controversy

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WeightWatchers Is Hawking Ozempic Copycats

It's now selling knockoff weight-loss drugs made of compounded semaglutide, but some are concerned

(Newser) - Moderation and self-control used to serve as WeightWatchers' main talking points, but the company has since transitioned to hooking up its customers with doctors who can prescribe weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, via its WeightWatchers Clinic telehealth service. But it's been a "rocky pivot," per Fast ...

Polish Radio Station's AI Gambit Doesn't Go Well

Backlash ensues after Off Radio Krakow fires journalists, replaces them with AI presenters

(Newser) - Earlier this fall, a Polish radio station laid off its journalists—but while that was distressing enough to the journalists involved, a more recent development is even more so. Off Radio Krakow, part of Poland's public broadcasting system, relaunched in late October, including with what it announced was "...

'Appalling' Halloween Float Mars Pennsylvania Parade

Critics say float showing shackled Kamala Harris evoked racist Jim Crow-era lynchings, slavery

(Newser) - A Halloween parade in Pennsylvania this week was meant to inject a little bit of fun into a tense election season—but instead, one float that got political has now sparked an outcry over its "racist and offensive" content, per the Hill . Videos and photos from the event Wednesday...

Seinfeld: What I Said About 'Extreme Left' Is 'Not True'

Comedian had said in April that 'PC crap' was killing comedy

(Newser) - In April, Jerry Seinfeld caused a bit of a hubbub when he told the New Yorker that the "extreme left and PC crap" were responsible for bringing comedy down—a remark he's now hanging his head about. Per Variety , the 70-year-old comedian appeared on his friend Tom Papa'...

2 Women Who Started Springfield Rumors Speak Out

'I'm not sure I'm the most credible source,' one says; another: 'I hate myself for making that post'

(Newser) - Threats against Springfield have prompted intervention from the state's governor after the dissemination by Donald Trump , JD Vance , and others of an unsubstantiated allegation that Haitian immigrants are abducting and eating pets there. Now, two women involved in jump-starting that rumor are speaking out, with one saying she never...

Ohio Gov Sends State Troopers to Springfield After Threats

Ohio governor says threats against city so far seem to be 'hoaxes,' but he wants to reassure parents

(Newser) - As the GOP machine, including Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance, continues to push unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating locals' pets in Springfield, Ohio, the state's governor is shoring up security for the city. On Monday, GOP Gov. Mike DeWine announced he was sending...

Alexa Has 'Drastically Different' Answers on Trump, Harris

Amazon says it has fixed glitch that made virtual assistant appear to favor VP over former president

(Newser) - A couple of simple questions to Alexa about the upcoming US election have sent users into a tizzy, with conservative critics railing against what Amazon now says was a tech glitch that seemed to favor Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump.
  • Question commotion: Per the Telegraph , the hubbub
...

Netflix Edits Disclaimer for Show Based on 1999 Hijacking

Viewers allege the Muslim hijackers are portrayed as Hindu

(Newser) - "When IC 814 gets hijacked on its way to Delhi, hundreds of lives are at stake as the country faces its longest and most alarming aviation crisis," reads the show description for the new Netflix miniseries IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The show has created a mini-crisis for...

Table Tennis Selfie May Haunt North Korean Players
Table Tennis Selfie May Haunt
North Korean Players
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Aug 31, 2024 1:20 PM CDT

Table Tennis Selfie May Haunt North Korean Players

Silver medalists reportedly in hot water over photo with South Korean rivals at Olympics

(Newser) - At the time, it was hailed by NPR as an example of "selfie diplomacy" and later chosen by People as one of the best sportsmanship moments from the Olympics. But a selfie featuring two North Korean table tennis players may have landed both in hot water back home, reports...

Controversial Royal Wedding Is Set for This Weekend

Norway's Princess Martha Louise, American shaman Durek Verrett share some interesting views

(Newser) - The big day is almost here for the Norwegian king's eldest child, Princess Martha Louise, to marry self-professed shaman Durek Verrett of the US on Saturday in a picturesque corner of southern Norway. The wedding comes amid widespread criticism of the couple's actions and waning support for Scandinavian...

