Latest news with #Corcoran
The Journal
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Ukrainians leave jobs and pets behind as they're forced to leave Co Cork hotel
THE EVICTION OF around 400 Ukrainians from a hotel in Co Cork has been described as an 'affront to humanity'. The 120-room Quality Hotel in Redbarn outside Youghal had hosted Ukrainian families since April 2022. They were informed in January that they would have less than a month to find alternative accommodation but this was then pushed out to 31 July. In January, the people at the hotel were told that accommodation would be offered elsewhere to those who need it and that 'every effort will be made to keep them as close to their current location as possible'. However, the Department of Integration noted that 'given the significant number of moves planned, this may not always be possible'. The statement added that the provider at this site has expressed an interest in providing accommodation for international protection following the end of the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection contract. Responsibility for integration matters has since been passed to the Department of Justice. 'Unjust' Fiona Corcoran of The Greater Chernobyl Cause told The Journal that around 250 people left the hotel, while others had left earlier. The Greater Chernobyl Cause is a humanitarian aid charity based in Co Cork and founded by Corcoran. She said it was 'unjust to forcibly remove Ukrainian residents from their sanctuary' and criticised the Department of Justice for not allowing people to bring their pets with them. 'The Government allowed our Ukrainian refugees to bring in their pets from war torn Ukraine and now they're forcing them to find new homes for their animals,' said Corcoran. 'These pets provide essential emotional support in coping with the trauma caused by the death and occupation and conflict and the experience of becoming a refugee. 'One of the women I spoke to said she brought her dog to a friend's house and that this is 'maybe for a while, or maybe forever'.' The people who were being accommodated at the Quality Hotel are now being relocated in various areas around Ireland, including in neighbouring Co Kerry and Co Waterford, but also as far away as Co Louth. 'It's actually an affront to humanity, as far as I'm concerned,' said Corcoran of the relocation. She said that the people in the hotel had 'absolutely no say whatsoever' in where they are sent to. Advertisement 'For some people, it's actually the third time their being forcibly moved, because when Russia invaded Crimea back in 2014 some of these people lost their homes. 'Then they had to move again in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, and now once again they have to move because our Government is uprooting them.' Corcoran also criticised the decision to move some of the people to the village of Portmagee in Kerry. 'There's one bus a day there, and that's actually booked in advance,' said Corcoran. 'So transport is a huge issue, there's no GP, and the nearest hospital is 90 minutes away.' One woman who had to move from the hotel told Newstalk that she has been resettled in Waterford. 'We hope that something could change, because everybody would like to stay here,' she said. 'Don't give false hope' She also noted that around 150 of those who were living in the hotel were employed locally. 'Our government hasn't a clue what it's doing because that's after creating unemployment of 150 people,' said Corcoran. 'The Government says it's cost saving but how can it be cost saving if people are losing their jobs and then they're on the live register.' She also voiced concern that the move could impact on job security for special educational needs assistants who primarily worked with Ukrainian children. Corcoran also remarked that the move is 'very upsetting for the Youghal community because these Ukrainians are part of the community'. 'They're part of the GAA and other sports and school choirs, so the locals are very, very upset and very sad to see that the Ukrainians have moved on. Meanwhile, Cocoran said she is 'very cross' with one of the local politicians. While she didn't name this politician, she said: 'He knows who he is and shame on him. 'He gave me a guarantee last week that he would be with the Ukrainians in Youghal on Monday, and then chose not to take our calls. 'If you're not going to get involved, that's fine, but don't give false hope to these Ukrainians who left their war torn country and who have lost close family members.' The Department of Justice has been approached for comment. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Verge
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The chaos and confusion of Itch and Steam's abrupt adult game ban
