26.9 C
New York
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Home Blog Page 668

Meta is making all Facebook videos reels

0


Meta is making a change to how sharing videos works on Facebook. Right now, you can share videos as a video from the post composer or as a reel, and both have different sharing workflows. In “the coming months,” however, “all videos on Facebook will be shared as reels,” according to a blog post.

“Facebook remains a home for all types of video – short, long, and Live,” Meta says. “We will gradually roll out these changes globally to profiles and Pages over the coming months to help you create, share and discover reels more easily on Facebook.”

Meta also plans to remove the length restrictions for reels on Facebook – right now, they’re limited to being 90 seconds long, per a support page.

Additionally, Meta will rename the Video tab to be the Reels tab. “We still value a variety of topics and lengths on Facebook, and this update won’t change what videos we recommend to you, which are personalized based on your interests,” the company says.

The changes to Facebook videos follow Mark Zuckerberg saying this year that he wanted to make Facebook “way more culturally influential than it is today” and to get back to “some OG Facebook.” The company introduced a new full-screen mobile video player for Facebook last year. Meta has also pushed reels in a big way on Instagram, and as of January, reels on that platform can be up to three minutes long.

Apologetic Henry Ruggs III speaks at Hope for Prisoners event

0


Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, on special release from prison Tuesday night, spoke at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas and apologized to the family of a woman he killed in a car crash nearly four years ago.

Ruggs drove his sports car at speeds up to 156 mph in the city on Nov. 2, 2021, slamming into a vehicle that killed driver Tina Tintor and her dog, Max. Tintor was 23.

Ruggs was asked at the event what he would say to Tintor’s family.

“One, I wish I could turn back the hands of time,” he said in a video taken by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something. I sincerely apologize for not only being a part of that situation, but the fact my face is always in the news, it’s always in the newspaper. So they have to constantly be reminded of the situation, be reminded of me.”

Ruggs, a former first-round draft pick, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced in August 2023 to a 3- to 10-year prison sentence.

Gigi Hadid on Anne Burrell Death

0


Gigi Hadid is reflecting on her bond with a late friend. 

Shortly after Anne Burrell died in her home at age 55 on June 17, the supermodel shared a heartwarming tribute to the Food Network star, who she teamed up with for the cooking competition series Beat Bobby Flay in 2023. 

In a photo from their joint TV appearance posted to her Instagram Story June 17, Gigi—wearing a maroon sweater and her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail—sat a table next to Anne, who sported a V-neck shirt, patterned scarf and bleached blond mohawk. As Anne appeared to speak, the model smiled warmly at her. 

“I am heartbroken to hear of the loss of the Great Anne Burrell,” Gigi wrote atop the image. “As a longtime fan, getting to share this day with her was a dream come true.”

The 30-year-old went on to describe just how special their time together was, recalling that they were able to “beat Bobby,” “hang” and “eat” during the shoot.

“I wish we could have done it again,” Gigi continued. “She was awesome.”

The Guests in Residence founder added, “Rest in Peace Legend.”



Indonesia issues highest alert as Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts

0


One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes spewed a huge ash cloud more than 11 kilometres into the sky on Tuesday after officials issued the country’s highest alert.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, erupted at 17:35 local time (10:35 BST), the country’s volcanology agency said, sending the vast cloud above the tourist island of Flores.

A 7km exclusion zone was in place around the crater of the 1,584m (one mile) high twin-peaked volcano. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The volcano erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to flee. The ash cloud also forced flight cancellations.

Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said no one should carry out any activities within 7km of the eruption, and warned of potential lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs.

Residents were also urged to wear face masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency meanwhile said that at least one village had been evacuated, and ash rain was reported in several others outside the exclusion zone.

A spokesman called on residents around the volcano “to evacuate to safe locations” as tremors were still being detected, which indicated ongoing volcanic activity.

Lewotobi Laki-laki’s last eruption was in May, when authorities also raised the level to the most severe.

