Latest news with #SarahWynnWilliams
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Rev Richard Coles: ‘I found a bromance in the jungle with a 25-year-old lesbian'
5am I'm an early riser. I like to think it inclines to virtue so I can do something useful like washing up or writing books. 6am I start with morning prayer. It's an obligation for everyone who is ordained in the Church of England. Even though I'm retired as a vicar, I help out at a church near me, St Mary's in Eastbourne, East Sussex. 7am I might boil myself an egg and have some soldiers. I'm on Ozempic at the moment – I just want to be less fat. The appetite in my head remains but the appetite in my body has greatly diminished. I was in New York the other week and normally I would be gorging on strip steaks and burgers but I ate like a bird, much to the amusement of my friends. I don't know how much I've lost. I've decided not to look. 9am I might go out for a walk. I used to have two sausage dogs: Daisy, 15, and Pongo, 14. I lost them last year and miss them. I spend a lot of my time at home playing the piano. It's my great indulgence. I've got a piano teacher now and I'm trying to rebuild my technique. I don't miss pop music [Coles was in the synth-pop duo The Communards]. I'm really happy with what I'm playing, which is mostly classical. Or I read – often non-fiction. I love Careless People, from the whistleblower at Facebook [Sarah Wynn-Williams]. She reveals what we all suspected – a company that begins full of social justice ends up being a ruthless monopoly. She's a brave person. My new book, A Death on Location [out now], has become a bit like visiting friends tinged through the darkness of murder. It's especially interesting now because the first one, Murder Before Evensong, is being filmed for television. I'm visiting the set a fair bit and talking to the characters I've invented, who are now flesh and blood. Matthew Lewis [Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter ] is playing Canon Clement and Amanda Redman is Audrey. 1pm I'll have a salad and hummus, which my partner, actor Dickie [Richard Cant, 60, the son of the late children's television presenter Brian], has introduced me to. 3pm I might go out on my bike. I've got an e-bike to spare my knees and I go around looking more and more like that woman in The Wizard of Oz [Miss Gulch]. I loved being in the jungle [Coles came third in I'm a Celebrity last year]. I really did enjoy sleeping outside, and I found prayer helpful there. Prayer came under medical necessity, so I used to get access to the medical room. I had thought I might get a bromance out of the jungle. I did get one – only with a 25-year-old lesbian influencer [GK Barry]. GK and I have a continuing friendship and we are trying to arrange a reunion with everyone. We are trying to get Coleen [Rooney] to agree to have it at hers as we all want to see her media room. 6pm You can drink with Ozempic – but your thirst is also a bit diminished. On Ozempic I just want to cook smaller portions. I did a cookery course at Ballymaloe last year and I love Sabrina Ghayour's Persian cookery. We have a division of labour – Dickie does gardening and decor; I do laundry and cooking. 8pm We might go to recitals at the Wigmore Hall, or quite often I slob on the sofa and watch YouTube. I think social media has scrambled my ability to engage with entertainment. Occasionally we will watch something really good, like The White Lotus. 10pm I'm a fairly poor sleeper. I take a while to drop off, especially if I doom scroll.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
15 books you should read this summer: Most anticipated releases for 2025's hottest months
15 books you should read this summer: Most anticipated releases for 2025's hottest months Show Caption Hide Caption Where to find free audiobooks Audiobooks can be an easy way to consume books anytime of the day. Here are some easy ways to find good books and free ways to listen. How's that 2025 reading goal coming along? We're nearly halfway through the year, and the book world is buzzing with new releases. We've seen scathing tech tell-alls (see: 'Careless People' by Sarah Wynn Williams), new releases from beloved authors like Suzanne Collins and Joan Didion, BookTok favorites return and some books that make us feel a little more hopeful about the world. Not to mention the celebrity memoirs that keep us talking about our favorite stars. Now it's time to look ahead at which summer reads to pack in our tote bags and audiobooks to queue up on road trips. Most anticipated books of summer 2025 From seaside romances to nonfiction survival stories to twisty crime dramas, here are the books USA TODAY is most excited for in summer 2025. Titles are listed in order of anticipated publication date. 'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins Reid (June 3) 'Atmosphere' is a love story set against the backdrop of NASA's space shuttle program in the 1980s. Quietly ambitious Joan Goodwin has been looking up at the stars for as long as she can remember, but her life is firmly rooted on the ground. But when she's accepted into a selective trainee class, she finds both her dreams, unlikely friends and unexpected passion. 