Celebrity
Jeff Bezos Is Under Fire At The Washington Post As Patience Wears Thin Among Staffers
When will Jeff Bezos confront the crisis in his newsroom?
The Washington Post’s owner and Amazon millionaire has yet to take any meaningful action to address concerns at his newspaper, which continues in disarray while explosive reports are published on a daily basis, calling the outlet’s new publisher, Will Lewis, into severe question.
Staffers at The Post are losing patience with Bezos, whose only response to the Lewis disaster so far has been to send a 138-word, single-paragraph memo from his Mediterranean yachting vacation to a few leaders at The Post, assuring them that he wants standards to remain “very high.” That is the root of the problem, according to The Post staff. They, too, want standards to stay “very high” and are concerned that Lewis constitutes an active threat to that common goal.
Jeff Bezos | Variety Image
Jeff Bezos Is Under Fire At The Washington Post As Patience Wears Thin Among Staffers
More drama occurred Friday when Lewis said that Robert Winnett, whom he had identified as the paper’s incoming editor, would not be coming to manage the Post. This comes after The Post published a 3,000-word front-page exposé this week, revealing that Winnett had previously utilized documents from a self-described “thief” for reporting.
Frustrations and concerns are so severe at the outlet that two of the institution’s Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists have chosen to come out publicly, pushing for a change in leadership, an unprecedented move at the venerable newspaper. David Maraniss, an associate editor at The Post for nearly 50 years, said he doesn’t “know a single person at the Post who thinks the current situation with the publisher and the supposed new editor can stand.” Scott Higham, who has been with The Post for over two decades, concurred and urged for Lewis’ dismissal.
“Will Lewis needs to step down for the good of The Post and the public,” Higham posted on Facebook. “He has lost the newsroom and will never win it back.”
To summarise, Maraniss and Higham express what many in the newsroom believe. In meetings with more than a dozen people inside and close to The Post this week, it became evident that Lewis, in his brief six months on the job, has completely alienated personnel and now confronts insurmountable odds in regaining the employee base he hopes to lead. Whether or not he has strong business ideas is irrelevant. He has lost the respect of his staff. And any successful leader will tell you that without the credibility to lead, it is impossible to accomplish anything, let alone perform a Herculean company revolution.
Jeff Bezos | CNN Image
Jeff Bezos Is Under Fire At The Washington Post As Patience Wears Thin Among Staffers
Bezos’ spokeswoman did not reply to demands for comment on Thursday. But certainly, the millionaire realizes the grave predicament that has gripped The Post. And it’s hard to imagine he truly feels his brief memo to The Post’s leadership was sufficient to quell the worries that have sparked the extraordinary outrage at the newspaper. In fact, it’s worth noting that Bezos has not expressed support for Lewis recently, providing him options as he assesses the deteriorating situation and decides how to stop the bleeding.
Staff at The Post are eagerly awaiting Bezos’ action. Since Lewis’s fury flared earlier this month, CNN employees have repeatedly warned the outlet that the ongoing turmoil has diverted attention away from the newsroom’s essential job. With a high-stakes election just months away, it is far from ideal to have the attention of one of the country’s leading news organizations diverted by internal strife.
It’s “a massive distraction,” one Postie told me Thursday, adding that The Guardian’s eye-catching story accusing Lewis of allegedly advising then-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “clean up” his phone amid the so-called “Partygate” controversies is “the talk of the newsroom.” (Both Lewis and Johnson refuted the story.)
“I don’t think the mood will change until something else changes,” the employee explained.
Jeff Bezos | CNBC Image
Jeff Bezos Is Under Fire At The Washington Post As Patience Wears Thin Among Staffers
In Bezos’ absence, reports questioning Lewis’ ethical integrity continue to emerge. According to the Financial Times, Lewis “retains links” to a public relations agency that advises powerful corporate and political figures on negotiating difficult circumstances. While the FT reported that Lewis had sold his ownership part in the company, it also stated that the firm had “continued to distribute regular emails from Lewis,” producing “confusion among people in contact with the agency.”
While the FT’s Thursday story lacked the weight of other news outlets’ recent reports, it did raise new questions about Lewis’ past and entanglements.
Meanwhile, as The Post and other sources, including The New York Times, continue to investigate Lewis’ past, many more concerns will arise. And as the inquiries continue, those at The Post will undoubtedly have one in particular for Bezos: What are your plans for restoring your newspaper’s reputation and status?
SOURCE – (CNN)
Will Smith brought flames and faith to the BET Awards stage on Sunday.
Smith returns to his musical origins with the release of his new single, “You Can Make It.” In the gospel-inspired tune, Smith, accompanied by Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir, raps about perseverance.
Will Smith | CNN Image
Will Smith Debuts New Song In Fiery Performance At The BET Awards
“The darker the hell you gotta endure / The brighter the heaven you get to enjoy / The harder the fall, the higher you soar,” Smith rapped as spectacular fire engulfed the stage. His words, a testament to his resilience, echoed through the audience, inspiring them. “God opens a window when the devil closes the door / Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith / In the rearview, I see adversity was the gift / To lift me higher gifts requires faith.”
Smith’s performance at the BET Awards follows his surprising Coachella cameo in April when he appeared during J Balvin’s set for a boisterous rendition of his track “Men In Black,” which was first released in conjunction with his smash 1997 film of the same name.
The “Independence Day” star’s new song is his first solo material in nearly five years, a fact that has his fans buzzing with excitement. It marks his first significant release since 2005’s “Lost and Found” album, making it a highly anticipated event in the music world.
