Amanda Harding

Carnival Cruise Line is responding to backlash over their recent policy changes, specifically addressing new rules regarding music and behavior which many social media users have dubbed “racist.”“Unfortunately, certain media outlets have blown this matter out of proportion,” Matt Lupoli, Senior Manager of Public Relations at Carnival Cruise Line, told Parade in a statement.“We have always had a wide variety of entertainment options and for the last several years we have communicated our expectations about guest behavior,” he continued.📌New Rules on Carnival Cruises targeting Loud Music, People, Hazardous Fans, Children on the Loose and More😅 @KABBFOX29 @News4SA pic.twitter/0DhfpBhOrx— Darian Trotter-Thomas (@DarianTrotter) June 7, 2025The rules included a stricter drug policy. “Marijuana, including cannabis and its derivatives, and other illegal substances, are unlawful and strictly prohibited on board,” a letter noting all the rules says. “Smoking of any kind in undesignated areas such as staterooms and balconies is strictly prohibited.”Guests under the age of 17 must stay out of public areas after 1 a.m. unless accompanied by an adult. The new rules also say that certain handheld fans are also prohibited due to the loud “clack” sound. These fans are used as part of a viral dance trend, but now Carnival says for the safety and comfort of other guests, they’re no longer allowed.The letter also prohibits portable speakers from being used without headphones. There is also a 15-drink maximum in a 24-hour period.Several social media users have reacted with accusations of racism, saying that Carnival is trying to discourage black vacationers from their cruise ships by coming up with rules specifically targeting their actions, per The Root. One person on TikTok replied by saying, “Carnival does not have to worry about me,” noting how she cancelled her reservation following the new rules being posted. “We got the message loud and clear, we are not your demographic anymore… Carnival decided they wanted to rebrand.”“Why would you not want people to be able to bring speakers to listen to their own music?” another woman said in a TikTok which included the caption, “Carnival Cruise Line does not like colored people.”“Y’all got some nerve,” she added. “Because y’all are mad dirty, y’all are mad cheap, y’all mad ghetto. Every time I see a video of Carnival, the stairways is all rusty, y’all got a whole documentary about how y’all ships be catching on fire and sh** mixed with piss all on the walls, all on the floors, and y’all got beef with rap music.”Other commenters defended the changes, however. “Y’all have to learn how to act… I’m not gone lie.. y’all really made the value go down. I’m not mad at it.” “I’ve never seen a carnival cruise video on social media that makes me want to go. It’s like the Walmart of cruise lines,” another person said. “It’s not racism but certain stuff becomes a liability after a while,” another commenter agreed.“Carnival got tired of being the Section 8 of the Sea,” echoed another.There are also unconfirmed claims that Carnival has banned rap music from the clubs on their ships, which a rep for the company declined. “Our DJs play a wide variety of music, including hip-hop,” a rep told The Daily Dot.

“Full House” alum Candace Cameron Bure recently acknowledged that her almost three-decade-long marriage hasn’t always been perfect. The 49-year-old mom of three made the revelation during Tuesday’s episode of her podcast. “Val and I went through a really, really rough season in our marriage in 2020, and that’s when the pandemic hit,” Bure said of her husband, Valeri, a retired professional hockey player, whom she married in 1996.“It was going south quickly,” she added. “And we were like, ‘I don’t know, don’t think … we’re gonna make it through.’”The actress said it was ultimately her three children who helped them through the rough patch. Natasha, who was born in 1998, is an actress like her mother. The couple also has two sons, Lev and Maksim, who were born in 2000 and 2002. respectively.“At one point, Lev, Maks, and Natasha, but Lev was the one leading the charge. He came up to us and he said, ‘We’d like to talk to you guys,’” Bure said. “Val and I sat down and Lev preached, like, a 45-minute sermon on marriage to us. Just had his Bible open on the couch and just talked about it.”Lev was in his early twenties at the time.“And I’ll never forget, because he said, ‘know I haven’t been married. And I’m just a young kid. And so it’s probably hard to take marriage advice from someone this young …never experienced it before. But I don’t need to be married to know what the word of God says,’” she went on.The actress recalled how Lev had “such a calm voice that had so much wisdom behind it” when he broached the subject.“He looked us straight in the eye and individually asked me, and then asked Val, ‘Have you done everything you can? Is there one step of grace, is there just some bit of more grace you can give? Is there any more grace you can give Mom? Is there one more act of kindness in you that you could give to try to reconcile?’” Bure said, describing this encounter as a “pivotal moment” that changed everything for the family.“When we walked away from that, and Val and I were like, ‘Huh, we raised some pretty good kids,’” Bure said.“There was a lot more to it, but it’s a whole different scenario when your kids sit you down to have a talk and go, ‘Are you being as mature as you can be and what God says?’ I’m so grateful to Lev and Maks and Natasha,” she told her podcast listeners. “They were so supportive of everything.”