Laki-Laki, which means “man” in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m named Perempuan, the Indonesian word for “woman”.

Tucker Carlson, Ted Cruz get in heated back and forth over Iran

0



Tucker Carlson and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) got into a fiery exchange on Tuesday over the senator’s support for President Trump and his posturing toward Israel in its escalating conflict with Iran.

The conservative media personality on Tuesday released a clip from the interview — set to be released in full on Wednesday — in which he grills Cruz on details about Iran and its demographic makeup. When Cruz does not know the answers Carlson is seeking, the host blasts the senator for failing to know the details of “the country you seek to topple.”

“How many people live in Iran, by the way?” Carlson asked.

“I don’t know the population,” Cruz responded.

“At all?”

“No, I don’t know the population,” Cruz said.

“You don’t know the population in the country you seek to topple?” Carlson retorted.

When Cruz asked Carlson the same question back, the journalist responded quickly: “92 million,” adding, “How could you not know that?”

“I don’t sit around memorizing population tables,” Cruz responded.

The conversation grew increasingly heated from there, as Carlson argued the numbers are “kind of relevant because you’re calling for the overthrow of the government.”

“Why is it relevant whether it’s 90 million or 80 million or 100 million — why is that relevant?” Cruz responded before pushing back against Carlson’s suggestion that he doesn’t “know anything about the country.”

Carlson then offered another trivia question: “What’s the ethnic mix of Iran?”

Cruz said the country is Persian and “predominantly Shia,” at which point Carlson cut in, asking, “What percent?”

The two men then began shouting over each other.

“Okay, this is cute-” Cruz said when Carlson cut him off to say, “You don’t know anything about Iran.”

“So, I’m not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran-,” Cruz said.

“You’re a senator who’s calling for the overthrow of a government, and you don’t know anything about the country,” Carlson said, shouting over the senator.

“No, you don’t know anything about the country,” Cruz shot back. “You’re the one who claims they’re not trying to murder Donald Trump. You’re the one who can’t figure out if it was a good idea to kill General Soleimani, and you said it was bad.”

Carlson pushed back on Cruz’s initial claim, saying, “No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying you don’t believe they’re trying to murder Trump.”

“Yes, I do,” Cruz exclaimed, cutting in.

“Because you’re not calling for military strikes against them in retaliation,” Carlson said, suggesting Cruz would be if he “really” believed they were trying to kill the president.

When Cruz retorted that “we are carrying out military strikes today,” Carlson pressed the senator on his use of the word “we.”

“You said Israel was,” Carlson said to which Cruz clarified that the U.S. is supporting Israel’s efforts but that Israel is carrying out the strikes.

“You just said ‘we’ were,” Carlson said. “This is high stakes. You’re a senator. If you’re saying the United States government is at war with Iran right now, people are listening.”

The Hill has reached out to Cruz’s office for additional comment.

Carlson, a long-time supporter of the president’s, has found himself at odds with the commander-in-chief over their conflicting viewpoints on the best approach in the Middle East.

After Israel launched a missile offensive against Iran last week, Carlson called Trump “complicit” in the escalation and warned the president’s legacy was on the line depending on “what happens next.”

Carlson has for years been a critic of Republican leaders, diplomats and others who have advocated for military intervention in the Middle East.

He last week railed against so-called “warmongers,” including his former colleagues at Fox and those in the party who he says are nudging Trump toward a needless war.

“The real divide isn’t between people who support Israel and people who support Iran or the Palestinians,” Carlson wrote on social media last week. “The real divide is between those who casually encourage violence, and those who seek to prevent it.”

But Trump hit back, telling reporters, “I don’t know what Tucker Carlson is saying. Let him go get a television network and say it so that people listen.”

The president went a step further later on Monday, dubbing the former prime time host turned internet commentator, “kooky Carlson” and insisting “IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” in a post on his Truth Social account.

