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Tag: canceled

  • Barry Manilow cancels Charlotte, other concerts due to health. ‘I’m so sorry.’

    After a visit to his surgeon, legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow on Friday canceled his upcoming arena shows, including a March 1 performance at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

    Manilow, 82, was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in December.

    “I’m so sorry that I have to reschedule the first batch of Arena shows” scheduled for Feb. 27 through March 17, Manilow said on X. “But when I do come back, I will COME BACK!!!”

    Canceled shows also include his March 11 concert at North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, which was a makeup date for a concert canceled in January.

    Rescheduled dates were not announced.

    ’You won’t make it through,’ surgeon said

    Manilow has captivated generations of fans with such classics as “Mandy (1975),” “Copacabana” (1978), “I Write the Songs” (1975) and “Can’t Smile Without You” (1978).

    His condition has limited his endurance behind the mike, he said.

    “Very depressing visit,” Manilow said about Friday’s trip to his surgeon. “I told him that I have been using the treadmill three times a day (I have) but that I still couldn’t sing more than three songs in a row before I had to stop.

    “But I was sure that I would be able to do the Arena shows in a few weeks,” he said.

    “’You won’t make it through,’” he said his surgeon replied, shaking his head and looking down.

    “Well, I had a feeling he’d say that,” Manilow posted. “Deep down, I wanted to go back — but my body knew what my heart didn’t want to admit: I wasn’t ready.”

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Joe Marusak

    The Charlotte Observer

    Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news.
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  • Airspace and travel restrictions on much of Caribbean airspace following US strikes on Venezuela

    Much of Caribbean airspace has been closed as the United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack. This has caused flight cancellations to and from Caribbean airports. So far, there have been nearly 900 cancellations and over 4,000 delays.The airspace closure impacted thousands of people traveling to or from Caribbean countries, all as a busy holiday travel season winds down.Related video above: See a report on the strikes and capture of Venezuela’s presidentThe legal authority for the strike — and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand — was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation’s sitting leader from office, echoed the U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 — exactly 36 years ago Saturday. Here’s what the attack on Venezuela means for travel in the region:FAA imposes airspace restriction on Puerto RicoThe Federal Aviation Administration has imposed a temporary airspace restriction on Puerto Rico’s international airport and surrounding regions.An announcement by Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan posted on the social media site X said the restriction was placed because of the “security situation related to military activity” in Venezuela.As a result, most commercial airlines to and from the airport that are operated by U.S. airlines have been suspended or may be canceled.Foreign airlines and military aircraft are not included in this restriction, the statement said. “Passengers are urged to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before heading to the airport.”Delta Airlines announced that it began canceling flights in Caribbean airspace Saturday morning, and announcements from American Airlines and United followed soon after.State Department urges Americans in Venezuela to shelter in placeThe State Department issued a new travel alert early Saturday, warning Americans in Venezuela urging them to “shelter in place” due to the situation.”U.S. Embassy Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela,” it said without elaboration.”The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place.” The embassy in Bogota has been shuttered since March 2019 but operates remotely.The view from New EnglandThe cancellations affected many New England travelers, some of whom became stranded in foreign countries.”At first, we didn’t know what was going on because they kept delaying the flight,” said Tricia Maloney. “All the flights but ours were cancelled, and ours kept being delayed and delayed and delayed and it was finally cancelled.”Maloney and her family were scheduled to fly back to Boston on Saturday from vacation in Curacao, which is about 40 miles from Venezuela.Plans quickly changed for them.”Our hotel didn’t have any availability, so everyone was scrambling for hotels,” Maloney said. “So, we’re in a new hotel now for tonight, and we’ll have to figure something out tomorrow.”Others, like the Marchese family from Wilbraham, ran into the opposite problem.They were supposed to vacation in Aruba, but amid ongoing flight restrictions, their plan B is Florida.Two families from New Hampshire are now struggling to make changes.”Everyone is like panicking, we can’t even find flights out here until Friday,” said Casie Woodman of Fremont, New Hampshire.A vacation to Aruba for Casie Woodman, of Fremont, New Hampshire, is taking an unexpected turn after she woke up Saturday to learn of the U.S military actions in Venezuela and the closed airspace in the area. “There’s no flights through any airlines, even just to get in the United States, until Friday,” said Woodman.Woodman says families at the resort are scrambling and older people are concerned about getting their medicine.Manchester’s Gus Emmick and his family thought they’d be spending their vacation in Saint Martin, but now they are at Logan Airport.”Many, many families are just sitting here trying to scramble and figure out what happened and what they are going to do,” said Gus Emmick, of Manchester, New Hampshire.The family is switching gears and looking to head to Florida.”As much as we love New Hampshire, December has been a little rough, so we are looking for warmer weather and hoping we’ll see some,” said Emmick.Aviation expert Tom Kinton said safety is the reason behind the airspace closure.”There were hundreds of aircraft and fixed-wing drones as part of this operation. You want to get that all cleaned up before you let civilian aircraft back into that airspace again,” said Tom Kinton. According to the FAA, the closed airspace is impacting flights in and out of Caribbean destinations like Aruba, Barbados and even Puerto Rico. Delta flights to and from the following airports have been cancelled for the day, according to a spokesperson. They are as follows:Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico (SJU)Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten (SXM)Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in Saint Croix (STX)Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas (STT)Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba (AUA)Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport on St. Kitts, Caribbean Islands (SKB)Curaçao International Airport in Curaçao (CUR)Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados (BGI)Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia (UVF)Bonaire International Airport near Kralendijk in the Caribbean Netherlands (BON)Argyle International Airport in Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD)Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada (GND)V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua and Barbuda (ANU)It’s unclear when the Delta flights will resume for these airports. Now, Kinton said the airspace is slated to open at 5 a.m. Sunday. However, it could be that a narrower airspace is opened for the time being or the opening could be delayed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Much of Caribbean airspace has been closed as the United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.