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker, best known for starring in the HBO drama series “Sex and the City,” explained why she doesn’t always comment on political issues.“I often don’t talk on social media because I don’t think it’s a place that’s deserving of any real complicated conversation,” the 60-year-old celeb said during an appearance on the Monday episode of Nicolle Wallace’s “The Best People” podcast.“I’m not interested in quick little snippets when it’s dealing with conflict or even elections sometimes,” she added. “I really was so thoughtful about how I wanted to talk about the election because I think it turns into a distraction from a campaign. It turns into fodder. It’s misunderstood. You have no control over it.”Parker also cited historical precedent, noting how “FDR was elected without social media.”“Many things happened, right and left, Republicans and Democrats for many, many, many, many years — many generations were elected without someone having to say something on Instagram,” Parker continued.The HBO star said she will only speak on social issues if she’s “comfortable,” plus said she’s unwilling to speak on topics she doesn’t know enough about.“I’m not going to talk about stuff that I don’t feel educated on,” Parker told the podcast audience. “I’m not going to jump in on really complex areas that I feel are deserving of far more thought, consideration, nuance — which I know no one’s interested in. And I just feel like I want to be helpful. I don’t want to hurt something that matters to me.”To help educate herself about political issues, the actress said she tries to figure out “what is scary and what is dangerous.” She said she wants to know “the difference between something being said and the reality of it happening.”While Parker has been criticized by fans for not always talking politics like so many other celebs, she did endorse Harris and Walz ahead of the 2024 election.“For the love of my country, For our public schools, for books, For common sense gun laws, For a living wage, For opportunity, For women, For voting rights, For the Dreamers, For arts and culture, For my mother and senior citizens,” she listed off in a 2024 Instagram caption alongside a photo of her hanging up a campaign sign. “With an abundance of joy, optimism and pride, I am voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.”

Actor Dean Cain, who played the role of Superman in the 1990s TV series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” is weighing in on how woke the new movie, set to hit theaters on Friday, might be.“How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?” the 58-year-old actor wondered while speaking with TMZ.“We know Superman is an immigrant – he’s a freaking alien … The ‘American Way’ is immigrant-friendly, tremendously immigrant-friendly. But there are rules,” Cain continued. “You can’t come in saying: ‘I want to get rid of all the rules in America, because I want it to be more like Somalia.’ Well, that doesn’t work, because you had to leave Somalia to come here … There have to be limits, because we can’t have everybody in the United States. We can’t have everybody, society will fail. So there have to be limits.”Cain further noted the difference between legal and illegal immigration. “It’s being portrayed as a real negative thing that we want people to follow our immigration laws,” the actor observed. “Which is insane to me … Here’s an agency, ICE … they’re supposed to enforce those laws. Why are they being villainized for enforcing the laws that our lawmakers, our elected representatives created?”“I think it’s gonna hurt the numbers on the movie,” the former Superman actor added, saying he had been excited to see the film before director James Gunn acknowledged that the film was meant to be “political.”“I mean, ‘Superman’ is the story of America,” Gunn said in an interview with The Times of London published on Friday. “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”“… it’s about human kindness and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them,” Gunn continued.“Yes, it’s about politics,” he added. “But on another level it’s about morality. Do you never kill no matter what — which is what Superman believes — or do you have some balance, as Lois [Lane] believes? It’s really about their relationship and the way different opinions on basic moral beliefs can tear two people apart.”Gunn further responded to the backlash at the movie’s premiere on Monday, issuing a blanket statement on how the film was simply about “kindness.”“I think this movie’s for everybody. I don’t have anything to say to anybody. Like, I’m not here to judge people,” he said on the red carpet. “I think this is a movie about kindness and I think that’s something everyone can relate to.” Gunn’s brother, Sean, who plays billionaire Maxwell Lord in the film, also chimed in. “It is exactly what the movie is about. We support our people, you know? We love our immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don’t like that, you’re not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American Way.”

