Librarians in Florida who feared fines for hosting drag queen story hours, and Pride parade organizers who worried about citations for including drag performers, can breathe easier now

CNN's ratings appear to have taken a hit in the wake of its much-maligned town hall featuring former President Donald Trump. More than a week after the controversial television spectacle, the network weathered its lowest-rated week since June 2015, according to The Daily Beast. The network averaged approximately 429,000 total daily viewers between Monday and Friday of last week. The network's viewership was also down by double digits when compared to the same week last year. Those numbers remained consistent for its primary advertising demographic of 25-54 year-olds. CNN's cable news rivals had far better viewership during the same time period; MSNBC had more than double CNN's daily audience, with 976,000 total viewers, while Fox News went beyond that with 1.4m. The Independent has contacted CNN for comment. Despite those numbers, Fox News is weathering its own storms with the abrupt firing of Tucker Carlson. Its numbers are down 41 per cent in its key demographics year-to-year, and down 24 per cent in total viewership. Its weekday demographic audience immediately after Carlson's departure was the lowest it has been since the first week of September 2001. Both Fox and CNN are suffering in their primetime time slots. Several of their weeknight primetime offerings have been beaten in the ratings by Newsmax, a far-right media channel that has served as a landing spot for conservative viewers fleeing Fox News in the wake of Carlson's departure. Newsmax saw a similar boost immediately after the 2020 election after Fox News accurately called Arizona for Joe Biden before any other news outlet. Chris Wallace's Friday night interview show on CNN scored only 224,000 total viewers in its 10pm slot; 60,000 more people were watching Newsmax during the same time slot. The only network actively gaining viewers is MSNBC, which saw its audience numbers increase 44 per cent — likely a result of the CNN exodus. CNN's town hall with Mr Trump and moderated by Kaitlan Collins included the former president further maligning E Jean Carroll — whom he was found by a court to have sexually assaulted and defamed — calling 6 January 2021 a "beautiful day," and promising to pardon Capitol rioters who attempted to thwart the nation's democratic transfer of power after his 2020 election loss. He also continued to push the idea that the 2020 election was stolen. Blowback to the town hall was so severe that CNN star anchor Anderson Cooper made a statement on-air about the debacle, ultimately asking them to view the event as a warning about Mr Trump's political aspirations. Read More Trump defames E Jean Carroll yet again after she sues him over CNN town hall insults Trump Media files $3.78bn defamation lawsuit against Washington Post over Truth Social reporting Trump slams Fox News’ Laura Ingraham over ‘hit piece’ saying DeSantis would do better against Biden than him Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

The 'My Heart Will Go On' hitmaker was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in December last year

Alec Baldwin allegedly 'felt the server was rude' as he started to put the plates down while he was standing, said an insider

Around 250 protesters gathered outside the BBC's main headquarters in London on Monday over the British broadcaster's "continued refusal...

Password-sharing crackdowns are becoming more and more common in the streaming world today

'What in the Jeffree Star did Jessica Simpson do to her face????' read one comment

It's official: Mark Thompson, the former chief executive of The New York Times and director-general of the BBC, will be the next leader of CNN, taking the reins of the renowned global news organization at one of the most pivotal times in its 43-year history.

By now we've seen what AI is capable of especially when its dealing with beloved cultural figures but a new take on The Simpsons might have gone too far according to some fans. Previously, AI has shown us what the likes of The Simpsons and The Avengers would have looked like if they were sitcoms in the 1980s. Well, thanks to Midjourney and one Reddit user we now know what the various Simpsons characters could look like if they were real people living in 2023. Over on the Midjourney subreddit @Crows_HeadIC shared what happened when they asked the AI image generator to reimagine the Simpsons as modern-day characters. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The post has 20 different images and features all the main Simpsons family as well as other favourites such as Ned Flanders, Mr Burns, Patty and Selma, Apu, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Moe, Lenny and Carl. My take on the real life Simpsons by u/Crows_HeadIC in midjourney One of the biggest talking points on the thread was about the recreation of Marge who now has tattoos and a long blue hair, instead of a tall vertical bonnet. One person said: "Marge is the only one that doesn’t work. Everyone else is great." Another wrote: "I struggled a lot with Marge. But why not give her a modern edge." However, another person disagreed adding: "Marge is hot AF." Consensus was split on the other characters too with some loving the redesigns and others not being convinced. One user wrote: "Homer doesn't resemble anything like him except the baldness." Another said: "Flanders and Comic Book Guy are bang on." A third added: "Damn, Lenny Carl and Skinner got mad glow ups." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

