Day: April 13, 2024

Some Trump stock investors have already lost half their money  CNN

House Freedom Caucus in turmoil over internal war with Trumpworld  MSN

Joe Scarborough Slams Wall Street Journal’s ‘Anti-Anti Trumpism’ Op-Ed ‘Even When National Security Could Be …  Yahoo Movies Canada

Trump defense challenges jury selection in criminal hush money trial  Fox News

Trump Risks Losing Suburban Women Over Abortion – WSJ  The Wall Street Journal

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Conan O’Brien’s wild appearance on “Hot Ones” was how he acted in meetings, a writer for his show said.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

• Conan O’Brien’s outrageous antics on the interview show “Hot Ones” have gone viral.
• The comedian was grunting, smearing hot sauce on his face, and rubbing his nipples.
• Former “Conan” show writer Laurie Kilmartin said the behavior was typical for O’Brien.

Conan O’Brien’s absolutely unhinged behavior on “Hot Ones” — the YouTube show where guests eat increasingly spicy chicken wings while being interviewed — has delighted and shocked the internet.

But apparently, it was all perfectly normal behavior for the comedian, according to a writer who previously worked on his show, “Conan,” which ran from 2010 to 2021.

One clip in particular from the interview that went viral on X, formerly Twitter, showed O’Brien dousing his hands in hot sauce, rubbing it all over his mouth, and then rubbing his nipples through his shirt while he grunted and shouted, “Oh yeah! Yeah! Yeahhh!”

“I’ve never felt so alive! I’m erect for the first time in 15 years! This is to you! Call the wife!” O’Brien shouted, raising a glass of milk to the host and chugging it as it dripped all over him.

People on X quickly declared it one of the best episodes of “Hot Ones” they’d ever seen.

Laurie Kilmartin, a stand-up comedian and writer, reshared the video on X on Friday and said that O’Brien’s behavior in the clip was on par with what she’d seen while working on “Conan.”

“lol this was most days in our monologue meetings. You can see why I’ve been almost clinically depressed since the show went off the air,” she wrote on X.

In another tweet responding to someone who said they were jealous that she got to work on “Conan,” Kilmartin said, “I had worked on a couple others shows too that were less fun, so I knew how absolutely lucky I was.”

Kilmartin and representatives for “Conan” did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

O’Brien’s new show, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” is set to premiere on Max, HBO’s streaming service, on April 18. The show will feature the comedian traveling around the world and meeting fans.

Taylor Swift

Joe Camporeale/Reuters

• Taylor Swift’s music is back on TikTok, despite UMG’s battle to get its artists a new contract.
• UMG was surprised by Swift’s move, The Wall Street Journal reported.
• While negotiations are stalled, Swift may have undermined the publisher’s fight, one industry expert said.

Taylor Swift’s return to TikTok is undermining Universal Music Group’s continued sparring with the social media app over artist royalties, an industry expert who spoke with The Wall Street Journal said.

Swift recently brought her music back to the platform after UMG pulled it in January due to an ongoing fight between the music publisher UMG and TikTok.

UMG accused TikTok of trying to stiff its artists out of fair compensation and said it offered a “fraction of the rate” that other platforms have provided for licensing. It also complained about promoting AI music on TikTok, saying that AI-generated content threatens its artists.

After UMG and TikTok failed to reach an agreement on January 31 and the music publisher’s contract expired with the social media company, UMG music — which includes the work of artists like Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, and Doja Cat — was removed from the site. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Swift was initially on board with UMG’s move.

However, people familiar with the matter told the Journal that the star’s team approached UMG about allowing TikTok to use her music once again. Swift’s camp plans to use the app to promote the upcoming release of her album, “The Tortured Poet’s Department.”

Per the Journal, the label was surprised by Swift’s 180.

UMG tried to dissuade Swift’s team, but Swift returned to TikTok despite its pleas — unlike most artists under the group, Swift’s contract allows her to work directly with TikTok, the Journal reported.

“Universal can’t claim they’re winning a fight Taylor doesn’t want a part of,” Bill Werde, the director of Syracuse University’s music business program, told the Journal. “The fact that this all-powerful artist who has this track record of fighting for artists is saying, ‘No, I want to be back on the platform,’ it’s very damning to Universal’s argument.”

TikTok and UMG have yet to agree on a contract suitable for both companies. TikTok accused UMG of putting “their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters” when it pulled music from the platform — a powerful marketing tool for musicians big and small.

“Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent,” TikTok previously said in a statement to Business Insider.

UMG, TikTok, and a representative for Swift didn’t respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Related video: Governor Ron DeSantis signs new bills aimed at protecting children

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday barring local governments from requiring heat protection for outdoor workers.

Rather than sign the bill at a press conference, as DeSantis usually does, the Florida governor opted to quietly sign the controversial bill and announce it during a Thursday night press release alongside nine other bills.

The bill, passed by the Florida Senate in March 2024, makes it so local governments can not require companies to “meet or provide heat exposure requirements beyond those required by law.” Miami-Dade County commissioners took up an ordinance last year that would require employers to provide access to water and breaks in the shade on especially hot days, but it was deferred to this spring.

The ordinance was the culmination of a years-long campaign from local workers’ rights groups in response to heat-related illnesses and deaths in industries such as construction and agriculture.

Currently, there are no federal or state laws ensuring protection from heat exposure for those working outdoors.

“The intent of the bill is to ensure that employers have the ability to govern themselves and make sure they create the best working environment for their employees,” said bill sponsor Sen. Jay Trumbell (R-Panama City).

The bill met opposition from citizens, many stating local governments should have the power to set their own standards based on the weather in their local area.

“Let’s face reality. We have bad actors out there. Don’t kid yourself,” Sen. Victor Torres (D-Kissimmee) said, before adding, “OSHA can only do so much. Is OSHA everywhere in the state, to where you can say a phone call will have somebody respond to that location? No. They don’t have enough manpower.”

The new law comes after 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history, with the southern portions of the United States suffering weeks of oppressive humidity and triple-digit temperatures.

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