    This has caused flight cancellations to and from Caribbean airports. So far, there have been nearly 900 cancellations and over 4,000 delays.

    The airspace closure impacted thousands of people traveling to or from Caribbean countries, all as a busy holiday travel season winds down.

    Related video above: See a report on the strikes and capture of Venezuela’s president

    The legal authority for the strike — and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand — was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation’s sitting leader from office, echoed the U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 — exactly 36 years ago Saturday.

    Here’s what the attack on Venezuela means for travel in the region:

    FAA imposes airspace restriction on Puerto Rico

    The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed a temporary airspace restriction on Puerto Rico’s international airport and surrounding regions.

    An announcement by Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan posted on the social media site X said the restriction was placed because of the “security situation related to military activity” in Venezuela.

    MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO

    Passengers wait at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport as all flights are cancelled following U.S. military action in Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. 

    As a result, most commercial airlines to and from the airport that are operated by U.S. airlines have been suspended or may be canceled.

    Foreign airlines and military aircraft are not included in this restriction, the statement said. “Passengers are urged to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before heading to the airport.”

    Delta Airlines announced that it began canceling flights in Caribbean airspace Saturday morning, and announcements from American Airlines and United followed soon after.

    State Department urges Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place

    The State Department issued a new travel alert early Saturday, warning Americans in Venezuela urging them to “shelter in place” due to the situation.

    “U.S. Embassy Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela,” it said without elaboration.

    “The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place.” The embassy in Bogota has been shuttered since March 2019 but operates remotely.

    The view from New England

    The cancellations affected many New England travelers, some of whom became stranded in foreign countries.

    “At first, we didn’t know what was going on because they kept delaying the flight,” said Tricia Maloney. “All the flights but ours were cancelled, and ours kept being delayed and delayed and delayed and it was finally cancelled.”

    Maloney and her family were scheduled to fly back to Boston on Saturday from vacation in Curacao, which is about 40 miles from Venezuela.

    Plans quickly changed for them.