From home decor to food and drink to a real-life Barbie DreamHouse, Barbiecore is inescapable right now. Of course, we have Greta Gerwig's Barbie to thank for that. It's no surprise the influence has spread across to fashion, given the fictional doll's iconic wardrobe. Since the hotly anticipated film was announced, interest in Barbie's style has soared across social media. On TikTok alone, the hashtag #barbieoutfits has reached almost 60 million views. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Over on Pinterest, there has been a significant increase in searches, with a 614 per cent rise across the globe, along with a further spike of 194 per cent for 'pink outfits'. To ride the wave, stylists at Boohoo have pulled together five tips to inject some Barbiecore into your wardrobe. Cowboy hats "Cowboy hats have been a huge hit in recent months, with Barbie herself seen sporting the accessory, pairing it with a pink Western-themed two-piece outfit. "Pinterest searches for ‘cowboy hat’ have risen 122 per cent in the past year. "Cowboy hats are a fun accessory, particularly during the summer months, to pair with denim outfits or a flared ensemble to recreate that Western style." The perfect handbag "Accessories are essential to perfecting your Barbie look, and the perfect handbag is ideal for achieving that look - but what colour bag is best? "Having a handbag in every colour isn't the easiest way of making sure you have one to pair with every outfit, especially as wardrobe space can be limiting (unless you are Barbie), which is why you should opt for one white, one black and even one pink bag if you want to make sure you have good options to cover any colour outfit. "If you have the basic shades or tend to only venture into creams, beiges, and nudes, why not inject some colour by purchasing a statement bag? Whether this be a pattern, a bright colour or a bag with sparkle or hardware, this will elevate even the most basic outfits." Statement shoes "The Barbie trailer opened with a Barbie’s perfectly pink stilettos with a feathery trim, highlighting that shoes can make or break a Barbie outfit. However, whilst heels are Barbie’s first choice of shoe, there are ways to style your flats in Barbie fashion: Heels - Barbie is known for showing up and stepping out, so you should include at least one or two pairs of killer heels to add elegance to your looks Trainers - If you do not want to invest in heels, choose cute, comfy trainers to pair with your casual outfits. Adding trainers with a platform is a great alternative to add height and elongate your legs without wearing heels Sandals - Strappy sandals scream all things fun, so pair your playful summer dresses, long flowy skirts and denim shorts with a pair of tie-up or slip-on sandals Western boots – Cowboy boots and Western-style boots are everywhere this summer, so finding the perfect pair when there are so many options is challenging. If you want to style these boots for an event such as a festival or party, try solid colours or play with metallics to stand out, just like Barbie Textures and fabrics "Barbie is not afraid of standing out and experimenting with different types of styles. Astronaut Barbie doll (1965) rocked a white jumpsuit and brown zip-up boots, Quick Curl Barbie doll (1973) showed up in a peach tailored suit co-ord and silver clutch, and even Extreme 360 Barbie doll (2000) experimented with a cute navy sweatsuit proving athleisure is fashionable. "If you want to channel Barbie in the best possible way, you should not be afraid to jump out of your comfort zone and experiment, which is why playing around with different textures and fabrics is a great place to start: Feathers – Feathers are a great way to jazz up any outfit. You could style a feathery top with your favourite jeans or trousers if you are heading on a night out with the girls. Why not pair a feathery mini skirt with a minimal top if you are going to a fun concert? Ruffles – Ruffles are very in this season which is great if you love to go for cute and girly outfits. Layered rah-rah skirts are perfect, or those with a bit of volume look great paired with a denim jacket or cowboy boots for a festival look. Denim – No wardrobe is complete without a splash of denim. Whether in the form of a dress, dungarees, jeans or a skirt, denim is a fabric staple. If you want to branch out and cover all basis of the material, try dark denim in indigo or navy, which will add an editorial feel to an outfit. Do not be afraid to play with contrast denim and shades of denim that complement each other; double denim is fashionable when done correctly. Last but not least, think pink "Unsurprisingly, if you want to channel Barbie into your wardrobe, you need to inject her favourite colour, and while every shade of pink is beautiful, sometimes it can be hard to find a shade that is right for you and that compliments your skin's undertone. "If you have a warmer or more golden undertone, opt for pinks with a yellow undertone. These are pinks such as coppers, rose golds, peachy-toned pinks and corals; they will highlight your complexion and accentuate your features perfectly. "If you have a cool or blueish undertone, you should match this with your pinks. These are magentas, plummy pinks and fuchsias." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Desitny was left with scars and a missing butt cheek when he desired a more voluminous booty

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 21, 2023--