SEC and Swiss Regulators Strike Deal, Reopening U.S. Market to Swiss Advisors

0



SEC and Swiss Regulators Strike Deal, Reopening U.S. Market to Swiss Advisors

Senate confirms Trump’s FCC pick, Olivia Trusty

0


The Senate confirmed Republican Olivia Trusty to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday, installing another nominee by President Donald Trump and ending the brief lack of quorum at the agency. The vote was 53-45, with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) being the only Democrat to vote in her favor.

Trusty will join Republican Chair Brendan Carr and Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez on the panel, with two seats remaining empty. Trump has yet to select other nominees for the roles. No more than three commissioners on the independent agency are allowed to be from the same party, though Gomez had expressed doubt that Trump may nominate another Democrat to the agency. Former Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington endorsed his chief of staff, Gavin Wax, a MAGA loyalist who once said Trump’s return to office would be a “time for retribution,” after announcing he’d be stepping down from his post.

Trusty was a longtime staffer for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), who previously served as the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, which oversees the FCC and related issues. Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Monday, she opposed Trusty’s confirmation largely due to concern with the Trump administration’s actions. “Although I respect the nominee’s professional background, when I spoke in support of Ms. Trusty’s nomination in Committee on April 30, I explained that my support was not absolute,” Cantwell wrote. “Since then, the Trump Administration has pursued a series of concerning policies, leading me to oppose Ms. Trusty’s nomination.”

Cantwell said she’s concerned that Trusty’s nomination was not paired with a Democratic one, which would be “consistent with longstanding practice,” she wrote. She pointed to Trump’s attempted firing of two Democratic commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission, another agency created to be independent from the president and whose commissioners the Supreme Court has said cannot be fired without cause. “I remain seriously concerned that this Administration will try to illegally terminate Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez, refuse to nominate any Democratic replacements, and then operate the Commission on a strictly partisan basis,” Cantwell wrote.

“These are not normal times”

Gomez similarly praised Trusty’s experience and welcomed her to the panel. “I have known Olivia for years and have been very impressed with her strong background in communications policy, which will be a great asset to this agency,” Gomez wrote in a statement.

“In normal times, there’d be little reason to oppose the confirmation of a candidate as qualified as Trusty. But these are not normal times.” Matt Wood, VP of policy and general counsel of nonpartisan group Free Press Action, said in a statement. “Trusty’s confirmation gives Carr the majority he needs to radically reshape the media sector in Trump’s image, including offering policy favors to large broadcasters in exchange for their unwavering loyalty to the president.”

Panthers cruise past Oilers, win second straight Stanley Cup

0


SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Final on Tuesday night, becoming the NHL’s first back-to-back winners since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 and the third team to do so this century.

Sam Reinhart scored four goals, becoming just the fourth player in league history to get that many in a game in the Final. His third to complete the hat trick sent rats, along with hats, flying onto the ice. Matthew Tkachuk, one of the faces of the franchise, fittingly scored the Cup clincher.

At the other end of the ice, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, closing the door on a rematch with the same end result. The only goal came from fellow Russian Vasily Podkolzin in garbage time, long after the outcome was decided.

That was followed by chants of “We want the Cup!” as time ticked off the clock. The Panthers already had it. Now, they get to keep it.

Not long after the Lightning made three trips to the Final in a row, Florida has done the same and now has the makings of a modern-day dynasty. The Panthers have won 11 of 12 playoff series since Tkachuk arrived by trade and Paul Maurice took over as coach in the summer of 2022.

The only time they have been on the wrong side of a handshake line was during the Final at the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 — and only after several key players were dealing with banged up and gutting through significant injuries.

From the core of Tkachuk, Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett on down the roster, the Panthers were much healthier this time around and were boosted by key trade deadline additions Brad Marchand, who had six goals in the Final, and Seth Jones. Bennett led all goal scorers this postseason with 15, and for his efforts, he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most outstanding player of the postseason.

