Tag Archives: Fired

World

Myanmar’s UN ambassador fired after anti-coup speech as military intensifies crackdown on protesters

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State television MRTV announced Kyaw Moe Tun’s removal on Saturday evening local time, saying he had “abused the power and responsibilities of a permanent ambassador” and that he “betrays the country.”

Speaking to Reuters following his firing, Kyaw Moe Tun said that he “decided to fight back as long as I can.” The announcement came as the military intensified its crackdown on anti-coup protesters Saturday.

Myanmar has seen 21 consecutive days of protests since the country’s military seized power in a coup on February 1, ousting the democratically-elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained alongside other government leaders including President Win Myint.

Addressing the assembly in New York on Friday, Kyaw Moe Tun defied the military rulers now in control of the country and urged the UN Security Council and the world to use “any means necessary” to rescue the people of Myanmar and hold the military to account.

“We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people and to restore the democracy,” he said.

Kyaw Moe Tun said he was delivering the speech on behalf of Suu Kyi’s government, which won a landslide in the November 8 elections.

In a show of defiance, the ambassador also flashed the three fingered “Hunger Games” salute used by protestors on the streets of Myanmar and adopted from recent protests in neighboring Thailand.

The diplomat received a rare round of applause from his UN colleagues at the end of the speech. The new US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, praised the envoy’s “courageous” remarks.

“The United States continues to strongly condemn the military coup in Myanmar,” she said Friday, addressing the assembly. “And we condemn the security forces’ brutal killing of unarmed people.”

Thomas-Greenfield added that the US “will continue to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, including to Rohingya and other vulnerable populations in Chin, Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan states.”

“The world should applaud the bravery of Representative Kyaw Moe Tun for delivering such a powerful statement on behalf of the people of Myanmar, not the illegitimate military junta,” Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Global Justice Center, said in a statement Friday.

“The international community should support the will of the people of Myanmar by recognizing the CRPH and refusing to legitimize, normalize, or cooperate with the military government.”

The military continued its crackdown of anti-coup protesters on Saturday with hundreds reportedly arrested, including journalists.

Activist group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), said that in towns and cities across the country, security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannon and shot their guns into the air to disperse protesters.

A woman was reportedly shot and wounded in the central town of Monywa, according to Reuters, citing local media and an emergency worker.

In the biggest city Yangon, police fired tear gas and flash bangs to break up a group of protesters representing Myanmar’s different ethnic groups. Protesters had been chanting insults at police prior to the disruption, a witness told CNN. When the group scattered, police gave chase across the neighborhood.

In a village on the outskirts of the capital Naypyidaw, riot police use tear gas grenades and fired rubber bullets into the air to disperse hundreds of protesters.

AAPP said that as of Saturday, it has documented 854 people who have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the February 1 coup. The group noted, however, that “hundreds of people” were arrested in Yangon and other places on Saturday.

CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali, Kristina Sgueglia and Zamira Rahim contributed.

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US

3 killed, 2 hospitalized after argument at Jefferson Gun Outlet leads to shots fired

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The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a shooting in Metairie at the Jefferson Gun Outlet.According to Sheriff Joseph Lopinto, three people died.The Jefferson Parish coroner released the identities of those killed: 47-year-old Herbert “Noah” Fischbach, of Jefferson, 59-year-old Veronica Billiot, of Belle Chasse, and 27-year-old Joshua Williams, of New Orleans. The JPSO said Sunday that an update on the case will be given Monday.A GoFundMe has been setup for Fischbach by the gun shop’s owners.Two other people were injured in Saturday’s shooting and were taken to area hospitals. They were listed as stable.At around 2:50 pm, Lopinto said deputies responded to the shooting at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in the 6700 block of Airline Drive. Deputies found several victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Lopinto. JPSO sources say that a man entered the gun outlet with a loaded gun unholstered. Sources say that the man got into an argument with a clerk who told him he should not have a loaded gun until he got inside the range. According to JPSO sources, shots were fired during the argument when at least two customers on the range engaged the man. The man was shot, but also fired back at the two customers who were also injured, according to JPSO sources. At this time, Lopinto said it appears a suspect shot two victims inside the location, then was engaged by the two customers and shot outside the location by multiple other individuals. The suspect is one of the deceased on scene, according to Lopinto.There is no additional information available at this time.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a shooting in Metairie at the Jefferson Gun Outlet.

