Oct 24, 2018

"Today" show colleagues sound off on Megyn Kelly's blackface comments

Megyn Kelly. Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

Megyn Kelly apologized today to her "friends and teammates" via email regarding her comment about incorporating blackface into Halloween costumes on Tuesday's show, but her colleagues have continued to be critical of her comment despite the apology.

Why it matters: Some of her fellow "Today" show hosts believe that, while Kelly did apologize to the staff, she still needs to apologize to people of color across the country.

What they're saying: "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie said the situation was "uncomfortable" because Kelly is still one of her colleagues at NBC.

Al Roker said Kelly owes an apology to "folks of color around the country" and talked about the history of blackface dating back to 1830.
Craig Melvin said the criticism that political correctness has "run amok" was "silly," "disingenuous" and "just as ignorant and racist as the statement itself."

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Scott Rosenberg, Ina Fried

37 mins ago - Technology

Facebook employees stage "virtual walkout"

Screenshot of an image some Facebook employees are adding to their internal profiles, with or without the hashtag, to protest company policy.

"Dozens" of Facebook employees staged a "virtual walkout" Monday over the company's decision not to take action against President Trump's provocative messages in the face of nationwide protests against police violence, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: While Twitter added fact-check labels and hid the president's most inflammatory tweet — "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" — Facebook has said Trump's statements do not violate its policies, and that the platform aims to promote free speech.

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Axios

Updated 41 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump lashes out at governors, urges them to "dominate" protesters

President Trump berated the nation’s governors in a video teleconference call Monday, calling many of them "weak" and demanding tougher crackdowns on the protests that erupted throughout the country following the killing of George Floyd, according to multiple reports.

The big picture: Trump blamed violence on the "the radical left" and told the governors, who were joined by law enforcement and national security officials, that they have to "dominate" protesters and "arrest people" in order to bring an end to the unrest.

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Axios

Updated 41 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Noam Galai, Jamie McCarthy, Josep Lago/AFP, Alfredo Estrella/AFP, and Narayan Maharjan/NurPhoto, all via Getty Images

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 p.m. ET: 6,206,773 — Total deaths: 372,752 — Total recoveries — 2,661,643 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 p.m. ET: 1,793,780 — Total deaths: 104,345 — Total recoveries: 444,758 — Total tested: 16,936,891 — Map.
Public health: Fauci says“My meetings with the president have been dramatically decreased” — Coronavirus looms over George Floyd protests across the country.
Climate: Your guide to comparing climate change and coronavirus.
Economy: A busy week for IPOs despite upheaval from protests and pandemic.
World: Former FDA commissioner says "this is not the time" to cut ties with WHO.

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