NBC announces it will not televise the 2022 Golden Globes after criticism of Hollywood Foreign Press

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NBC announced on Monday that they will not air the 2022 Golden Globes ceremony next year. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, or HFPA, the organization that puts on the ceremony, has been criticized in recent months for a lack of racial diversity among its voting members and various ethical concerns. The organization is said to have no Black voting members.

A spokesperson for NBC said: “We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.”

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has vowed to diversify its membership and make other changes. However, many actors and major entertainment companies such as Netflix, Amazon Studios and WarnerMedia have sought to distance themselves from the organization, saying they would not work with the HFPA until more sweeping changes are made in the group’s demographic makeup and ethics rules.

Amid outcry, NBC says it will not air Golden Globes in 2022

Via abcnews.go.com
 

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Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah charged in wire fraud scheme

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The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday that Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah has been arrested and charged with running a wide-ranging telemarketing fraud scheme. Shah faces charges alongside her assistant, Stuart Smith, who was also featured on the reality TV franchise. Shah and Smith have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering for allegedly selling “lead lists” for business opportunities that were nonexistent. The pair is accused of defrauding hundreds of victims, the Justice Department said. 

The indictment (which can be viewed here) alleges the two carried out the scheme from at least 2012, in which they “generated and sold lead lists to other participants for use by their telemarketing sales floors with the knowledge that the individuals they had identified as ‘leads’ would be defrauded by the other participants.” The scheme involved selling services claiming to help victims manage their online businesses and make them more profitable. In reality, the “‘services’ would provide little or no value to the victims’ businesses.”

Shah’s extravagant lifestyle was featured prominently in “Real Housewives” series, showing her hosting elaborate parties, buying designer outfits and employing a group of assistants who traveled with her.

Jen Shah, RHOSLC star, arrested for wire fraud

Via www.nbcnews.com
 

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Health Agency Spokesman Michael Caputo To Take Leave After Posting Controversial Rant On Social Media

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The top spokesman at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Michael Caputo, will take a two-month leave of absence, the agency said on Wednesday. The move came two days after the New York Times reported that Caputo, a former adviser to President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, said on Facebook that government scientists were engaging in “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic.

Caputo said without evidence that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was harboring a “resistance unit” determined to undermine Trump, according to the report. He also said that armed left-wing squads were preparing for insurrection following the election. HHS said in a statement that Caputo had decided to go on a leave of absence “to focus on his health and the well-being of his family.” Caputo said he decided to take the leave to undergo screenings for a “lymphatic issue” discovered last week.

HHS official Michael Caputo to take medical leave after promoting conspiracies

Via www.upi.com
 

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