According to Sheriff Joseph Lopinto, three people died.

The Jefferson Parish coroner released the identities of those killed: 47-year-old Herbert “Noah” Fischbach, of Jefferson, 59-year-old Veronica Billiot, of Belle Chasse, and 27-year-old Joshua Williams, of New Orleans.

The JPSO said Sunday that an update on the case will be given Monday.

A GoFundMe has been setup for Fischbach by the gun shop’s owners.

Two other people were injured in Saturday’s shooting and were taken to area hospitals. They were listed as stable.

At around 2:50 pm, Lopinto said deputies responded to the shooting at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in the 6700 block of Airline Drive.

Deputies found several victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Lopinto.

JPSO sources say that a man entered the gun outlet with a loaded gun unholstered.

Sources say that the man got into an argument with a clerk who told him he should not have a loaded gun until he got inside the range.

According to JPSO sources, shots were fired during the argument when at least two customers on the range engaged the man.

The man was shot, but also fired back at the two customers who were also injured, according to JPSO sources.

At this time, Lopinto said it appears a suspect shot two victims inside the location, then was engaged by the two customers and shot outside the location by multiple other individuals.

The suspect is one of the deceased on scene, according to Lopinto.

There is no additional information available at this time.

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US

New York City waitress fired after not getting the Covid-19 vaccine

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A New York City waitress was fired from her job after she told her supervisors that she wanted to wait before she got the Covid-19 vaccine.

Bonnie Jacobson, of Brooklyn, said she was unexpectedly terminated from Red Hook Tavern on Monday, days after she expressed concern about how the vaccine affects fertility.

Jacobson said she and her husband had recently started trying to have a child, but their plans were put on hold after she lost her job in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After she began working at the tavern in August, she and her husband once again began planning for a child.

“I do support the vaccine. I’m not, as they say, an anti-vaxxer,” Jacobson said in a phone interview on Wednesday, telling NBC News that she feels there is still a lack of research about how the vaccine affects pregnant women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that “the actual risks of mRNA vaccines to the pregnant person and her fetus are unknown because these vaccines have not been studied in pregnant women.”

The agency said that researchers have such studies planned and that both Pfizer and Moderna are monitoring people in the clinical trials who became pregnant.

Jacobson, 34, said her manager initially understood her concerns and told her that getting vaccinated was not required.

But days later, the tavern changed course and on Feb. 12 workers received an email stating that vaccinations were mandatory.

“Please be advised that we will require that all employees receive the vaccination,” the email, which Jacobson provided to NBC News, said.

“This will be mandatory for all existing employees and any new hires. The exception to this policy will be if your own personal health or disability prohibits you from obtaining this vaccination. We encourage you to consult your healthcare professional to determine if getting a vaccine is right for you.”

Jacobson said she emailed her job and said that she did not want to get the vaccine at this point and needed more time.

“While I fully support the vaccine and understand its importance I do believe this is a very personal choice. I really hope this choice would not affect my employment at Red Hook Tavern,” she wrote to her boss. “Also once there is more research to support that it does not affect fertility I would reconsider my position.”

Two days after she sent her email, she was told that she had been fired.

“It was really impersonal. I was honestly shocked,” she said. “My gut reaction was to just say, ‘OK. Fine, I’ll get it. I need my job.’ But that just didn’t sit right with me. I was like, ‘Actually, I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s the choice I need to be making here.’ “

Jacobson said she does not want her job back, but hopes to encourage other businesses to approach mandating vaccinations differently.

“I think it’s important for other business owners to see this and tread lightly, and take into more consideration their employees’ feelings, especially if your employees have been working for you, putting themselves in danger throughout a pandemic,” she said.

Red Hook Tavern’s owner Billy Durney acknowledged that the situation could have been handled differently.

