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☆ Why Davos conspiracy theories have gone mainstream
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos has long been a lightning rod for conspiracy theories. In the past, however, these farcical conspiracy theories have largely been confined to the fringe corners of the internet — places like Infowars. The radical ideas promoted by the likes of Jones have gone mainstream, having been popularized by some of the most influential personalities in right-wing media. The Associated Press’ Sophia Tulp reported this week that use of “The Great Reset” has been on a steady rise at Fox News. The danger of conspiracy theories has not been lost on attendees at Davos.

☆ Walter Cunningham, last surviving Apollo 7 astronaut, dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program, died Tuesday in Houston. It was NASA’s first crewed space mission since the deaths of the three Apollo 1 astronauts in a launch pad fire Jan. 27, 1967. “We never even knew that there were astronauts when I was growing up,” Cunningham told The Spokesman-Review. After retiring from NASA in 1971, Cunningham worked in engineering, business and investing, and became a public speaker and radio host. Although Cunningham never crewed another space mission after Apollo 7, he remained a proponent of space exploration.

☆ Their colleges banned TikTok over security fears. These students vow it won't stop them from scrolling.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Daysia Tolentino | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But a handful of students at the affected universities who spoke with NBC News say the newly enacted policies won’t stop them from scrolling their For You pages. Kay Ivey banned TikTok on state-owned devices and networks on Dec. 12, citing cybersecurity issues and fears over Chinese spying. Lawmakers in the U.S. House and the Senate also proposed a bipartisan bill to ban TikTok federally on Dec. 13. A University of Oklahoma spokesperson said the school is complying with Stitt’s executive order. Texada said he felt that TikTok, beyond helping with marketing, has also been a resource for the university community, particularly international students.

☆ Ashley Graham responds to viral body shaming tweet that accused her of taking ‘fat positivity’ too far
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Chrissy Callahan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Ashley Graham is brushing off body shamers in the best possible way. On Monday, mother of three shared a photo on Twitter of herself rocking a backless metallic dress and winking for the camera. The 35-year-old captioned the post, “Quote tweet this with a photo of you taking ‘fat positivity’ too far. Throughout her career, Graham has been a body positivity advocate and has encouraged her followers to exude confidence, regardless of their size. In 2020, the model told TODAY Parents that she will be talking about body image “the rest of my life.”“There’s not a day that goes by where I am not going to have that (body image) discussion with someone else or myself.

He lost a Twitter poll asking whether he should remain as CEO. Musk reinstated a handful of banned journalists Saturday after he conducted a Twitter poll asking users whether he should uphold the ban. Following backlash, Twitter also quickly rolled back its decision to ban users’ promotion of links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr and Post accounts. Won’t happen again.”But after all that, some users are skeptical that Twitter is a platform they want to remain on. “Should I run Twitter ?” Snoop Dogg wrote in a Twitter poll Sunday.

☆ 10 Fascinating Facts About Lego—From World Records to David Beckham’s Obsession
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( William Goodman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IF YOU BUILD IT, they will come—that’s always been true for baseball fields and it is starting to feel like an apt motto for Lego A/S, which celebrated its 90th birthday on Aug. 10. Based in Billund, Denmark, the company remains the largest toy manufacturer in the world. But it now also produces videogames, television shows, movies, apparel and even theme parks.

☆ World Cup champion France edges out England to reach semifinals as Harry Kane misses penalty
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —World Cup holder France remains on course in its title defense after beating England 2-1 to reach the semifinals at Qatar 2022. Aurélien Tchouaméni gave France a first-half lead, his powerful shot setting the game ablaze at the Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday. England grew into the game and team captain Harry Kane emphatically converted from the penalty spot to draw the 2018 semifinalists level. Giroud celebrates after scoring France's second goal against England. Kane emphatically took advantage, powering the ball into the corner of the France goal, in doing so becoming England’s joint top scorer alongside former Manchester United forward Rooney.

