Day: November 17, 2025
‘The View’ co-hosts praise Marjorie Taylor Greene after breaking with Trump, tell her ‘Welcome to the team’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., apologized for “toxic politics” and was welcomed by “The View” hosts as a new member of the anti-Trump resistance after her recent criticism.
Two men caught with 81 monkeys stuffed in bags and meth in wildlife smuggling ring, authorities say
Two men in Thailand were arrested after authorities discovered 81 monkeys and methamphetamine near the Cambodia border in a suspected wildlife trafficking case.
Michael J. Fox’s family remains his superpower in ongoing Parkinson’s disease battle
At a recent New York City event, Michael J. Fox credited his wife Tracy Pollan and their four children for their unwavering support during his decades-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Comrade Kathy? Democratic Socialists Tell New York Gov To Support Mamdani’s Agenda or Else.
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America are demanding that vulnerable New York governor Kathy Hochul (D.) get in line with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s socialist agenda or get voted out of office.
The post Comrade Kathy? Democratic Socialists Tell New York Gov To Support Mamdani’s Agenda or Else. appeared first on .
‘You’re robbing me’: Morgan Freeman slams Tilly Norwood, AI voice clones
The use of celebrity likeness for AI videos is spiraling out of control, and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars is not having it.
Despite the use of AI in online videos being fairly new, it has already become a trope to use an artificial version of a celebrity’s voice for content relating to news, violence, or history.
‘I don’t appreciate it, and I get paid for doing stuff like that.’
This is particularly true when it comes to satirical videos that are meant to sound like documentaries. Creators love to use recognizable voices, like David Attenborough’s and, of course, Morgan Freeman’s, whose voice has become so recognizable that others have labeled him as “the voice of God.”
However, the 88-year-old Freeman is not pleased about his voice being replicated. In an interview with the Guardian, he said that while some actors like James Earl Jones (who played Darth Vader) have consented to his voice being imitated with computers, he has not.
“I’m a little PO’d, you know,” Freeman told the outlet. “I’m like any other actor: Don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it, and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you’re robbing me.”
Freeman explained that his lawyers have been “very, very busy” in pursuing “many … quite a few” cases in which his voice was replicated without his consent.
In the same interview, the Memphis native was also not shy about criticizing the concept of AI actors.
RELATED: Hollywood’s newest star isn’t human — and why that’s ‘disturbing’
Photo by Chris Haston/WBTV via Getty Images
Freeman was asked about Tilly Norwood, the AI character introduced by Dutch actress Eline Van der Velden in 2025. The pretend-world character is meant to be an avatar mimicking celebrity status, while also cutting costs in the casting room.
“Nobody likes her because she’s not real and that takes the part of a real person,” Freeman jabbed. “So it’s not going to work out very well in the movies or in television. … The union’s job is to keep actors acting, so there’s going to be that conflict.”
Freeman spoke out about the use of his voice in 2024, as well. According to a report by 4 News Now, a TikTok creator posted a video claiming to be Freeman’s niece and used an artificial version of his voice to narrate the video.
In response, Freeman wrote on X, “Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me.”
He added, “Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful.”
RELATED: Meet AI ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood. Is she really the future of entertainment?
Norwood is not the first attempt at taking an avatar mainstream. In 2022, Capitol Records flirted with an AI rapper named FN Meka; the very idea that the rapper was even signed to a label was historic in the first place.
The rapper, or more likely its representatives, were later dropped from the label after activists claimed the character reinforced racial stereotypes.
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Soft-on-crime Democrat reaps his reward following armed robbery at his office
The Illinois Senate president’s office was subject to an armed robbery last week after a long history of leading efforts to crack down on police in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests and the death of George Floyd.
Democrat Senate President Don Harmon’s office was robbed at knifepoint on Friday, NBC 5 Chicago reported.
‘The Senate president … remains dedicated to ensuring that the laws in Illinois reflect that Black Lives Matter.’
According to reports, Scott Loeffler, 35, is suspected to have entered Harmon’s Constituent Service Office in Oak Park. After a brief exchange, a staffer found herself being held at knifepoint, with her phone in the suspect’s hand.
Loeffler allegedly entered the office at 11:11 a.m. and was arrested at approximately 12:51 p.m., almost two hours later. The staffer’s husband was able to track her phone after the suspect fled the scene.
John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Loeffler has been charged with felony armed robbery by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In a statement, Harmon thanked the local police department and expressed his relief that his staff members were unharmed.
“I want to thank the Oak Park Police Department for a quick response, and I want to thank my staff for their bravery and unwavering commitment to public service. Their safety is my top priority,” Harmon said in his statement.
The Democrat added that there was no evidence that the robbery was “politically motivated.”
Harmon, for his part, has spent several years pushing legislation that has been criticized as “soft on crime.” For example, Harmon “worked closely with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus to advance a reform agenda founded on four pillars: criminal justice reform; education and workforce development; economic access, equity and opportunity; and health care and human services.”