“Once New York state allowed restaurant workers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to put a plan in place to keep our team and guests safe. No one has faced these challenges before and we made a decision that we thought would best protect everyone,” he said in an emailed statement.

“And, we now realize that we need to update our policy so it’s clear to our team how the process works and what we can do to support them. We’re making these changes immediately.”

Minyvonne Burke

Minyvonne Burke is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.



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Entertainment

Gina Carano talks being fired from ‘The Mandalorian’

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Gina Carano has been fired from The Mandalorian. (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)

Gina Carano learned she was no longer a part of the cast of The Mandalorian the same way you did, she revealed in an interview published Tuesday.

Carano was fired from the Star Wars series last week after posting and reposting a string of controversial messages, one of which compared being a political conservative in America to being Jewish in Nazi Germany and another that mocked people for wearing masks. She previously fueled conspiracy theories about election fraud and Jeffrey Epstein.

Disney released a widely distributed statement that read: “Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carano spotted the news online.

“I found out through social media, like everyone else, that I had been fired,” she said.

Gina Carano appears in The Mandalorian. (Photo: Disney+/Lucasfilm / courtesy Everett Collection)

The actress explained that she had been reprimanded for her comments in the past, that time for listing her personal pronouns in her Twitter bio as “beep/bop/boop.”

“Earlier on last year before The Mandalorian came out, they wanted me to use their exact wording for an apology over pronoun usage,” Carano said. “I declined and offered a statement in my own words. I made clear I wanted nothing to do with mocking the transgender community, and was just drawing attention to the abuse of the mob in forcing people to put pronouns in their bio.”

Afterward, she claimed, she was left out of promotion for the Disney+ hit, for which she has played Cara Dune over seven episodes, since 2019.

“That was heart-breaking, but I didn’t want to take away from the hard work of everyone who worked on the project, so I said OK,” Carano said. “That was the last time I was contacted about any type of public statement or apology from Lucasfilm.”

Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to both Disney and Lucasfilm for comment.

As Carano was fired from the show, United Talent Agency reportedly dropped her as a client.

Toy manufacturer Hasbro confirmed Tuesday that it would no longer offer Carano’s Mandalorian action figure.

“We’re thrilled to have the privilege of creating products featuring characters and stories from The Mandalorian for our fans,” Hasbro’s Julie Duffy, the head of global communications, told Deadline. “Hasbro has completed development of all Season 1 and 2 product featuring Cara Dune, and there are no current plans to create more. We are actively working with our retail partners to address existing orders.”

Carano also landed a new job because of her situation.

She’s teaming up with conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro and his website for a film.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

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Entertainment

Fired ‘Mandalorian’ star Gina Carano’s fans petition for Disney to bring her back to the ‘Star Wars’ franchise

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Gina Carano’s fans are fighting for her to return to the “Star Wars” TV series, “The Mandalorian.”

The actress and former MMA fighter was recently fired from her role on the hit science fiction show over comments she made on social media. The move marked the latest in a slew of calls for Disney, whose streaming service Disney+ plays home to “The Mandalorian,” to fire Carano after she drew criticism for multiple posts on social media, including one in which she compared today’s political divide to the events in Nazi Germany.

A new Change.org petition started by fans calling for Lucasfilm and Disney to give Carano her part on the show back and to keep politics out of their artistic decisions going forward.

“I’m not going to say she was right or wrong with her views, but firing celebrities over their political views has been happening way too often, and once again, Hollywood has struck down another conservative,” the petition’s author writes. “What she said may have been a little extreme, and I can even see why some people may have been offended, but her tweet was not made to incite violence or to express discrimination or hatred of any sort to any particular group.”

‘THE MANDALORIAN’ FANS CALL ON DISNEY TO FIRE GINA CARANO AFTER TWEET MOCKING DEMOCRATS, MASKS

The description continues: “And now, once again, a beloved actress has been fired for speaking her mind. This petition is for the executives at Disney. Please, why can’t you just leave politics out of the industry and press on? ‘The Mandalorian’ is a fantastic show, and Gina Carano’s portrayal of Cara Dune is a joy to watch. The Mandalorian wouldn’t be the same without her.”

