Latest news with #JamesWoods
The Independent
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Even the ‘QAnon Shaman' has turned on Trump
Jacob Angeli Chansley, also known as the 'QAnon Shaman,' has launched a scathing verbal attack on President Trump, as the commander-in-chief continues to deal with the fallout of his administration's decision not to release the Epstein files. In 2021, the pictures of Chansley, adorned in a fur Viking horned headdress and red, white, and blue face paint, became a defining image of the Capitol riot. Four years on, Chansley's support of the president seems to be over. 'Oh yeah & F*** Israel! And F*** Donald Trump!, Angeli-Chansley wrote on X Wednesday. Chansley posted a flurry of fiery tweets about Trump, including one that has since been deleted under a Trump post featuring his mugshot. The tweet, which read 'F*** this stupid piece of s***... What a fraud,' was shared by X account Faketriots Watch. Chansley then turned his attention to Hollywood star and Trump supporter James Woods. 'Did you go to Epstein Island too James? Cuz I am beginning to look your house survive the LA fires too? Nothing about Epstein? You're not holding Trump accountable...I know the routine James...I try to give people their I'm gonna let you cook…,' Chansley wrote to the Once Upon a Time in America star. The one-time Trump superfan was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021 after he was seen storming the Senate dais, taking selfies in a seat that Vice President Mike Pence had occupied an hour earlier, and scribbling 'It's Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!' on a piece of paper left on the desk. 'Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor,' he said during the raid. Chansley then called other rioters up to the dais and led them in an incantation over his bullhorn, according to the Department of Justice. He was released to a halfway house in 2023. Two years later, Trump pardoned Chansley along with over 1,500 others involved in the rioting that day. In 2021, his support for the president wavered when he offered to testify against Trump, stating that he was one of the many individuals incited by the then-former president's actions and rhetoric at The Ellipse on January 6. Ever since a n FBI memo was leaked claiming Jeffrey Epstein held 'no client list', MAGA has been split over the truth behind the matter. GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and a string of conservative pundits, including Tucker Carlson, former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon, and right-wing podcaster Ben Shapiro, have all taken aim at Trump over the Epstein debacle.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- CTV News
Crash on Highway 6 in Arthur sends one person to hospital
A serious collision shut down a stretch of Highway 6 through Arthur on Thursday. Ontario Provincial Police said it happened around 7 a.m. between Conestoga Street North and Preston Street North. A photo, shared by OPP, showed one vehicle with significant front-end damage and another up on its side. Police said one driver was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other driver was arrested. James Woods, a 25-year-old from the community of Conn, was charged with dangerous operation causing bodily harm, operation while impaired by alcohol or drugs, failing to remain at the scene of a collision, operation while prohibited, and driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock device. His licence was also suspended for 90 days, while his vehicle was impounded for 45 days. Highway 6 reopened before noon.
Newsweek
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Nearly Half of Americans Believe False Claims, Study Shows
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new study released by NewsGuard reveals that 49 percent of Americans say they believed at least one of the top false news claims circulating online in June. The research, conducted through NewsGuard's newly launched Reality Gap Index in partnership with YouGov, surveyed 1,000 Americans and found that only 7 percent of those surveyed could correctly identify all three false claims as untrue. The study represents the group's first ongoing measurement of mainstream Americans' susceptibility to online misinformation. The Context This research provides the first quantifiable measure of how effectively false information penetrates American public opinion. With 74 percent of respondents expressing uncertainty about at least one claim's veracity, the findings highlight the challenge facing voters where shared factual understanding appears increasingly fragmented. The study's methodology could offer policymakers, platforms and educators concrete data about misinformation's real-world impact on public perception. What To Know The Reality Gap Index tracks Americans' belief in provably false claims with significant online spread, selected based on virality, impact and potential harm. Beginning with June's study, NewsGuard intends to publish monthly reports tracking these trends, providing insights into how hoaxes and foreign information operations can succeed in misleading the public. Pallets of Bricks During Deportation Protests The first false claim alleged that pallets of bricks were strategically placed in Los