Latest news with #NewYork-area
The Intercept
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Intercept
PBS Station Wipes Drag and Trans Content After DOGE Outcry
The New York-area PBS station WNET has scrubbed its archives of at least three educational TV episodes that discuss transgender identity and drag expression, The Intercept has learned, as Congress and the Trump administration target public broadcasters with attempts to strip their funding. The station's educational program 'Let's Learn' became an object of ire for the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency this spring over the 2021 episode 'The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish,' in which the drag queen and children's author Lil Miss Hot Mess sings about drag performance to the tune of 'The Wheels on the Bus.' The subcommittee's chair, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., opened the 'Anti-American Airwaves' hearing in March by claiming that 'PBS News is not just left-leaning, but it actively uses taxpayer funds to push some of the most radical, left positions like featuring a drag queen on the show' and calling Lil Miss Hot Mess a 'child predator' and a 'monster.' Far from defending the programming, PBS CEO Paula Kerger distanced the broadcaster from the show. 'The drag queen was actually not on any of our kids' shows,' she said, claiming the episode made it to the PBS website by mistake and had already been removed. PBS followed up with a letter that said it had 'removed all remaining references to the Episode' online on March 26, 2025. But it wasn't just PBS: The New York member station that produces 'Let's Learn' — which had stood by the episode under scrutiny in previous years — then quietly removed the episode across its platforms, according to an Intercept analysis. WNET also erased two other episodes about a children's book featuring a a transgender protagonist, the analysis shows. WNET did not respond to requests for comment. A PBS spokesperson reiterated Kerger's claim that the episode was uploaded by mistake and said its removal was unrelated to the current political climate, but did not respond to questions about why over 250 other 'Let's Learn' episodes are still available for viewing on the official PBS website. Public broadcasting was an object of U.S. conservative wrath for decades before the Trump administration. But as the current government has intensified its attacks, PBS has engaged in other recent examples of self-censorship. PBS removed a scene in which Art Spiegelman discusses an anti-Trump cartoon from a documentary about the artist, and it pulled a gaming documentary with transgender themes from planned syndication — then relisted it after The Atlantic asked about the deletion. But the erasure of WNET's programming on drag and transgender culture shows the effects reaching a local level, where the station that produced the episodes elected to take them down — despite previously having defended them. After premiering in the spring of 2021, 'The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish' quickly garnered social media outrage and news coverage. Following the first round of backlash, WNET added a disclaimer on its YouTube channel and the 'Let's Learn' website, noting that the series is 'not funded or distributed by PBS.' But at the time, WNET defended the episode, telling Fox News that Let's Learn 'strives to incorporate themes that explore diversity and promote inclusivity, which are relevant to education and society. Drag is a performance art that can inspire creative thinking and the questioning of stereotypes.' The outrage didn't go away: Two years later, Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt explicitly mentioned the episode when he vetoed a bill to extend funding for his state's PBS station. Despite all the attention, WNET continued to make the episode available — until this year. An Intercept analysis showed that following the DOGE hearing, WNET quietly removed all mentions of the episode across its platforms. The original episode page now displays a generic error message, reading 'Oops! The page you are looking for was not found.' 'The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish' no longer appears in a list of episode titles, and the video is listed as private on the WNET Education YouTube channel. WNET also instructed search engines not to list the episode's old webpage. Aside from removing 'The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish,' WNET has additionally removed at least two more 'Let's Learn' episodes, The Intercept has found. In the November 2020 episode 'Max and the Talent Show,' author Kyle Lukoff reads his book of the same name. The story concerns a white transgender boy named Max who helps his Black male friend Steven prepare for a talent show and 'find the perfect gown, shoes, cape, and tiara,' according to the School Library Journal. The journal calls the book 'an excellent choice as an early reader with an LGBTQIA+ theme.' WNET removed that episode and another, called 'Brain and Same Both Have Long 'A.'' That hourlong episode also features 'Max and the Talent Show,' which students read in order to 'practice sounds with the long 'a.'' Although it has been erased from PBS and WNET platforms, 'The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish' can still be viewed via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Watch: Beyoncé fulfills fan's request with onstage gender reveal at New York stop
