Elmo's Wholesome Feed Got Hacked And Took A Very Sinister Turn
The heartwarming messages and questions that are usually shared on the lovable, fictional character's feed were replaced with racist, anti-Semitic and offensive bile. There were also slams of President Donald Trump over the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein controversy.
Elmo's account was 'compromised' by an 'unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including anti-Semitic and racist posts,' a spokesperson for the nonprofit organization Sesame Workshop, which produces the educational children's television show, confirmed to The Daily Beast.
The posts remained live for less than half an hour, reported Mediaite.
They have since been deleted.
Eric Idle Was Asked What's Funny About Trump And His Answer Was No Laughing Matter
Economist Cooks Up New Code Word For Trump Tariff Plans, Serves It With A Serious Warning
Lara Trump Declares Trump Has Made History In 1 Key Way, And Critics Just Can't
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
21 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Autodesk drops pursuit of Boston-based software firm PTC
Advertisement TECH Elmo's hacked X account posted racist messages. Sesame Workshop is trying to regain control. 'Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,' a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said Monday. Victoria Will/Associated Press Sesame Workshop was trying to regain full control over its Elmo account on the X platform Monday after a hacker gained access and posted a string of racist and antisemitic messages. 'Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,' a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said Monday. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind 'Sesame Street' and Elmo. The account was compromised over the weekend and instead of the usual posts of encouragement and kindness, Elmo's 650,000 followers were given antisemitic threats and a profane reference to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Those tweets were soon deleted, though Elmo's account retains a link to a Telegram channel from a user who takes credit for the hack. — ASSOCIATED PRESS Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up ACQUISITIONS Advertisement Milford's Waters Corp. strikes $17.5 billion deal to merge with BD's diagnostics unit Udit Batra, CEO of Waters Corp. Waters is merging with a unit of Becton, Dickinson and Co. in a stock-and-cash deal valued at $17.5 billion. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Milford lab equipment maker Waters Corp. will acquire the biosciences and diagnostic solutions unit of the medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Co. in a stock-and-cash deal valued at $17.5 billion, the companies said Monday. BD will spin off the diagnostics unit, which will then be merged with a wholly-owned Waters subsidiary. BD shareholders will receive 39.2 percent of the combined company and $4 billion in cash. Waters shareholders will own 60.8 percent of the combined company. The boards of both companies have approved the deal, which is expected to close near the end of the first quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. Waters CEO Udit Batra will lead the combined company. BD's biosciences and diagnostic solutions unit focuses on immunology research and infectious disease diagnostics. The company said in February that it was looking to divest the unit to concentrate on medical devices. Waters, which provides lab equipment, software, and supplies to scientists, had nearly $3 billion in sales in 2024. Waters expects the combination with BD's biosciences and diagnostics solutions unit to more than double those revenues. Waters shares fell almost 14 percent in New York trading Monday. BD's shares were up less than 1 percent. — YOGEV TOBY RETURN TO OFFICE Starbucks takes aim at remote work, says some employees may need to relocate to headquarters Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, Wash., on Feb. 27. David Ryder/Bloomberg Starbucks is requiring some remote workers to return to its headquarters and increasing the number of days that corporate employees are required to work in an office. In a letter to employees posted on Monday, Starbucks chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees would need to be in the office four days a week starting in early October instead of three days a week. The Seattle-based company said that all corporate 'people leaders' must be based in either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months. That is a change from February, when it required vice presidents to relocate to Seattle or Toronto. Starbucks said individual employees working under those leaders would not be asked to relocate. But the company said all hiring for future roles and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto. 'We are reestablishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together. We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster,' Niccol wrote in the letter. Niccol said affected workers who choose not to relocate will be eligible for a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment. — ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement GOVERNMENT Powell asks Fed's inspector general to review renovation project Construction on the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C., on June 25. Al Drago/Bloomberg Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has made a formal request that the central bank's inspector general review its $2.5 billion building renovation, according to a spokesperson for the IG's office. Republicans are attacking Powell over cost overruns in the refurbishment of two historic buildings controlled by the Fed, with some using the issue to argue it gives the president legal cause for his dismissal. The attacks follow continual anger directed at the Fed by President Trump for its decisions to hold interest rates steady this year. The IG's office declined to comment further. The request was first reported by Axios. The Fed's IG has already reviewed the building programs over time and Powell has discussed the project with the IG in recent weeks, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak about it publicly. The formal request asks the IG to review cost overruns and any other issue the IG deems appropriate. Michael Horowitz, the Fed's IG, was appointed to the job by Powell in June. — BLOOMBERG NEWS Advertisement MEDIA BBC ends ties with 'MasterChef' host Gregg Wallace after investigation The BBC said in a statement that Wallace's behavior 'falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us.' Frank Augstein/Associated Press The BBC said Monday that it would stop working with Gregg Wallace, a mainstay of the network and the longtime host of its hit television show 'MasterChef,' after an investigation substantiated dozens of sexual misconduct allegations against him. Of the 83 allegations made against Wallace, 45 were upheld, the broadcaster said. These included three instances of him being 'in a state of undress' and one of unwelcome physical contact. The majority of claims against Wallace, who hosted the show for 19 years, involve 'inappropriate sexual language and humor,' but the probe also found allegations of culturally and racially insensitive comments. The investigation, conducted by the law firm Lewis Silkin, involved interviews with 78 witnesses over seven months. It covered incidents between 2005 and 2024. 