(NEW YORK) — Two million Cosori Air Fryers have been recalled due to fire and burn hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety and Commission announced in a press release Thursday.
About 250,000 air fryers in Canada and 21,000 air fryers in Mexico have also been recalled.
According to the CPSC announcement and an official Cosori recall website, a wire connection in the air fryers can overheat, which could potentially cause fire and burn hazards.
Cosori has so far received 205 reports of its air fryers “catching fire, burning, melting, overheating and smoking,” including “10 reports of minor, superficial burn injuries and 23 reports of minor property damage,” according to CPSC.
Both CPSC and Cosori have advised consumers impacted by the recall to immediately stop using the recalled products and contact Cosori to receive a free replacement or another Cosori product.
“All of our products are rigorously and routinely tested for consumer safety and are in full compliance with established industry standards,” Cosori stated on its official recall website. “COSORI is committed to the safety of those who use and love our products, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.”
The air fryers, priced between $70 and $130, were sold at retailers nationwide from June 2018 through December 2022.
The recalled units were sold at brick and mortar retailers including Best Buy, Target and The Home Depot, as well as online retailers including Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond, Homegoods, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Macy’s, QVC and Walmart, among others.
For more information on the recall, and to view a full list of affected products, visit recall.cosori.com.
Ashley Morgan Smithline, one of several women who’ve accused Marilyn Manson of abuse, is now retracting the allegations she made against the musician.
In a legal filing obtained by Billboard, Smithline says she “succumbed to pressure from Evan Rachel Wood and her associates to make accusations of rape and assault against [Manson] that were not true.”
Smithline’s statement was filed amid Manson’s defamation lawsuit against Wood. Wood said that Manson, born Brian Warner, “horrifically abused [her] for years” in a February 2021 Instagram post, and expanded on her allegations in the 2022 documentary Phoenix Rising.
Following Wood’s Instagram post, other women came forward with allegations of abuse against Warner, including Smithline, who said in a May 2021 People interview that Warner had sexually assaulted her. In June 2021, Smithline sued Warner, joining lawsuits filed by actor Esmé Bianco and Warner’s former assistant Ashley Walters.
Smithline says now that her suit “contained untrue statements about Mr. Warner, including that there was violence and non-consensual sexual activity in our brief relationship.”
“I never intended to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Warner and have no intention now of ever pursuing criminal charges, as Mr. Warner did not ever assault or abuse me,” Smithline continues.
She adds that she feels “manipulated” by Wood, Bianco, lawyer Jay Ellwanger and Wood’s associate Illma Gore, also named in Warner’s defamation suit, to “spread publicly false accusations of abuse against Warner.”
A rep for Wood tells Billboard, “Evan never pressured or manipulated Ashley.”
“It was Ashley who first contacted Evan about the abuse she had suffered,” the statement continues. “It’s unfortunate that the harassment and threats Ashley received after filing her federal lawsuit appear to have pressured her to change her testimony.”
Smithline’s lawsuit was dismissed in January 2023, and Walters’ in May 2022. Bianco’s case was settled in January 2023. Warner also faces suits from anonymous Jane Does. He’s denied all allegations.
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced South Carolina attorney accused of killing his wife and youngest son, began testifying in his own defense in his double murder trial on Thursday — admitting to jurors that he lied to investigators but denying that he committed the brutal murders.
The bodies of Margaret Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds near the dog kennels at the family’s home near Islandton, South Carolina, in June 2021, authorities said.
Alex Murdaugh, 54, who called 911 to report the discovery, was charged with their murders 13 months later.
Weeks into the trial, Alex Murdaugh was called to take the stand by his defense team. His attorney, Jim Griffin, asked right away if he shot his wife and son in the head.
“No, I did not,” Alex Murdaugh said. “I didn’t shoot my wife or my son any time, ever.”
He grew emotional when asked by his lawyer what he saw at the scene of their murders.
“I saw what y’all have seen pictures of,” he told the jurors, crying. “So bad.”
Prosecutors have focused on footage taken from Paul Murdaugh’s cellphone the night of the murders, including a video taken at the kennels several minutes before the victims were believed to be killed that investigators said has Alex Murdaugh talking in the background. Alex Murdaugh told investigators early in the case that he was not down by the kennels that night and had last seen his wife and son at dinner.
When asked by his lawyer about those prior statements, Alex Murdaugh admitted to lying to investigators.
“I did lie to them,” he said, and confirmed he was in the video the night of their murders on June 7, 2021.
When asked why he lied about the last time he saw his wife and son, Murdaugh blamed his addiction to painkillers, which he said caused “paranoid thinking.”
“On June the 7th, I wasn’t thinking clearly,” he said. “I don’t think I was capable of reason and I lied about being out there and I’m so sorry that I did.”