Harmon’s website adds, “The Senate president understands the importance of these changes and remains dedicated to ensuring that the laws in Illinois reflect that Black Lives Matter.”
The law, known as Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, was the subject of heated debate since it abolished cash bail and reformed several policing policies.
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Video: Masked smash-and-grab robbers don’t look so scary when jewelry store owner pulls his gun and opens fire
Masked robbers clad in dark clothing quickly took over a California jewelry store last week, as surveillance video shows them fanning out and smashing display cases in a brazen heist.
This is, until the owner of the store came into the camera frame with his gun and opened fire.
‘It’s shocking to the conscience. It’s scary to the family because it is a mom-and-pop store with family being your own employees, it’s your own business and your livelihood.’
The imposing crew suddenly looked quite overmatched as they stumbled and sprinted out the store.
The incident at Olivia’s Fine Jewelry in Madera took place around 7 p.m. Thursday, KFSN-TV reported. Madera is about a half hour northwest of Fresno.
Four of the crooks took part in the smash-and-grab while one stayed by the door as a lookout, KFSN said. Video shows the lookout holding the door open for the rest of the crew as they ran out of the store to get clear of the gunfire.
After the robbers ran into the parking lot, video shows the owner on the sidewalk in front of the store still shooting at the fleeing crooks.
“It’s shocking to the conscience. It’s scary to the family because it is a mom-and-pop store with family being your own employees, it’s your own business and your livelihood,” Madera Police Sgt. Blake Short told KFSN.
The robbers took with them an estimated $170,000 in jewelry, the station said, and authorities added that no one was hit by gunfire.
“I believe the store owner did what he felt was necessary at the time. We don’t always recommend that in this field. Fortunately, no one was harmed in this situation,” Short added to KFSN.
The station said authorities were able to recover the getaway car, described as a dark gray Audi, and that the suspects ditched it just outside of the Madera city limits.
Police also called the robbery sophisticated, KFSN said, adding that the suspects had a clear plan.
Short noted to the station that a “preliminary investigation shows that they were kind of in the area for a little while … we would say in our field ‘casing the business.’ This was definitely meticulous. It was thought out. It did not appear to be a first time for these individuals.”
Veronica Casillas, an employee of a nearby store, told KFSN that “it was very scary. We heard just a loud noise, and I told the manager ‘I think those gunshots.'”
The investigation is ongoing, the station said, and no additional descriptions of the suspects have been released.
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Texas child gender transition still happening despite statewide ban
Texas state laws ban doctors from giving guidance on transgender medicine and procedures on minors — but the Texas Medical Association is still doing it.
“Sometimes I even think, ‘Well, that’s behind us now.’ It’s actually not. Even here in the state of Texas because despite the fact that Texas outlawed this awful, brutal practice mutilating healthy body parts of children … there still seem to be doctors and associations that are trying to carry out this disgusting, brutal torture ritual,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”
Gonzales pulls out a recent “lesson” from Texas Medical Association doctors where they claim that as primary care physicians, they “play a vital role in transgender and gender diverse … health care.”
“With a significant increase in TGD individuals seeking care, staying informed about best practices is essential. By understanding gender identity development and offering tailored support, you can improve outcomes and build trust,” the lesson states.
“They even make sure to highlight that this is for adolescent and adult care,” Gonzales says, noting that the lesson is $199.
“Wow, what a bargain to create a patient for life. Incredible,” she says.
Senate Bill 14 took effect in September 2023 and prohibits “gender transition” medical interventions, such as surgeries, puberty blockers, and cross sex hormones for minors — and Texas state Rep. Steve Toth (R) is trying to raise awareness that the law is being ignored.
“Has the Texas Medical Association responded to any of this?” Gonzales asks Toth, who responds, “Not a word.”
One mom from Florida, January Littlejohn, has become an activist in helping parents across the country get justice for their children.
“She said, ‘President Trump is trying to shut all this stuff down,’ but she said, ‘I’m getting swarmed now all across the United States with moms and dads calling me, telling me that their kids are being transitioned primarily in red states like Texas where we’ve banned it,’” Toth tells Gonzales.
“How is this happening?” Gonzales asks.
“The big mistake, the big failure from the 88th legislative session is we didn’t ban social transitioning. We banned the chemical and surgical transitioning, but we did not ban the social transitioning,” Toth explains.
“And so what you’re seeing happen now in the Texas Medical Association is they’re teaching doctors at like Texas Children’s and Methodists that here’s what you do, you just say that you’re going to put this little girl on Lupron, which is a puberty blocker, and you say that it’s for precocious puberty,” he continues.
“It’s not to transition her, it’s for precocious puberty. And then once she goes through … puberty, once she goes through that, then she’s going to be put on a cross sex hormone like testosterone and that’s really easy to get. You just get someone, a doctor from, you know, New Mexico or Arizona, to send that to you and now all of a sudden, she’s good to go,” he adds.
While those administering these treatments claim they’re “reversible,” Toth explains that they’re “not reversible at all.”
“You can’t just try and go through puberty at age 20. It doesn’t work that way,” he adds.
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