Longtime filmmaker Terry Gilliam said the reelection of President Donald Trump has changed the landscape of comedy.The “Monty Python” alum reflected on the change during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that was published earlier this week. Gilliam, 84, said comedy had been hesitant and safe for a long time, but now with the Trump administration, that’s starting to shift.“I think Trump has changed things considerably. He’s turned the world upside down,” the director said. “I don’t know if people are going to be laughing more, but they’re probably less frightened to laugh.”He added, “There have been woke activists with a very narrow, self-righteous point of view. That’s frightened so many people, and so many people have been very timid about telling jokes, making fun of things, because if you tell a joke, these people say you’re punching down at somebody. No, you’re finding humor in humanity!”“So, irony, satire were basically dead,” Gilliam said. “And humor, to me, is probably one of the most essential things in life. You’ve got six senses, and the seventh sense is humor, and if you don’t have that, life is going to be miserable.”The filmmaker also observed how Trump’s return hasn’t been great for his upcoming comedy, “The Carnival at the End of Days.” The project is a satire about Satan trying to stop God from wiping out humanity and leans heavily on mocking woke leftism, which Gilliam said is very different in the current world.“[Trump has] f***ed up the latest film I was working on. Because it was a satire about the last several years when things were going as they were. He’s turned it upside down. So he’s killed my movie,” Gilliam said.“That was how I approached it. I think Trump has destroyed satire. I mean, how can you be satirical about what’s going on in the way he’s doing the world?” he added.He next joked about adding a “preamble” in the movie to call out the “Trump lost years from 2020 to 2024.”Gilliam said something similar in an interview with Deadline, also published this week. “…The script, in some ways, is out of date because it was a satire of the world two years ago, and Donald Trump has come along, and he is the carnival. He’s turned the world upside down — everything,” he told the outlet. “We may have to rework some of the story because parts of it was very specific about the wonderful world of woke before The Donald took over again. That very narrow way of thinking of life. We’ll see where it goes. At the moment, I may be out of a job for another 10 years,” the filmmaker said.

Chip and Joanna Gaines, whose public embrace of their Christian faith has made them especially popular among American Evangelicals, are facing new allegations of hypocrisy.The “Fixer Upper” stars serve as producers for “Back To The Frontier,” a new show on HBO Max in which three families attempt to live as 19th-century homesteaders. One of the couples, Jason and Joe Hanna-Riggs, are gay men with adopted children. Their inclusion in the show has caused some Christians to accuse the reality stars of failing to live up to the values they have publicly espoused.Ed Vitagliano, vice president of the American Family Association, also publicly called out the couple for disappointing their fan base.“This is sad and disappointing, because Chip and Joanna Gaines have been very influential in the evangelical community,” Ed Vitagliano, vice president of the American Family Association, said on X. “In the past, they have stood firm on the sanctity of marriage regardless of the personal cost that has entailed.”Chip and Joanna Gaines’ new show on their Magnolia Network spotlights a same-sex couple and their two sons, drawing concern from Christians who expected the network to uphold biblical values.“This is sad and disappointing, because Chip and Joanna Gaines have been very… pic.twitter/LKMupgB6o3— American Family Association (@AmericanFamAssc) July 11, 2025Chip Gaines responded to the backlash on X.“Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never,” he wrote on Sunday. “It’s a sad sunday when ‘non believers’ have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.”Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/neverIt’s a sad sunday when “non believers” have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian💔— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) July 13, 2025“On our way to church,” the father of five wrote in a follow-up post. “Y’all enjoy this beautiful Sunday!”

