controversy

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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...

ACLU: Ten Commandments Law 'Blatantly Unconstitutional'

Civil rights group, others say they'll sue over Louisiana law mandating display in public schools

(Newser) - "I can't wait to be sued," Louisiana's Republican governor announced over the weekend, just days before signing a bill Wednesday requiring every public school classroom in the state to display the Bible's Ten Commandments . And now, the time has come. The American Civil Liberties Union,...

Inflammatory Candidate Shakes Up NC Race
Trump Ally
Shakes Up
NC Race
the rundown
Jun 18, 2024 11:08 AM CDT

Trump Ally Shakes Up NC Race

GOP's Mark Robinson takes flak for posts about women, LGBTQ community

(Newser) - One of the most high-profile governor's races in the nation is in North Carolina, where GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is up against Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein. Given that North Carolina is a swing state with a Democratic governor (Roy Cooper) and a GOP-controlled Legislature, the race...

Washington Post Leadership Mess Takes Another Turn
Washington Post
Mess Takes
Another Turn
the rundown
Jun 17, 2024 10:20 AM CDT

Washington Post Mess Takes Another Turn

Publisher Will Lewis, incoming top editor implicated further in British media scandals

(Newser) - It's probably not a good sign when a newspaper publisher declines to comment in an investigative story on the front page of his own publication. Such is the state of affairs at the Washington Post , where publisher Will Lewis—along with incoming editor and fellow Brit Robert Winnett—is...

City Scraps Controversial Climate Test

Alameda, California, officials nix test of sea spray particles, one day meant for cloud brightening

(Newser) - In an attempt to stave off the worst effects of global warming, researchers are reaching into their toolbox to find whatever remedies they can. One California city has now shoved one such plan back in the box: On Wednesday, the City Council in Alameda voted to stop scientists from experimenting...

Pope Raises Eyebrows Over Alleged Remark on Women

Days after a reported gay slur, Francis is alleged to have called gossip a 'woman's thing'

(Newser) - Just days after Pope Francis apologized for a gay slur he's said to have used during a private bishops meeting, an allegation of another eyebrow-raising comment. The Guardian reports that the 87-year-old pontiff had another closed-door gathering in Rome on Thursday, this time with a group of young priests,...

Baseball's Most Controversial Ump Is Out
Baseball's
Most Vilified
Ump Is Out
the rundown
May 28, 2024 10:04 AM CDT

Baseball's Most Vilified Ump Is Out

Angel Hernandez retires midseason

(Newser) - News that a Major League Baseball umpire is retiring typically doesn't make waves. But in this case, the umpire just happens to be the most vilified one in the game—Angel Hernandez. As coverage shows, however, not everybody thinks he deserves his reputation:
  • Retirement: Hernandez, 62, announced his retirement
...

Another Rioters' Flag Flew at Another Alito House

House Democrat introduces a censure resolution over 'Stop the Steal' symbol

(Newser) - The fallout continues for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito over the flying of a symbolic upside-down flag outside his house, a debate possibly complicated by a report of another flag carried by Jan. 6 rioters having been displayed at Alito's beach house. More:
  • Censure: House Democrat Steve Cohen of
...

Rap Battle Song Hits No. 1, and 'It's a Bit Disconcerting'

Andre Gee of 'Rolling Stone' muses on lyrics in Lamar's diss track on Drake

(Newser) - Earlier this month, Andre Gee declared in Rolling Stone that Kendrick Lamar "won the great rap war " between himself and Drake, a long-running feud that has resulted in a recent slew of diss tracks—including Lamar's "Not Like Us," which ascended to the No. 1...

Judge Makes the Final Call on Whether a Taco Is a Sandwich

Ruling: Yes, it is, clearing the way for a Fort Wayne, Indiana, restaurateur to open his new eatery

(Newser) - Since before the pandemic, Martin Quintana has been trying to get zoning approval in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to open a second location for The Famous Taco, his Mexican-style eatery serving up tacos, burritos, and the like. This week, a judge finally issued a ruling that clears the path for that—...

