DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ In a Speech, Mayor Adams Says Jordan Neely’s ‘Life Mattered’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Maria Cramer | Jeffery C. Mays | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than a week after the killing of a mentally ill man on a city subway, Mayor Eric Adams gave his most forceful comments so far about the death, saying it “never should have happened,” in a speech in which he also called for renewed investment in mental health services. But Mr. Adams continued to urge the public to wait for an investigation into the killing of the man, Jordan Neely, before drawing conclusions. In other recent cases, he has interjected his opinion quickly and expressed sympathy for the person he perceives as the victim, and suggested a course of legal action against the person he perceives as the perpetrator. But on Wednesday, he said that in the case of Mr. Neely’s death, “we have no control over that process.”“One thing we can control is how our city responds to this tragedy,” he said, adding, “One thing we can say for sure: Jordan Neely did not deserve to die.”Mr. Neely, a 30-year-old Black man and former Michael Jackson impersonator, was choked to death on May 1 by another passenger, Daniel Penny, who is white. His death could have been avoided if he had received more help as he struggled with mental illness, Mayor Adams said.

CNN —Kouri Richins’ husband was found dead at the foot of their bed last March. Around 9 p.m., she brought her husband, Eric Richins, a celebratory Moscow Mule cocktail in the bedroom of their home in Kamas, Utah. Newly released court documents detailed a series of illicit fentanyl purchases in the months leading up to his death. By this time, according to court documents, Kouri Richins no longer owned the property. Kouri Richins said she wrote a book on grief with her sons to help them articulate their feelings, she said.

☆ How Two Men’s Disparate Paths Crossed in a Killing on the F Train
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Michael Wilson | Andy Newman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a Monday afternoon and a 30-year-old man was ranting on an F train headed through Manhattan. He was a regular on the subway, once a gifted Michael Jackson impersonator, but he was also troubled. City workers had tried to help him for years. After the military, he had dropped out of college, posting online about feeling “completely unfulfilled,” and now he was looking for a bartending job in the city. He shouted to others on the train that he was hungry, that he didn’t care about returning to jail, that he was ready to die, witnesses said.

☆ Jordan Neely: The man who held New York subway passenger in a fatal chokehold 'never intended to harm' him, his attorneys say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death,” the statement said. As soon as Neely got on the train, he started yelling about being “fed up and hungry” and “tired of having nothing,” Vazquez told CNN. Neely did not appear to be armed or looking to attack anyone, Vazquez told CNN. In the video recorded by Vazquez, Neely and Penny are seen on the floor of a subway car with Penny’s arm wrapped around Neely’s neck. One appeared to be mediating the situation while the other seemed to help Penny restrain Neely, according to Vazquez.

Penny is the man who choked Neely on the F train, a former senior law enforcement official confirmed. A former senior law enforcement official confirmed to Insider that Daniel Penny was the man who is seen on video placing Neely in a chokehold before his death. The video shows Penny and two other men holding Neely on the floor of the subway car until Neely stopped moving. Neely appeared to stop moving as Penny applied a chokehold on the floor of the subway train as it idled at Broadway-Lafayette station. On the day of the altercation on the subway, Penny was wearing a sweatshirt from a Long Island surf shop and a hat with the logo of an Australian surf brand.

☆ New Yorkers to protest chokehold killing on subway, demand criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Julia Harte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The examiner's homicide finding alone does not imply intent or culpability, which are issues that prosecutors will consider in deciding whether to bring criminal charges. The 24-year-old former Marine, who was white, was questioned by police and released on Monday, local media said. A video of the incident that has circulated on social media showed an unidentified passenger applying a chokehold to a man identified as Neely on the floor of a subway train for more than three minutes. Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes neighborhoods in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, said Neely was murdered and called for his killer's arrest. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Julia Harte in New York Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jordan Neely Was Killed - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Roxane Gay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A former marine held Mr. Neely in a chokehold for several minutes, killing the man. News reports keep saying Mr. Neely died, which is a passive thing. No one appears to have intervened during those minutes to help Mr. Neely, though two men apparently tried to help the former marine. Did anyone ask the former marine to release Mr. Neely from his chokehold? Now that it’s too late, there are haunting, heartbreaking images of Mr. Neely, helpless and pinned, still being choked.

☆ Chokehold death of homeless man on New York subway ruled a homicide
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 4 (Reuters) - The death of a man who was placed in a chokehold by a fellow passenger on a New York City subway train earlier this week has been ruled a homicide by the city's medical examiner as calls for an arrest in the incident have intensified. A video of the incident that has circulated on social media showed an unidentified passenger applying a chokehold to a man identified as Neely on the floor of a subway train for more than three minutes. The altercation occurred after he boarded the train and began saying he was hungry and ready to die, the New York Times reported, citing police. The 24-year-old former Marine who placed Neely in the chokehold was questioned by police and released on Monday, local media reported. Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes neighborhoods in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, said Neely was murdered.