Longtime blue-collar job proponent Mike Rowe had heaps of praise for an acknowledgement made by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about the future.“What we need more than anything right now is we need to celebrate skilled craft workers,” Huang said during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “We’ve moved away from industrialization and manufacturing for so long that there’s a void for the ability to manufacture things,” he continued, saying he loves that the United States is building AI factories, which will “need skilled craft.”“We need to go back and make sure that the trade schools are really well invested in,” Huang added.My first two words on this particular Sunday morning were "Hallelujah!” followed by, “Amen!”I was not in church when I uttered them. I was at my kitchen table, watching the CEO of the most valuable company in the world say precisely what mikeroweWORKS has been espousing for the… pic.twitter/oxNZZfzqTv— The Real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) July 13, 2025Rowe responded with praise for what the tech industry exec was saying.“My first two words on this particular Sunday morning were ‘Hallelujah!’ followed by ‘Amen!’” the “Dirty Jobs” host wrote as part of his lengthy response.“If you haven’t already heard, a massive challenge is upon us. With regard to artificial intelligence and the energy we need to feed it, America will either change its current direction, or get left far, far behind. I know this because I run a modest foundation that has been arguing for decades that the portion of our workforce most often described as ‘the skilled trades’ will become the most essential component of our economy, our independence, and our collective future,” he went on. “Well, the future is here. Obviously, I didn’t know that the race to dominate artificial intelligence would be the thing that finally galvanized the folks at the grown-up table. When I founded mikeroweWORKS in 2008, I figured it would be a new commitment to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure that would necessitate a collective push to reinvigorate the trades.”Rowe said, “That need is still pressing, but I never imagined the most urgent cry for more welders and electricians would be ushered in by the need for more data centers. Back then, I didn’t even know what a data center was. But today, here we are. Data centers are headline news, because they are – as Jensen Huang says – AI factories. And if we want to remain competitive with China, we need to build thousands of them. Now. And presently, we simply don’t have the workforce to do it.”He went on to explain that skilled trades need “better PR” at a national level and that people need to realize that these skills are “in demand.” Rowe went into detail about attempting to help then-President Barack Obama push “shovel-ready jobs,” but not having much success. Now he’s turning his attention to assisting Trump.“Just as I was rooting for President Obama in 2009, I’m rooting for President Trump today. I hope he succeeds in reinvigorating our industrial base and reshoring our manufacturing capabilities, and I want to offer my support. But if he does succeed, we’re talking about millions new jobs in manufacturing alone,” Rowe added.

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer called out a “very concerning” additive that’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be sprayed on organic produce, putting some of the blame on billionaire Bill Gates.“Apeel (an edible, plant-based coating designed to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables) was just approved and now ‘organic’ produce is coated in something we cannot see or wash off,” the 67-year-old wrote on her Instagram Stories Thursday, per Page Six. “Very concerning,” she added. Her warning was attached to an original post that said, “Organic produce is no longer safe. Bill Gates’ Apeel just got approved for USDA-certified organic.” Pfeiffer also advised followers on which grocery stores would not sell produce treated with Apeel.The company Apeel was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur James Rogers and got a jump start thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as The Daily Mail noted, but beyond that, the Gates family is not associated with the brand.The company received significant backing from venture capitalist Andreessen Horowitz.“Bill Gates has zero involvement or ownership in Apeel. We’re a team who value honesty and transparency, dedicated to enhancing food accessibility and sustainability,” a 2024 statement posted on the official Apeel Instagram said. A spokesperson for Apeel told Page Six, “It is both disappointing and concerning to see a public figure like Michelle Pfeiffer use her platform to spread disinformation about our company, our mission, and the work of our employees.”The statement continued, “Apeel Sciences remains committed to correcting the record and defending our work in the face of disinformation. We urge Ms. Pfeiffer and others to do their research before contributing to the spread of falsehoods on social media.”The company claims on its website that the coating, which helps prolong the shelf life of produce, is made from “non-GMO, responsibly-sourced plant oils” that “are distilled into purified mono- and diglycerides that we use to create an additional edible layer, or peel, on fresh produce to help keep moisture in and oxygen out. These naturally occurring, fatty acid-based ingredients are found in plant peels, regular dietary fats, and everyday foods, and they have a long history of safe consumption.”

Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro reacted with good humor after being referenced on Sunday night’s episode of the adult animated comedy, “Family Guy.”“Happy to hear I was on Family Guy last night, but bummed the entire scene didn’t make the cut, so watch to the end of the clip,” the conservative commentator shared on X.He also reacted to one specific line of the bit, writing, “BTW my new book Lions and Scavengers is coming out 9/2 and you’ll be number 3, dumb dog.”Happy to hear I was on Family Guy last night, but bummed the entire scene didn’t make the cut, so watch to the end of the clip. BTW my new book Lions and Scavengers is coming out 9/2 and you’ll be number 3, dumb dog. pic.twitter/cWXqHofdIm— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 14, 2025In the clip, the family dog named Brian Griffin, who is also a staunch liberal on the series, is upset to find out that his previously published book “Faster Than the Speed of Love” has returned to the bestseller list because it’s being promoted by conservatives.“Hey look, did you see this?” Stewie Griffin asks Brian. “Your book, ‘Faster Than the Speed of Love,’ is back on the shelves.”“Really? Nice!” Brian replies.“With a new forward by Ann Coulter,” Stewie adds, prompting Brian to respond, “Less nice.”“And a very forward by Lauren Boebert,” says Stewie.Brian proceeds to read the foreword. “When I’m not rubbing my hand over a tented khaki, I’m curled up with a copy of Brian Griffin’s excellent book. And does anyone know how ‘Beetlejuice: The Musical’ ends?”“Ugh, my book is being co-opted by the Right,” Brian complains. “Gross!”“And it’s selling,” Stewie tells him. “It’s number two on the neo-Nazi best seller list, behind Ben Shapiro’s ‘Tyranny: How the Radical Left Made Me Bad at Sex.’”The scene next cuts to a cartoon version of Shapiro saying, “Oh God. It’s that kid and his dog again. Never as good as ‘The Simpsons,’ not nearly as smart as ‘South Park.’ I wonder how [show creator Seth MacFarlane] still writes this from inside the closet.”Most of Shapiro’s followers found the extended version of the clip hilarious, which was reflected in the comments.“Even when they cut the scene, you still stole the show,” one person wrote.“Iconic,” another agreed.“‘Family Guy’ or not, I’m just here for the sass and the book drop,” a third person replied.“Lions and Scavengers: The True Story of America (and Her Critics)” is Shapiro’s first book in four years, and he recently called it his “most important book, certainly my most passionate.”“Lions and Scavengers” will release on September 2, 2025. It is now available for pre-order.

Comedian Bill Maher and leftist actor John Leguizamo argued about immigration on a recent episode of his podcast.Leguizamo accused White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller of being a racist for his role as “the architect” of Trump’s deportation policies, but Maher argued that the Biden administration is to blame for inviting the masses to enter unlawfully.“Part of this is a backlash to how badly Biden handled the immigration situation. It can’t just be like ‘Come one, come all,’” he said during the new “Club Random with Bill Maher” episode that aired on Monday.“There’s plenty of room here,” Leguizamo complained. “There’s plenty of room in America, come on. There’s no lack of room in America.”“It’s never about room. It’s about resources,” Maher shot back. “Countries have to have a border,” he went on. “I mean, they’ve done surveys and something like 200 million people around the world when asked, ‘Would you come to America if you could?’ ‘Yes, I would.’ Why wouldn’t they? Lots of countries, excuse me, are sh**holes, and they would love to be here.”“The places aren’t sh**holes,” Leguizamo said in response.“Well, they are,” Maher replied. “That’s why they want to come.”Leguizamo goes on to say that immigrants are “building the country” and doing all the jobs no one wants to do, which Maher agreed with, but says when it comes to immigration, “there has to be some order to it.” Leguizamo also discussed meeting Trump before his political career took off and said he took offense to being called “articulate.” The actor said he found Trump to be “meek.” “I wouldn’t call it meek,” Maher said. “What I would call it is knowing how to make everybody – it’s ironic because he’s known as the greatest egomaniac, and he is quite an egomaniac – but to make the person you’re talking to feel like they’re the ones who are important and you’re interested in what they’re saying. He’s good at that.”Maher also said he didn’t believe that Trump was racist but just a “product of his time.”“Some of us overcome our times,” Leguizamo said.“That is true and fair to say,” Maher replied.Maher, a Democrat, made headlines earlier this year for having dinner with Trump and sharing some of the more surprising aspects of their conversation. While Larry David whined about Maher accepting an invitation from “Hitler” and actor Sean Penn said he likely would have never agreed to the meeting, Maher kept an open mind and was pleasantly surprised.He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in public,” the podcast host said at the time.