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Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Toxic Kanye West Getting 'Canceled'

Adidas AG has ended its partnership with Kanye West following a rash of offensive behavior from the rapper and designer that turned a once-thriving shoe brand into a lightning rod for criticism, according to people familiar with the matter. The German sports company may announce the move as early as Tuesday, said the people, who asked not to be identified because discussions are private. A representative for Adidas didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Adidas joins Gap Inc. and Kering SA’s Balenciaga fashion label in prematurely cutting ties with West, who now goes by Ye. The rapper has made controversial statements, including antisemitic social media posts in recent weeks, and has moved to cut ties with his corporate partners.

The Adidas decision follows weeks of deliberations inside the company, which over the past decade has built the Yeezy line -- together with Ye -- into a brand that’s accounted for as much as 8% of Adidas’s total sales, according to several estimates from Wall Street analysts.


Kim Kardashian is speaking out against hate speech following her ex-husband Kanye “Ye” West’s recent antisemitic rants. On Monday, The Kardashians star took to Twitter to address West’s remarks and their effects. "Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” she wrote. “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”  This comes after singer-songwriter Boy George called Kardashian out for not addressing the situation. “I'm kind of appalled that not more artists have come out and spoke against what he's saying," he said in an Instagram video posted Sunday.

Rishi Sunak
➤RISHI SUNAK IS OFFICIALLY  BRITAIN'S NEW PRIME MINISTER; COMPARED TO AN OBAMA MOMENT: Rishi Sunak (left) is set to be the first British prime minister with South Asian roots and its first Hindu leader. In his first public statement, the former Treasury chief said “the United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge.” This is a milestone for a country with an extensive colonial past, and one that is still contested.

➤DEMOCRATS CALL ON BIDEN TO SHIFT UKRAINE STRATEGY: Over two dozen liberal House members called on President Joe Biden to change course in his Ukraine strategy and pursue direct diplomacy with Russia to bring the months long war to an end. A group of 30 Democrats commended Biden for his efforts in supporting Ukraine while keeping direct U.S. involvement on the ground. However, in the letter they suggest a more forceful attempt at bringing the war to an end through diplomacy is necessary to prevent a long and slogging conflict.




FLORIDA DEBATE, DeSANTIS ASKED IF HE WOULD SERVE A FULL TERM IF RE-ELECTED:  Democrat Charlie Crist had a debate on Monday with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and he really only needed one question to rattle his opponent. Crist asked DeSantis, "You’re running for governor? Why don’t you look in the eyes of the people of the state of Florida and say to them if you’re re-elected, you will serve a full four-year term as governor. Yes or no?”  According to NBCNews, moderator Liz Quirantes, stepped in shortly after and pointed out that both sides had agreed they wouldn’t ask each other questions onstage.

Meanwhile, a new poll shows Gov. Ron DeSantis has an advantage among Hispanic voters over his Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist, according to a new poll for Telemundo/LX News. A majority also said they supported the Republican governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hurricane Ian response, housing, insurance issues — and his recent relocation of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. Of the 625 likely Hispanic voters polled statewide, 51% said they would vote for DeSantis if the election were held on that day, while 44% said they would back Crist.
➤FETTERMAN-OZ DEBATE TONIGHT: Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s Senate campaign attempted to temper expectations one day before the stroke survivor’s debate with Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz — issuing a memo to reporters claiming the celebrity heart surgeon has “a huge built-in advantage.”  The candidates will take the stage on Tuesday in Harrisburg for their first and only debate before the Nov. 8 election. Fetterman will use a closed captioning system onstage to read questions from the moderators as he continues to suffer from “auditory processing challenges” as a result of his May stroke. “Let’s be clear about this match-up: Dr. Oz has been a professional TV personality for the last two decades,” the Fetterman campaign wrote in the memo, which was shared on Twitter by POLITICO reporter Holly Otterbein.

💲PAY GAP: New college grads are in for some reverse sticker shock. A recent survey by Clever Real Estate found that while the average starting salary for college graduates is $55,260, current college students expect to make $103,880 at their first job.  “I believe the gap [between salary expectations and reality] is due to Gen Z students realizing how much it costs to live a comfortable life in the United States,” said Danetha Doe, economist and spokesperson for Clever Real Estate. “For example, rent has increased 149% since 1985, while income only grew 35%. Current graduates are simply asking for their compensation to reflect the cost of living in the United States.”


➤YOUTUBE HOPES MAKEOVER WILL MAKE USER STAY LONGER THEIR APP OVER THE REST: YouTube's getting a makeover with the hopes to keep users engaged on the video platform. The new look will include improve playback options, a better mechanism for scrubbing through video, and the ability to pinch and zoom. The update was rolled out on Monday to iOS and Android devices, with some features also coming to the web player.