☆ Twitter is hiding who paid for a blue check mark while users keep dunking on Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter is hiding who paid for a blue check mark, now noting that the account is simply "verified." The old blue check mark message said the user had "subscribed to Twitter Blue." Elon Musk's social media app is now hiding who paid for its derided Twitter Blue service. Twitter also applied blue check marks to accounts of famous dead people, saying they were Twitter Blue subscribers even though they were very much deceased. As the blue check mark lost its luster, verified power users quickly tried to distance themselves from Musk's push for Blue subscriptions.

☆ In Deadly Subway Encounter, Questions of Mental Illness and Use of Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Maria Cramer | Chelsia Rose Marcius | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Most frequent riders of the New York City subway have seen people acting erratically on trains. Usually, they ignore them, move away from them or switch to another car. On Monday, one rider went up to Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Michael Jackson impersonator who had been homeless for several years and was screaming that he was hungry and ready to die. Kathy Hochul said she needed to review the incident more closely but called the man’s death troubling. The incident comes as the city grapples with how to reduce both crime and the number of people with mental illness living on the streets, while also respecting the rights of its most vulnerable residents.

☆ Tony Awards Nominations 2023: The Complete List
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Rachel Sherman | Gabe Cohn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Follow our live updates on the Tony Awards nominations. Nominations for the 2023 Tony Awards were announced Tuesday by the actress Lea Michele, who is currently in “Funny Girl” on Broadway, and Myles Frost, who won a 2022 Tony Award for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in the Broadway musical “MJ.” Some categories were read live on CBS at 8:30 a.m. Eastern; others were unveiled through a livestream on the Tony Awards YouTube page. A total of 38 shows were vying for Tony nominations this year. “Some Like It Hot,” a Broadway musical version of the Billy Wilder film, picked up the most nominations of any show, with 13 in all. The musicals “& Juliet,” “New York, New York” and “Shucked” each followed with nine nominations.

☆ Tony Nominations 2023 Live Updates: How to Watch the Announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michael Paulson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ETImage Ariana DeBose will return this year after hosting last year’s Tony Awards ceremony. Credit... Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesNominations for this year’s Tony Awards, which honor plays and musicals performed on Broadway, are being announced on Tuesday morning in New York. There are 26 competitive categories, and the Tonys hand out some noncompetitive awards as well. The Tony Awards ceremony, presented by the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, will be on June 11. To be eligible for this year’s Tony Awards, shows must have opened between April 29, 2022, and April 27, 2023.

☆ Factbox: Facts about actor-activist Harry Belafonte
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

* Belafonte received a Tony Award in 1954 for his role in Broadway's "Almanac" and became the first Black actor to win an Emmy for a 1959 television variety special. * Belafonte received three Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. * Although Belafonte and co-star Dorothy Dandridge were accomplished singers, their vocals in the 1954 movie "Carmen Jones" were sung by LeVern Hutcherson and Marilyn Horne. * Belafonte's movies often had racial themes. * Belafonte produced the 1984 movie "Beat Street," one of the first movies about break-dancing and hip-hop culture.

CNN —Harry Belafonte, the dashing singer, actor and activist who became an indispensable supporter of the civil rights movement, has died, his publicist Ken Sunshine told CNN. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Belafonte, left, plays a school principal in a scene from the film "See How They Run" in 1952. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Belafonte poses with the Emmy Award he won in 1960 for the musical special "Tonight With Belafonte." Fred Sabine/NBCU/Getty Images Belafonte and other recipients of Albert Einstein Commemorative Awards display their medallions after being honored in 1972. He is survived by his wife Pamela, his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte, two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank and eight grandchildren.

☆ Harry Belafonte, who mixed music, acting, and activism, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Bill Trott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Belafonte was born in New York City's borough of Manhattan but spent his early childhood in his family's native Jamaica. A few weeks before the launch, Belafonte told Rolling Stone magazine that singing was a way for him to express injustices in the world. "We were instructed to never capitulate, to never yield, to always resist oppression," Belafonte told Yes! "The Navy came as a place of relief for me," Belafonte told Yes! Belafonte was the first Black performer to win a major Emmy in 1960 with his appearance on a television variety special.

☆ Twitter is adding verified check marks to the accounts of dead celebrities, making them look like paid Twitter Blue subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Twitter added verified checks to accounts of dead celebrities to promote Twitter Blue subscriptions. Their accounts said they'd bought a Twitter Blue subscription and verified their phone numbers. Chadwick Boseman's Twitter account, with Twitter Blue subscription badge added posthumously. Anthony Bourdain's Twitter account, with Twitter Blue subscription badge added posthumously. InsiderHowever, the posthumous Twitter Blue badges may run afoul of laws protecting consumers from false endorsements.