Watch: Beyoncé fulfills fan's request with onstage gender reveal at New York stop Beyoncé Knowles-Carter devoured a drenched stage during her fourth New York-area stop on her "Cowboy Carter" tour, and she ended the night with a sweet surprise: a gender reveal for a fan, live onstage. The Grammy-winning singer kicked off her fourth show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 28. Toward the end of the night, fans were pleasantly surprised when she did a gender reveal onstage for a fan. Early in her performance, Beyoncé spotted a fan's sign asking for a gender reveal. She told the fan, "I'll be back. I'm going to do it later." And she delivered on that promise toward the end of the concert. As the performance wrapped, Beyoncé circled back to the fan saying, "I had to come back to you. I didn't want to rush this, because this is important. A once-in-a-lifetime gender reveal. I had to take my time." Beyoncé then knelt down, carefully unraveling the envelope to reveal baby Carter's gender. The entire crowd leaned into the moment, cheering as Beyoncé showed off the paper that read 'Cowboy.' With a warm smile, she turned to the fan and confirmed, 'It's a boy,' as the stadium roared with celebration. beyoncé doing yet another gender reveal on tour, this is truly iconic😭🥹 — 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) May 29, 2025 Wednesday's concert was her fourth of five times performing in the New York area on her Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. The final show at MetLife is scheduled for May 29. Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. She performed a total of five shows there, putting on a revolutionary show filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. As fans know, Beyoncé first released the 27-track project in March 2024. It has since made history and broken multiple records. As Beyoncé's first country album, she deliberately featured country legends and emerging Black country artists alike. She became the first Black woman to win best country album at the 2025 Grammys and also took home album of the year. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
Japan Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Curtain coming down after 30 years at 'Inside Edition' for Deborah Norville
By DAVID BAUDER For a television news industry in a constant state of motion, Deborah Norville has been a model of stability. She began hosting the syndicated newsmagazine 'Inside Edition' in 1995 and has remained there ever since. Now that 30-year run is coming to a close. Norville, 66, signs off on May 20. She's planning to celebrate with a long vacation through Europe with her husband, and try something new when she gets back. She will host 'The Perfect Line,' a trivia show that begins airing this fall. No successor has been named at 'Inside Edition.' 'I'm very excited about the game show,' she said. 'It's fun, and who doesn't want to give away somebody else's money to people who are happy to take it?' Three decades ago, Norville left CBS News for a genre largely dismissed as tabloid television. She's proud of telling stories that add value to the audience's lives: A company that makes a device to aid choking victims says it has traced a thousand uses to people who say they learned about it through an 'Inside Edition' story. During COVID, the show began broadcasting from her kitchen almost immediately and never stopped, as she built a makeshift studio in her New York-area home. 'We were a familiar presence during a time when everything else was topsy-turvy," she said, 'and I think the bond with our audience was made even stronger then.' As she prepares to adjust to a life no longer governed by news cycles, Norville paused to reflect on her time with The Associated Press. AP: You made the decision a while ago to leave 'Inside Edition.' Now that it's happening, how does it feel? NORVILLE: It really hit me today. It's the same day my daughter and husband came over (to the studio) for an in-person interview for a piece they're doing — a farewell Deb thing. My daughter was on 'Inside Edition' the day she was born. Nine hours after I gave birth, the crew was in my hospital room taping 'Inside Edition' because they couldn't find anyone else to do the show, which was ridiculous. To see her, this beautiful, 27-year-old grown woman, so statuesque and wonderful and lovely and perfect, to do an interview about what it's like having her mom work at this place for literally her entire life, it was like, oh my gosh, there's something major about to happen. AP: When you first joined, tabloid shows were considered less respectable than networks. How do you think that's changed? NORVILLE: Remember Tom Shales of the Washington Post? Tom Shales actually put in the paper that I was selling my credibility. The old Deborah would have just gone into a fetal position and cried. The new me said, 'Oh, I don't think so.' I never knew my credibility had anything to do with the peacock or eyeball on my paycheck, because I had worked at NBC and CBS. My credibility had to do with the show that I stood in front of, the stories that I personally produced and reported on and what we put on television every day. All I was asking was that people watch. AP: When you look back on it, what is the work you'll remember the most? NORVILLE: 'Inside Edition' has evolved a lot in the 30 years that I've been here. When I got here, it was still the hard-core, tabloid, beach blanket bingo — a lot of girls on sandy beaches in tiny bikinis. We don't do that anymore. ... It has evolved in such a way that we as a program have become a companion to people — not just on television, but we're a companion on the internet, on social media, on YouTube. The content that we do is watchable, but also very relatable and meaningful. AP: It's unusual these days to stay at the same job for a long time. Why did that appeal to you? NORVILLE: I came to 'Inside Edition' because I was expecting my second child. I knew it was going to be a boy (Norville and her husband, Karl Wellner, have two boys and a girl). I turned down an offer from CBS News to be 'Eye on America' correspondent four days a week and anchor the weekend news one night. I would have been teed up for the job that Katie Couric ultimately got. But those four nights a week were going to be on the road all over the country and I didn't think I could be the kind of mother I aspired to be, and certainly the kind of wife that I wanted to be, if I was on the road. I just didn't know how I could do it. AP: Any regrets about paths not taken? NORVILLE: Oh, probably. But here's the antidote to that. You take a look at where the road has taken you and you take stock at what you see at that spot in the road where you find yourself. ... The biggest thing is that I look at my family, which is the most important thing to me. My husband and I have been married for 37 and a half years. I have three amazing children who actually enjoy being with us, who are solid citizens, who are kind and giving and industrious and entrepreneurial. I didn't mess up my kids. Coming to 'Inside Edition' for the right reasons, turned out to be the right reason for me. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Hill