Woman's Controversial Death Wish Is Finally Granted

Netherlands' Zoraya ter Beek, 29, gets the OK for an assisted death due to mental health struggles

(Newser) - For nearly four years, Zoraya ter Beek has been patiently biding her time, going through the laborious process in the Netherlands to get the green light for an assisted suicide due to what she describes as overwhelming mental suffering. Last week, ter Beek finally saw her request granted, clearing the...

Bumble Tries to Appeal to 'Frustrated' Customers, Has to Apologize

Dating app says sorry for billboards slamming celibacy

(Newser) - Dating app Bumble got stung after running billboard ads that appeared to sneer at celibacy as an alternative to meeting people online. On Monday, the company backtracked and apologized for billboards that bore the message "You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer," juxtaposed...

Eurovision Contestant Booted Right Before Finale

Joost Klein of the Netherlands was removed over a backstage incident now being investigation

(Newser) - A Dutch public broadcaster reacted angrily after the Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before Saturday's final over a backstage incident that's being investigated by police. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, said Swedish police were investigating "a...

Target Makes a Change on Its Pride Month Merch

Retailer will offer smaller selection only in 'select' stores and online after last year's backlash

(Newser) - The backlash last June against Target's offerings for Pride month, featuring various LGBTQ+-themed products, took a toll on the its bottom line , leading to its first quarterly drop in sales in six years. Now, with this year's Pride month right around the corner, the retail giant says it...

This Mother's Day Suggestion 'May Ruffle Feathers'

Emily Wehner says young moms should prioritize themselves, not their own moms or mothers-in-law

(Newser) - If you're still debating what to do Sunday for Mother's Day and you're a mom with young kids, Emily Wehner is giving you the OK to do whatever the heck you want—even if that means shirking a visit to your own mom. The Indiana mom's...

Apple: Sorry About That Ad Where We Crushed All Creativity

Company offers apology for iPad Pro commercial showing the crushing of creative items from past

(Newser) - Apple's newest ad, showing the destruction of all things creative to create an iPad Pro, "struck a nerve online," with one critic noting, per the AP : "This ... commercial says, 'No, we're going to take all the creativity in the world and use a hydraulic...

Noem's Speech Leads to Cancellation of GOP Fundraiser

Colorado group nixes event for 'safety' reasons amid hubbub over S. Dakota governor's memoir

(Newser) - Kristi Noem is getting slammed for details revealed in her new memoir, on everything from killing her own dog to claims on meeting Kim Jong Un and being threatened by Nikki Haley . Now, a Republican fundraiser featuring the South Dakota governor as keynote speaker has been canceled, after a Colorado...

Radcliffe: JK Rowling's Stance 'Makes Me Really Sad'

Actor talks the rift, why he felt compelled to speak out in defense of transgender people

(Newser) - Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe hasn't spoken with author JK Rowling since she expressed her view that transgender women are not women, the actor reveals in a new interview with the Atlantic , while disputing the idea of him as an "ungrateful brat." "Obviously Harry Potter would...

'Father Justin' Gets Demoted After Mighty Strange Claims

AI chatbot was taking confessions, offering sacrament while claiming it was a real priest

(Newser) - Wouldn't it be comforting to have a priest accessible online, a man of the cloth who could offer you solace and advice right from the computer screen? A group called Catholic Answers apparently saw that potential in "Father Justin," an artificial intelligence-driven chatbot launched last week for...

Good News for Chipotle Workers: Let Them Eat Chicken Again

Fast-food chain rescinds directive that staff not order chicken in meals due to customer demand

(Newser) - Excellent news if you love chicken and you happen to work at Chipotle: You're allowed to order the pollo version of your meals again. After a strong suggestion was sent last week to staffers in the US and Canada asking them not to add chicken to any of their...

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