☆ England cruises past Senegal 3-0 to reach World Cup quarterfinals as Harry Kane makes Three Lions history
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —England reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup for a second tournament in a row thanks to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Senegal. Kane’s goal was his 11th for England at a major tournament, the most by any Three Lions player in history. The Lions of Teranga stepped it up once again against England and were undoubtedly the best team of the opening half an hour. Carl Recine/ReutersWith the last kick of the half, England doubled its lead and put one foot into the quarterfinals. The result was put beyond any doubt a little over 10 minutes into the second half, as Saka’s cute finish capped off another wonderful England move.

☆ Masks at World Cup: Why are South Korea star Son Heung-min and others wearing them?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

You’d be forgiven for mistaking Son for a masked vigilante as he’s been wearing a superhero-like mask at the 2022 World Cup. Son is wearing the mask – which covers his eyes and nose – as a protective measure. After playing in Korea’s opening game of the World Cup against Uruguay – the first in the mask – Son said he felt “comfortable.”“I’m just happy that with the mask, I can play,” Son told reporters, per Reuters. But Son is not the only player to be playing at the World Cup wearing a protective mask. Gvardiol looks at the ball during Croatia's game against Canada at the 2022 World Cup.

☆ ‘There’s no rules. It’s crazy’: New money in NCAA recruiting leaves elite athletes ripe for exploitation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kit-Ramgopal-Byline.Jpg | Kit Ramgopal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

Instead, the coveted junior recruit was benched, due to a decision from the state’s governing body for high school sports. Meanwhile, in a growing number of states, including California, even high school athletes can enter contracts. But boosters can pay prospective students through NIL deals, as long as the money is not contingent on enrollment or athletic performance. A University of Miami booster has earmarked $10 million to sign players to NIL deals through his companies. Cunningham’s message to high school athletes is “the grass isn’t always greener,” even in California.

CNN —Brazil superstar Neymar sprained his right ankle in his side’s opening World Cup match – a 2-0 win over Serbia – on Thursday, Brazilian team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed last night in a post-game press conference. Lasmar said that the team had already begun treating Neymar and would have more clarity in 24 to 48 hours. Neymar is playing in his third World Cup. Brazil began this World Cup as the favorite to win its first World Cup since 2002, with a 20% chance of winning the tournament according to Nielsen’s Gracenote, after losing just three times in 50 matches since it was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup by Belgium. Neymar will face a race to be back to full fitness by the time Brazil plays Switzerland in its next Group G match on November 28.

☆ Fact Check-Altered image of John McCain and Lindsey Graham standing with Osama bin Laden resurfaces online
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An altered image of late Arizona senator John McCain and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham standing with the late Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden has resurfaced online. The image appears to show McCain and Graham pictured with bin Laden standing between them. Other recent examples of the altered image being shared online can be found (here), (here) and (here). McCain and Graham visited troops in Kabul, Afghanistan on July 4, 2013, during celebrations of the U.S. The original photograph shows McCain and Graham pictured with former Afghan President Karzai in July 2013.

☆ British comedian Joe Lycett did not shred $11,000 over David Beckham’s role as Qatar World Cup ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Zayn Nabbi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lycett said he did not receive a response from Beckham, which led to him sharing a video of himself appearing to shred the money. A report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) published in October documented alleged cases of beatings and sexual harassment while in detention. According to victims interviewed by Human Rights Watch, security forces allegedly forced transgender women to attend conversion therapy sessions at a “behavioral healthcare” center sponsored by the government. The world is watching,” said Rasha Younes of Human Rights Watch. The World Cup got underway on Sunday, with host Qatar losing 2-0 to Ecuador.

CNN —A British comedian appeared to shred £10,000 ($11,000) in a video after failing to receive a response from David Beckham over his controversial role as a Qatar World Cup ambassador. On Sunday, Joe Lycett began tweeting an hourly countdown until his UK midday deadline (7am ET). At 12 pm GMT, he posted a video of himself shredding the money on www.benderslikebeckham.com, a website Lycett had been tweeting links to. CNN reached out to his representatives after Lycett appeared to shred money, but did not receive a response at time of publication. A Qatari official told CNN that the HRW allegations “contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false.”The 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins on Sunday.