'Atmosphere' is a character study brimming with heart, both quietly lyrical and an action-packed nail-biter. 'A Family Matter' by Claire Lynch (June 3) This stunning debut novel is told in two timelines. In 1982, Dawn is a young mother adjusting to her new life when neighbor Hazel upends everything she thought she knew and desired. The buried consequences are revealed decades later by her grown daughter. 'A Family Matter' is based on real custody cases in the UK, where, in the 1980s, the majority of lesbian moms lost custody of their children. It's a fast-paced, quickly consuming read that interrogates what happens when we follow rules designed to oppress rather than protect. 'The Dry Season' by Melissa Febos (June 3) 'Girlhood' author Febos chronicles her year of celibacy and romantic abstinence in this memoir. In 'The Dry Season,' Febos undergoes a period of transformation and pleasure where she defines life on her own terms outside of romantic pursuits, also weaving through narratives of purposefully solitary women throughout history. 'Flashlight' by Susan Choi (June 3) Choi's latest follows one family fractured by tragedy. When Louisa is 10 years old, she and her father walk on the beach. When she wakes up, barely alive, she is alone. 'Flashlight' weaves the ripple effects of his disappearance as well as the family's complicated dynamic, shared memories and secrets. 'The Catch' by Yrsa Daley-Ward (June 3) In 'The Catch,' twin sisters Clara and Dempsey live severed lives, adopted into different families after their mother's disappearance. Clara lives with a wealthy couple and has become a glitzy celebrity author. Dempsey was sent to live with a distant city counselor and grew up to work in data entry, confined to her apartment computer. But when Clara sees a woman who looks just like their mother, it'll send the sisters crashing together to uncover the past. 'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' by V.E. Schwab (June 10) From the bestselling author of 'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' comes a sweeping lesbian vampire story sure to knock you off your feet. It follows three young women from distinct periods – 1500s Spain, 1800s London and Boston in 2019 – weaving through centuries and each other's lives with a deep hunger for love, rage, revenge and freedom. 'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' is a gory, character-driven masterpiece. 'King of Ashes' by S. A. Cosby (June 10) A Southern crime drama to the tune of 'The Godfather,' 'King of Ashes' follows three siblings in the aftermath of an accident that leaves their father in a coma – except it might not be an accident. Youngest brother Dante is reckless and indebted to dangerous criminals. Eldest son Roman, a finance whiz, is determined to save him. And their sister, Neveah, tries to uncover the mystery of their mother's disappearance while also holding the family business together. 'With a Vengeance' by Riley Sager (June 10) Sager's latest thriller is about a woman on a quest for retribution – Anna Matheson has lured the six people responsible for her family's downfall to a luxury train, where she intends to confront them, get them to confess and deliver them to the authorities when the train stops. But after one of the passengers is murdered, she realizes she isn't the only one with a revenge plot. 'Don't Let Him In' by Lisa Jewell (June 24) This thriller follows three women drawn together by one man. There's Nina Swann, remarried to a seemingly perfect man after her husband's death. Her daughter, Ash, thinks he's too good to be true. And then there's Martha, a florist living in a nearby town, irked by her husband's frequent, days-long disappearances. As Ash begins to dig into her stepfather's past, the women collide and realize they should've obeyed the warnings they heard long ago: Don't let him in. 'These Summer Storms' by Sarah MacLean (July 8) Bestselling historical romance author MacLean is going contemporary with 'These Summer Storms,' which follows a woman returning to her family's private island after her father's shocking death. But instead of leaving quietly like she intends, Alice is swept into a game with her estranged family because of her father's last wishes, which stipulate the family must spend one week together and complete an assigned task to receive the inheritance. 'A Marriage at Sea' by Sophie Elmhirst (July 8) This is nonfiction that reads like fiction – the best kind. 