To help combat the spread of misinformation and cyberbullying, Idris Elba has a simple suggestion: verify every user, not just celebrities.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the actor said the process public figures must go through in order to have a blue checkmark displayed to their name should be expanded to all social media users.
“People in the public eye get verified on social media, (symbolized by a blue tick), the process of verification requires them to prove their IDENTITY, so everyone knows WHO is speaking,” said Elba, 48. “Social media companies should make this mandatory for all users.”
Elba said the current state of social media is “like boarding a plane and not having to show I.D.” To further accentuate his point, the Golden Globe winner quickly noted the practice would “never happen” in real life.
“If cowards are being supported by a veil of privacy and secrecy, then social media is not a safe space,” wrote Elba. “It is an aeroplane that allows travelers to wear balaclavas.”
He signed off his message with, “If cowards want to spout racial rhetoric then say it with your name, not your username.”
The suggestion drew mixed reaction from Elba’s 4.7 million followers. Some applauded his suggestion to make the internet safer, while others admitted they don’t trust social media companies with their personal information.
Legendary violinist and founding member of the rock band Kansas, Robby Steinhardt, has passed away at age 71, his family confirms.
His widow Cindy shared the news in a statement on Facebook Monday, writing that Steinhardt was admitted to a hospital in Tampa, Florida, with acute pancreatitis in May and later went into acute septic shock and was placed on life support.
She says he bounced back “much to the amazement of his entire medical staff,” but on July 17, the day he was supposed to move to a rehab center, the sepsis returned and he passed away in her arms.
“We are beyond devastated as our lives were about to start a new adventure,” Cindy writes. “Robby just recorded his first solo album with the talented music producer Michael Franklin at Solar Studios. A tour to start in August, Robby was so looking forward to being back on stage doing what he loved.”
She encouraged fans to share pictures and stories of Robby on his page and to “Hug your loved ones, be happy, stay safe and be well.”
Steinhardt made his mark on the music world with violin and vocals on such Kansas classics as “Dust in the Wind,” “Point of No Return” and “Carry on Wayward Son”
In addition to his wife Cindy, he is survived by his daughter Becky. A memorial will be announced at a later date.
Dave Rushen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Theater legend Andrew Lloyd Webber has made the “heart-breaking decision” to close his anticipated Cinderella musical before it opened in London’s famed West End.
Webber took to Twitter to post his disapproval of the government’s “impossible” COVID-19 regulations, which he blamed for the decision.
Ironically, the multiple Tony-winner’s statement comes on ‘Freedom Day,’ declared by Prime Minister Boris Johnson‘s celebration of the end of the U.K.’s pandemic restrictions.
Webber explained two of the show’s preview performances were cancelled when one performer with a “cameo role” tested positive for the virus. Although other performers tested negative, he said, the shows were cancelled as a precaution. Subsequent to that, the main performers re-tested negative, and the show was to go on.
“Despite this, the impossible conditions created by the blunt instrument that is the Government’s isolation guidance, mean that we cannot continue,” Webber wrote. “We have been forced into a devastating decision which will affect the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of people and disappoint the thousands who have booked to see the show.”
The big-budget production, written by Promising Young Woman Oscar winner Emerald Fennell, was to open on July 20. “Cinderella was ready to go,” Webber added. “My sadness for our cast and crew, and our loyal audience and the industry I have been fighting for is impossible to put into words. Freedom Day has turned into closure day.”
(WASHINGTON) — With financial markets down sharply Monday over whether the new delta variant would endanger the recovery, President Joe Biden on Monday pushed back on inflation fears also giving investors jitters, insisting that his policies will create a strong economy and that higher prices are only a short-term growing pain.
“There’s nobody suggesting there’s unchecked inflation on the way, no serious economist. That’s totally different — I mean, look, the stock market is higher than it has been in all of history, even when it was down this month. Even down this month,” Biden said in White House remarks touting the recovery six months into office.
Biden also took a moment to hit former President Donald Trump for his focus on the stock market, noting there are other ways to judge economic health.
“Now, I don’t look at a stock market as a means by which to judge the economy like my predecessor did. But he’d be very, he’d be talking to you every day for the last five months about how the stock market is so high. Higher than any time in history. Still higher than any time in history. So, that’s not how I judge whether or not we’re having economic growth,” Biden said.
While pushing his infrastructure policies to lawmakers, he also made the case that inflation is merely temporary, a result of lingering supply chain challenges and an uneven restart after an unprecedented economic upheaval.
“Reality is you can’t flip the global economic light back on and not expect this to happen,” Biden said.