    “Our hotel didn’t have any availability, so everyone was scrambling for hotels,” Maloney said. “So, we’re in a new hotel now for tonight, and we’ll have to figure something out tomorrow.”

    Others, like the Marchese family from Wilbraham, ran into the opposite problem.

    They were supposed to vacation in Aruba, but amid ongoing flight restrictions, their plan B is Florida.

    Two families from New Hampshire are now struggling to make changes.

    “Everyone is like panicking, we can’t even find flights out here until Friday,” said Casie Woodman of Fremont, New Hampshire.

    A vacation to Aruba for Casie Woodman, of Fremont, New Hampshire, is taking an unexpected turn after she woke up Saturday to learn of the U.S military actions in Venezuela and the closed airspace in the area.

    “There’s no flights through any airlines, even just to get in the United States, until Friday,” said Woodman.

    Woodman says families at the resort are scrambling and older people are concerned about getting their medicine.

    Manchester’s Gus Emmick and his family thought they’d be spending their vacation in Saint Martin, but now they are at Logan Airport.

    “Many, many families are just sitting here trying to scramble and figure out what happened and what they are going to do,” said Gus Emmick, of Manchester, New Hampshire.

    The family is switching gears and looking to head to Florida.

    “As much as we love New Hampshire, December has been a little rough, so we are looking for warmer weather and hoping we’ll see some,” said Emmick.

    Aviation expert Tom Kinton said safety is the reason behind the airspace closure.

    “There were hundreds of aircraft and fixed-wing drones as part of this operation. You want to get that all cleaned up before you let civilian aircraft back into that airspace again,” said Tom Kinton.

    According to the FAA, the closed airspace is impacting flights in and out of Caribbean destinations like Aruba, Barbados and even Puerto Rico.

    Delta flights to and from the following airports have been cancelled for the day, according to a spokesperson. They are as follows:

    • Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico (SJU)
    • Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten (SXM)
    • Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in Saint Croix (STX)
    • Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas (STT)
    • Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba (AUA)
    • Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport on St. Kitts, Caribbean Islands (SKB)
    • Curaçao International Airport in Curaçao (CUR)
    • Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados (BGI)
    • Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia (UVF)
    • Bonaire International Airport near Kralendijk in the Caribbean Netherlands (BON)
    • Argyle International Airport in Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD)
    • Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada (GND)
    • V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua and Barbuda (ANU)

    It’s unclear when the Delta flights will resume for these airports.

    Now, Kinton said the airspace is slated to open at 5 a.m. Sunday. However, it could be that a narrower airspace is opened for the time being or the opening could be delayed.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • How Joyce Carol Oates Posted Her Way to Social Media Glory

    Although she effortlessly whacked Musk multiple times, Oates isn’t overly concerned with the billionaire. She posts frequently on both BlueSky and X about a range of topics, and is more than happy to respond to fans and critics alike on the platforms. Since publicly humiliating Musk and sending him to a tizzy, she’s gone on to tweet political musings about Zohran Mamdani, and Charlie Kirk, as well as less fraught fare about Faulkner and Hemingway and a photo of her beloved cat.

    Those who are new to the online life of Joyce Carol Oates may be surprised to learn that she’s been doing these for years. At this point, she’s arguably as prolific a poster as she is a novelist, logging more than 180,00 posts on her official X account @JoyceCarolOates as of the publication of this story. Years ago, she was more likely to be the dunker than a dunkee: Oates experienced the other side of viral fame in 2014, when she loosed this hot take on another prolific but controversial writer. “Though Woody Allen has been much denounced, very likely many of his denouncers greatly admire Nabokov’s ‘Lolita.’” No contradiction?” she tweeted (it was still called tweeting back then). The false equivalency didn’t go over well; at the time, the public flogged Oates for her support of Allen. “Thats not the same at all thats terrible youre terrible but thank you for inventing oatmeal,” read one viral response, which ratioed Oates’s original tweet. (And yes, despite her last name, Joyce Carol Oates didn’t invent oatmeal.)

