Category: Worldwide

Causation is not correlation, but Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram went down worldwide just hours after a bombshell report about the company’s alleged negligence aired on national television Sunday night. The social media platforms, along with the messaging service WhatsApp, all saw massive failures on Monday that left users frustrated and sent the massive company even further into chaos.

According to reports, this was just more than a DoS attack or a routine error. Something big went wrong, though according to the New York Times some inside the company doubted it was a cyber attack of some kind.

Two Facebook security team members, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it was unlikely that a cyberattack caused the issues. That’s because the technology behind the apps was still different enough that one hack was not likely to affect all of them at once.

In a series of tweets, John Graham-Cumming, the chief technology officer of Cloudflare, a web infrastructure company, said the problem was likely with Facebook’s servers, which were not letting people connect to its sites like Instagram and WhatsApp.

There were a lot of reports of something very strange going on, though.

Apparently, the outage has been so bad employees were struggling to actually get in the building to work.

In a perhaps-unrelated story, Facebook’s stock tanked on Monday.

And plenty of people had some fun reacting to the news.

Hopefully, everyone managed to get through the day as best they can without the algorithm.

Following a five-season run on the hit Showtime series Billions, Damian Lewis has officially exited the show, which saw his cutthroat capitalist character, Bobby Axelrod, square off against Paul Giamatti‘s dogged attorney general, Chuck Rhoades. Without giving away too much of the season finale, Lewis confirmed to The New York Times that His time with Billions is over, marking the longest amount of time that he’s spent playing one character. However, he did leave the door open for perhaps one more cameo down the road.

“There’s an opportunity maybe for me to return,” Lewis said. “But for now, broadly speaking, Axe has been vanquished.”

Following the death of his wife, Helen McCrory, Lewis plans to stay in London for the foreseeable future and hinted that he may have “closed the chapter” on starring in American television. However, the actor was reluctant to speak about McCrory’s death, except to make it clear that it wasn’t his reason for leaving Billions. The plan was always for Axe to leave after five season. Via The New York Times:

Lewis said McCrory’s death did not explain his departure from “Billions.” He initially signed on for five seasons and “always just assumed that would be enough,” he said. Koppelman said the show, which premiered in 2016, had been building toward Axe’s departure for several years.

When the show returns in January sans Lewis, Giamatti will be facing off against Corey Stoll’s recently introduced character in the quest for more billions.

(Via New York Times)

Louisville’s Jack Harlow announced plans to donate to several hometown charities in a recent interview with Billboard, calling it “important to keep some positive energy flowing through the city.” The 23-year-old rapper’s career has been booming since releasing his 2020 single “What’s Poppin,” and it appears that rather than keep all that good energy to himself, he’d rather share the wealth and give back to Derby City.

He’ll do so by contributing to five local organizations: AMPED, Center for Women and Families, Grace M. James Academy of Excellence, Louisville Urban League, and Metro United Way. As he explained to Billboard:

I spent all my life fantasizing about being someone that could put Louisville on a pedestal. There’s a spirit and pride that runs deep, and it becomes more obvious to me when I travel to other cities and realize that that doesn’t exist everywhere. The city has always been special to me and I think we breed very unique, often laid-back people. It’s important to me to keep some positive energy flowing through the city. Everyone is living different lives and may be from different areas, but there’s still always a universal energy that everyone is aware of, and it’s important to me that there’s plenty of love in the mix. Things are not easy right now, I feel so privileged to be in the position I’m in and I feel a responsibility to give back and help pave a way for others. People need hope, they need love.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If there’s one thing Harry Styles fans know how to do, it’s make his live shows into a pure celebration. He doesn’t disappoint them either, often waxing poetic about plenty of other subjects than just music. We’ve already learned about the bonds these fans are making with each other, and how they know how to make the ground quake shake when he’s on tour. Well, after a lengthy eighteen-month hiatus, these fans are more than ready to make up for lost time, and dispatches from his tour so far are showing an endless amount of enthusiasm from these attendees.

Particularly, when it comes to “Kiwi,” of course, a beloved fan favorite from his very first album that has become a rallying cry for fans and a frequent set closer for Harry. Just take a look below at the pit that opens up when this song comes on at shows:

I’m sure there’s even more that goes on, but the fans are too busy being in the moment to take more video. Still, this looks like one of the most joyful floor moments I’ve ever seen at a live show — and I attend shows for a living. Shout out to the Harry fans who make his concerts so special. Full tour dates here.

About a month ago, Texas passed new laws that place a bunch of restrictions on abortions in the state. The music world has largely not been thrilled with the development. Lucy Dacus, for example, donated proceeds from her recent Texas concerts to abortion funds. Now, Billie Eilish has used her on-stage voice to stand up for abortion rights.