'A Marriage at Sea' seamlessly brings readers alongside Maurice and Maralyn Bailey's journey to sea, giving an intimate look at the weeks they spent stranded on a tiny life raft after a shipwreck. Elmhirst's retelling is a triumph, second only to the seemingly impossible feat of Maurice and Maralyn themselves. You won't be able to put it down. 'The View from Lake Como' by Adriana Trigiani (July 8) In 'The View from Lake Como,' a recently divorced woman moves back in with her parents and becomes the family handmaiden. After the family suffers an unexpected, shocking loss, Jess questions those she thought she trusted most and escapes to Italy in search of the truth behind her family history. 'Love is a War Song' by Danica Nava (July 22) If you love hyper-contemporary stories or couldn't get enough of 'Hannah Montana: The Movie,' this summer romance novel is for you. 'Love is a War Song' follows disgraced Native American pop star Avery, who is sent to live with her estranged grandmother after she's canceled for an offensive photoshoot. There, she meets grumpy ranch hand Lucas, who can't stand what Avery represents. But when the ranch's future is in jeopardy, they'll have to put their differences aside to save it. 'People Like Us' by Jason Mott (Aug. 5) From the author of the National Book Award-winning 'Hell of a Book,' 'People Like Us' follows two Black authors, one of whom is traveling the world after winning a major prize and the other who is giving a speech at a school that's been through a shooting. As the two authors intersect, they share loss and longing, humor and love and try to find peace in a world of gun violence. 'Katabasis' by R.F. Kuang (Aug. 26) The author of 'The Poppy War' and 'Yellowface' returns with a dark academia fantasy described as Dante's 'Inferno' meets Susanna Clarke's 'Piranesi.' In 'Katabasis,' two graduate students must put their rivalry aside as they make the life-threatening journey to hell to save their professor's soul. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta Whistleblower reveals disturbing secrets in testimony
Most people out of Silicon Valley didn't learn the name Sarah Wynn-Williams until recently. But she recently published a book that sent shockwaves through the tech community. Before Facebook became known as Meta Platforms, () Wynn-Williams served as the social media company's Director of Global Public Policy, a position she assumed in 2011. During her seven years there, she witnessed many things that she chronicled in her book Careless People, published in March 2025. 💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰💵 Wynn-Williams' book provides an in-depth look into the growth and development of Meta and its leaders, specifically how success changed them. As an observer who witnessed many disturbing things firsthand, the author did not hold back in recounting. On Wednesday, April 10, she appeared before the United States Senate and testified about some aspects of Facebook's operations. The implications of what she revealed went far beyond social media. In April 2018, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the U.S. Senate's Committees on the Judiciary and Commerce, Science and Transportation and testified to allegations of data privacy abuse on Facebook. His statements garnered little sympathy among the many people who felt unsafe using Facebook after an investigation revealed that consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had collected and misused millions of users' Facebook data. That type of behavior may be part of why many people don't seem surprised by what Wynn-Williams revealed in her her opening statements before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, Wynn-Williams said a statement that captured the attention of everyone in the room: 'I saw Meta executives repeatedly undermine U.S. national security and betray American values.' She went on to state that Meta's employees had done these things in an attempt to curry favor with China's government and ultimately create a business worth $18 billion. According to her, the company worked with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to 'construct and test custom-built censorship tools' used against their critics. 'When Beijing demanded that Facebook delete the account of a prominent Chinese dissident living on American soil, they did it and then lied to Congress,' she stated. 