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Curtain coming down after 30 years at ‘Inside Edition' for Deborah Norville
NEW YORK (AP) — For a television news industry in a constant state of motion, Deborah Norville has been a model of stability. She began hosting the syndicated newsmagazine 'Inside Edition' in 1995 and has remained there ever since. Now that 30-year run is coming to a close. Norville, 66, signs off on May 20. She's planning to celebrate with a long vacation through Europe with her husband, and try something new when she gets back. She will host 'The Perfect Line,' a trivia show that begins airing this fall. No successor has been named at 'Inside Edition.' 'I'm very excited about the game show,' she said. 'It's fun, and who doesn't want to give away somebody else's money to people who are happy to take it?' Three decades ago, Norville left CBS News for a genre largely dismissed as tabloid television. She's proud of telling stories that add value to the audience's lives: A company that makes a device to aid choking victims says it has traced a thousand uses to people who say they learned about it through an 'Inside Edition' story. During COVID, the show began broadcasting from her kitchen almost immediately and never stopped, as she built a makeshift studio in her New York-area home. 'We were a familiar presence during a time when everything else was topsy-turvy,' she said, 'and I think the bond with our audience was made even stronger then.' As she prepares to adjust to a life no longer governed by news cycles, Norville paused to reflect on her time with The Associated Press. ___ Q&A ASSOCIATED PRESS: You made the decision a while ago to leave 'Inside Edition.' Now that it's happening, how does it feel? NORVILLE: It really hit me today. It's the same day my daughter and husband came over (to the studio) for an in-person interview for a piece they're doing — a farewell Deb thing. My daughter was on 'Inside Edition' the day she was born. Nine hours after I gave birth, the crew was in my hospital room taping 'Inside Edition' because they couldn't find anyone else to do the show, which was ridiculous. To see her, this beautiful, 27-year-old grown woman, so statuesque and wonderful and lovely and perfect, to do an interview about what it's like having her mom work at this place for literally her entire life, it was like, oh my gosh, there's something major about to happen. AP: When you first joined, tabloid shows were considered less respectable than networks. How do you think that's changed? NORVILLE: Remember Tom Shales of the Washington Post? Tom Shales actually put in the paper that I was selling my credibility. The old Deborah would have just gone into a fetal position and cried. The new me said, 'Oh, I don't think so.' I never knew my credibility had anything to do with the peacock or eyeball on my paycheck, because I had worked at NBC and CBS. My credibility had to do with the show that I stood in front of, the stories that I personally produced and reported on and what we put on television every day. All I was asking was that people watch. AP: When you look back on it, what is the work you'll remember the most? NORVILLE: 'Inside Edition' has evolved a lot in the 30 years that I've been here. When I got here, it was still the hard-core, tabloid, beach blanket bingo — a lot of girls on sandy beaches in tiny bikinis. We don't do that anymore. … It has evolved in such a way that we as a program have become a companion to people — not just on television, but we're a companion on the internet, on social media, on YouTube. The content that we do is watchable, but also very relatable and meaningful. AP: It's unusual these days to stay at the same job for a long time. Why did that appeal to you? NORVILLE: I came to 'Inside Edition' because I was expecting my second child. I knew it was going to be a boy (Norville and her husband, Karl Wellner, have two boys and a girl). I turned down an offer from CBS News to be 'Eye on America' correspondent four days a week and anchor the weekend news one night. I would have been teed up for the job that Katie Couric ultimately got. But those four nights a week were going to be on the road all over the country and I didn't think I could be the kind of mother I aspired to be, and certainly the kind of wife that I wanted to be, if I was on the road. I just didn't know how I could do it. AP: Any regrets about paths not taken? NORVILLE: Oh, probably. But here's the antidote to that. You take a look at where the road has taken you and you take stock at what you see at that spot in the road where you find yourself. … The biggest thing is that I look at my family, which is the most important thing to me. My husband and I have been married for 37 and a half years. I have three amazing children who actually enjoy being with us, who are solid citizens, who are kind and giving and industrious and entrepreneurial. I didn't mess up my kids. Coming to 'Inside Edition' for the right reasons, turned out to be the right reason for me.