Eilish took time during her Austin City Limits Music Festival set this weekend (on October 2) to passionately speak out against the new laws. As “Bans Off Our Bodies” was displayed on the screens behind Eilish, she said, “When they made that sh*t a law, I almost didn’t want to do this show because I wanted to punish this f*cking place for allowing that to happen here. But then I remembered that it’s you guys that are the f*cking victims, and you deserve everything in the world. We need to tell them to shut the f*ck up.”

Then, after calling for her fans to raise their middle fingers, she shouted, “My body, my f*cking choice!”

Speaking of Eilish at festivals, it was announced this morning that she will be headlining Glastonbury in 2022, making her the youngest solo headliner in the history of the esteemed festival.

For 17-year-old Evan Bialosuknia, winning the crown of homecoming queen was more than a simple award. It meant being accepted, even celebrated, for who she truly is.

Sharing her journey in an interview with WESH2, Evan revealed she had only begun her transition a few months ago. But for her, it was the obvious choice. “Looking back it doesn’t even feel like that’s me,” she said. “I played football for like six to eight years and I remember during practices I would stare at the cheerleaders because I wanted to be with them.”

Orlando school elects its first transgender homecoming queen. https://t.co/FXNjpYUsJH

— NBC News (@NBCNews)
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Evan didn’t quite know what to expect when she decided to run for homecoming queen. Despite having the love and support from her family, the teenager was afraid to be seen as a joke. And yet, she still desired to have “a moment of glory.”

And indeed her glorious moment arrived, as she received not only the coveted crown, but an outpouring of encouragement from her fellow students. Including the school’s nominated homecoming king, who, according to Evan, “made me feel like any other girl.” More so than the thrill of a win and excitement of applause, the real gift, according to Bialosuknia, was the welcome embrace from her community. As she put it, “It just made me realize I was not alone and don’t have to go through this alone.”

Evan proudly posted pictures of her win on Instagram. And it’s a collective victory for LGBTQ teens everywhere.

For transgender teens that are still suffering against discrimination, stories like Evan’s help provide comfort against the struggle.

And hers is not the only story like this. There is an increasing number of students challenging the status quo of homecoming tradition, including the election of gay prom kings and queens, as well as some schools doing away with gendered homecoming titles altogether. And most reassuring of all, nearly half of the entire Gen Z population openly support gay marriage, with one in six Gen Z‘ers publicly identifying as something other than heterosexual. Though there is still much progress to be made in the name of inclusion, this data does tell us one thing: no one is alone.

The crowning achievement marked a brighter outlook for Evan’s future. Though she noted that “more change is coming,” she will always have this memory to look back on, to remind her that she belongs. Exactly as she is.

It’s been just over a year since Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman passed away following an intense and private battle with cancer, yet even now his legacy lives on and continues to do good and bring hope to those who need it. The latest way the actor is changing lives? An endowed scholarship fund created in his memory that will cover the full, four-year cost of tuition for select incoming students at his alma mater: the College of Fine Arts at Howard University.

According to The Wrap, Netflix — along with the support of Chadwick Boseman’s wife, Simone Ledward-Boseman — has officially established the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, a $5.4 million dollar program that will help ensure artists and talented thespians are given the chance to attend a four-year university without the piles of debt that tend to come with it. The scholarship will focus on “students who demonstrate financial need and who exemplify exceptional skills in the arts reminiscent of Boseman,” and is set to begin this Fall, with four awards being given out to represent one student of each graduating class. The scholarship will then continue to be distributed to one incoming freshman each year. According to Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick, M.D, the school is deeply grateful for the scholarship that “embodied” the late actor’s values:

“It is with immense pleasure and deep gratitude that we announce the creation of an endowed scholarship in honor of alumnus, Chadwick Boseman, whose life and contributions to the arts continues to inspire. This scholarship embodies Chadwick’s love for Howard, his passion for storytelling, and his willingness to support future generations of Howard students. I am thankful for the continuous support and partnership of Chadwick’s wife, Mrs. Simone Ledward Boseman, and to Netflix for this important gift.”

Howard University also announced the inaugural class of awardees: Sarah Long, a freshman in musical theatre; Shawn Smith, a sophomore studying acting; Janee’ Ferguson, a junior in theatre arts administration; and senior Deirdre Dunkin, who studies dance. According to the press release, these are students who have demonstrated “a drive for excellence,” “leadership,” “respect,” “empathy” and “passion” for the art of storytelling.

Boseman was an alumnus of Howard University, graduating with a BA in directing in 2000. The actor later returned to speak at the university in 2018 for a commencement address following the release of Marvel’s Black Panther. In addition to the scholarship fund, Howard University is also celebrating the actor’s legacy by renaming a wing of the school after him.

