News Contents Archive

In a new video, Will Smith apologizes for slapping Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars in March.

The death toll in the devastating flash floods that hit Kentucky this week rose to 16 on Friday and was expected to increase as rescue efforts continued in the eastern region. “It’s going to get a lot higher,” the state’s governor, Andy Beshear, said of the toll at a news briefing on Friday. In an earlier statement on YouTube, he said that children would be among the dead. “We may have even lost entire families,” he said. Mr. Beshear said officials did not yet have a reliable number of people who were missing. The National Guard, the state police and other state agencies were helping with search and rescues efforts, which included about 50 aerial rescues and hundreds of rescues by boat. Mr. Beshear said that nearly 300 people had been rescued across the state, about 100 of whom were taken to safety by aircraft. Follow updates to this developing story at the link in our bio.

"I spent years hiding myself" New Australian MP Stephen Bates was met with cheers and hugs after giving his first speech to parliament earlier this week. In an emotional address on Wednesday, the Greens MP said working in poverty-wage jobs and coming out as gay were "pivotal moments" that shaped him and his politics. Holding back tears, Bates recounted the difficulties he faced as a young, gay man in Queensland, saying: "... I spent years hiding myself because I could not see anyone in my world that was openly gay. "I made a promise to myself once I came out. That if I ever found myself in a public role that I would be open and proud of who I am." He added that “if I can help even one person out there, that my life will have been worth it”. Follow guardianaustralia for more. #australia #politics #comingout #lgbtqia #equality

Prosecutors in Spain say they will ask a court to sentence Colombian pop star Shakira to eight years and two months in prison if she is convicted in her expected trial for alleged tax fraud. Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is charged with failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors said they would also seek a fine of 24 million euros ($24 million). The indictment details six charges against Shakira. The singer this week rejected a settlement deal offered by prosecutors, opting to go to trial instead. A trial date has yet to be set. MORE AT LINK IN BIO.

"Beyoncé’s importance often gets warped by the hyperbole that surrounds her, but “Renaissance” gives us something to think about: Who in pop music has stayed this relevant for this long?" Post music critic Chris Richards writes in a glowing review of Beyonce's new album "Renaissance." Read his full review by clicking the link in our profile.

The jacket worn by retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin when he set foot on the moon sold for a record-breaking price of $2,772,500 on Tuesday, less than a week after the landing's 53rd anniversary. The 92-year-old Aldrin became the second person to ever set foot on the moon in 1969, following crewmate Armstrong. Tap the link in our bio to read more from CNNStyle. 📸: Sotheby's / NASA

Everyone is wondering whether the economy is going into a recession — or if we are already in one. But what causes a recession? A recession is caused when a chain of events, like a line of dominoes, picks up momentum and does not stop until the economy shrinks. Each event is connected to something that happened before and something that will happen in the future. If the price of a hamburger goes up, you might stop buying hamburgers. This would impact a restaurant, and that would impact a server. There are many interconnected chains like this throughout the economy. The dominoes leading toward a new recession have started falling, but when will they stop? Read more by tapping the link in our profile.

A man who made a 911 call asked to speak to a manager after he heard a dispatcher snoring as he reported an emergency. The emergency center says staffing is to blame.

🇺🇦 Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy makes a selfie with an injured Ukrainian serviceman in a hospital in Odesa ⁠ ⁠ President Volodymyr Zelensky also visited a port in southern Ukraine to oversee grain being loaded for export onto a Turkish ship.⁠ ⁠ He said: "The first vessel, the first ship is being loaded since the beginning of the war. This is a Turkish vessel.⁠ ⁠ "We are ready to export Ukrainian grain. We are waiting for signals from our partners regarding the start of transportation.⁠ ⁠ "It is important for us to remain the guarantor of world food security. As long as someone, blocking the Black Sea, takes their lives from other states, we give them the opportunity to survive."⁠ ⁠ 🔗 Read more at the link in bio⁠ ⁠ #ukraine #russia #war #invasion #news

Planned Parenthood Presents: The State of Abortion - Episode 2 Balancing medical care with state laws post Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood covers the latest changes to abortion access.

Finally, some answers to the slap heard across the world. On Friday morning, Will Smith released a video answering questions about slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards ceremony. The incident tarnished Smith’s Hollywood Golden Boy image (perhaps forever), led to his decade-long ban from the Academy and sparked a serious conversation about what role violence has, if any, in public displays of anger. “Disappointing people is my central trauma,” said Smith, facing the camera. “I hate when I let people down. It hurts.” In the nearly six-minute-long YouTube video, Smith addressed frequent questions he received after the incident. Did his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, tell him to do it? No. Why didn’t he apologize to Rock during his acceptance speech just moments later? It was “a blur.” Read more by tapping the link in our profile.

🇨🇳Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US President Joe Biden on Thursday against “playing with fire” over Taiwan, as tensions grow over a mooted visit by a prominent US politician to the island.⁠ ⁠ In a more than two-hour-long phone call described by Beijing as "candid", Mr Xi reiterated Beijing’s long-time stance that it considered Taiwan – a self-governed territory – to be an inalienable part of China, according to a Chinese statement.⁠ ⁠ 🔗Read more at the link in the bio

Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba announced on International Tiger Day that the number of tigers in the country has increased 290% since 2009.⁠ ⁠ The revelation surpasses the joint target set by the government and conservationists, an official tells ABC News.⁠ ⁠ But as the number of tigers in Nepal continues to grow, so does the conflict between tigers and their human neighbors.⁠ ⁠ In the last year, tigers have killed three people every month on average, according to Nepalese officials.⁠ ⁠ Very few of these attacks involve "problem tigers" that venture from the forests and national parks to attack humans and livestock, one official says.⁠ ⁠ Instead, many Nepalese live in subsistence farming communities and the majority of the attacks occur when they are foraging.⁠ ⁠ Read more at LINK IN BIO.

The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global health emergency, its highest-level warning, as experts worry that the virus may gain a permanent foothold in the United States and other countries where it is not traditionally found. Health reporter Fenit Nirappil has been reporting on monkeypox since the global outbreak began. He’s answering your questions about the virus, starting with how it spreads.

"So, the album leaked — and you all actually waited until the proper release time so you all can enjoy it together," beyonce writes.⁠ ⁠ Read more at link in bio.