Getting depth contributions from throughout the lineup allowed them to overpower Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers, who struggled with Florida’s ferocious forecheck and switched goaltenders multiple times in the Final. Stuart Skinner got the nod in Game 6 and was again done in by mistakes in front of him that ended with the puck in the net behind him, and he had his own blunder on Reinhart’s second goal.

McDavid tried to take over but was again stymied by Barkov, Jones and Bobrovsky. McDavid finished with seven points in his second career trip to the Final, again denied his first title.

Canada’s Stanley Cup drought reached 31 seasons and 32 years dating to the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Teams in the U.S. Sun Belt have won it five of the past six times, four of them in Florida.

This run through Tampa Bay in five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven, the Carolina Hurricanes in five and Edmonton in six showed how clinical the Panthers have become under Maurice, who has coached more NHL games than everyone except Scotty Bowman and is now a two-time champion.

So is Marchand, who last hoisted the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins. The 14-year gap between Cup victories is the third longest in league history, just shy of 16 for Chris Chelios from 1986 to 2002 and 15 for Mark Recchi from 1991 to 2006.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Conner Smith Cancels Concerts After Car Accident Kills Woman

0


“The preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian,” authorities said in the release. “He showed no signs of impairment. There are no charges at present as the investigation continues.”

After the incident, Dobbins was taken to a local hospital, where she died shortly thereafter, per the release.

Though Conner has yet to speak out on the tragic accident, his attorney Worrick G. Robinson expressed the singer’s condolences on his behalf. 

“On June 8th, Mr. Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life,” the rep said in a June 9 statement to E! News. “His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins’ family during this incredibly difficult time.”

Robinson added, “Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.” 

Trade, a sudden exit, Middle East conflict

0


Jessica Murphy

BBC News, Banff, Alberta

Reuters Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walks by a large sign for the G7 summit in Kananaskis during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Alberta, CanadaReuters

Canada’s G7 summit, under first-time host Mark Carney, had a carefully planned agenda.

That programme was upended by the unfolding war between Israel and Iran and US President Donald Trump’s early departure.

Still, Carney said on Tuesday this summit “can begin a new era of co-operation that promotes long-term resilience over short-term efficiency”.

Here are five takeaways from the dramatic G7 in Kananaskis, Alberta.

Trump’s sudden exit

The G7 nations – Italy, the US, France, Germany, the UK, Canada and Japan – were one leader short on Tuesday following the US president’s surprise decision to abandon the summit early for Washington DC.

Participants put a positive spin on the abrupt departure.

Prime Minister Carney said he fully understood the president’s decision, while French President Emmanuel Macron called one reporter’s question about whether the group was now a de facto G6 “disrespectful”.

Trump said he left because of the rapidly unfolding events between Israel and Iran.

The White House insisted the president had had a “great day” in Alberta and achieved much during the trip. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed behind to represent the US.

Trump’s departure was not necessarily a bad thing, said Denisse Rudich, director of the G7 Research Group London.

While he was there, it appeared that everyone was “on eggshells” with leaders smiling, but wary that “you don’t quite know what is going to shift”.

They were more relaxed the next day, she said. “It didn’t look forced. It looked a lot more natural.”

Still, it meant Trump missed planned bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (though he spoke with her later by phone, the White House said.)

Israel-Iran war sidelines agenda

By Tuesday, much of the world’s attention had shifted from the mountain resort in Canada’s Rocky Mountains to the unfolding conflict in the Middle East and uncertainty as to the potential course of action by the US.

The conflict also overshadowed much of the first day of the summit as G7 leaders sought consensus on their response to tensions in the region.