Alex Murdaugh detailed on the stand a 20-year addiction to opioids, noting that he has been clean for 535 days.
“I battled that addiction for so many years, I was spending so much money on pills,” he said.
Alex Murdaugh faces 30 years to life in prison without parole if convicted of the killings, for which he has pleaded not guilty and adamantly denied.
During the trial, which began last month, prosecutors have presented more than 60 witnesses and evidence, including body camera footage of police arriving at home following the murders and an interview Alex Murdaugh gave to police two months later, in which he denied killing his wife and son.
In the body camera footage from that night, a distraught Alex Murdaugh told officers, “It’s bad, it’s bad,” and mentioned that his son had been getting threats following a boat wreck he was involved in.
At the time, Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on a charge of allegedly boating under the influence after a crash in February 2019 that killed a 19-year-old woman, Mallory Beach of South Carolina.
In the months following his wife’s and son’s murders, Alex Murdaugh resigned from his law firm, which sued him for allegedly funneling stolen money from clients and the law firm into a fake bank account for years. He also said he entered a rehab facility.
Prosecutors claim that Alex Murdaugh, who comes from a legacy of prominent attorneys in the region, killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his alleged financial wrongdoings.
Meanwhile, the defense has portrayed him as a loving husband and father and argued that police ignored the possibility that anyone else could have killed them.
During hours of questioning on Thursday, Alex Murdaugh’s attorney asked if he believed his “financial house of cards was about to crumble” on June 7, 2021, to which Alex Murdaugh replied, “Absolutely not.”
The trial adjourned Thursday evening while prosecutors were in the middle of questioning Murdaugh about his financial dealings as a lawyer — during which he admitted to stealing money from several clients.
“I did a lot of damage, I wreaked a lot of havoc, there’s no question,” Alex Murdaugh said.
Court is scheduled to resume Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET. Prosecutors estimated they need another three to four hours to finish their cross-examination of Alex Murdaugh.
The trial has drawn a packed courtroom, with lines outside. After two jurors tested positive for COVID-19, both sides were worried an outbreak could sicken more jurors and force a mistrial.
Alex Murdaugh faces about 100 other charges for allegations ranging from money laundering to staging his own death so his surviving son could cash in on his $10 million life insurance policy.
He was also charged for allegedly misappropriating settlement funds in the death of his housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who reportedly died after a falling accident in the Murdaugh family home in February 2018.
(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Bureau of Prisons “has not been able to identify the prevalence and scope of inmate-on-staff sexual harassment,” a new report released by the Justice Department’s inspector general found, adding that the problem is “widespread” and affects female officers.
But the Bureau of Prisons does not keep accurate data of these incidents, according to the IG.
“Despite the inadequacy of BOP data on inmate-on-staff sexual harassment, we were able to determine that inmate-on-staff sexual harassment occurs across BOP institutions and that BOP staff believe that it particularly affects women,” the report said. “Additionally, inmate-on-staff sexual harassment has negative effects on both the BOP and its staff that can lead to unsafe work environments and can cause staff emotional and physical stress.”
The problem, according to the IG, is “widespread” and has an acute impact on female employees.
“Despite the incompleteness of BOP data regarding inmate-on-staff sexual harassment, we were able to determine that inmate-on-staff sexual harassment occurs across BOP institutions and that BOP staff believe that it particularly affects female employees,” the IG report said.
A survey of BOP staff done by the inspector general found that 47% of female officers had an inmate expose themselves to that officer and 34% of female officers reported inmates stalking them. Comparatively, only 1.8% of male officers reported inmates stalking them.
Between 2015 and 2021, the IG found that there were at least 12,127 offenses related to sexual acts between inmates and staff victims.
“We found that high security facilities had a substantially higher average number of sanctioned incidents each month compared to administrative security facilities, low security facilities, and the component-wide averages for the most severe prohibited act codes,” the IG report said.
In turn, these instances negatively affect the Bureau of Prisons, specifically the morale of officers, the IG said.
“Throughout this evaluation, we found that when inmate-on-staff sexual harassment is not appropriately and consistently addressed and mitigated it could harm the reputation and credibility of the BOP and that BOP staff believe that it also compromises the safety and security of BOP staff and reduces staff morale,” the report said.
The Bureau of Prisons told ABC News in a statement its mission is to “operate facilities that are safe, secure, and humane. We take seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional staff and the community.
“The BOP has zero-tolerance for all forms of sexual activity, including sexual abuse and sexual harassment within our facilities,” its BOP said. “The protection and safety of all staff is a top priority of our agency. BOP has a robust collection of resources for managing inmate sexual misconduct toward staff.”
Pink said she wasn’t picking on Britney Spears in her 2001 song “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” where she sings, “Tired of being compared to damn Britney Spears/She’s so pretty/ That just ain’t me.” She told People, “I’ve always felt like a big sister to her…I’m very protective of her, and she’s the sweetest person in the world.”
