations: Guild of America, Netflix, Alliance, Producers, Reuters, Disney, Disney's, Paramount Global, Comcast, Warner Bros, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Media, Solomon Partners, CNBC, Hollywood, Intelligence, ABC, Paramount, BET, NBC Sports, USA, Discovery, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, dealmaking, Microsoft, Tribune Media, Max, HBO, Amazon, MGM, Sky, Fox Corp, FOX Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, MoffettNathanson, Hulu

☆ A former Titan passenger said Stockton Rush didn't follow 'the crowd' – but safety was the 'most important thing' for OceanGate
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ex-Titan passenger Aaron Newman said safety was "always the most important thing" for OceanGate. "The thing that he may be guilty of was not following the crowd," Aaron Newman told Fox Business. A man who went on the Titan submersible two years ago said safety was "always the most important thing" for OceanGate — even if the company's CEO Stockton Rush didn't always follow "the crowd." "Safety is an incredible priority and was always the most important thing there," said Newman, who was also friends with Rush. Former passengers of the Titan sub have spoken out about their experiences on the sub since its "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber."

Persons: Aaron Newman, Stockton Rush's, Stockton Rush didn't, Maria, Newman, Rush, OceanGate, Wendy, Mike Reiss, Arthur Loibl Organizations: Fox Business, Titan, Stockton Rush, CNN, BBC

☆ Opinion: ‘I believe there was peace’ at the end of Titan’s doomed final voyage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Opinion Mike Reiss | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Finding a sub once it’s lost is like dropping a quarter into Lake Erie and hoping to get it back. And the passengers on the Titan weren’t thrill-seekers — they weren’t skydivers or rich tourists who climbed Mount Everest so they could brag about it. There’s a toilet onboard, and it’s never been used.” And that turned out to be the case. I quickly became aware that we were in the middle of a crisis: We were lost on the ocean floor. But with this comforting thought, of course, comes sadness — for the passengers, for their families, for the dreams of the Oceangate sub company.

Persons: Mike Reiss, CNN —, Mike Reiss Tim P, —, Mount, I’ve, it’s, “, Oceangate, ”, Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, Sulaiman Dawood, Rush, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Titan, Whitby, Stockton Rush, Twitter, Facebook, Sherpa Locations: Lake Erie, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, British, French

☆ Inside the Titan: Quiet and Cramped, With a Single Porthole
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Anushka Patil | Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Passengers seeking a glimpse of the R.M.S. Titanic aboard the submersible that disappeared in the North Atlantic this week have endured hours in a dangerous drop to the ocean floor aboard a cramped craft with a single porthole. Mike Reiss, a producer and writer for “The Simpsons,” boarded the vessel, known as the Titan, last summer. He said that passengers were required to sign a waiver that mentioned death three times on the first page. Passengers on his 10-hour journey — a trip than can cost up to $250,000 — were composed but excited, he said.

Persons: Mike Reiss, ” Organizations: Titanic, OceanGate Expeditions Locations: North

☆ Rescuers race against time to find the missing sub in the Atlantic bound for the Titanic site
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Rescuers in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean raced against time early Tuesday to find a missing submersible carrying five people on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic. OceanGate's expeditions to the Titanic wreck site include archaeologists and marine biologists. Gallo identified Nargeolet, a friend who has led multiple expeditions to the Titanic, on Tuesday during an interview with CNN. OceanGate hired the Polar Prince to ferry dozens of people and the submersible craft to the North Atlantic wreck site. CBS journalist David Pogue, who went on the trip last year, noted his vessel got turned around looking for the Titanic.

Persons: Mauger, NBC's, John Mauger, David Concannon, John's, Concannon, OceanGate, Hamish Harding, Harding, Mark Butler, Butler, Victor Vescovo, Mariana, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Allah, Paul, Henry Nargeolet, David Gallo, Gallo, David Pogue, Pogue, Mike Reiss, Alistair Greig, submersibles, Greig Organizations: Discovery, U.S . Coast Guard, OceanGate Expeditions, Authorities, Rescue Coordination Center, Rescuers, Polar, Canadian Boeing, Twitter, U.S, Lockheed, The Associated Press, AP, Coast Guard, United Arab, Action Aviation, World Records, Shepard, The Explorers, SETI Institute, CNN, CBS, University College London Locations: Nova Scotia, British, St, John's, Newfoundland, Canadian, Bahamas, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, California, Virginia