Gina Carano is teaming with The Daily Wire on a new movie project.
(Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

As of this writing, the petition has more than 4,000 of the 5,000 signatures it seeks.

Carano played Cara Dune in seven episodes of “The Mandalorian” across its first two seasons in 2019 and 2020. She was rumored to be the center of the upcoming “Mandalorian” spin-off “Rangers of the New Republic” at Disney+, but Disney has not announced casting for the show.

Despite calls to reinstate her, Carano has already moved on from “The Mandalorian.” According to Deadline, the actress is hitting back at Disney and cancel culture by partnering with Ben Shapiro’s The Daily Wire on a new movie project.

VINCE VAUGHN, ADAM SANDLER AND OTHER HOLLYWOOD CONSERVATIVES

“The Daily Wire is helping make one of my dreams — to develop and produce my own film — come true,” the star told the outlet in a statement. “I cried out and my prayer was answered. I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob. I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same. They can’t cancel us if we don’t let them.”

Gina Carano was fired by Disney and Lucasfilm over comments she made on social media. 
(Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)

Representatives for Carano did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

While details about the project are being kept under wraps for now, the upcoming film will be released exclusively to The Daily Wire’s members in an effort to bolster its growing entertainment division.  

‘MANDALORIAN’ STAR GINA CARANO SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH OVER CONSERVATIVE, ANTI-MASK TWEETS

“We could not be more excited to be working with Gina Carano, an incredible talent dumped by Disney and Lucasfilm for offending the authoritarian Hollywood Left. This is what Daily Wire exists to do: provide an alternative not just for consumers, but for creators who refuse to bow to the mob,” Shapiro said in a statement to Deadline.

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“We’re eager to bring Gina’s talent to Americans who love her, and we’re just as eager to show Hollywood that if they want to keep cancelling those who think differently, they’ll just be helping us build the Xwing to take down their Death Star,” he continued.

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Business

Papa John’s Employee Claims He Was Fired For Refusing to Work Without Water

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@mommarhodey / TikTok

A Papa John’s employee says he got canned after refusing to make pizza with no running water in the building so he could be sanitary … and now, it sounds like he’s lawyering up.

A TikTok user who goes by @mommarhodey posted a video she says her brother sent her from a Papa John’s location in Colorado Springs, where he films his working conditions in below freezing temps … which he shows left their pipes frozen, and no water to use at all.

The guy says he decided he didn’t wanna keep baking pies in that type of environment, as he felt it was gross … Y’know, because he wasn’t able to wash his hands. So, he left his shift early — but before doing so he wanted to set the record straight on what he was dealing with.

The employee shows a water heater in the corner of the room, and a tiny portable heater next to it that he says his manager set up in hopes of getting the thing working again … and water running in their restaurant. He also tries turning on faucets all around him, to no avail.


@mommarhodey / TikTok

His sister’s the one sounding the alarm about this on his behalf — she posted some follow-up videos explaining what happened next … and would you believe it, she claims her bro was fired over it. As you can imagine, she’s super pissed … calling it a “wrongful termination.”

She says she called the local public health department there, who apparently told her the Papa John’s in question was shut down until they could get running water back. However, that doesn’t jibe with what sis here says she’s heard from the Papa John’s staff.

She claims they’ve been continuing to work, despite the stop-order from officials. MommaRhodey says she’s alerted the BBB, and Papa John’s corporate office.

We reached out to the Papa John’s location in question … they had no comment. No word from their corporate office either at this point.

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Entertainment

Ted Cruz defends fired Mandalorian actress and fellow Texan Gina Carano

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Senator Ted Cruz has come to the defense of conservative actress Gina Carano, after Disney fired her from the cast of The Mandalorian over her controversial social media posts.

‘Texan Gina Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe: not a princess, not a victim, not some emotionally tortured Jedi,’ Cruz tweeted on Thursday. 

‘She played a woman who kicked a** & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her.’