Two of the biggest digital games stores have stopped selling thousands of titles following pressure from a coalition of anti-porn advocates and the world's biggest payment processing companies. It's happened before, will likely happen again, and is suppressing art, free expression, and marginalized creators. Last week, the indie gaming storefront sent out a sudden notice to the creators that use the site to sell their games, books, art, and other media; it had 'deindexed' all content with the NSFW (not safe for work) tag, meaning works with that tag would no longer turn up in searches, effectively making it impossible to discover or purchase them. Last week, Steam did similarly, removing a swath of games from its platform after implementing stricter policies related to adult content. In its announcement, founder Leaf Corcoran explained that the reason for this drastic action was pressure applied to the company's payment processors by Collective Shout — an Australian nonprofit organization that describes itself as 'a grassroots campaigns movement against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls.' 'Due to a game titled No Mercy, which was temporarily available on before being banned back in April, the organization Collective Shout launched a campaign against Steam and directing concerns to our payment processors about the nature of certain content found on both platforms,' Corcoran said. Released in March before being delisted by both Steam and in April, No Mercy was described by Collective Shout as a 'rape simulator.' Its developer, Zerat Games, denied this, describing it as a '3D choice-driven adult visual novel with a huge focus on blackmail and male domination.' As a result of Collective Shout's actions, in tandem with the payment processors, over 20,000 games, books, comics, and other creative works — confirmed via the Internet Archive — functionally ceased to exist on the site (though purchased content remains in users' libraries so long as it doesn't violate new guidelines), imperiling the creators who depend on sales from In addition to NSFW content, notable projects that didn't have the tag were caught up in the purge as well. One example is Consume Me, a game about disordered eating and the recent recipient of the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 2025 Independent Games Festival, which was delisted. There's also concern that this deindexing event will have a disproportionate impact on queer creators, and in the immediate aftermath there has been confusion about the distinction between 'NSFW' and 'adult' content, with a lot of LGBTQ+ stories and games falling under the umbrella of the former. 'My SFW sci-fi comic that's no worse than a standard Marvel movie also got deindexed... but it had the LGBT tag,' wrote Yuki Clarke, a comic artist, on Bluesky. Whenever a platform announces a blanket ban on adult content, LGBTQ+ creators are almost always disproportionately affected, harming queer artists and invariably queer people. In 2021, eBay's removal of its 'Adult Only' section eliminated a popular storefront for LGBTQ+ erotica artists and collectors. In 2022, Tumblr settled with the New York City Commission on Human Rights because its 2018 ban of 'adult content' had a discriminatory impact on queer creators. Several creators have said that their SFW content with the LGBT tag have been deindexed. has responded to some of these claims on social media, saying, 'The deindexing was determined by how creators classified their pages: specifically if the page was tagged as NSFW and as having adult content.' However, there have also been reports that content with the LGBT tag but not the NSFW or Adult tags were still getting delisted, creating confusion about just what kind of works was pulling from its store and why. The Verge has reached out to for clarification. On Bluesky, in response to a creator claiming their LGBT books were delisted despite not having any adult or NSFW tags, the account answered, 'We have a series of automated heuristics that can flag pages for review based on account behavior to help prevent abuse.' It further explained that the LGBT or queer tags wouldn't affect that system. acknowledged that the blanket delisting of all its adult content wasn't ideal and has created concern among its users. But the threat of losing its payment processors required emergency action. 'The situation developed rapidly, and we had to act urgently to protect the platform's core payment infrastructure,' Corcoran wrote. Typically, payment processors take actions like this to ensure their products aren't being used to purchase illegal content. In Steam's case, it updated its guidelines to include a rule that prohibits publishing material that 'may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam's payment processors.' In an email, Casey Becker, spokesperson for Stripe, responded that it does not comment on users directly but, 'generally speaking, we take action when we conclude that users violate our terms of service. We do not support adult content.' Payoneer, one of other payment processors, declined to comment. The Verge has also reached out to PayPal, the last of listed payment processors, for comment. Payment processors have frequently been the reason behind content bans. Though Collective Shout was the inciting agent, it's companies like Visa, Stripe, and others that are responsible for these kinds of acts of mass censorship. In 2014, PayPal threatened to remove all its services from Patreon because the site hosted adult content creators. (PayPal would reverse this decision two years later, but Patreon still makes it difficult for sex workers and porn creators to do business on the website.) In 2021, OnlyFans, a website synonymous with porn, announced that it would ban all sexually explicit content to 'comply with the requests of [the platform's] banking partners and payout provider.' Six days later, OnlyFans would reverse the decision, citing assurances from its banking partners. Scratch a porn ban, and you'll find a PayPal. These processors have enormous power over their clients, and that influence can be used to achieve goals that have nothing to do with consumer choice or safety. is forced to comply with their demands or risk being unable to function entirely. 