Angeles, designed to arm demonstrators during June's deportation protests. This claim saw mixed public response: 23.48 percent of Americans believed it was true, 33.20 percent correctly identified it as false and 43.32 percent were unsure. NewsGuard's investigation found no evidence supporting this assertion. Images and videos cited as proof were misrepresented, including footage from locations outside California. Conservative and conspiracy theory commentators like President Donald Trump ally actor James Woods had amplified this unfounded narrative across social media platforms. Senators' Ukraine Hotel Expenses The second claim suggested that Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal spent over $800,000 in taxpayer funds on hotels during a Ukraine trip. This false claim proved particularly confusing to Americans: 26.88 percent believed it was true, only 16.53 percent correctly identified it as false, and a majority (56.59 percent) were unsure. NewsGuard's fact-checking revealed this was false. The cited government payments to a Ukrainian organization were actually designated for U.S. diplomatic accommodations covering the entire month of June, not senators' personal expenses during their May visit. South African 'White Genocide' Claims The third false narrative promoted the idea of systematic killings of white South Africans as part of a "white genocide." Americans showed divided opinions on this claim: 26.07 percent believed it was true, 40.47 percent correctly identified it as false and 33.46 percent were unsure. Human rights experts and available crime data contradict these assertions. NewsGuard found no evidence of systematic targeting of white South Africans, who maintain disproportionate wealth in the nation. The claims misrepresent both the nature and scale of violence affecting white farmers. Study Methodology NewsGuard commissioned YouGov to conduct an online survey of 1,000 Americans age 18 and older last month. The nationally representative sample was presented with three false claims drawn from NewsGuard's False Claim Fingerprints database, which tracks provably false narratives gaining online traction. Participants responded whether each claim was "True," "False" or "Not Sure." After completing the survey, respondents received accurate debunking information to ensure the research didn't inadvertently advance misinformation. A person stands holding a smartphone, with their head obscured by a dark cloud labeled "Misinformation." The image symbolizes the concept of fake news and digital deception, illustrating the impact of misinformation in the digital... A person stands holding a smartphone, with their head obscured by a dark cloud labeled "Misinformation." The image symbolizes the concept of fake news and digital deception, illustrating the impact of misinformation in the digital age. More Getty Images What Happens Next NewsGuard will publish monthly Reality Gap Index reports tracking Americans' susceptibility to false claims over time. These reports will appear in the organization's Reality Check newsletter, which examines false information, its spread patterns and originators.
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Hercules review – Disney musical is fun, finely sung but not quite fit for the gods
Four years ago, Disney brought its adaptation of Frozen to this venue with wondrous results. Elsa and Anna drew an audience of zealous young cosplayers. Can Hercules bring in his own sword-and-sandal stans? His zero-to-hero journey was certainly winning in the 1997 animated film, with Gerald Scarfe's sharp-lined designs and James Woods' deliciously wicked Hades. But lightning does not strike twice with this stage version, although it is a sturdy enough Disney vehicle, with strong songs and plenty of splash. There is a briskness to its drama, under the direction of Casey Nicholaw, and a pounding out of the material – Songs! Lights! Action! – that makes it seem like a conveyor-belt musical. The characters are not so much divine as 2D, although the sound and optics are always eye-popping, the swivelling set designs intent on moving heaven and earth. Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser's costumes are heavenly, too, and camp as hell: gold dresses, white Spanx and Hercules in a mesh vest and miniskirt-style toga by the end. Luke Brady is an incredible singer, as Hercules navigates his journey between godliness and humanness with sidekick Phil (Trevor Dion Nicholas). But the title character is rather generic, a Hunkules who is earnest for too long despite shades of Joey from Friends (why not lean in to that?). The cast around Brady is just as strong vocally, but breezy in their dialogue. The animated film's Hades was a fabulous creation, his head permanently licked by flames from his underworld. Here, Stephen Carlile looks and sounds like a pantomime baddie, complete with corny jokes. You want to boo him every time he delivers his lines. The big booming songs – including seven new numbers written by Alan Menken (music) and David Zippel (lyrics) – come to sound samey and a little soupy, such as the new addition, Today's Gonna Be My Day. They are delivered as briskly as the action by an American-accented cast. Go the Distance is a lovely solo by Hercules but you do not feel quite enough emotion from it. The upbeat numbers work better, especially the reprises of Gospel Truth by the five muses, all powerhouse singers. So there is a stolidity to the story, as if an ancient tablet of stone has taken the place of a flesh and blood heart. The first half culminates in an NFL style parade, full of military motifs and twirling batons, all taking us outside the story's ancient world and into unimaginative, bland entertainment, with stock choreography (by Nicholaw and Tanisha Scott). But in the second half Kwame Kwei-Armah and Robert Horn's book gets funnier, Hercules turns goofier and his love story with Meg (Mae Ann Jorolan, cool cat to Brady's golden retriever) grows in chemistry. Not everything rights itself, however. The monsters that Hercules meets are certainly big but seem oddly cuddly as if the production is afraid of frightening its younger audience. Perhaps this musical shows the film's age: this feels like old-school Disney, its hero not quite self-mocking enough (compare him with the brilliantly self-parodying Maui from Moana) and the earnestness heaped heavy. In the programme, Zippel acknowledges the animated Hercules's mix of heart and wit. 'Everything comes with a wink,' he says. You wish for a few more winks here. At Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, until 28 March
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers can't keep pace with Nationals after giving up five home runs in loss
Washington's James Woods runs the bases after hitting a solo home run off Dodgers pitcher Dustin May in the fourth inning of the Dodgers' 7-3 loss Saturday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Dodger Stadium is the proud owner of the most home runs in baseball this season. The long-ball trend might not be an anomaly. On Saturday night, the Dodgers and Washington Nationals combined for eight home runs, but only three came off L.A. bats. Advertisement Dodgers right-hander Dustin May gave up three solo home runs in a 7-3 loss to the Nationals that featured the teams combining for eight home runs — the most in a Dodgers game this season. Andy Pages, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández hit home runs in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings, respectively. Read more: Dodgers commit $1 million for assistance for families of immigrants affected by ICE raids In the fourth inning, Nationals slugger James Wood used all of his 6-foot-7, 234-pound frame to launch a sinker from May to break a scoreless game. Pages only took one step from his position in center field as he tracked the ball off Wood's bat — he knew where it was headed. Advertisement The 451-foot solo blast gave the Nationals a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Three-hole hitter Luis Garcia Jr. followed Wood with a solo home run. For being middle of the pack offense — ranked 18th overall in runs scored — the Nationals flexed their muscle with their young stars. CJ Abrams socked a two-run home run in the seventh off Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer, his second in as many games. Wood and Abrams were acquired by the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade with San Diego in 2022. Washington's Nathaniel Lowe celebrates in the dugout after hitting his second home run of the game in the eighth inning Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) May gave up a home run in the sixth to Nathaniel Lowe — who also hit a homer in the eighth inning for his first multi-home run game. May gave up five hits, struck out five and walked two, tossing six innings for the third time in his last five starts. Advertisement Outside of Pages, Smith and Hernández's home runs, the Dodgers (47-31) threatened to score when Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman reached via singles in the fifth. Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin, however, struck out Freddie Freeman to end the threat. Irvin struck out seven and walked none in 5 ⅓ innings. Read more: Shaikin: Why is Dodger Stadium SO LOUD? Shohei Ohtani, who will start on the mound Sunday against the Nationals (32-45) in his second pitching appearance of 2025, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Eight home runs at Dodger Stadium is unusual, but low humidity in L.A. could be a factor in helping hard hits soar. Climate change researchers have even pondered the effect that warmer climates could have on home runs, with a 2023 study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society stating that more than 500 home runs since 2010 could be credited to global warming. Advertisement Across the last six seasons, Chavez Ravine has ranked top five in home runs on five occasions. In the 43 games the Dodgers have played at home in 2025, there have been an average of 3.39 home runs per game (146 home runs overall and 23 more than second-place George M. Steinbrenner Field). Glasnow update Tyler Glasnow (right shoulder) is scheduled to pitch two innings for triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. Relief pitcher Luis Garcia (right adductor) is set to appear for single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday as well. Both rehabilitation outings are their first since joining the injured list. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