It came as Disney announced on Thursday that its young streaming service had hit a record 94.9 million subscribers, exceeding expectations — but now the company faces growing calls for a boycott over Carano’s firing.

Senator Ted Cruz has come to the defense of conservative actress Gina Carano (above), whom Disney fired from the cast of The Mandalorian over her controversial social media posts

‘She played a woman who kicked a** & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her,’ Cruz wrote of his fellow Texan

The Star Wars-inspired Mandalorian series was a key factor that helped position the year-old Disney+ service as a credible threat to the dominance of Netflix in the streaming wars.  

Carano had appeared on the series as the popular recurring character of Cara Dune, a seasoned warrior who teams up with the bounty hunter the show is named for. 

The conservative actress and former MMA fighter fell under heavy criticism after she posted on Instagram Stories comparing the murder of Jews in the Holocaust to the current U.S. political climate. 

‘Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children,’ the post read.

The post continued: ‘Because history is edited, most people today don´t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. 

‘How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?’ 

Lucasfilm called the post ‘abhorrent and unacceptable’ and accused Carano, without explanation, of ‘denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities,’  

After firing Carano on Wednesday, Disney was accused of double standards when it emerged her liberal Mandalorian co-star Pedro Pascal compared ICE administration centers to Nazi concentration camps.  

Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano pictured together in 2019; Disney has been accused of double standards following the firing of Gina Carano after it emerged Mandalorian co-star Pedro Pascal compared ICE administration centers to Nazi concentration camps

Pedro Pascal’s 2018 post (left) comparing the Trump administration’s policies to the Holocaust has come under scrutiny after Carano’s Holocaust comparison (right) got her fired 

In 2018, actor Pascal shared an image of Germany 1944 and what he said was America 2018, comparing Donald Trump’s policies to the Holocaust. He wrote: ‘#ThisisAmerica.’

The photo Pascal claimed was of children in American ICE facilities in 2018 was actually previously shared in 2011 by a Palestinian group, which said it showed Palestinian children in an Israeli detention facility.

Cancel Disney+ began to trend on Twitter shortly after Carano’s firing with many pointing to Pascal’s comments as evidence of the company’s hypocrisy when dealing with conservative stars. 

Donald Trump Jr. shared the actor’s post, writing: ‘Same Movie as @ginacarano, same analogy, though the pic has the wrong date… I’m told it was 2010 under Obama/Biden.

‘So does @Disney discriminate against women for doing what their male actors do or is is only discrimination against conservatives?’ 

Blogger Matt Walsh added: ‘Not only did Pedro Pascal, an actor on The Mandalorian, compare the United States and Nazi Germany, but he did so with a photo of “America in 2018” that is not actually from 2018 and also not actually from America. 

‘He still has his job.’ 

Right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec said: ‘Stop giving money to people who hate you.’ He added: ‘Disney re-hired James Gunn but fired Gina Carano tells you everything.’

Gunn – a vocal critic of Donald Trump – had been fired in 2018 after offensive jokes about sensitive topics including pedophilia, rape, the 9/11 terror attack and the Holocaust surfaced.  He was rehired in 2019.   

Others said that they would cancel their membership to Disney+ with the topic trending on Twitter. 

The Rubin Report host Dave Rubin said: ‘Disney has cancelled @ginacarano, so I’m cancelling my @disneyplus. We need to stop giving these people our money and we must build new franchises.’ 

Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway wrote: ‘We canceled our @Disney subscription tonight.’   

‘Gina Carano’s post made the point that mass violence starts with hatred for your neighbor. This is not only uncontroversially true but also one perspective of the commandment to love your neighbor,’ tweeted Daily Caller associated editor Katrina Haydon. ‘That idea is not a call to empty niceness. It’s how you prevent suffering.’ 

‘Gina Carano was fired for being conservative,’ wrote conservative activist and Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv. 

Another Twitter user, John Kelly, added: ‘C’mon #Disney. Don’t hold to a double standard. Either fire Pedro Pascal or rehire Gina Carano.’ 