Winnipeg Free Press
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Curtain coming down after 30 years at ‘Inside Edition' for Deborah Norville
NEW YORK (AP) — For a television news industry in a constant state of motion, Deborah Norville has been a model of stability. She began hosting the syndicated newsmagazine 'Inside Edition' in 1995 and has remained there ever since. Now that 30-year run is coming to a close. Norville, 66, signs off on May 20. She's planning to celebrate with a long vacation through Europe with her husband, and try something new when she gets back. She will host 'The Perfect Line,' a trivia show that begins airing this fall. No successor has been named at 'Inside Edition.' 'I'm very excited about the game show,' she said. 'It's fun, and who doesn't want to give away somebody else's money to people who are happy to take it?' Three decades ago, Norville left CBS News for a genre largely dismissed as tabloid television. She's proud of telling stories that add value to the audience's lives: A company that makes a device to aid choking victims says it has traced a thousand uses to people who say they learned about it through an 'Inside Edition' story. During COVID, the show began broadcasting from her kitchen almost immediately and never stopped, as she built a makeshift studio in her New York-area home. 'We were a familiar presence during a time when everything else was topsy-turvy,' she said, 'and I think the bond with our audience was made even stronger then.' As she prepares to adjust to a life no longer governed by news cycles, Norville paused to reflect on her time with The Associated Press. ___ Q&A ASSOCIATED PRESS: You made the decision a while ago to leave 'Inside Edition.' Now that it's happening, how does it feel? NORVILLE: It really hit me today. It's the same day my daughter and husband came over (to the studio) for an in-person interview for a piece they're doing — a farewell Deb thing. My daughter was on 'Inside Edition' the day she was born. Nine hours after I gave birth, the crew was in my hospital room taping 'Inside Edition' because they couldn't find anyone else to do the show, which was ridiculous. To see her, this beautiful, 27-year-old grown woman, so statuesque and wonderful and lovely and perfect, to do an interview about what it's like having her mom work at this place for literally her entire life, it was like, oh my gosh, there's something major about to happen. AP: When you first joined, tabloid shows were considered less respectable than networks. How do you think that's changed? NORVILLE: Remember Tom Shales of the Washington Post? Tom Shales actually put in the paper that I was selling my credibility. The old Deborah would have just gone into a fetal position and cried. The new me said, 'Oh, I don't think so.' I never knew my credibility had anything to do with the peacock or eyeball on my paycheck, because I had worked at NBC and CBS. My credibility had to do with the show that I stood in front of, the stories that I personally produced and reported on and what we put on television every day. All I was asking was that people watch. AP: When you look back on it, what is the work you'll remember the most? NORVILLE: 'Inside Edition' has evolved a lot in the 30 years that I've been here. When I got here, it was still the hard-core, tabloid, beach blanket bingo — a lot of girls on sandy beaches in tiny bikinis. We don't do that anymore. … It has evolved in such a way that we as a program have become a companion to people — not just on television, but we're a companion on the internet, on social media, on YouTube. The content that we do is watchable, but also very relatable and meaningful. AP: It's unusual these days to stay at the same job for a long time. Why did that appeal to you? Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. NORVILLE: I came to 'Inside Edition' because I was expecting my second child. I knew it was going to be a boy (Norville and her husband, Karl Wellner, have two boys and a girl). I turned down an offer from CBS News to be 'Eye on America' correspondent four days a week and anchor the weekend news one night. I would have been teed up for the job that Katie Couric ultimately got. But those four nights a week were going to be on the road all over the country and I didn't think I could be the kind of mother I aspired to be, and certainly the kind of wife that I wanted to be, if I was on the road. I just didn't know how I could do it. AP: Any regrets about paths not taken? NORVILLE: Oh, probably. But here's the antidote to that. You take a look at where the road has taken you and you take stock at what you see at that spot in the road where you find yourself. … The biggest thing is that I look at my family, which is the most important thing to me. My husband and I have been married for 37 and a half years. I have three amazing children who actually enjoy being with us, who are solid citizens, who are kind and giving and industrious and entrepreneurial. I didn't mess up my kids. Coming to 'Inside Edition' for the right reasons, turned out to be the right reason for me. ___ David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