Biden noted that 60% of price increases, according to some economists, are due to global supply chain challenges, such as the shortage of semiconductors that has spurred a spike in car prices, and the increase in lumber prices. Calling price increases temporary, Biden worked to assure Americans he won’t let inflation get out of control.
“I want to be clear. My administration understands if we were to experience unchecked inflation over the long-term, that would pose a real challenge to our economy. So while we’re confident that isn’t what we’re seeing today, we’re going to remain vigilant about any response as needed,” he said.
“Reality is, you can’t flip the global economic light back on and not expect this to happen.”
During remarks about economic recovery, Pres. Biden says increase in prices is expected to be temporary but that his administration will remain “vigilant.” https://t.co/JIlsEYpYvZpic.twitter.com/kGl3EkF4P4
Biden also noted that he has assured Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that he is committed to the independence of the Fed, and encourages Powell to take whatever steps necessary to keep the economy strong.
Biden then turned to the elephant in the room — the $4 trillion+ in additional government spending he’s pursuing.
“If we increase the availability of quality, affordable child care, elder care, paid leave, more people will enter the workforce. These steps will enhance our productivity, raising wages without raising prices. That won’t increase inflation. That will take the pressure off of inflation,” Biden said, referring to the $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” plan Democrats on Capitol Hill are seeking to pass without any bipartisan support through special Senate budget rules.
MORE: Biden, bipartisan senators say they have $1.2 trillion framework infrastructure deal
“If your primary concern right now is inflation, you should be even enthusiastic about this plan,” Biden added.
“What we can’t do, is go back to the same old trickle-down theories, that gave us nearly two trillion dollars in deficit finance corporate tax giveaways, that did nothing to make our economy more productive or resilient,” Biden warned. “We can’t go back to the old failed thinking.“
With a key procedural vote this week in the Senate on the bipartisan infrastructure framework, Biden reminded lawmakers they already had a deal.
“Whatever different views some might have on current price increases, we should be united in one thing: Passage of the bipartisan infrastructure framework which we shook hands on. We shook hands on,” Biden said.
Despite attempting to sell his spending packages, Biden did not address the fact that so many questions about the packages remained unanswered ahead of Wednesday deadlines set by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: a key procedural vote on a bipartisan $1.2 trillion traditional infrastructure spending bill, and a self-imposed deadline for members of his own party to reach agreement on a $3.5 trillion spending package, which covers the majority of Biden’s American Families Plan agenda, including childcare, free community college, and provisions to lower health care costs.
Top Republican negotiator Sen. Rob Portman expressed frustration Sunday with the state of the talks.
“We shouldn’t have an arbitrary deadline of Wednesday. We should bring the legislation forward when it’s ready… it’s got to be done in a thoughtful, bipartisan way. We don’t want to rush this process or make mistakes,” Portman said in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
One remaining hurdle is how to pay for all the spending, after Democrats agreed to drop IRS tax enforcement provisions that were estimated to net $100 billion over ten years in the face of Republican pushback. President Biden has called for both spending bills to be fully paid for, mostly through tax increases on the wealthy and corporations.
“How do we vote on something which is not yet written as we try and get it right?” Senator Bill Cassidy, R.-La., asked in a “Fox News Sunday” interview. “We can get it done, but if they refused to cooperate on the pay-fors, it’s not going to pass. They know that.”
(NEW YORK) — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to blast to the edge of space and spend a few minutes outside Earth’s atmosphere Tuesday on the first crewed flight from his firm Blue Origin.
The milestone launch in the modern commercial space race comes on the 52nd anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing in 1969, though the space-faring landscape has evolved by giant leaps since then as billionaires emerge as key players driving the new race to the cosmos.
Bezos, who holds the title of the richest man in the world per Bloomberg data, has said the spaceflight will fulfill a lifelong dream.
He has also expressed hope that Blue Origin will make space more accessible to all, though bidding for a seat on the first flight reached a whopping $28 million. The anonymous bidder who paid $28 million, however, won’t make it on Tuesday due to “scheduling conflicts.” Blue Origin has not disclosed how much the teen who replaced the initial bidder paid for his seat.
The Amazon founder will be accompanied on the historic journey by his brother, Mark Bezos, as well as the oldest and youngest people ever to go to space, Wally Funk, 82-years-old, and Oliver Daemon, 18. Funk is a trailblazing female pilot who trained to be an astronaut during the original U.S.-Soviet space race era but was told they were only sending men to space at the time. Daemon is a Dutch student set to begin classes at Utrecht University this fall, and is the first paying customer for Blue Origin after the initial auction winner backed out.