'To ensure that we can continue to operate and provide a marketplace for all developers, we must prioritize our relationship with our payment partners and take immediate steps towards compliance,' Corcoran wrote in announcement. says that it is in the process of reviewing and removing NSFW and adult-tagged content that violates its terms of service, while also updating those terms. 'For NSFW pages, this will include a new step where creators must confirm that their content is allowable under the policies of the respective payment processors linked to their account,' the announcement read. It has also updated its July 24th announcement to include answers to commonly asked questions that had been circulating social media, debunking rumors surrounding whether was withholding payments and addressing why such drastic action had to be taken so disruptively. The company also says it's working on finding new payment processors. Players and users are fighting back, flooding Visa and Mastercard customer service lines with complaints. A database has been created where creators can list their deindexed work for people to browse and purchase on alternative sites. Some creators are also removing their work from and are threatening to leave it altogether, as updated NSFW policy makes bans permanent and irreversible while explicitly threatening subversive art. 'Our policy is not an invitation to push the boundaries of what is acceptable. Violations that result in administrative action are permanent with no chance of appeal,' the creator FAQ reads. 'Any funds on the account will not be eligible for payout. There is no second chance.' Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Ash Parrish Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. 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Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Get Happy Summer Day Camp welcomes over 2,000 youth
The Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN) said it brought together over 2,000 children across 17 communities in the territory to participate in its signature youth initiative this summer. The Get Happy Summer Day Camp is taking place in six more communities than it did last year: Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Kinngait, Qikiqtarjuaq, Pangnirtung, and Sanirajak, according to Kerby Corcoran, RPAN's programs manager. Youth from five to 12 years old began attending the camps that started between June 20 and 30, depending on the community, and are expected to run six to eight weeks. Arts and crafts, cultural activities unique to each community, and weekly challenges are all a part of the campers' daily fun, Corcoran explained. To help guide those Nunavumiut children during the camp, 114 youth leaders were trained in mid-June. Two youth leaders in Iqaluit, Keira Qamaniq and Ayva-Lin Noah, said the camp has been tons of fun even with the additional participants. 'This year I feel like there's more kids than we've had in my past years,' Qamaniq, who's in her third year as a youth leader, said in a phone interview. Qamaniq and Noah's group is roughly 30 campers, and is only one of a handful in Iqaluit alone. Every week, campers have a different theme of Inuit culture to take part in. Iqaluit campers played Inuit games in the first week of July, and the second week will cover nature exploration, including picking flowers, berries, and everyone wearing green, Qamaniq and Noah explained. Both leaders are well prepared to manage the children, Noah said, praising RPAN's ability to prepare them for the summer job. 'There was first aid and CPR training, they were teaching us games to play with the kids like ice breakers or just games we could play when we had nothing else to do,' Noah said. More youth leaders were trained this year due to the increased number of communities taking part, which has more than tripled since the camp began operating 10 years ago. Training those youth leaders has a major payoff down the road, Corcoran said. 'When the kids see the youth leaders in the communities, they are going to be excited. The youth leaders essentially are becoming role models to the younger generation,' Corcoran said. Qamaniq and Noah said the best part of the camp for them was making friends with the campers and the coworkers, something Corcoran echoed. Making children smile and being a part of a team is probably the best part of running the Get HAPPY Summer Day Camp, according to Corcoran. 'We tell the recreation staff and youth leaders that it is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a long summer, but also provides the youth leaders with a rewarding experience,' Corcoran said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Barbara Corcoran has facelifts every 10 years — and gets ear filler
There's only one question that the outspoken property guru Barbara Corcoran won't answer. Just how much does she spend on her plastic surgery? 'I'm not going to tell you,' she laughed. 'I know exactly how much, but I hesitate to say it out loud.' Advertisement The 76-year-old, who has amassed an estimated fortune of $100 million, recently regaled fans on social media with the full rundown of her cosmetic maintenance. 14 Barbara Corcoran admits she has had a facelift every 10 years since turning 50. Tamara Beckwith/ The 'Shark Tank' had her last facelift with Dr. Andrew Jacono five years ago — and reveals there are celebrity-favorite doctors in Manhattan who now charge more than $300,000 for a deep-plane face lift. Advertisement Corcoran who sold her real estate company, The Corcoran Group, in 2001 for $66 million, had her first facelift at 46. 'I do it every 10 years, that's my rhythm,' she told The Post. 'All of a sudden I noticed nobody was noticing me anymore on the street. I was invisible. 