    Years later, Oates made another Twitter faux pas, taking a gravely serious stance on innocent Halloween decorations. “You can always recognize a place in which no one is feeling much or any grief for a lost loved one & death, dying, & everyone you love decomposing to bones is just a joke,” posted Oates on October 1, 2021, drawing a wide variety of scornful reactions.

    Oates kept posting through it—and now it seems that was the correct strategy. Time heals all wounds on the internet—time, and banger tweets that eviscerate the world’s richest man. Joyce Carol Oates? More like Joyce Carol Roasts.

    Chris Murphy

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  • J.Lo cancels the rest of her United States tour, including Orlando show in June

    J.Lo cancels the rest of her United States tour, including Orlando show in June

    click to enlarge

    Courtesy photo

    Jennifer Lopez cancels U.S. tour, including summer Orlando show

    Jennifer Lopez has canceled the entirety of her North American tour, including an Orlando show set for late June.

    Lopez announced on Friday that she has put the kibosh on her U.S. tour, which was set to kick off here in Orlando with a show at the Kia Center on June 26.

    Live Nation first broke the news, saying that J.Lo was putting the tour on hold to “spend time with family and friends.” Lopez herself posted on her official site: “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down. Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary.”

    Back in March, Lopez struck six dates from her initial summer tour itinerary — including a Tampa show — amidst rumblings of sluggish ticket sales, according to Variety.

    Refunds will be dispensed at point of purchase.


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    Matthew Moyer

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  • More than 1,000 flights already canceled due to storm, was one of them yours? Here’s what to do

    More than 1,000 flights already canceled due to storm, was one of them yours? Here’s what to do

    A nasty storm with 60 mph winds raked parts of the Northeast on Tuesday creating dangerous conditions on the road and snarling airports. More than 1,200 flights were canceled before noon, mostly along the East Coast, but that is likely to spread west as the day goes on. Airlines can’t control the weather, but they are still required to provide refunds for customers whose flights are canceled. Here’s what to know about your rights, and what to know when cancellations start piling up: When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to reschedule their trip by a few days at no extra fee. Google your airline and “travel alerts” or similar phrases to see the offers. It’s better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading out to the airport. Airlines usually cancel flights hours or even days before departure time. If you’re already at the airport, it’s time to multi-task to find another flight. Get in line to speak to an airline representative, and call or go online to connect to the airline’s reservations staff. It also helps to reach out on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge. That depends, however, on the airline having empty seats. The good news for travelers this week is that they stand a better chance of finding space than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, when passengers can wait days for an open seat. You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including the biggest ones except Southwest, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then it’s often hit or miss. Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, recommends researching alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent. If you no longer want to take the trip, or found alternative means of getting where you’re going, the airline is legally required to pay a refund, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled. “They can’t stick you with a voucher, you can get your money back,” says Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler. “That means you have to cancel your entire reservation, but that could be an easy option for some travelers — especially if you wind up booking a flight on another carrier.”You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use. U.S. airlines are not required to pay compensation, even if the cancellation is their fault — such as the lack of a crew, a mechanical problem that grounds the plane, or a computer outage that brings the airline to a halt. However, the Transportation Department is working on a proposal to change that when the airline is at fault.”I know how frustrated many of you are with the service you get from your U.S. airlines,” President Joe Biden said. “That’s why our top priority has been to get American air travelers a better deal.” There is no federal requirement that airlines pick up the costs of hotel rooms or meals for stranded passengers. Each airline has its own policy.The U.S. Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see the commitments that each airline makes for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed. If the weather forecast is troubling, consider booking a backup flight, says Potter, the Thrifty Traveler editor. He says Southwest and Delta stand out as potential backups because they let customers cancel for a full refund as long as they cancel within 24 hours of booking. “Others only allow that when you book at least two or even seven days in advance,” he says.If you are in a group and one person belongs to a higher level of the airline’s frequent-flyer program, use the number associated with that person to call the airline, says Kurt Ebenhoch, a travel consumer advocate and former airline spokesman.If lots of flights are canceled, airline agents will soon be swamped. Try calling your airline’s international help number — usually available online — those agents can make changes in your itinerary too. Be nice. The agent you’re talking to is probably dealing with lots of other frustrated travelers too, and screaming at the agent won’t make them want to help you. The cancellation isn’t their fault.