☆ Melissa Joan Hart shuts down claims she’s feuding with Lena Dunham
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Melissa Joan Hart is talking about that so-called feud with Lena Dunham. Rumors had been circulating for some time that the two actresses did not like each other, but Hart took to Instagram to clear the air. “I looked at what people were saying about me, and I was like *gags*— I had to take a break,” she said. I don’t seek it out, but I certainly did recently, just to see if there was there something that I did say. So, it’s just bizarre how social media or the media, in general, can just take something and spin it out.”

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Donald Trump said he would make a third bid for the U.S. presidency, in an announcement that was carried live on Fox News' “Hannity” show Tuesday. Trump received an upbeat response from host Sean Hannity, a longtime supporter who has interviewed the former president on myriad occasions, and guests including Fox contributor Mike Huckabee and “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Pete Hegseth. “He is the preeminent fighter for freedom, for America First, of our generation,” said Hegseth in remarks after Trump’s announcement. The show’s enthusiasm about Trump’s candidacy runs counter to some of the harsher criticism that Fox and other news outlets controlled by Rupert Murdoch have levied against Trump in the days since the midterm elections. On midterm election night, some Fox News analysts singled out Trump for criticism when the "red wave" that was expected to sweep Republican candidates into office amounted to a trickle.

☆ World Cup 2022: David Beckham's 'status as a gay icon will be shredded' if he continues as Qatar ambassador says British comedian
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Zayn Nabbi Sammy Mngqosini | Zayn Nabbi | Sammy Mngqosini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —David Beckham’s “status as a gay icon will be shredded” if the former England captain and Manchester United star continues in his role as a Qatar World Cup ambassador said British comedian Joe Lycett on Sunday. Beckham, contacted by CNN through his representatives, declined to comment on the criticism around his ambassadorship. “You’re the first Premiership footballer to do shoots with gay magazines like Attitude, to speak openly about your gay fans,” Lycett said. Alexander Tamargo/Getty ImagesHRW has also recently highlighted “arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment” of LGBTQ people in Qatar. “There are just a few days until the World Cup kickoff, but that’s plenty of time for the Qatari government to end ill-treatment of LGBT people,” HRW said in a November press release.

☆ Sister of executed Iranian wrestler arrested and identified by state news as ‘agent’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Iranian officials said they have identified the “Iran International agent” arrested Thursday as Elham Afkari, the sister of famous Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari, who was executed two years ago, according to state news agency IRNA. Wrestler Navid Afkari was executed by the Iranian government on September 12, 2020. “It should be noted that she [Elham Afkari] is the sister of Navid Afkari, the killer of martyr Torkman, an employee of the regional water company of Fars province,” IRNA reported. Saeed Afkari, Elham and Navid’s brother, confirmed his sister’s arrest on Twitter on Thursday, saying that Elham’s three-year-old daughter was also missing. Since Navid Afkari was executed, his family has faced many court cases over involvement in the demonstrations in 2018.

☆ Son Heung-Min: South Korea star suffers fractured eye and faces race to be fit for World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Son Heung-Min’s hopes of playing at the World Cup later this month are in doubt after Tottenham confirmed the South Korean star will need surgery on a fracture around his left eye. The 30-year-old suffered the injury during Tottenham’s Champions League win against Marseille on Tuesday and now faces a race to be fit for Qatar 2022 which starts on November 20. “We can confirm that Heung-Min Son will undergo surgery to stabilise a fracture around his left eye,” Tottenham said in a statement on Wednesday. Kevin De Bruyne suffered a fractured eye while playing for Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final and was back playing for Belgium at the European Championships within 21 days. South Korea begins its World Cup campaign against Uruguay on November 24 and will be desperate for its captain and best player to be fit in time.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to quash a grand jury subpoena in a Georgia prosecutor’s probe into alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Graham’s attempt to avoid answering questions about phone calls he made to Georgia election officials after the 2020 election. The unsigned Supreme Court order said that the lower court already ruled that Graham cannot be questioned on his legislative activities. The order also said Graham is free to litigate further over which issues are off-limitsWillis is investigating a pair of post-election phone calls Graham made to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff. On Oct. 24, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, who handles emergency applications that arise from Georgie, temporarily blocked the grand jury subpoena from being enforced while the court determined its next steps.