14 The real estate queen sent social media abuzz with her recent Instagram post about her various cosmetic procedures. @barbaracorcoran/Instagram 14 She detailed every treatment she's had — including three facelifts. @barbaracorcoran/Instagram Advertisement 'The guys weren't whistling, they weren't even turning their heads — nothing. [I was becoming] an invisible lady around town. And that really bothered me.' In June, Corcoran shared on Instagram that her list of procedures includes — among other things — 'three facelifts, lower eyelid skin pinch, filler four times a year, brow lift, professional teeth whitening, fractional 1550 laser once a year, and a clear and brilliant laser twice a year.' Also: 'an eye lift, neck lift, ear filler four times a year, fractional CO2 laser on face 1x a year and brow wax' once a month, along with at-home hair cut and color sessions every six weeks. 14 Corcoran said the one secret she won't reveal is how much she's spent on surgery and other procedures over the years. Tamara Beckwith/ Advertisement 14 Corcoran is moving into a new home on Fifth Avenue. Tamara Beckwith/ Corcoran made the bold decision to come forward in the wake of Kris Jenner confirming she had a $200,000 facelift with Dr. Steven Levine (who has also treated Brad Pitt), Kylie Jenner revealing details about her breast implants, and Khloé Kardashian opening up about various procedures. 'Heard the cool kids were sharing their plastic surgery secrets,' Corcoran said in her post. 'Well, the reason I put that post out was because there was so much hoopla about Kris Jenner — and it was kind of like a vote of support, like join the bandwagon,' she told The Post while sitting in her sleek Park Avenue apartment on a recent Thursday morning. 14 The 'Shark Tank' star says she wants to be open about her cosmetic work so people don't feel bad about themselves. @barbaracorcoran/Instagram 'The real reason I do it, and I'm being very upfront about my facelifts, is because I noticed that when you look better than your peers and they know how old you are, it makes them feel badly,' Corcoran added. 'So I did it mostly to come clean right away. I just didn't want people to think less of themselves, you know, because a lot of people don't have the money to keep up after that stuff.' She admits she hasn't always been so open about her cosmetic work. After having her first eye lift she fled to Greece for a vacation with her five sisters and young son, Tom Higgins, because she didn't want anyone in New York City to see her. Advertisement 'I gave up that shame factor on my full facelift that I got like five years later,' she said, 'And the pain was the worst of all the facelifts because I didn't know what to expect and I took the drugs for three days. 14 She has been married to husband Bill Gibbons for 36 years. Barbara Cocoran/ Instagram As for how much pain she is willing to endure to look good, Corcoran said, 'I'm very good with pain, so I didn't find any of the facelifts very painful. 'Now I don't even take the drugs — it's just like, 'Get over it.' But you know what was the most painful? I recently had laser treatment on my neck and I could hardly tolerate the pain for five days. I would never do it again just to make my skin better on my neck. I had the worst pain, much more so than facelifts.' Advertisement Ear filler — what even is that? 'It's so damn smart!' Corcoran exclaims. She uses her ears as a sort of canary in the coal mine: When her ear filler starts to disappear, she said, it's a sign that it's time to get her other fillers re-upped. 14 Corcoran is mom to Tom (far right, next to his wife Lia) and daughter Katie, far left. She also has three step-daughters, Shani, Sandi, and Lori, with husband Bill Gibbons. Barbara Cocoran/ Facebook 'Particularly if I have a season of 'Shark Tank' coming up, I want to know when I should go back in there,' she said. 'The minute my ear gets thin, I go, 'Uh-oh, time to go in.'' Advertisement And while being on TV is a big reason for her desire to keep up appearances, Corcoran said viewers might not even recognize her on the street. 'I don't really wear makeup when I'm not working. I walk down the street really looking vastly different. I like it because I wear a baseball cap. I don't wear sunglasses, but I dress in my most comfortable, oldest clothes I own … nobody recognizes me,' she said. 14 Corcoran and her beloved pup Max. Tamara Beckwith/ 'I go around town, I have no eyes, no eyebrows, no lips, because I'm very fair. So my face really disappears. I can really walk around that way and be very happy because nobody's bothering me.' Advertisement But even when she is going to a friend's house for dinner, she puts on her full face and plays it up. 'There's a different expectation for me,' Corcoran said. 'I don't want them saying behind my back when I leave, 'She's not looking good, Oh my god'!' 14 Corcoran said she once pondered running for mayor of New York. Tamara Beckwith/ Unsurprisingly, everyone she knows asks her about the next areas of smart real-estate investment in NYC. Right now, Corcoran is pointing them toward Two Bridges — the downtown, East Side neighborhood around the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges that she calls a 'phenomenal area' — as well as Queens, especially Breezy Point. Corcoran, who recently sold her beloved Upper East Side penthouse for $12 million, plans to spend her time between her home on Fire Island and a new apartment on Fifth Avenue, which she is about to move into with her husband, former FBI agent Bill Higgins, and their 19-year-old daughter, Katie. New York is in her 'veins,' and she is adamant she will never move — although there are quality of life issues that infuriate her, like how utilitarian products including toilet paper and toothpaste are kept under lock and key at pharmacies due to shoplifting: 'You'd think it was diamonds, for God's sakes.' 