What is happening and how to watch
Liftoff of the inaugural Blue Origin flight is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET from a rural complex just north of Van Horn, Texas. In total, the flight will be 11 minutes, with approximately three minutes spent above the so-called Karman line that is defined by some as the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. After re-entry, the astronauts are set to descend back to Earth in their capsule with a parachute-landing in the west Texas desert.
ABC News will carry live coverage of the event, which will also be streamed on Blue Origin’s website. The live broadcast will begin at 7:30 a.m. ET. Unlike most spaceflights, there are no on-site public viewing areas in the vicinity of the launch site. The newly-minted astronauts are set to have a press conference shortly after landing back on earth.
There is no pilot aboard the fully-autonomous capsule. While Blue Origin’s New Shepard has flown 15 test flights, Tuesday’s will be the first with humans on board.
The definition of “space” has emerged as a heated debate point in the new space race, as Sir Richard Branson took heat for not passing the Karman line (roughly 62 miles above earth) during his Virgin Galactic spaceflight earlier this month. Neither Blue Origin nor Virgin Galactic’s flights will reach Earth’s orbit, however, the way Elon Musk’s SpaceX missions have. Musk, also a billionaire player in the new space race, on Twitter has called out this “big difference.”
While the modern space race has become the arena of the ultra-wealthy at a time when a global pandemic on earth has exacerbated inequities, some argue the rise of private sector involvement has saved NASA money and accelerated technological advances — which in the long-term has the potential to open up space tourism to all who have been curious about the cosmos.
Still, the billionaire daredevils using themselves as guinea pigs for their private space tourism firms have not had the same support astronauts garnered during the original U.S.-Soviet space race. Animosity was exacerbated by reports that Bezos and Musk have avoided income taxes. A Change.org petition calling for Bezos to stay in space has garnered headlines and more than 160,000 signatures.
In an interview with ABC News’ “Good Morning America” just one day ahead of the spaceflight, Bezos said he is curious how briefly leaving Earth will “change” him.
“I don’t know what it’s going to mean for me,” Bezos said. “I don’t know, I’m very curious about what tomorrow is actually going to bring. Everybody who’s been to space says it changes them in some way. And I’m just really excited to figure out how it’s going to change me.”
Bob Dylan returned to the stage on Sunday for a special livestream show, but if you missed it, you can still watch it on demand until midnight tomorrow, July 20.
According to the New York Post, Dylan’s Shadow Kingdom show was filmed in black and white. It lasted less than an hour and featured the 80-year-old rock legend performing with a four-piece band in a club located in a wooden hut. The “audience members” — actually actors — didn’t applaud and didn’t appear to pay attention. Dylan himself didn’t speak.
In the show — Dylan’s first since COVID-19 put his so-called “Never Ending Tour” on pause — he ran through 13 songs, many of which were deep cuts. The set list included “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” “Queen Jane Approximately,” “Tombstone Blues,” “Forever Young,” “Watching the River Flow,” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”
According to the New York Post, the most recent song Dylan performed was 1989’s “What Was It You Wanted,” from the Oh Mercy album.
Visit Veeps.com to purchase a $25 ticket to watch the show yourself.
(WASHINGTON) — Days after Facebook publicly rejected President Joe Biden’s message to the platform that it’s “killing people” by allowing the spread of vaccine misinformation, even as COVID-19 infections rise and vaccinations fall around the U.S., he tried to clean up his comment about the social media giant Monday, saying he hopes Facebook doesn’t take it “personally.”
Following remarks on the economy at the White House, a reporter asked about his comment Friday to companies and platforms like Facebook, the president interjected to answer before the reporter could finish.
“Let me say what I said. I’m glad you asked that question,” Biden began. “It was pointed out that Facebook, of all the misinformation, 60% of the misinformation came from 12 individuals. That’s what the article said.”
Biden was referring to research the White House pointed to at a press briefing last week when Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned in his first advisory of the Biden administration of the threat of misinformation to public health.
Biden continued on Monday by retracing his steps, saying, “I was asked that question about what do I think is happening.”
“Facebook isn’t killing people. These 12 people are out there giving misinformation, anyone listening to it is getting hurt by it. It’s killing people. It’s bad information,” Biden continued. “My hope is that Facebook — instead of taking it personally — that somehow I’m saying Facebook is killing people, that they would do something about the misinformation — the outrageous misinformation — about the vaccine. That’s what I meant.”