Jason Presti shared Pascal’s tweet, adding: ‘The Hypocrisy of Disney/Lucasfilm & Cancel Culture! Pedro Pascal wasn’t cancelled or fired for this.’   

 

A spokesperson for Lucasfilm said in a statement on Wednesday that Carano is not currently employed by the production company with ‘no plans for her to be in the future.’

‘Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable,’ the statement read.

Talent agency UTA has also dropped Carano as a client following the controversy, according to Variety. 

Carano, who played the recurring character Cara Dune on the ‘Star Wars’ series, deleted the post but it was widely shared online and spurred the #FireGinaCarano hashtag to trend.  

Gina Carano is Cara Dune, Pedro Pascal is the Mandalorian and Carl Weathers is Greef Karga

Actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano has been fired from the cast of the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian following a controversial social media post

Before news of her termination was announced, Carano posted a picture to her Instagram story that included the phrase ‘Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself’

Carano is seen with cast of The Mandalorian at the show’s 2019 premiere 

Her character appeared in several episodes of the second season of ‘The Mandalorian,’ a series about a bounty hunter and his quest to unite a powerful, young user of the Force with a Jedi Knight.

Dune, who in the second season is a lawperson on a frontier planet, frequently teams up with the title character to fight an old nemesis: remnants of the evil Galactic Empire.

Carano, a former mixed martial artist whose Dune character used a mix of heavy weapons and her fists to best opponents, had been criticized online for social media posts. 

In some, she mocked mask wearing during the pandemic and promoted claims of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. 

On Wednesday- before news of her termination was announced – Carano posted a picture to her Instagram story that included the phrase ‘Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself’ – a reference to conspiracy theories that the pedophile billionaire was murdered.  

‘I bring out the fire in people:’ Gina Carano’s controversial comments on social media   

Actress Gina Carano has never been shy of expressing her opinions on social media.

Late last year she shared anti-mask tweets, posts in support of Trump’s claims about voter fraud and was accused of ‘mocking trans people’.

Responding to the criticism she said: I bring the fire out in people. I’m not sure why.’ 

These were the latest tweets that sparked attention. In August 2020, she was criticized for blocking accounts supporting Black Lives Matter protests on Twitter. She called her critics “cowards and bullies” but denied accusations of racism.  

Carano has mocked the use of preferred gender pronouns, listing ‘beep/bop/boop’ in her social media bio after some expressed outrage that she did not list any pronouns. The move prompted accusations of transphobia. 

She later deleted the terms, saying fellow Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal ‘helped [her] understand’ the meaning behind preferred pronouns. 

Carano likened the murder of Jews during the Holocaust to the current U.S. political climate in February.  

On Wednesday- before news of her termination was announced – Carano posted a picture to her Instagram story that included the phrase ‘Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself’ – a reference to conspiracy theories that the pedophile billionaire was murdered. 

She also mocked the use of gender pronouns, listing ‘beep/bop/boop’ in her social media bio after some expressed outrage that she did not list any pronouns in her bio.

Last month, Carano opened up about facing backlash from the Star Wars community over her conservative and anti-mask tweets amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The actress spoke with YouTuber Drunk 3PO in a candid interview about her controversial social media presence.

‘People need to be OK with having conversations,’ she told the host. ‘With having difficult conversations, with having different opinions. What’s wrong with having a different opinion?’

She continued: ‘Why does everybody have to straight go to demoralizing because maybe they just didn’t think the way you did?’ 

The actress also noted that she is not deterred by critics and stays vocal to prevent them from controlling Twitter and other social media platforms. 

‘My whole perspective on this is, I’ve seen people get bullied off of Twitter on both sides,’ the former MMA fighter explained. 

‘I don’t like bullying, and If I don’t stay present, which I don’t even necessarily want to stay present that often, I want to make art, art is my passion, but if I don’t stay present then other people win.’ 

She continued: ‘Other people win in bullying people off of platforms and there needs to be a more balanced platform.’  

Insisting she won’t be silenced, the Texas-born performer pointed out that ‘a lot of people are not bothered by’ her presence on Twitter and she chooses to focus on her fans. 