☆ Google and OpenAI limit A.I. chatbots in Hong Kong amid China tensions, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong spent more than HK$600 billion ($76.44 billion) on various pandemic relief programs for the past three years, forcing it to run rare budget deficits. Hong Kong's Department of Justice also recently sought to block a pro-democracy song, "Glory to Hong Kong" from being disseminated online and cited 32 instances where it appeared on Google -owned YouTube. Other companies have also taken steps to filter content that reaches Hong Kong. Disney has chosen not to bring two episodes of "The Simpsons" that include references to critiques of the Chinese government to its streaming service in Hong Kong, the Journal reported. Hong Kong users have reported that Tencent's tool temporarily blocked access to legitimate Western sites like Twitter competitor Mastodon, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and coding website GitLab.

Persons: Disney, that's, Tencent, Read, what's Organizations: HK, Google, Microsoft, Street, Hong Kong's Department of Justice, Facebook, American, of Commerce, Apple, Disney, Wall Street, CNBC, YouTube Locations: Hong Kong, China, U.S

☆ Phil Hartman: 25 years after the actor’s tragic death, his work still resonates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Twenty-five years after Phil Hartman’s tragic death, his memorable comedic work still brings joy to audiences. That work included eight seasons on “Saturday Night Live,” where his impressions of Frank Sinatra and President Bill Clinton set a gold standard. (From left) Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz and Phil Hartman during the 'Weekend Update' segment on "Saturday Night Live" in December 1986. He was the actor [and] entertainer, and then he was the recluse.”“Seeing Phil at The Groundlings was Phil being truly Phil,” she added. In an interview shortly before his death, Hartman reflected on his appreciation for his life and the success he had found.

☆ Walmart employees are inundating the company's social-media site with memes making fun of management
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Walmart started using Workplace, a Meta-designed social-media app, in 2017. "Most of the posts I see on Workplace are just memes making fun of management and corporate," a Walmart employee from Minnesota said. On Walmart's Workplace site, the first photo was captioned "using workplace for work-related posts," and the second photo said "using workplace for memes." Just as on Facebook, users have Workplace feeds where they see what other Walmart workers post, with their names attached. The Walmart employee from Michigan said he was "surprised at first" that workers would share memes on Workplace without being anonymous.

☆ DeSantis may have overreached when he went to war with Disney, and Trump smells blood in the water
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Florida Gov. "DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney," Trump wrote earlier this week. "DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney," Trump crowed on his social media platform Truth earlier this week. The Florida governor wanted to burnish his national image by torching Disney. And by gobbling up intellectual property and broadcasting rights, Disney continues to be virtually inescapable.

☆ Fact Check-‘The Simpsons’ did not predict collapse of Silicon Valley Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A clip from a 1995 episode of “The Simpsons” animated series that shows the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) running out of money has been altered to claim that the show predicted the start-up focused bank’s collapse decades ahead of its time. In the video, panic ensues as character Burt Simpson announces to customers waiting at a bank “What do you mean the bank is out of money? The bank in the original episode is the First Bank of Springfield, named after the fictitious town, where the show is set. Reuters has previously fact-checked several other claims that falsely suggested “The Simpsons” predicted important world events (here), (here) and (here). A 1990s episode of The Simpsons about a bank failure was edited to substitute the name Silicon Valley Bank instead of First Bank of Springfield.

☆ Disney drops 'Simpsons' episode in Hong Kong in which character references 'forced labor camps' in China, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Disney dropped a "Simpsons" episode from its streaming service in Hong Kong, the FT first reported. Another Simpsons episode, referring to the Tiananmen Square massacre, was cut in Hong Kong in 2021. Beijing has sought to exert greater control over Hong Kong, a semiautonomous region of China, since pro-democracy protests erupted there in 2019. It's been accused among other things of conducting forced labor, surveillance, forced sterilization, and setting up re-education camps. Disney cut another episode of The Simpsons from its streaming service in Hong Kong in 2021.