    A nasty storm with 60 mph winds raked parts of the Northeast on Tuesday creating dangerous conditions on the road and snarling airports.

    More than 1,200 flights were canceled before noon, mostly along the East Coast, but that is likely to spread west as the day goes on.

    Airlines can’t control the weather, but they are still required to provide refunds for customers whose flights are canceled. Here’s what to know about your rights, and what to know when cancellations start piling up:

    When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to reschedule their trip by a few days at no extra fee. Google your airline and “travel alerts” or similar phrases to see the offers.

    It’s better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading out to the airport. Airlines usually cancel flights hours or even days before departure time.

    If you’re already at the airport, it’s time to multi-task to find another flight. Get in line to speak to an airline representative, and call or go online to connect to the airline’s reservations staff. It also helps to reach out on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

    Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge. That depends, however, on the airline having empty seats. The good news for travelers this week is that they stand a better chance of finding space than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, when passengers can wait days for an open seat.

    You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including the biggest ones except Southwest, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then it’s often hit or miss. Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, recommends researching alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.

    If you no longer want to take the trip, or found alternative means of getting where you’re going, the airline is legally required to pay a refund, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.

    “They can’t stick you with a voucher, you can get your money back,” says Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler. “That means you have to cancel your entire reservation, but that could be an easy option for some travelers — especially if you wind up booking a flight on another carrier.”

    You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.

    U.S. airlines are not required to pay compensation, even if the cancellation is their fault — such as the lack of a crew, a mechanical problem that grounds the plane, or a computer outage that brings the airline to a halt. However, the Transportation Department is working on a proposal to change that when the airline is at fault.

    “I know how frustrated many of you are with the service you get from your U.S. airlines,” President Joe Biden said. “That’s why our top priority has been to get American air travelers a better deal.”

    There is no federal requirement that airlines pick up the costs of hotel rooms or meals for stranded passengers. Each airline has its own policy.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see the commitments that each airline makes for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.

    If the weather forecast is troubling, consider booking a backup flight, says Potter, the Thrifty Traveler editor. He says Southwest and Delta stand out as potential backups because they let customers cancel for a full refund as long as they cancel within 24 hours of booking. “Others only allow that when you book at least two or even seven days in advance,” he says.

    If you are in a group and one person belongs to a higher level of the airline’s frequent-flyer program, use the number associated with that person to call the airline, says Kurt Ebenhoch, a travel consumer advocate and former airline spokesman.

    If lots of flights are canceled, airline agents will soon be swamped. Try calling your airline’s international help number — usually available online — those agents can make changes in your itinerary too.

    Be nice. The agent you’re talking to is probably dealing with lots of other frustrated travelers too, and screaming at the agent won’t make them want to help you. The cancellation isn’t their fault.



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  • Naughty Dog cancels its The Last of Us multiplayer game

    Naughty Dog cancels its The Last of Us multiplayer game

    Naughty Dog’s planned multiplayer game set in the world of The Last of Us is no more. The studio announced Thursday that it has “made the incredibly difficult decision to stop development on” what it’s been calling The Last of Us Online.

    “We know this news will be tough for many, especially our dedicated The Last of Us Factions community, who have been following our multiplayer ambitions ardently,” the studio said in a post on its website. “We’re equally crushed at the studio as we were looking forward to putting it in your hands.”

    The Last of Us Online was, at one point, supposed to be revealed to the public this year. The studio had released a handful of pieces of concept art for the game, but never showed gameplay.

    Naughty Dog said developers at the studio had been in pre-production on The Last of Us Online since the development of The Last of Us Part 2, which it shipped in 2020. The online game was “unique and had tremendous potential,” the studio said, but it was also a daunting task that it did not have the resources to dedicate to.