☆ Supreme Court Rejects Lindsey Graham’s Bid to Avoid Georgia Grand Jury Testimony
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) says his phone calls to Georgia’s secretary of state were privileged legislative activity. WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court Tuesday denied Sen. Lindsey Graham ’s emergency plea to avoid cooperation with a Georgia grand jury investigating possible pro-Trump interference in the state’s 2020 vote count, but reiterated lower-court rulings that the South Carolina Republican could assert a privilege to specific questions he argues involve legislative activity. The Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis , had a special-purpose grand jury convened to investigate alleged efforts to subvert President Biden’s victory by pressuring state officials to falsify the outcome in Mr. Trump’s favor. Among other matters, Ms. Willis, a Democrat, is investigating at least two phone calls Mr. Graham made to Brad Raffensperger , Georgia’s Republican secretary of state and chief elections official, after the November 2020 election.

With the release of director Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till,” the conversation of the nation’s racist history and violence toward Black people is being revisited. Deadwyler told NBC News that the telling of Till’s story today is just as important as it was decades ago. “In the United States, we tend to think of our history in romantic terms,” Glaude told NBC News. The Senate passed a bill in January posthumously awarding Till and his mother the Congressional Gold Medal. But, Glaude said, even with these initiatives, without a racially just America, Till “died in vain.”“We can never forget,” he added.

☆ 'The White Lotus' season 2 review: Mike White's Emmy-winning HBO show checks in for another five-star experience
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —“The White Lotus” hasn’t lost any of its intoxicating allure, shifting its mix of rich-people problems and staff struggles to a new island (Sicily), with Jennifer Coolidge as the one holdover from the Emmy-winning original. It’s an impressive exercise in reloading by writer-director Mike White, who based on this encore should have plenty of frequent-flyer miles in his future if he chooses. Jennifer Coolidge returns in season 2 of 'The White Lotus.' When a character utters a line like, “Please don’t make me regret this,” in the environs of “The White Lotus,” it immediately feels like a warning that he eventually will. “The White Lotus” premieres October 30 at 9 p.m. on HBO, which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros.

WASHINGTON — A Georgia prosecutor on Thursday urged the Supreme Court not to block a requirement that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., testify in an investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and his allies tried to interfere in the 2020 election. She noted that under the lower court ruling, Graham would be immune from questioning about legislative activities and future disputes could be adjudicated by the lower court. On Monday, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, who handles emergency applications that arise from Georgia, temporarily blocked the grand jury subpoena from being enforced while the court determines its next steps. Willis is investigating a pair of post-election phone calls Graham made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff. As an influential member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham helped ensure that Trump was able to make three appointments to the Supreme Court.

☆ 'Call Jane' review: Elizabeth Banks stars in fictionalized look at a pre-Roe world through one woman's abortion journey
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The portrait of an underground abortion network pre-Roe v. Wade is obviously timely, but its slightly askew focus blunts the overall impact. Part of that has to do with making Elizabeth Banks’ Joy, a privileged housewife living in Chicago in 1968, the film’s centerpiece, introducing her as being somewhat oblivious to the tumult of the times. Joy initially applies to the hospital board for permission to terminate the pregnancy, only to have her petition dismissively denied by the all-male panel. The sequence slowly and painfully captures the mix of fear and discomfort Joy feels, after her blindfolded trip to the location and the dimly lit room where it happens. The writers clearly intended to personalize the abortion conversation through their Everywoman protagonist, and Banks ably fills that role.

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