Former Arkansas governor and Fox News personality Mike Huckabee was criticized over the weekend after he tried to insult corporate critics of Georgie’s restrictive new voter suppression by making a joke that many people noted was both transphobic and racist.On Saturday morning, Huckabee tweeted: “I’ve decided to ‘identify’ as Chinese. Coke will like me, Delta will agree with my ‘values’ and I’ll probably get shoes from Nike & tickets to @MLB games. Ain’t America great?”What Huckabee was mad about is the growing corporate pushback against Georgia’s new election laws. The law, signed by...…Former Arkansas governor and Fox News personality Mike Huckabee was criticized over the weekend after he tried to insult corporate critics of Georgie’s restrictive new voter suppression by making a joke that many people noted was both transphobic and racist.On Saturday morning, Huckabee tweeted: “I’ve decided to ‘identify’ as Chinese. Coke will like me, Delta will agree with my ‘values’ and I’ll probably get shoes from Nike & tickets to @MLB games. Ain’t America great?”What Huckabee was mad about is the growing corporate pushback against Georgia’s new election laws. The law, signed by...WW…

Reporters from multiple outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and Spectrum News, were briefly arrested by LAPD Thursday night while they were covering ongoing protests in Echo Park. They were arrested between 8:45 and 9:05 p.m., but were both released by 9:45.LA Times reporter James Quelly was arrested at approximately 8:45 p.m., an event captured on video and shared by LA Taco reporter Lexis-Olivier Ray, who was also covering the protest. “It was not immediately clear why he was detained, but police had issued a statement a short time earlier saying reporters were subject to dispersal...…Reporters from multiple outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and Spectrum News, were briefly arrested by LAPD Thursday night while they were covering ongoing protests in Echo Park. They were arrested between 8:45 and 9:05 p.m., but were both released by 9:45.LA Times reporter James Quelly was arrested at approximately 8:45 p.m., an event captured on video and shared by LA Taco reporter Lexis-Olivier Ray, who was also covering the protest. “It was not immediately clear why he was detained, but police had issued a statement a short time earlier saying reporters were subject to dispersal...WW…

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo arranged for family members, including his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, to receive special access to state COVID-19 tests early in the pandemic, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. The Albany Times-Union first reported that Cuomo was using state facilities to rush COVID tests for his family, which included his brother, Chris Cuomo, mother and "at least one" of his sisters. The Washington Post reported that Gov. Cuomo's administration sent state health officials to the homes of his family members and other "well-connected figures," whose test specimens...…New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo arranged for family members, including his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, to receive special access to state COVID-19 tests early in the pandemic, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. The Albany Times-Union first reported that Cuomo was using state facilities to rush COVID tests for his family, which included his brother, Chris Cuomo, mother and "at least one" of his sisters. The Washington Post reported that Gov. Cuomo's administration sent state health officials to the homes of his family members and other "well-connected figures," whose test specimens...WW…

The Penske Media Corporation offices in Los Angeles and New York were evacuated Wednesday after Variety received a security threat, PMC management told employees in a memo obtained by TheWrap.The memo read: “Today we received a threat to the safety of one of our brands at our office location, so after consultation with PMC Security we decided to close the offices in LA and NY for the remainder of the day (Wednesday 2/17) out of an abundance of caution.”The Los Angeles building, which serves as headquarters for PMC-owned publication Variety and also houses The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline...…The Penske Media Corporation offices in Los Angeles and New York were evacuated Wednesday after Variety received a security threat, PMC management told employees in a memo obtained by TheWrap.The memo read: “Today we received a threat to the safety of one of our brands at our office location, so after consultation with PMC Security we decided to close the offices in LA and NY for the remainder of the day (Wednesday 2/17) out of an abundance of caution.”The Los Angeles building, which serves as headquarters for PMC-owned publication Variety and also houses The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline...WW…

Sylvain Sylvain, the guitarist who was a founding member of the pioneering rock group New York Dolls, died Wednesday following a battle with cancer. He was 69.His death ; In a statement, his friend, Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye wrote in part that “Syl loved rock and roll. His onstage joy, his radiant smile as he chopped at his guitar, revealed the sense of wonder he must have felt at the age of 10, emigrating from his native Cairo with his family in 1961, the ship pulling into New York Harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time.”Sylvain’s wife, Wanda O’Kelley...…Sylvain Sylvain, the guitarist who was a founding member of the pioneering rock group New York Dolls, died Wednesday following a battle with cancer. He was 69.His death ; In a statement, his friend, Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye wrote in part that “Syl loved rock and roll. His onstage joy, his radiant smile as he chopped at his guitar, revealed the sense of wonder he must have felt at the age of 10, emigrating from his native Cairo with his family in 1961, the ship pulling into New York Harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time.”Sylvain’s wife, Wanda O’Kelley...WW…