    “In ramping up to full production, the massive scope of our ambition became clear,” the developer explained. “To release and support The Last of Us Online we’d have to put all our studio resources behind supporting post launch content for years to come, severely impacting development on future single-player games. So, we had two paths in front of us: become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage.”

    Naughty Dog does have a separate and brand-new single-player game in the works; the studio teased this project back in May when it told fans The Last of Us Online needed more time to develop. The studio also plans to release The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered for PlayStation 5 in January.

    In its announcement, Naughty Dog provided a silver lining for The Last of Us Online’s formal cancellation: “The learnings and investments in technology from this game will carry into how we develop our projects and will be invaluable in the direction we are headed as a studio. We have more than one ambitious, brand new single player game that we’re working on here at Naughty Dog, and we cannot wait to share more about what comes next when we’re ready.”

    Naughty Dog said as far back as 2018 that it planned to deliver a multiplayer component for The Last of Us Part 2, a game that was first announced way back in 2016.

    The original The Last of Us launched with multiplayer component of its own back in 2013, which was also available in the PlayStation 4 version, The Last of Us Remastered. TLOU’s Factions mode used deathmatch and team deathmatch game types found in many multiplayer games, and layered a metagame and story on top.

    Michael McWhertor

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  • Roseanne Barr On Being Canceled: “I’m The Only Person Who’s Lost Everything”

    Roseanne Barr On Being Canceled: “I’m The Only Person Who’s Lost Everything”

    Nearly five years after Roseanne Barr was fired from the revival of her hit sitcom Roseanne after posting a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a senior aide to President Barack Obama, the comedian is dipping her toe back into the spotlight. 

    Fox Nation will premiere both Barr’s new stand-up special, Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!, and a documentary about her, Who Is Roseanne Barr?, on Monday. Ahead of that day, the controversial figure spoke to The Los Angeles Times about life post-cancellation and her feelings regarding The Conners, a spinoff centered on the remaining cast members of her series that is currently airing its fifth season. 

    Barr told the Times that her ouster from Hollywood “was a witch-burning,” and that ABC “denied me the right to apologize” for her tweet. “Oh my God, they just hated me so badly. I had never known that they hated me like that,” the 70-year-old said. “They hate me because I have talent, because I have an opinion. Even though Roseanne became their No. 1 show, they’d rather not have a No. 1 show.” She claimed that during a call with top network brass, “I told them I thought [Jarrett] was white. I said I would go on my show and explain it. They wouldn’t let me. They decided I was a liar in my apology.”

    Although the Roseanne revival was an unqualified ratings hit, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey terminated the series with this statement: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.” Sara Gilbert, a star and executive producer of the series, also condemned Barr’s tweets: “Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least,” she wrote at the time. 

    “I can’t believe what they did, with all the pain that I went through to bring the show back. And it didn’t faze them to murder my character, either,” Barr said of her castmates and collaborators. “They s— on my contribution to television and the show itself. But I forgive everybody. I started thinking that God took me out of there to save me. And once I started thinking that way, I was, like, a lot better off.” 

    Robert Trachtenberg/Getty Images

    When the Times asked if Barr watches The Conners, she replied: “No. I just can’t bear it, so I don’t. When they killed my character off, that was a message to me, knowing that I’m mentally ill or have mental health issues, that they did want me to commit suicide. They killed my character, and my character.”

    Barr then compared her plight to those of Dave Chappelle, who has come under fire for transphobic jokes he’s told Netflix specials like The Closer, and Louis C.K., who admitted to sexual misconduct with multiple women in 2017. Nobody else in Hollywood has been shunted aside like her, Barr claimed, “although they always throw in Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K. Well, Louis C.K. did lose everything, but he committed an actual [offense]. And Dave Chappelle was protected by Netflix.” 