➤CLOSE TO 4,000 PEOPLE BOUNCE THEIR WAY ONTO A GUINESS WORLD RECORD: A Guinness World Record was achieved in Mexico City on 3,935 people participated in a 45-minute trampoline fitness class over the weekend. Organizers said more than 4,000 people bounced on trampolines for the full time during the class, but 130 participants were disqualified, leaving the total at 3,935 people.

➤MATH SCORES FELL IN NEARLY EVERY STATE, READING ALSO DIDN'T DO SO WELL: U.S. students suffered historic learning setbacks as math and reading scores fall to their lowest levels since before the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of California's students did not meet standards in math and English this year including notable declines for Black and Latino children. The Los Angeles Times reported that two out of three CA students didn't meet state math standards and more than half didn't meet English standards. Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics said in an interview with the AP, "In NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) when we experience a 1- or 2-point decline, we’re talking about it as a significant impact on a student’s achievement. In math, we experienced an 8-point decline, historic for this assessment.” Researchers usually think of a 10-point gain or drop as equivalent to roughly a year of learning.


➤STUDY: PLAYING VIDEO GAMES BOOST A CHILD'S BRAINPOWER: Video games get a bad rep, but a University of Vermont study suggests video games might actually boost your kid's brainpower. Gaming can lead to better impulse control, working memory, and even improve behavior and academic performance. The study analyzed 2,000 children between 9 and 10 years old. Those who played video games for three or more hours a day were faster and more accurate in memorizing information and controlling their impulses. "While we cannot say whether playing video games regularly caused superior neurocognitive performance, it is an encouraging finding," Dr. Bader Chaarani said.

Jordan
✞LESLIE JORDAN DIES AT 67: Beloved actor and comedian Leslie Jordan (right)  died on Monday at the age of 67. He was driving in Hollywood when he crashed into the side of a building. It is suspected that he suffered a medical emergency. Jordan is most known for his roles on Will & Grace and American Horror Story. In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for guest actor in a comedy series for his work as Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace. He also held roles in TV shows and movies such as Hearts Afire, The Help, The Cool Kids, Call Me Kat, Ally McBeal, Ugly Betty, Star Trek: Voyager, Reba, and Boston Legal.

➤CLIMATE ACTIVISTS CRASH TED CRUZ’S SEGMENT ON ‘THE VIEW’:  Ted Cruz appeared on Monday’s (October 24th) episode of The View when climate activists interrupted his segment. The Texas senator was talking about inflation when a group chanted, “Cover climate now!” Cruz continued to talk over the activists before one of the protesters reportedly yelled, “F – – k you, Ted Cruz!” The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg addressed the protesters: “Ladies, ladies! Excuse us! Let us do our jobs. We hear what you have to say, but you gotta go! You gotta go, you gotta let us do our job.” An ABC spokesperson later commented on the situation, saying, “Three members of the audience interrupted ‘The View’ today during Sen. Ted Cruz’s appearance protesting about climate. They were promptly escorted out by security.”


🏈NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:   Chicago Bears 33 New England Patriots 14


🏈COLTS TO BENCH MATT RYAN FOR REMAINDER OF NFL SEASON: The Indianapolis Colts announced on Monday they'll be promoting Sam Ehlinger to be the starting quarterback on Sunday when they face the Washington Commanders. Matt Ryan has an injured shoulder, but as it turns out, that was not the reason why the Colts are making a switch at quarterback in Week 8. Colts coach Frank Reich said the move to Sam Ehlinger was going to happen anyway, adding the plan is for him to start the rest of the season.

🏈JETS AGREE TO TRADE FOR JAGUARS RB JAMES ROBINSON: The New York Jets agreed to acquire running back James Robinson from the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to reports, the Jaguars will receive in return a conditional 6th-round pick that can become a 5th-round selection.

🏈NFL REVIEWING AUTOGRAPH INTERACTION BETWEEN BUCS WR MIKE EVANS AND REFS: The NFL is reviewing a video that appears to show two officials approaching Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans in the tunnel after Sunday's game, asking him to sign something. The two officials in question are side judge Jeff Lamberth and line judge Tripp Sutter.  The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA does allow officials to seek autographs, team merchandise and memorabilia for charitable endeavors. However, those requests must be made through the league's officiating department and not in person.

⚾A $50 WORLD SERIES BET IN APRIL COULD MAKE ONE GAMBLER 125K: In April, a gambler placed a $50 bet at BetMGM that the Houston Astros would defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. That bet had 2,500-to-1 odds which means if Houston is this year's fall classic champion, that better's payout would be $125,000.

🏀HORNETS GM MITCH KUPCHAK'S WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE AFTER BEING MARRIED FOR 30 YEARS: Claire Kupchak, Mitch Kupchak's wife, is calling quits on her 30-year marriage after filing for divorce on Monday in Los Angeles. In the documents, Claire cited "irreconcilable differences" as the grounds for the split and marked Oct. 21 as the date of separation. She's also asking for spousal support.



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