BBC News A BBC annotated photo of the G7 "family photo" describes what each leader has done at the summit so far. EU chiefs Costa and von der Leyen cautioned against a trade war. Japanese PM Ishiba met Trump for trade talks, without a breakthrough. Italian PM Meloni led talks on people smuggling and AI. French President Macron voiced hopes for an Israel-Iran ceasefire. Canadian PM Carney met Trump and raised a possible US-Canada trade deal. US President Trump left the summit early, after agreeing to a joint statement urging "de-escalation" in the Middle East. UK PM Starmer finalised a trade deal cutting tariffs on UK cars shipped to the US. And German Chancellor Merz urged the US to toughen sanctions on RussiaBBC News

Eventually, all seven, the US, too, released a communique urging a “de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza” – though it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Trump later accused the French president of “publicity seeking” with his suggestion that the US was working towards a ceasefire.

On Tuesday, Macron said it was Trump who was discussing that option.

“I am not responsible for the changes of mind of the US administration,” he said.

Despite that back and forth, the statement was a show of unity.

Watch: G7 leaders committed to “pursuit of peace” in the Middle East, says Mark Carney

Ukraine, India and diplomacy

On Ukraine, Zelensky will leave this summit with new aid from Canada but notably no joint statement of support.

There were reports that Canada had dropped plans for a strong statement in the war over US resistance.

Pressed on that, Carney denied a lack of consensus, and pointed to remarks on Ukraine in the summit chairman’s summary statement.

In that statement, the G7 “expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine” and pressed Russia to agree a ceasefire.

It also said they “are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions” – something Trump has resisted.

Another outcome is likely to cause friction for Carney at home. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance at the summit was a point of tension among Sikh Canadians.

Carney’s office said India and Canada had agreed to restore diplomatic services after both countries expelled top envoys.

This followed Ottawa’s accusation that New Delhi government agents had been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.

According to a readout of the meeting between Carney and Modi, he raised “transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order” in the conversation.

Still, Carney, a former central bank governor for Canada and the UK, went into his first G7 summit as prime minister and host with a focused agenda and left with joint statements on artificial intelligence and quantum computing, migrant smuggling, critical minerals and other issues.

The approach was “concise, detailed, action-oriented – you can see the banker”, said Ms Rudich.

She complimented the “outcomes focused” approach to diplomacy, pointing to the example of an agreement to boost global co-operation on wildfires “without specifically making reference to climate change”.

Watch: A trade deal, a family photo and conflict in the Middle East – Trump’s short G7

Carney’s trade agenda…

One of the most watched moments of the summit was a sit-down between Trump and Carney.

The two countries were reportedly close to a trade and security deal after talks launched last month to resolve their tit-for-tat tariffs war.

Trump said hurdles remained – he’s a “tariff person”, Carney “has a more complex idea”.

But those differences aren’t insurmountable, according to a statement from Carney’s office, which said the “leaders agreed to pursue negotiations toward a deal within the coming 30 days”.

On that deadline, the prime minister said he will pursue an agreement “in the best interests of certainly Canada and aligned with US interests”.

The G7 also gave Carney the opportunity to pitch multiple world leaders on trade with Canada.

The prime minister has the lofty goal of making Canada’s economy the strongest in the G7 while seeking to reduce his country’s deep economic reliance on the US.

On Tuesday, European officials said they were close to signing a defence procurement agreement with Canada, which also wants to reduce its dependence on American equipment.

….and Trump’s

Trump was open about one thing he wanted from the summit: trade deals.

While Carney didn’t walk away with one, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the US leader were all smiles after bringing into force parts of a tariff agreement they sealed last month.

Plenty of other leaders in attendance were keen to pin down the president on his tariffs and trade.

Like Canada, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump failed to reach a breakthrough but agreed to push ahead with trade talks.

“We’ve been exploring the possibility of a deal down to the wire, but there are still points where our views remain divided,” Ishiba told reporters.

There is some pressure on the US end as well – Trump has promised deals by his own 9 July deadline that marks the end of a 90-day pause on his “Liberation Day” tariffs.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the ongoing trade talks between the US and the EU were “complex”, but were “advancing”, with the goal of a deal by July.