‘I bring the fire out in people. I’m not sure why,’ she said just weeks after sharing a snarky meme of two people putting face masks over their eyes like blindfolds. 

Fallout from Carano’s firing was swift online, and the terms ‘Gina Carano’ and ‘Nazi Germany’ began trending on Twitter on Wednesday night as a result of her post.

While those who had called for her firing cheered Lucasfilm’s move, conservatives rallied to support Carano and even claimed that her firing was evidence of her premise. 

Some celebrated Lucasfilm’s move to disavow Carano, saying it was the fate she deserved.

‘Turns out that when you publicly support and encourage authoritarianism and fascism, you reflect poorly on your employer and they want nothing to do with you,’ one person tweeted.

‘Watching Republican after Republican just lose everything because of how s***y of a person they are is my favorite past time,’ another wrote. 

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Health

Houston Doctor Fired for Giving Away Doses of Covid Vaccine

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In recent years, Dr. Gokal split his time between two area hospitals. But when the pandemic hit in early 2020, he lived for a month in a hotel and an apartment rather than risk infecting his wife, Maria, 47, who has pulmonary sarcoidosis, a disease in her lungs that leaves her winded after even minimal activity.

“I was petrified to go home and bring Covid to my wife,” he said.

Fortunately, he said, the Harris County Public Health department recruited him in April to become the medical director for its Covid-response team. The job paid less, but he was eager to protect his wife by limiting his exposure to the coronavirus in emergency rooms.

On Dec. 22, Dr. Gokal joined a conference call in which state health officials explained the protocols for administering the recently approved Moderna vaccine. The 10 or 11 doses in a vial are viable for six hours after the seal is punctured.

Dr. Gokal said the advice was to vaccinate people eligible under the 1(a) category (health care workers and residents in long-term-care facilities), then those under the 1(b) category (people over 65 or with a health condition that increases risk of severe Covid-related illness).

After that, he said, the message was: “Just put it in people’s arms. We don’t want any doses to go to waste. Period.”

On Dec. 29, a mild Tuesday, Dr. Gokal arrived before dawn at a park in the Houston suburb of Humble to supervise a vaccination event intended mostly for emergency workers. In part because of minimal publicity, the pace was slow, with no more than 250 doses administered. But this was the county’s first public event, he said. “We knew there would be hiccups.”

Around 6:45 at night, as the event wound down, an eligible person arrived for a shot. A nurse punctured a new vial to administer the vaccine, which activated the six-hour time limit for the 10 remaining doses.

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Business

Parler’s CEO has been fired

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After his social media platform was largely wiped off the web, Parler CEO and co-founder John Matze says he has been fired by his company’s own board of directors, according to a memo obtained by Fox News and The Wall Street Journal and a text message confirmation he sent to Reuters.

Parler, of course, is the social network that found itself wholly deplatformed after its role in the January 6th riots at the US Capitol. Both Apple and Google removed the app from their app stores after being unsatisfied with the company’s attempts to moderate the spread of calls for violence. Amazon decided to terminate the company’s AWS website hosting completely. And though Parler did try to sue Amazon, a judge denied a demand for its website hosting to be reinstated.

On January 10th, Matze told Fox News that all the company’s vendors — and even its lawyers — had abandoned him.

Today, Matze claims he was terminated by a board led by Rebekah Mercer (of the Mercer family, who are prominent conservative donors), and suggested that he was fired due to his “strong belief in free speech” and his product vision, including “what I believe is a more effective approach to content moderation.”

It might also have something to do with the company getting run into the ground under his watch. In addition to the difficulties of simply staying up on the internet, it came to light that Parler may have had some privacy issues. Researchers were able to scrape a tremendous amount of users’ content, including their geotagged locations and videos, which were later converted into interactive maps of the Capitol building attack that proved many Parler users were involved.

The House Oversight Committee even called for an FBI investigation into Parler’s involvement in the attack on the Capitol.