'The volume and consistency of substantiated allegations' made Wallace's return to the hit cooking show " untenable," according to a statement from the production company behind the show, Banijay. Wallace denied many of the allegations in a statement posted to Instagram. On Monday, he wrote, 'I am deeply sorry for any distress caused.' He also said that 'some of his humor and language missed the mark,' adding, 'A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I'm perceived. I'm still learning.' The BBC said in a statement that it had missed opportunities to address his behavior earlier and that it accepted that more 'could and should have been done sooner.' -- NEW YORK TIMES Advertisement ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Defense Department to begin using Grok, Musk's controversial AI model The chat window for chatbot Grok. Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg The Defense Department will begin using Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot built by Elon Musk's start-up xAI, the company said in a post Monday. The xAI announcement came as Grok unveiled what it called 'Grok for Government,' a suite that allows agencies and federal offices to adopt its chatbots for their specific uses. President Trump has encouraged more rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools since taking office in January. Musk was a member of the Trump administration, overseeing the US DOGE Service, until late May. He has since become a critic of Trump's signature tax and spending legislation. In a news release, the Defense Department said the contract award is worth up to $200 million. The department issued similar awards to Google, Anthropic and OpenAI, it said. Grok came under fire last week after launching into an antisemitic rant and invoking Adolf Hitler after it was a programmed to be less politically correct. The incident prompted the company to say it would improve its model. A day later, xAI unveiled a sweeping update that it claimed put Grok on the cutting edge of AI development. — WASHINGTON POST
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Blake Lively Gets New Subpoenas Out In Justin Baldoni Legal Case, ‘Source' Claims
and 's legal battle reportedly got a new update as the former issued three new subpoenas. Weeks after her and Taylor Swift's text messages became accessible to her 'It Ends With Us' co-star, Lively subpoenaed Perez Hilton, Candace Owens, and Andy Signore. She seemingly sought all communications with Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties to prove the alleged smear campaign. Her lawsuit also accused him of sexual harassment. TMZ learned about a new development in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle as she reportedly issued three new subpoenas. A source with direct knowledge claimed that Lively subpoenaed content creators Perez Hilton, Candace Owens, and Andy Signore to obtain all communications with Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties. The publication believes her latest move likely stemmed from the judge's order to pursue discovery to prove the alleged smear campaign. Owens responded to the claim in a statement, revealing that she does not know the court documents yet. 'Given the fact that I have not received any subpoena yet, I appreciate Blake's team leaking this to TMZ to alert me to it,' she stated. The commentator and author further said she's unaware why she was 'being subpoenaed.' She then denied association with 'these parties' when they filed their respective lawsuits, but will share updates on her podcast. Responding to the subpoenas from Lively, Signore's lawyer also released a statement. The lawyer stated they haven't received 'any legal process at this time.' However, they expressed their intentions to 'vigorously defend against any claims' and 'protect the confidentiality of sources on both sides' in case of a subpoena. Reports of the subpoenas came weeks after a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. His team had previously issued two subpoenas to the 'Gossip Girl' alum's close friend Taylor Swift and her lawyers at Venable. They then withdrew the subpoenas soon after, but successfully pursued text messages between the two friends. Originally reported by Nikita Mahato on Reality Tea. The post Blake Lively Gets New Subpoenas Out In Justin Baldoni Legal Case, 'Source' Claims appeared first on Mandatory.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rihanna Just Took Us to Fashion Church In an Angelic, All-White Maternity Look
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Although she might disapprove, the fashion world would be a better place if Rihanna was pregnant all the time. While carrying her third child, the Fenty Beauty mogul and pop superstar has taken her maternity style to impossibly great heights, proving that a baby bump cannot stop her from sporting custom couture or fresh-off-the-runway fits. I would go so far as to say that her fashion has never been better. Case in point: RiRi's latest ensemble, which transformed her into an angelic Madonna as she exited one of her favorite dining spots, Giorgio Baldi, in Los Angeles on Sunday night. For the dinner, Rihanna chose a sculptural, low-slung skirt from the Alaïa Fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection, which tapered inward as it traveled down her legs, all originating from a molded, hoop-like waist. To match the skirt, the mother-of-two added a hooded, cropped tank and pointy pumps, both in white, while accessorizing with large diamond earrings and black sunglasses to top it all off. It certainly wasn't your average dinner ensemble. The stylish meal took place mere hours after the Savage X Fenty founder walked the red carpet for her new Smurfs movie with sons RZA and Riot in tow. For the premiere, RiRi chose a chocolate ball gown from Saint Laurent, which she accessorized with a sage-green sash tied into a bow around her waist, as well as a brown, distressed-leather jacket. Meanwhile, her kids were dressed in custom Dior looks inspired by Jonathan Anderson's debut menswear collection for the French luxury house. Throughout her three pregnancies, Rihanna has turned to both Alaïa and Saint Laurent—as well as other major designer brands—in order to turn out one show-stopping look after the other, be it a red-hot Super Bowl set or a knotty, sky-blue gown for the Cannes Film Festival. Clearly, her work is not finished yet. You Might Also Like 4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine
