Latest news with #TaylorLorenz
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Taylor Lorenz mocked by Piers Morgan panel after she defends band's 'Death to the IDF' chant
Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz clashed with Piers Morgan and fellow panelists on his show Monday after she adamantly defended a UK band for chanting "Death to the IDF" at a musical festival on Saturday. While performing at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, singer Bobby Vylan of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in a "Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]," chant against Israel's military. The band's actions drew swift backlash. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned their rhetoric as "hate speech" and their visas were revoked by the U.S. State Department. The band was also reportedly dropped by the United Talent Agency. Lorenz claimed on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" that the band was not calling for violence against Israeli soldiers but was protesting the actions of Israel's national military in the war in Gaza. "The Israeli army is committing genocide, so I completely understand why people are upset about anyone sort of calling for death, but it's important that the reason they're calling for death for this sort of amorphous military entity is because that military entity is currently slaughtering babies and committing genocide in Gaza," she began. Lorenz argued that the crowd chanting "Death to the IDF" at the concert had a right to be angry about the "genocide." She called for people upset by the band's rhetoric to "advocate for the end of the genocide." "They weren't talking about an entity," Morgan pushed back. "They were talking about the soldiers. They wanted death to the IDF soldiers." Other panelists on the show also picked apart Lorenz's argument. "If you are advocating against genocide, and you don't want people to be killed, how can you turn around and say at the same breath that you think chanting for death should be contextualized somehow?" Tel Aviv Institute senior fellow Hen Mazzig told Lorenz. "Well, yeah, because again, if an army is committing genocide and slaughtering babies and creating the highest rate of child amputees in the world, and if that is what they have done for months and years now, and then the public is rightfully outraged about that," she retorted. "Calling for their death, that's the issue —" Mazzig began as Lorenz interjected. "Calling for the death of a military entity that is currently committing genocide," she insisted. "Of soldiers!" Mazzig disagreed. "It's a compulsory army." Morgan jumped in to scold Lorenz for doubling down on the argument. "Taylor, you can't keep saying that. You don't even believe that when you're saying it. If they said death to the British army, no one's taking that as meaning the institution. They're taking it as meaning British soldiers," he explained. Lorenz compared the situation to people chanting "death to America." "When people say 'death to America,' they mean death to American imperialism that has subjugated them," she claimed. "No, they don't. They mean death to Americans!" Morgan replied. "Oh, come on!" Mazzig sighed. "That's a very generous position," co-panelist and British columnist Esther Krakue laughed. "Ask the Supreme Leader of Iran what they mean, they'll tell you exactly!" Mazzig also mocked Lorenz.
Int'l Business Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Kids Protesting ICE on Roblox Are Being 'Shot' by Players Pretending to Be Cops
Roblox players attending virtual protests against deportation efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are now being "shot" by players playing police officers while attending the online demonstrations. The demonstrations on Roblox, an online game platform popular amongst children, began when players dressed as ICE officers began barging into the houses of other players, even going as far as to "arrest" users while conducting "Border Patrol" surveillance, according to Teen Vogue. Last week, as hundreds of thousands of protestors in the real world took to the streets to join demonstrations against ICE and the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda, Roblox players hosted similar protests within the game. Many players donned Mexican flags and battled players dressed as cops. One child who spoke to journalists about the anti-ICE protests within the game later relayed that protestors were now being "shot" by police players. "On Monday I reported on anti-ICE protests taking over Roblox. One of the kids I interviewed texted me this morning to share that the Roblox protesters are now facing police violence," shared journalist Taylor Lorenz. Text messages shared to X by Lorenz read, "I was in a Roblox ICE protest but then we all got shot," before adding in another text, "By the police." Social media users took to the replies to express their incredulity and disbelief at the situation transpiring on the game. "Defund the Roblox police NOW," one user joked. Defund the Roblox police NOW — Rob (@thegallowboob) June 18, 2025 "I really shouldn't be laughing but idk how else to interpret reality. A children's video game reflecting real life. 'Is Roblox going Woke' coming to FOX News tonight!" another wrote. I really shouldn't be laughing but idk how else to interpret reality. A children's video game reflecting real life. 'Is Roblox going Woke' coming to FOX News tonight! — Nick Ribaudo 🎤 (@ribaudo_nick) June 18, 2025 "I'm sorry, what!?" another user added. Originally published on Latin Times
Fast Company
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Kids are turning Roblox into a virtual protest ground against ICE
As anti-ICE protests intensify across the country, kids are turning Roblox into a protest ground online. Last week, thousands took to the streets to protest the Trump administration's immigration policies. Meanwhile, on Roblox, avatars faced off with players dressed in police SWAT gear in the popular Brookhaven roleplay world (based on the real city of Brookhaven, Georgia), as Taylor Lorenz first reported in User Mag. After her story published, Lorenz shared an update that Roblox protesters are now facing police violence. A screenshot of a text shared with Lorenz (which she then posted on X) reads: 'I was in a Roblox ice protest but then we all got shot. By the police.' Players have been sharing updates across TikTok and Discord, posting dates and times for upcoming protests. Some Roblox players are even enacting their own ICE raids. One TikTok video shows a player dressed as an ICE agent, barging into another player's Roblox home and violently 'arresting' him. Roblox hosts around 85 million daily active users globally, about 40% of whom are under the age of 12. Brookhaven is Roblox's most-visited experience ever, with over 65 billion visits, and recently won two Roblox Innovation Awards 2024 categories: 'Best Roleplay/Life Sim' and 'Best Social Hangout.' A study published earlier this year in Cornell University's preprint server arXiv found that in-game roleplay and avatar customization help kids aged eight to 13 explore their identities. As the iPad generation grows up, gaming platforms like Roblox are becoming spaces where they process major world events. Virtual protests aren't new. In 2016, young users took to Club Penguin to protest President Donald Trump's victory in an election they were too young to vote in, declaring 'not my president' and 'penguins of color matter' in the speech bubbles above their penguin avatars. In 2020, gamers staged virtual sit-ins in Habbo and held demonstrations in Toontown during the Black Lives Matter protests amid lockdown restrictions. These protests may be virtual, but that doesn't make them any less real. Gen Alpha has grown up online, and with many still too young to vote or take their activism to the streets, it makes sense they're showing up in droves in the spaces they inhabit every day. As one TikTok user shared, her younger sister couldn't attend the anti-ICE protests in person because of safety concerns. Instead, her sister told her: 'It's ok I protested on Roblox yesterday.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Waymo Hiring For a "Public Affairs Specialist" in Los Angeles While People Are Settings Its Cars on Fire
Waymo is hiring a "community and public affairs specialist" — at the same time that the company's self-driving vehicles were becoming unwitting participants in Los Angeles' anti-immigration raid protests. After rabblerousers set fire to a bunch of Waymo's driverless cabs, the company suspended service in the city of Angels and San Francisco, where satellite solidarity protests also broke out. While it was all going down, the public affairs specialist listing was live, like a cautionary tale for the challenges of the role. "Our focus is implementing advocacy, grassroots, and grasstops campaigns to drive acceptance and adoption of our life-saving technology," reads the listing. "We work directly with key third party groups and influencers to educate the public on the safety benefits of Waymo's fully autonomous driving technology." With compensation ranging from $125,000 to $175,000 per year, the Google-owned robotaxi service is seeking someone who can "develop and sustain relationships with influential community organizations and (non-elected) leaders" as the company attempts to "build trust" and "maintain Waymo's ability to operate in Los Angeles County." Though there's ample allusion to "community" — a word used a total of 10 times on the job listing — Waymo was not explicit in the ad about why it's hiring for such a liaison at this precise moment. And to be fair, those outside of leftist circles in LA and online may also be a bit perplexed about why the company was targeted amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As tech journalist Taylor Lorenz noted on X over the weekend, it appears that activists zeroed in on Waymos as a symbol of state surveillance because, as 404 Media flagged earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department has used footage from the company for investigative purposes. "People view the cars as an extension of the police," Lorenz wrote, linking to the 404 piece. Because the more destructive aspects of the anti-ICE protests were seemingly decentralized and spontaneous, there's no way to know for sure whose idea it was to start torching Waymos. With that in mind, the company clearly wants to start doing the hard work of extricating its brand from that of the massively unpopular federal agency — though issuing a statement in solidarity with the communities it's trying to court would probably make for a better start. Take note, applicants. Updated to clarify that the job listing was already up at the time of the attacks on Waymo vehicles. More on robotaxis: Elon Musk's "Robotaxis" Have a Dirty Secret
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"He Torched His Entire Reputation For Nothing": 27 Of The Best Political Tweets From This Messy, Messy Week
Editor's Note: While we can't endorse what X has become, we can bring you the worthwhile moments that still exist there, curated and free of the surrounding chaos. American politics is chaos right now, but I find it comforting to know I'm not alone in thinking the world has gone bananas. So, here are 27 of the best, most relatable, and sometimes funny political tweets from the last week: 1. 2. 3. NBC / Twitter: @Nick_Offerman 4. 5. 6. 7. Twitter: @TaylorLorenz 8. Related: This Senator's Clap Back Fully Gagged An MSNBC Anchor, And The Clip Is Going Viral 9. 10. 11. 12. KOTA / Twitter: @esjesjesj 13. Related: This Republican Lawmaker's Embarrassing Lack Of Knowledge Of The Term "Intersex" Went Viral After He Proposed An Amendment To Cut LGBTQ+ Funding 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. MSNBC / Twitter: @Politics_PR 24. 25. 26. finally: See you next week! For more political tweets, check out our most recent roundup: "I Don't Know How To Live In A Country With People Who Support Sending A 4-Year-Old To Her Death": 23 Tweets About The Dismal State Of Politics This Week Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: Republicans Are Calling Tim Walz "Tampon Tim," And The Backlash From Women Is Too Good Not To Share Also in In the News: "We Don't Import Food": 31 Americans Who Are Just So, So Confused About Tariffs And US Trade