Fresh off her NDA win against Donald Trump, former White House aide, and Celebrity Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault Newman is dropping more bombs about the twice-impeached president — including that he might not be fit to run for office again.

Trump recently lost a three-year court battle to enforce a nondisclosure agreement with his former supporter after Omarosa authored a tell-all book, Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House, while he was still in office. The book contained some damning accounts of what life was like within the administration for Omarosa between 2017 and 2018 but now that she doesn’t have a lawsuit hanging over her head, the reality TV star is revealing even more insider information about her former boss which includes his questionable health status.

In an interview with MSNBC’s Rev. Al Sharpton, Omarosa warned that if Trump were to run for office again in 2024, he’d need to come clean to the public about his physical fitness.

“I don’t know if he will even be healthy enough to run in 2024,” she said. “I think he needs to come clean to the American people about where he is on that before deciding to get into a very stressful and strenuous race for the White House.”

Now, Omarosa didn’t offer any proof that the former president is ailing, just some vague statements about how she’s worried that he “hasn’t come forward and talked about his health” but, then again, Trump’s never been in the best shape, despite his personal physician claiming otherwise. He contracted COVID in October 2020 and spent three days at Walter Reed Medical Center. Much has been written about his fast-food diet — he loves McDonald’s and diet coke. And he had a pretty rough time of it when it came to publicly scaling the stairs to Air Force One during his presidency.

But the idea that his health might be so bad that it would disqualify him to even run for office again is probably pretty concerning for his party.

Matt Amodio’s Jeopardy! star continues to rise as he cruises through a new season of the syndicated game show. Friday’s episode saw the Ph. D student from New England cruise to his 33rd win, which surpassed James Holzhauer’s win total during regulation play.

That’s a big deal for a number of reasons, as Holzhauer was the current gold standard for outstanding Jeopardy! player. Consider that the sports bettor from Las Vegas was so good at the show and caused such a stir they literally invented a new tournament for him to play in, the Greatest Of All Time showdown that Ken Jennings won last year.

As Jeopardy! has pointed out with a video game-themed video, Holzhauer still holds several records that will ultimately be extremely hard to beat: the most money won per game and the highest percentage of answers correct during regular play and on Final Jeopardy. There’s clearly mutual respect between the two competitors, but they’ve also had a lot of fun ribbing each other on Twitter to get fans talking.

The latest round came amid Amodio’s surpassing Holzhauer in games won, as the latter used some gambling terms to essentially call Amodio very lucky, rather than good.

That came just after Amodio actually poked fun at Holzhauer’s performance in the GOAT Tournament, responding to a tweet about potentially doing a weekend edition of Jeopardy! where people who got steamrolled by Holzhauer, Jennings, and now Amodio could potentially have a second chance.

Amodio did say something very nice about Holzhauer and his level as a player amid all the trash-talking, so it’s clear that both sides are just having some fun.

But it certainly has been a blast to see Amodio chirping back at Holzhauer a bit, and maybe imagining a new GOAT tournament where Amodio gets a shot at showing how he stacks up against some very lofty competition.

Facebook is not having a great week (and it’s only Monday). On the heels of Sunday night’s 60 Minutes episode — in which former FB data scientist Francis Haugen identified herself as the whistleblower who produced internal research to the feds — the social media platform is down. Since Facebook owns Instagram, that platform, too, has crashed, and WhatsApp (which is very popular on the global chat scene) has bit it as well. The timing is wild, since Haugen claimed to have witnessed how the Mark Zuckerberg-helmed Facebook used its algorithm to prioritize profit over civic duty. This, arguably, could have helped spark the environment that led to the January 6 insurrection. Now, the Internet is chaos at this time because Facebook has been inaccessible for hours and tweeted that they’re (definitely) aware of the issue.

What, exactly, is going on? Journalist Brian Krebs (formerly of Washington Post) confirmed that the Facebook and Instagram DNS records appear to have completely evaporated from global routing tables. No one knows why; people have noticed.

Amid the ruckus, Twitter is still standing. And they want everyone to know that it. The main Twitter account even tweeted, “hello literally everyone” while the #DeleteFacebook hashtag increased in popularity.

CEO Jack Dorsey (who’s not at a silent meditation retreat at this time) definitely heard what’s up, too. Jack retweeted a user who remarked upon how the DNS records for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp got “nuked.” Here’s Jack’s take: “how much?”

Jack kept on trolling while tweeting a smile emoji in response to a memed Getty photo of Usain Bolt (tweeted by Usain Bolt) beating the competition.

Despite it all, the WhatsApp Twitter account did wave at Jack’s Twitter account, and he cheekily tweeted back: “thought this was supposed to be encrypted…”

This ain’t over yet. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram have been down for hours with no clear resolution in sight.