“Black Panther” star Letitia Wright, who plays tech genius (and T’Challa’s sister) Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had fans upset on Thursday night after she shared an antivaxxer video on Twitter and then began tweeting in apparent support of the position.We’ve embedded some of those tweets as screenshots below. See them on Twitter , and .For those who don’t know, “Antivaxxer” is a portmanteau describing people who adhere to a broad range of unfounded conspiracy theories about vaccinations (anti-vaccine). The movement, which grew primarily thanks to that falsely asserted vaccination...…“Black Panther” star Letitia Wright, who plays tech genius (and T’Challa’s sister) Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had fans upset on Thursday night after she shared an antivaxxer video on Twitter and then began tweeting in apparent support of the position.We’ve embedded some of those tweets as screenshots below. See them on Twitter , and .For those who don’t know, “Antivaxxer” is a portmanteau describing people who adhere to a broad range of unfounded conspiracy theories about vaccinations (anti-vaccine). The movement, which grew primarily thanks to that falsely asserted vaccination...WW…

In an update from projections announced in September, Disney announced Wednesday that it will lay off 32,000 employees in the first half of 2021, culled primarily from the company’s theme parks division. Disney has also confirmed that approximately 37,000 employees were furloughed as of Oct. 3.Originally, the company projected in September that it would cut 28,000 jobs in its theme parks division.“Due to the current climate, including COVID-19 impacts, and changing environment in which we are operating, the Company has generated efficiencies in its staffing, including limiting hiring to...…In an update from projections announced in September, Disney announced Wednesday that it will lay off 32,000 employees in the first half of 2021, culled primarily from the company’s theme parks division. Disney has also confirmed that approximately 37,000 employees were furloughed as of Oct. 3.Originally, the company projected in September that it would cut 28,000 jobs in its theme parks division.“Due to the current climate, including COVID-19 impacts, and changing environment in which we are operating, the Company has generated efficiencies in its staffing, including limiting hiring to...WW…

For those keeping track of political beefs, add Republicans Lou Dobbs and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham to your list. Because on Friday’s episode of his Fox Business show, Dobbs fumed about how much he thinks Graham sucks, and openly urged people in Graham’s home state to not vote for him in the 2020 election.The anti-Graham rant happened while Dobbs was complaining about one of the big pet issues among the right: the that to limit the spread of misinformation and dangerous conspiracy theories somehow amounts to censorship of Republicans. GOP senators have been threatening to subpoena...…For those keeping track of political beefs, add Republicans Lou Dobbs and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham to your list. Because on Friday’s episode of his Fox Business show, Dobbs fumed about how much he thinks Graham sucks, and openly urged people in Graham’s home state to not vote for him in the 2020 election.The anti-Graham rant happened while Dobbs was complaining about one of the big pet issues among the right: the that to limit the spread of misinformation and dangerous conspiracy theories somehow amounts to censorship of Republicans. GOP senators have been threatening to subpoena...WW…

The second episode of the new “SNL” season started off much like the season premiere, with a cold open focused on current events, in this case the occasionally hilarious Vice Presidential debate on Wednesday. And of course Maya Rudolph once again showed up to play Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris opposite “SNL” cast member Beck Bennett as current Veep Mike Pence, Kate McKinnon as moderator Susan Page.But while the debate was notable for a few things: , ,  and the faces Harris made during the debate as Pence interrupted her or hogged time, the main thing everyone...…The second episode of the new “SNL” season started off much like the season premiere, with a cold open focused on current events, in this case the occasionally hilarious Vice Presidential debate on Wednesday. And of course Maya Rudolph once again showed up to play Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris opposite “SNL” cast member Beck Bennett as current Veep Mike Pence, Kate McKinnon as moderator Susan Page.But while the debate was notable for a few things: , ,  and the faces Harris made during the debate as Pence interrupted her or hogged time, the main thing everyone...WW…

In a statement Friday night, Warner Bros. pushed back against claims made earlier in the day by “Justice League” actor Ray Fisher about DC Films President Walter Hamada. The company also said the actor has so far refused to cooperate with an independent investigation into accusations of misconduct he made earlier this summer against several key figures involved with the production.In July, Fisher, who played Cyborg in the film based on the DC Comics characters, of “gross, abusive, unprofessional” behavior on set. Fisher also said that Whedon’s behavior was enabled by then-DC Entertainment...…In a statement Friday night, Warner Bros. pushed back against claims made earlier in the day by “Justice League” actor Ray Fisher about DC Films President Walter Hamada. The company also said the actor has so far refused to cooperate with an independent investigation into accusations of misconduct he made earlier this summer against several key figures involved with the production.In July, Fisher, who played Cyborg in the film based on the DC Comics characters, of “gross, abusive, unprofessional” behavior on set. Fisher also said that Whedon’s behavior was enabled by then-DC Entertainment...WW…