    Savannah Walsh

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  • Ringo Starr Has Covid-19 Rebound, Cancels 2022 Tour

    Ringo Starr Has Covid-19 Rebound, Cancels 2022 Tour

    You know it don’t come easy. That’s what legendary singer, songwriter, and drummer Ringo Starr first sang in 1971. It’s also what can often be said about having Covid-19, especially when you suffer a Covid-19 rebound, something that Starr apparently now is experiencing. And this rebound has prompted Starr to cancel the rest of his 2022 North American tour. That’s essentially what the rock super-Starr tweeted on October 13:

    Starr’s recent battle with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began when he was diagnosed with Covid-19 sometime before an October 3 press release. That press release had indicated that Starr’s Covid-19 diagnosis would force him and his All Starr Band to cancel shows from October 2 through October 9. This included shows in the U.S. (Minnesota) and Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.)

    Then seven days later, on October 10, Starr posted on Instagram that he’s “On the road again I will see you in Seattle on Tuesday the 11th Portland Wednesday I am negative peace and love everybody thanks for waiting Ringo [sic]” as you can see here:

    Presumably “negative peace” didn’t mean war but instead meant that he had tested negative for Covid-19 and would be having fans lend them his ears so that he could sing them a song in Seattle on October 11. But that resumption turned out to be short-lived as three days later instead of singing “Back Off Boogaloo,” the drumming Starr indicated on Twitter that he was back with Covid-19.

    The 82-year-old Starr, who first rose to prominence in the 1960’s as the drummer for a band that you may or may not have heard of called The Beatles, is at higher risk for more severe Covid-19 outcomes given his age. However, he has gotten at least the primary two-dose series of Covid-19 vaccines. That’s based on what he had told Patrick Ryan in a interview published in USA Today on March 17, 2021. Back then Starr had said, “I’ve got both jabs and I’m feeling groovy.” When Ryan had asked him about side effects from the vaccine, Starr had replied, “Bad arm for the first one. And then the second one, with the doctor telling you, “You may feel fluish.” Nothing! Nothing! I felt let down.” Star added the following as well: “It was difficult trying to sleep on that side, but by 5 o’clock (the next day), it had gone. So I got away lightly, thank you, Lord. I think that’s because of the broccoli.,” referring to his blueberries, broccoli, and other veggies and fruit diet. Yes, whenever anything good happens in life, it’s always because of the broccoli, right.

    That was before recommendations for Covid-19 boosters had emerged. Having gotten vaccinated should offer him at least some protection against more severe Covid-19. But the level of protection will depend on how long ago his last Covid-19 vaccine dose was, no matter how much broccoli you eat.

    Staying up to date on Covid-19 vaccinations is important because, guess what, the Covid-19 pandemic ain’t over. It’s still going on, no matter what some political leaders may try to drum into your heads. And the concern right now is that yet another Covid-19 surge may right around the corner.

    Remember, while vaccination can offer you protection against more severe Covid-19, it’s not like being in a Yellow Submarine with the virus being outside. Vaccination won’t offer you 100% protection. With upswings in Covid-19 already occurring in Europe, you’ll need a little help from you friends in the coming months. It will help to not only maintain Covid-19 precautions such as wearing a face mask while indoors, maintaining appropriate levels of social distancing, and staying up-to-date on vaccination but also have others around you to do such things too. Recall all that “we’re all in this together” talk back in 2020? Well, it hasn’t become “every person for himself or herself” or “bleep everyone else.”

    Starr’s Covid-19 rebound also is a reminder that a negative Covid-19 test may not mean that you are done with Covid-19 after being infected with the SARS-CoV-2. False negatives can occur. Plus, by now, you’ve probably heard of quite a few Covid-19 rebound cases where people first test positive then test negative only to test positive again later. So even though it may not come easy to keep yourself isolated for a little longer (at least ten days) than is being recommended by some and confirming that you indeed are staying Covid-19 negative, doing so can be make sure that you aren’t giving the SARS-CoV-2 a tour around other people.

    Bruce Y. Lee, Senior Contributor

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