Parler does currently have a website again thanks to the hosting services of Epik, a company that also supports controversial websites like Gab and 8chan, and Parler suggested on January 17th that it hoped “to welcome all of you back soon.” But that was over two weeks ago, and the website is mostly a timeline of grievances about how the company has been treated unjustly. Matze hasn’t posted there since Monday, January 26th. His last post was a Bernie Sanders meme with the text “I wish that John guy would hurry up already.”

Apparently, Rebekah Mercer agreed with that sentiment.

Parler didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Developing…

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Entertainment

Kelly Dodd Expects To Be Fired From ‘RHOC,’ According To Source

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Kelly Dodd of The Real Housewives of Orange County had been fascinating to watch on the show as she ticked off her co-stars. However, fans didn’t expect to feel attacked by one of the stars of the Bravo series. That is how many felt when Dodd played down the pandemic and seemingly mocked COVID as families grieved the loss of their loved ones at home. Almost a year later, Dodd’s future on the franchise could be in jeopardy and she’s bracing for the worse.

Kelly Dodd | Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Times are changing

Although Dodd has always made controversial statements, none had produced the huge backlash her COVID-19 statements generated. Dodd was seen as the future of RHOC as Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge exited the reality series after more than 12 years. Season 16 didn’t have any of the OGs holding an orange anymore and it would’ve been Dodd’s chance to shine.

However, as the mysterious virus hit U.S. soil, uncertainty began to set it. Production for RHOC was halted soon after they began filming as everyone tried to grapple with coronavirus.

Dodd is a heavy social media user and is never afraid to speak her mind just like on the reality series. Replying to criticism for traveling while the country was on lockdown, she played down the seriousness of the virus and said COVID-19 was “God’s way of thinning the herd.”

When Dodd appeared on Watch What Happens Live, Dodd said she regretted making that statement as it was deemed insensitive by fans.

“Of course I regret saying that,” Dodd said of her “thinning the herd” comment. “It was a stupid thing for me to say, it was insensitive and I apologize if I hurt or offended anybody. That wasn’t really my intention… I got really freaked out about it. In hindsight, it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever said.”

RELATED: Kelly Dodd To Quit ‘RHOC’ if Braunwyn Windham-Burke Returns: ‘She’s Dangerous’

Kelly Dodd continues to be controversial

More recently, California lifted a statewide order and allowed restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining. Dodd, who leans conservative and has criticized the Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, celebrated going out and documenting the gathering of her friends.

As Dodd broadcasted on Instagram Live, a man is heard saying no one in the restaurants had masks and they were all “super spreaders.” The entrepreneur echoed those words and cheered on being “super spreaders.” Keep in mind that in less than a year the U.S. death toll for people affected by the coronavirus horribly approached 500,000.

Soon after the video went viral, Positive Beverage announced they were cutting ties with Dodd. Although the latter claims she still owns 5% of the company, they stated they denounced Dodd over her “controversial views.”

“Our core values of wellness, community, diversity, and inclusion should be reflected by our brand and anyone associated with it,” Head of Brand, Zack Muchnick, said in a statement. “It has become clear over the past few months that Kelly’s controversial views and opinions have distracted from our primary objectives, so effective today, we are no longer affiliated with Kelly Dodd-Leventhal.”

Kelly Dodd | Arturo Holmes/WireImage

RELATED: Elizabeth Lyn Vargas Seemingly Confirms Return To ‘RHOC’ Season 16 Cast

Kelly Dodd expects to be fired

The consequences of Dodd’s words and her lack of sensitivity to Americans that are experiencing losses in their family, have made Dodd lose out on business opportunities. After Positive Beverage sent a message by firing her, many fans are expecting Bravo to follow suit. Now, a source close to Dodd is revealing that the reality TV personality is also expecting to be cut from RHOC.

“Although she would love to stay on the show, she has come to terms with it,” an insider told E! News. “She knows it’s coming.”

The source also said that Dodd feels the network is favoring other cast members like Braunwyn Windham-Burke. As of now, Bravo has not made any official announcements about the future of the franchise. However, Andy Cohen, who is an executive producer on the show, hinted that a reboot could be happening.



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