Viral Breakdancer: The 'Hate' Has Been 'Devastating'

Australian Olympic Committee blasts 'malicious untruths' about Rachael Gunn/Raygun

(Newser) - Australian b-girl Raygun made some fans at the Olympics . But she also faced a whole lot of hate after the Games' breakdancing competition . "So much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating," the breaker, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, described Thursday in a video shared on Instagram....

Parents Aren't Having School's Ban on All-Black Clothes

Charles Middle School in El Paso, Texas, has since put new dress code on hold after backlash

(Newser) - Before the school year kicked off last week at Charles Middle School in El Paso, Texas, parents there received an unexpected notice about a newly revamped dress code. What stood out the most: a ban on students wearing all black, with school officials claiming that certain clothing colors can adversely...

Why Walz Is Being Attacked as 'Tampon Tim'
Why Walz
Is Being
Attacked as
'Tampon Tim'
THE RUNDOWN
Aug 9, 2024 6:50 AM CDT

Why Walz Is Being Attacked as 'Tampon Tim'

Harris' running mate signed law providing free menstrual supplies in schools, to GOP's chagrin

(Newser) - Tim Walz continues to make headlines , as the public learns more about him , and as the GOP goes on the attack . But one law the Minnesota governor signed last year is drawing special attention, as well as generating a new derogatory nickname.
  • The law: The bill included a mandate to
...

Olympic Boxer Sticks Up for Rival in Gender Hubbub
Olympic Boxer Sticks Up
for Rival in Gender Hubbub
THE RUNDOWN
Aug 2, 2024 2:23 PM CDT

Olympic Boxer Sticks Up for Rival in Gender Hubbub

Italian boxer Angela Carini apologizes to Algerian foe Imane Khelif

(Newser) - Outcry continues to swirl around an Olympic women's boxer who some say shouldn't have been fighting other women. Italy's Angela Carini bowed out of her match on Thursday against Algeria's Imane Khelif after taking a pretty hard hit right in the face from Khelif, renewing questions...

Celebs Pounce on JD Vance's 'Childless Cat Ladies' Comment

Aniston slams GOP's VP candidate for his 2021 remarks

(Newser) - A clip from three years ago featuring GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance resurfaced this week , and it's drawing the wrath of celebrities, politicians, and even Taylor Swift fans.
  • The clip: On Monday, anti-Trump commentator Ron Filipkowski posted a video from 2021 in which Vance railed against "childless"
...

Flight Attendants' Pins Cause a Hubbub at Delta

Airline issues apology after commiserating with someone who complained about 'Hamas badges'

(Newser) - A Delta Air Lines customer didn't like an accessory that two flight attendants sported, complained about it online, and received a sympathetic response from Delta—and now the airline is issuing an apology over its response. Per the Hill , the commotion started when someone put up a photo online...

Politician Takes Heat for His Reasoning on Male Suicides

Kim Ki-duck, council member in Seoul, South Korea, partly blames 'female-dominated society'

(Newser) - Men are taking their own lives in increasing numbers in South Korea, which has one of the highest suicide rates among the world's richest nations. One local politician thinks he's got the spike partly figured out—and he's blaming women. In a new report cited by the...

UK's New PM Gets Right to Work, Scraps Contentious Plan

Keir Starmer says of Rwanda deportation 'scheme': 'Dead and buried before it started'

(Newser) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that he's scrapping a controversial Conservative policy to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda as he vowed to deliver on voters' mandate for change, though he warned it won't happen quickly. "The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started,"...

Tractor Supply Dumps DEI Efforts After Right-Wing Campaign

Rural retailer nixes DEI roles and cancels Pride events, voter drives, carbon emissions goals

(Newser) - Just last month, Hal Lawton, president and CEO of Tractor Supply, boasted about the company's "very consistent" approach to DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) and environmental efforts, noting that, despite conservative backlash against similar initiatives elsewhere, "We haven't walked away from anything." Now, a "stunning...

People Really Aren't Happy About This AI-Written Film

London's Prince Charles Cinema cancels premiere of ChatGPT-penned movie after 200 complaints

(Newser) - An eyebrow-raising movie premiere in London's West End has been nixed just days beforehand. The Last Screenwriter, directed by Peter Luisi and starring Nicholas Pople, has its own screenwriter to blame for the sudden shutdown: The script is credited to artificial intelligence, specifically "ChatGPT 4.0," and...

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