☆ Simpsons episode that mentions 'forced labor camps' in China is cut from Disney+ in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —An episode of “The Simpsons” that includes a line about “forced labor camps” in mainland China has been pulled from Disney’s streaming platform in Hong Kong. Bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children make smartphones, and romance.”CNN has confirmed that the episode — which first aired in October — is unavailable on the Hong Kong version of Disney+. Disney (DIS) declined to comment, while the Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In November 2021, the Hollywood giant removed another episode of “The Simpsons” from its Disney+ platform in Hong Kong. Former detainees have alleged they were subjected to intense political indoctrination, forced labor, torture, and sexual abuse in such sites.

☆ Disney's Hong Kong service drops 'Simpsons' episode with 'forced labor' reference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has cut an episode from the hit cartoon series "The Simpsons" that contains a reference to "forced labour camps" in China from its streaming service in Hong Kong, according to a check of the service. The episode "One Angry Lisa", which first aired in October on television, is not available on the U.S. company's Disney Plus streaming service in Hong Kong, according to a check by Reuters. Reuters was not able to establish when it was removed from the Hong Kong service and Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bitcoin mines, forced labour camps where children make smartphones.”China denies any suggestion that forced labour occurs there. In 2021, Disney removed an episode of "The Simpsons" that made a reference to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown when it first launched its Disney Plus service in Hong Kong.

☆ What to Watch: The 15 Best New Movies and TV Shows From January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Here’s a roundup of the month’s most noteworthy movies and TV shows, as covered by The Wall Street Journal’s critics. After eight Chucky movies, three Annabelle flicks, and dozens more killer-doll stories from “The Twilight Zone” to “The Simpsons,” did we really need another one? I’d say yes, because “M3gan” is wittily written and smoothly plotted by Akela Cooper , from a story by her and James Wan , as well as tautly directed by Gerard Johnstone , who hearkens all the way back to Mary Shelley ’s warning. Like Dr. Frankenstein, we’ve created a monster, but there’s no way to kill off tech.

☆ AI bot that lets you chat with Jesus, Hitler is latest GPT-3 controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

But this week, it sparked viral controversy online over its inclusion of Hitler, his Nazi lieutenants and other dictators from the past. Historical Figures, which also uses GPT-3, launched the first week of January, and as of Wednesday, it had about 9,000 signups, app creator Sidhant Chadda said in a phone interview. “People expect these historical figures to be truthful, but in reality, people are not always 100% honest,” he said. Asking a question costs one coin, and the app charges extra to get access to high-profile historical figures. The possibility of digitally re-animating historical figures has been gaining ground ever since, from the “The Simpsons” to holograms of dead idols such as Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston.

☆ One more thing for Democrats to fix: the Republican Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Neal Urwitz | Neal Urwitz Is A Public Relations Executive In Washington | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

And that, ironically, means Democrats must focus on fixing the Republican Party. And the current iteration of the Republican Party would strip away American democracy. Is it someone who is likely to make the Republican Party more or less responsible? Will that Republican Party abide by American laws and American democracy? Democracy will only survive if Democrats have done our part to create a responsible Republican Party.

☆ Simu Liu stars in 'The Simpsons' episode as Lisa's tech billionaire husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Actor Simu Liu made an appearance Sunday on the latest episode of “The Simpsons” as Lisa Simpson’s future “visionary tech giant” husband. The episode includes multiple time jumps, beginning with with Nelson and Lisa reuniting before her college graduation. The time jumps that follow include Hubert and Lisa’s separation, their reconciliation and Nelson and Lisa’s reunification once again. Liu went to Instagram to share his excitement for the recent episode. “The Simpsons” also welcomed Simu and his character to the show’s universe on Twitter after the episode aired.

☆ Elon Musk jokes that The Simpsons predicted he would buy Twitter in an episode that aired in 2015
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk posted a picture on Saturday joking that The Simpsons predicted he would buy Twitter. Musk acquired Twitter on October 27 for $44 billion, seven years after the episode aired. Musk, who became Twitter's new owner after closing the acquisition deal on October 27, posted an image from a 2015 Simpson's episode featuring Musk. It seems unsurprising that Musk has drawn attention to an episode that one critic described as "more like a love letter to Musk than a proper Simpsons episode." Much like in The Simpsons' episode, some celebrities and politicians think Musk may have also gone too far with his ambitions for Twitter.

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