When pressed if he felt the social media company was doing enough to combat the misinformation, the president said he was unsure, because he wasn’t sure what action they had taken over the weekend.
He then sidestepped when asked how he would hold the company accountable, he replied, “When you say hold accountable, I’m not trying to hold people accountable. I’m trying to make people look at themselves. Look in the mirror. Think about that misinformation going to your son, daughter, your relative, someone you love. That’s all I’m asking.”
Biden was attempting to clean up an answer he gave when leaving the White House for Camp David on Friday afternoon when he was specifically asked, “On COVID misinformation, what’s your message to platforms like Facebook?” and said, “They’re killing people. I mean, it really — look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they’re killing people.”
The controversial comment came one day after the surgeon general put out a new advisory arguing that misinformation, particularly on social media websites like Facebook, has hindered vaccination efforts, sown mistrust, caused people to reject public health measures, use unproven treatments, prolonged the pandemic and put lives at risk.
“Simply put, health misinformation has cost us lives,” Murthy said from the White House last week.
Facebook took issue with the description by the president on Friday, saying in a statement that his claim was not true.
“We will not be distracted by accusations which aren’t supported by the facts,” Facebook spokesperson Dani Lever said in a statement to ABC News. “The fact is that more than 2 billion people have viewed authoritative information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the internet. More than 3.3 million Americans have also used our vaccine finder tool to find out where and how to get a vaccine. The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period.”
However, while Facebook has said how many people have viewed authoritative information on vaccines, the platform has not said how many users have viewed misinformation.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Broad City star Ilana Glazer and her husband David Rooklin are parents. Glazer announced the fact with a post to Instagram of a photo of herself and their new bundle of joy, both hard at work.
“[B]een breastfeedin in compression socks for the past 3 weeks, hbu?” she noted.
Among the more than 150,000 likes the post got was one from Chelsea Handler, who quipped, “Same minus the socks. you look adorable.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus replied simply with “YAY!!!!!!”
In March, Glazer had announced she was pregnant, while promoting her new thriller False Positive with Entertainment Weekly. She called it “eerie and cosmically funny” that life imitated art: in the new Hulu thriller she plays a woman whose in vitro treatment is successful, but with horrifying results.
Equally eerie was the timing of False Positive‘s release and the baby’s: the film came out on June 18, putting it very close to the date Glazer gave birth, according to her post.
Proud papa Nick Cannon showed off the latest additions to his family in a new set of photos with girlfriend Abby De La Rosa and their month-old twins, Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir Cannon.
Abby shared three pictures of her and Nick snuggling with the napping boys — dressed in matching pajamas — on her Instagram page.
“ONE MONTH OLD,” Abby celebrated, including two heart emojis in the simple caption.
Cannon, 40, shares two children each with exes Mariah Carey and former Miss Arizona U.S.A. Brittany Bell. With Carey, Cannon is the father of 10-year-old twins Monroeand Moroccan. The Drumline star also shares four-year-old Golden with Bell and, last December, the two welcomed a daughter, Powerful Queen. In addition, he recently welcomed a baby boy named Zen with model Alyssa Scott.
Jerry Garcia. ‘Junglescape.’ 1992. Courtesy Yellowheart
In May, artwork by the late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia was put on sale as an NFT, or non-fungible token, which is a unique digital collectible. Now, an entire collection of Garcia’s digital artwork is going on the block in the NFT format.
The three-part collection will be sold via YellowHeart, a platform that accepts both cryptocurrency and credit card payments. It’s a digital artwork series called An Odd Little Place: The Digital Works of Jerry Garcia (1992-1995), featuring20 piecesfrom the late legend, created on his Apple computer.
Of the 20 pieces, 17 are limited edition pieces of original digital artwork, and the other three are additional works found in the Garcia Archives in a folder called “Last 48 Hours.” Two of the three date from August 7 and August 8, 1995, while the third is believed to be unfinished. Garcia died on August 9, 1995.
You can get a glimpse of the collection now on YouTube. Yellowheart is also teaming with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for a preview event on August 5, which will be attended by members of Garcia’s family. An exhibit of the artwork opens to the public the next day.
The first part of the collection launches today, along with ticket sales to the Rock Hall preview event. There are five VIP Vault Tour Experiences, which cost $10,000 each, and 20 Exhibition Preview Experiences, which cost $2,500 each.
The second partof the exhibition will be revealed August 1, which would have been Jerry’s 79th birthday. The third part is an auction of those three final works, starting August 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
To lessen the environmental impact of creating NFTs, the Garcia Family will donate a portion of the proceeds to charity.