Smith has recently collaborated with other musicians, such as Bad Bunny and Marc Anthony. In 2017, he released the EDM single “Get Lit” and the track “Light ‘Em Up” with Sean Paul, which are on the soundtrack for his upcoming film, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Will-Smith-performance-bet-awards-063024-1f4fb97d35d44d03b89bd4d0acb09fdd.jpg "Will Smith Debuts New Song In Fiery Performance At The BET Awards")
Will Smith | EW Image
Will Smith Debuts New Song In Fiery Performance At The BET Awards
Smith is a four-time Grammy winner for rap performance, both solo and as part of a duo/group. His first win came in 1988 for the song “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” which he performed with DJ Jazzy Jeff as the Fresh Prince.
The pair also won for their 1992 single “Summertime.” Smith won back-to-back Grammys for rap performance in 1998 with “Men In Black,” followed by “Gettin’ Jiggy with It” the following year.
SOURCE – CNN
The mother of Pat Tillman, a US military hero, has criticized ESPN’s choice to honor Prince Harry (The Duke of Sussex) with the award named after her son. Mary Tillman said ESPN network never consulted on Prince Harry getting the Pat Tillman Award.
The award honors the late NFL safety-turned-Army Ranger who volunteered following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tillman was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, the news stunned his fellow Americans.
“I am shocked as to why ESPN would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” Mary told the Daily Mail Newspaper. “There are recipients that are far more fitting than Prince Harry,” she said. “There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.”
The shocked mother also said that Prince Harry is already popular and has won many awards, so ESPN should have picked someone else who has never been in the spotlight.
Many unsung heroes have won the Pat Tillman Award. Last year’s winner was the Buffalo Bills training staff, who revived Damar Hamlin after he had a cardiac attack in the middle of a game.
Mary’s condemnation was echoed by ESPN analysts Pat McAfee, who accused his own network on Friday of “trying to piss people off” for picking Prince Harry, the New York Post reports.
“It’s going to Prince Harry,” McAfee said on his talk show, “who I don’t even think is a Prince anymore, right? He said don’t call me that? See, why does the ESPYs do this s–t?
“This is like actually the most embarrassing thing I’ve seen in my entire life,” he added.
In picking The Duke of Sussex and others to receive honors during the upcoming ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly), Kate Jackson, VP, Production at ESPN, touted the recipients as those who have changed the world.
Jackson said, “These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities. They have shown incredible resilience, positivity, and perseverance, and we can’t wait to celebrate them at the 2024 ESPYs.”
Others have praised Harry for starting the Invictus Games, even though his life as a royal has caused a lot of trouble. Harry served in the British military for 10 years and flew helicopters on two tours in Afghanistan.
The Games, which started in 2014, are multi-sport competitions in the style of the Paralympics for soldiers and service members who have been hurt or sick.
When Prince Harry found out he was going to get the Pat Tillman Award, he said, “This one is for our whole service community.”
This award was made in 2014 and is given to someone who has worked in ways that are similar to Tillman’s.
Tillman was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals and served in Iraq and then Afghanistan before being killed by friendly fire in 2004. For his service, the hero was given the Silver Star and the Purple Heart after his death.
Source: Daily Mail, NY Post
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Popularity Hopes Dashed
Entertainment
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
The BET Awards return on Sunday night. The evening will be performance-packed and begin with a blazing set by Megan Thee Stallion, two days after the release of her third studio album.
Taraji P. Henson, an Oscar-nominated performer, will host the performance for the third time at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre.
BET Awards | AP News Image
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
Lauryn Hill and her son YG Marley, Childish Gambino, Ice Spice, Tyla, Chlöe, Coco Jones, Keke Palmer, Marsha Ambrosius, Summer Walker, GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, and Victoria Monét will also perform. Will Smith will perform a new song, but no specifics have been disclosed. The Grammy and Oscar winner is still recovering from the iconic Oscars slap two years ago, with the successful release of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” bolstering his recovery. Tanner Adell, a country musician, will also perform on the BET Amplified stage.
The BET Awards will be broadcast live on BET starting at 8 p.m. Eastern from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. They will also air simultaneously on Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Pop, TV Land, Nickelodeon at Nite, and VH1.
Drake leads the nominations, exactly as he did last year. These include an album of the year nomination for his eighth studio album, “For All the Dogs.”
BET Awards | AP News Image
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
One of the accolades he’s up for is the music video for “First Person Shooter,” his collaboration with J. Cole, which may have sparked his recent feud with rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Nicki Minaj follows with six, including album of the year for her much-anticipated “Pink Friday 2” release. Two of her nominations were for her song “Barbie World,” which appeared on the hit “Barbie” soundtrack, which she sang with Ice Spice.
J. Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA, and best new artist Grammy winner Victoria Monét all have five nominations, while 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla, and Usher each have four.
Usher will receive the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement award, previously granted to Busta Rhymes last year and Sean “Diddy” Combs the year before.
The R&B sensation is an eight-time Grammy winner who recently completed a two-year residency at the Park MGM, “Usher: My Way”. In February, he released his first solo album in eight years, and in August, he will embark on a 24-city U.S. tour dubbed “Past Present Future.”
BET Awards | AP News Image
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
Usher’s 2024 Super Bowl halftime show received critical acclaim and featured guest appearances from Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, and Ludacris. His album “Confessions” sold over 10 million units in the United States, making it one of the best-selling music projects ever. It produced No. 1 songs like “Yeah!” with Ludacris and Lil Jon, “Burn,” and “Confessions Part II.”
Presenters include Andra Day, Colman Domingo, DC Young Fly, Devale Ellis, Jay Ellis, Jessica Betts, Ms. Pat, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Saucy Santana.
SOURCE – (AP)___
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