☆ Here's some of the best memes about Elon Musk's Twitter Blue chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Jyoti Mann | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

He started removing all legacy blue checkmarks this week — but it seems to have backfired. Here are some of the best memes to have come from the social-media chaos. Twitter started removing legacy blue checkmarks on Thursday, as Elon Musk targeted what he described as a "deeply corrupted," "lords & peasants" system. Musk is even paying for certain celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, including Stephen King, LeBron James, and William Shatner — all of whom either criticized the new arrangement or refused to pay. Insider browsed the social-media app for some of the best memes to have come out of the chaos.

☆ Trump isn't the only former president to be embroiled in a hush-money scandal. Here are 10 public figures, including 3 US presidents, who have been accused of making payments to keep people quiet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( James Pasley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying documents related to alleged hush-money payments. Several public figures also have similar scandals, including Harvey Weinstein, Michael Jackson, and Bill O'Reilly. US presidents Thomas Jefferson, Warren Harding, and Richard Nixon were all involved in hush money scandals. Other notable politicians who made hush money payments include former treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton and former Sen. John Edwards. Outside of politics, there have been several public figures who made hush money payments including Harvey Weinstein, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Jerry Falwell Jr., and Bill O'Reilly.

☆ I'm a full-time male stripper who makes up to $4,000 a week performing around Australia. Fans have asked me some wild things, but this really is my passion.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jaxon Human is a full-time male stripper who works for Magic Men Australia. I'm a male entertainer with Magic Men Australia. In 2012, I started my journey as a male stripper with Magic Men Australia, and I'm now a full-time stripper. I applied for Magic Men Australia when I was 18Human performing. My shifts at Magic Men Australia varyThe typical length of a shift varies because of many factors.

☆ Employees at the $2 billion e-commerce startup Rokt once saw a photo of a colleague in blackface during a company Zoom meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jack Newsham | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An employee at e-commerce firm Rokt shared a photo of a colleague in blackface, shocking colleagues. An employee shared the photo, from an event in 2012, that appeared to show another employee in blackface and dressed as Michael Jackson. recalled one of more than a half-dozen former employees who told Insider they saw the photo. Rokt said that both employees completed a session of unconscious bias training with an expert facilitator, who also held a session for the whole company. Rokt"We were all, in America, like, 'We don't need to learn about blackface from you,'" the second former employee said.

☆ Current and former Rokt employees told Insider about blackface, booze, and blurred lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They told my colleague Jordan Pandy that Charlotte seemed affordable and diverse on paper. The photo was shown at a company-wide meeting to highlight how "fun" working at $2 billion ad-tech startup Rokt was, an Insider investigation reveals. He said blackface isn't a big deal in Australia, where the company was founded and where the photo was taken. But more than 30 current and former employees told my colleagues Jack Newsham and Madeline Stone that they had a different experience. Come behind the scenes of Rokt with us, where Insider reports that booze and blurred lines flow rampantly.

☆ Blackface, booze, and blurred lines at the $2 billion tech firm Rokt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

A cropped version of an image shared with Rokt employees at the 2020 meeting. Buchanan told Insider. "We think it's important that we stand up and fight it," he told Insider when asked about that message. In an email, Viles told Insider that he hasn't had any day-to-day involvement with Rokt since 2020, when he did some contract work. Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesOne employee told Insider they were encouraged to post the photos and proclaim 2023 to be Rokt's "best year yet."

☆ Rise of 'zombie' VCs haunts tech investors as plunging valuations hammer the industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Startup investors are increasingly warning of an apocalyptic scenario in the VC world — namely, the emergence of "zombie" VC firms that are struggling to raise their next fund. Life becomes harder for zombie firms in a higher interest rate environment, as it increases their borrowing costs. Investors expect this gloomy economic backdrop to create a horde of zombie funds that, no longer producing returns, instead focus on managing their existing portfolios — while preparing to eventually wind down. "There are definitely zombie VC firms out there. "We're going to see a lot more zombie venture capital firms this year," Steve Saraccino, founder of VC firm Activant Capital, told CNBC.

☆ Michael Jackson's nephew to play 'King of Pop' in biopic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The late pop singer Michael Jackson will be portrayed by his 26-year-old nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the biographical movie “Michael," the Lionsgate studio said on Monday. "Michael" will explore “the complicated man who became the King of Pop,” Lionsgate said in a statement. The Jackson family denied those accusations and the Michael Jackson estate won its appeal that year. Jaafar Jackson is the son of Michael Jackson’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, who is also a singer and producer. “Jaafar embodies my son," said Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, in the news release.

[1/10] A Boeing E-4B "Doomsday Plane" military aircraft takes off at Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, U.S., May 11, 2022. But it was in the seemingly endless rows at the back of the new jumbo that the 747 transformed travel. "This was THE airplane that introduced flying for the middle class in the U.S.," said Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith. "Prior to the 747 your average family couldn't fly from the U.S. to Europe affordably," Smith told Reuters. Now, two previously delivered 747s are being fitted to replace U.S. presidential jets known globally as Air Force One.

Search resuls for: "Michael Jacks"

25 mentions found