14 Corcoran has had a 'second act' with NBC's 'Shark Tank.' ABC 14 'Shark Tank' will return to NBC in September. The sharks are Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Peter Jones, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, and Daymond John. ABC via Getty Images And while she admits that Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani 'ran a wonderful social media campaign' ahead of the primary, 'I think that he's going to have a lot of opposition because the real estate community has piled up against him. 'He used word that are like the worst words in the real-estate language: rent freeze. That is a sure-shot way of getting people to pit against you … everybody who owns a building in New York knows if you can't raise the rent, you can't pay for the maintenance. You have to pay for the new boiler, the new lobby, everybody that you have to take care of if you're a landlord.' 14 Corcoran and Gibbons recently sold their NYC penthouse for more than $12 million. Barbara Cocoran/ Instagram Has the colorful, well-connected Corcoran ever considered running for Mayor? 'There was some committee like 20 years ago that asked me to run for mayor,' she revealed. Although she thought it might be 'fun,' her mother changed her mind by telling her that politics is 'such a filthy business, why would you want to get involved?' Still, Corcoran added, 'I'm sure I would win — because I'm a good salesman and I know how to market. It's just about marketing yourself. But … I would hate the job. I would be hate being political. And I have the worst mouth that gets me in trouble all the time because I always tell it like it is. That never goes over in politics very well.' 14 Her 'Shark Tank' career 'justifies my facelift money,' she said. Tamara Beckwith/ Besides, 'Shark Tank' keeps her busy. After selling her business, she missed her work 'terribly' and was thrilled when the show provided her a 'whole second career.' She returns for the 16th season of the NBC hit in September. 'I'm good at spotting talent,' she said of her TV gig. 'How really lucky am I? And that justifies my facelift money!'
New York Post
23-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
This Gilded Age mansion is the priciest rental in NYC
This opulent Manhattan mansion has everything a renter could want. The question is: Which deep-pocketed denizen can cough up $175,000 a month to have it? When a fully renovated limestone mansion at 4 E. 64th St. entered the market in April, it was tied for the city's most expensive rental. At $150,000 a month, the home's sole competition was a lofty Hudson Square penthouse. Less than two months later, however, the mansion got a price bump. Advertisement 8 The Gilded Age property's stately limestone facade. Courtesy of Corcoran 8 The opulent foyer. Courtesy of Corcoran 8 The rental boasts custom millwork and seven fireplaces. Courtesy of Corcoran Advertisement June saw the Gilded Age abode, located just off of Fifth Avenue, receive an eye-watering $175,000-a-month price, now making it the priciest for rent in town. Listing agent Carrie Chiang with Corcoran told The Post that the increase was due to the passage of the FARE Act in June, which banned landlords from passing broker fees onto renters. Many landlords responded in kind by building the cost directly into rents. The fully renovated Upper East Side mansion spans 30 feet wide and encompasses more than 18,000 square feet, according to the listing. It boasts eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and three powder rooms. The architect R.H. Robertson built the seven-story home in 1893. It most recently changed hands in 2007, according to city records, when the LLC 4-6-8 purchased the historic property for $25.2 million. Public records indicate its use as a multifamily rental under its current ownership. Advertisement 8 The eat-in kitchen. Courtesy of Corcoran 8 French doors open to one of the rental's several outdoor spaces. Courtesy of Corcoran 8 Despite an extensive overhaul of the interiors, the home maintains its Gilded Age character. Courtesy of Corcoran A years-long gut renovation, undertaken by Zivkovic Connolly Architects, resulted in like-new interiors for the grand home. Advertisement An eat-in kitchen and a stone-lined sunroom number among the property's 22 rooms. Lavish details throughout include coffered arched ceilings, custom millwork and seven fireplaces. The home's 1,500 square feet of private outdoor space includes a balcony, a garden and a roof deck, according to the listing. 8 The ritzy home sits opposite the Consulate General of India. Courtesy of Corcoran 8 A skyline view from the terrace, which includes its own fireplace. Courtesy of Corcoran The city's elaborate turn-of-the-century mansions are reportedly enjoying a healthy season of sales, neatly coinciding with the third season of HBO's architecturally inspired hit show 'Gilded Age.' But what modern day robber baron wants to rent? Chiang declined to comment on what kind of renter a $175,000-a-month mansion could entice. Rentals in the $50,000 to $100,000 range, leased for one month at a time by jet-setting sultans or scooped up by 1-percenters eager to romp with their fellow elites, aren't unheard of, but the person who'll snag this palatial rental remains an unknown quantity.