Jordin Sparks is #1 on Billboard‘s Christian Airplay chart thanks to her for KING & COUNTRY collab, “Love Me Like I Am.” This marks the first time she’s ever topped any Billboard airplay chart.
Alanis Morissette will be a marquee speaker at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, which runs March 16-19 in Washington, D.C. She said on Instagram that she’s “looking forward to a deep dive with one of my favorite people in the world.” Virtual and in-person registration is available on the event’s website.
Adam Lambert released the music video for his cover of Billie Eilish‘s “Getting Older.” The video includes some family videos of a young Adam and footage of him performing over the years. Adam also puts on some prosthetics to make himself look like an elderly man.
Iggy Azalea says she keeps “in touch” with Britney Spears, whom she collaborated with on the 2015 song “Pretty Girls.” She told Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Thursday, “We talk on Instagram sometimes. She’ll message me and I’ll message her back and everything.” She also said she’s down for another collab.
Pink also talked Britney and said she wasn’t picking on her in the 2001 song “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” where she sings, “Tired of being compared to damn Britney Spears/She’s so pretty/ That just ain’t me.” She told People, “I’ve always felt like a big sister to her… I’m very protective of her, and she’s the sweetest person in the world.”
Selena Gomez seemingly came to friend Taylor Swift‘s defense when a fan posted a throwback clip of model Hailey Bieber apparently gagging when Taylor’s name is mentioned. “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game,” she commented.
In other Selena news, she posted a throwback of her drinking a cocktail in a strapless black top. She captioned it, “I deleted this one time because I thought maybe it was too much but eh.”
BTS‘ Jimin shared the itinerary for how he plans to release his debut solo album, FACE. His label, BIGHIT Music, dropped the “promotion schedule,” which starts with Jimin dropping the tracklist on Thursday. The album will have six songs. He’ll release the first song, “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” and its music video on March 17. FACEi arrives March 24.
Jax announced she has a new song coming out on March 3, called “Cinderella Snapped.” The song promo features a prince posing for a mug shot and holding a sign that reads “cheating is treason.”
Warner Bros. Discovery is hoping to mine more box office gold from J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Middle Earth. Variety reports that during an earnings call with CEO David Zaslav on Thursday, the executive announced that subsidiary New Line Cinema will be producing multiple Lord of the Rings movies, as it did for Peter Jackson‘s Oscar-winning trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), its 2002 follow-up The Two Towers, and 2003’s The Return of the King grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, with the last film winning a record-tying 11 trophies at the 96th Annual Academy Awards.
Jackson returned to Middle Earth for a prequel trilogy based on Tolkein’s The Hobbit. While those films weren’t as critically-acclaimed as the other trilogy, 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2013’s The Desolation of Smaug, and 2014’s The Battle of the Five Armies grossed nearly $3 billion globally.
Tolkien’s work was recently adapted into Amazon’s expensive, divisive series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
ABC is mum on the development, but Deadline reports its hit sitcom The Goldbergs will end after the current 10th season.
The ’80s-set sitcom, which stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile and Hayley Orrantia, soldiered on after the death of the series star George Segal in 2021, and then the loss of series patriarch Jeff Garlin the following year.
Garlin parted ways with the show following accusations of bullying and other conduct on set; his character Murray was killed off offscreen between seasons 9 and 10.
After his Goldbergs exit, Garlin revealed he’d been diagnosed as bipolar. He continued to work as Jeff Green on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and was cast in the fourth and final season of Mindy Kaling‘s Neflix series Never Have I Ever.
The Goldbergs is based on the life of creator Adam F. Goldberg. According to the trade, it’s currently the longest-running live-action network comedy series currently on the air.
Jake Owen headlines Live in the Vineyard Goes Country April 25-27 in Napa Valley. Jackson Dean, Megan Moroney, Lauren Alaina and many more are set to take the stage as well.
Brandon Ratcliff is set to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on April 21. His first full-length effort for Monument Records, Tale of Two Towns, came out January 6.
You can check out Bailey Zimmerman‘s performance of his new track “Fix’n to Break” from his visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on YouTube.
Teyana Taylor is giving fans a preview of her starring role in the film A Thousand and One. She shared the trailer to her Instagram Thursday, introducing all to her character Inez.
Inez, according to Collider, is an “unapologetic and free-spirited” woman whose son Terry was placed in the foster care system while she served a stint in jail. Aware of the negative effects the system can have on children, she kidnaps him and together, they “set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.”
“It’s here,” Teyana captioned the film’s teaser. “A love letter to mothers, sons, and hustlers of NYC.”
A Thousand and One premieres Friday, March 31, 2023, in theaters nationwide.