'I watched as executives decided to provide the Chinese Communist Party with access to Meta user data, including that of Americans. Meta does not dispute these facts.' Wynn-Williams added that Meta's executives provided the CCP with access to 'intercept the personal data and private messages of American citizens,' claiming that it started briefing the party in 2015 on areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. More Technology:According to her, Meta did this with the goal of helping Chinese companies outcompete firms in the U.S. At a time when the U.S. government is highly focused on helping the country maintain its technology dominance; this information is particularly timely. According to reports, Meta has denied the accusations that it ever engaged in practices that could undermine U.S. competitiveness or national security through its work with the CCP. However, Wynn-Williams gave sworn testimony to these accusations in front of the U.S. Senate. If what she said is revealed to indeed be true, the company could face significant Kai Wawrzinek, founder and CEO of Impossible Cloud Network, shared context with TheStreet about how he believes these statements could impact Meta. 'The implications for Meta are potentially quite serious,' he states. 'The US government has never been a big fan of the firm or its founder Mark Zuckerberg and if it decides that this alleged involvement with China is an excuse to come down harder, it could have wide implications for the company that could disrupt the tech industry quite significantly.' He notes that Meta has admitted to working with China, speculating that Wynn-Williams may or may not be taken further and that at present, it remains unclear how they will be handled. However, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have made it clear that they want to prioritize U.S. competitiveness on a global scale. It doesn't seem likely that allegations that Meta tried to undermine them in the name of helping China will be glossed in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tell-all says Facebook used sinister tactics on vulnerable group
Sometimes, a book comes along that shocks an entire industry and exposes the secrets of a company that powerful business leaders have tried at length to keep buried. In March 2025, just such a book hit the shelves when Sarah Wynn-Williams released her memoir "Careless People," detailing her time at Facebook. A former executive at Meta () before the company's name change, Wynn-Williams held the position of director of global public policy for seven years. During that time, she witnessed many startling things that she described in her book. 💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰💵 Wynn-Williams has levied strong accusations against Meta, alleging that the company undermined U.S. national security by working directly with the Chinese Communist Party. Although Meta has denied such allegations, Wynn-Williams testified before the U.S. Senate. She also alleged that the social media giant engaged in other dangerous activities, targeting a particularly vulnerable group with highly concerning tactics. Throughout her journey helping lead what would become Meta, Wynn-Williams paints a vivid picture of a company whose leadership embodied the Silicon Valley creed of 'move fast and break things.' One clear lesson from her time there, however, is that there were few lines Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow executives weren't willing to anyone who follows Meta, that likely isn't surprising. The company has a long history of activities many have deemed ethically questionable. In 2018, a global backlash broke out when it emerged that Meta had allowed political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to harvest users' data without their consent or knowledge. The company has also come under fire for its highly targeted advertising methods, which have sparked concerns regarding discrimination and privacy violations. But Wynn-Williams claims that the sinister practices didn't stop there. In fact, she alleges that Facebook spent years targeting its advertising methods to teenage girls, typically between 13 and 17 years old, considered a highly vulnerable demographic. This involved tracking when these users would delete a photo of themselves, enabling them to 'serve a beauty ad to them at that moment,' seemingly in an attempt to capitalize on their insecurities. In a recent report, Futurism provided more context on the matter, stating: 'Though Facebook's ad algorithms are notoriously opaque, in 2017 The Australian alleged that the company had crafted a pitch deck for advertisers bragging that it could exploit "moments of psychological vulnerability" in its users by targeting terms like "worthless," "insecure," "stressed," "defeated," "anxious," "stupid," "useless," and "like a failure." According to the report, Facebook used a similar technique to target young mothers, perceived as being in a high emotional state. Additionally, some emotional indices were mapped toward certain ethnic groups. More Social Media News: Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary offers TikTok deal update Popular AI app faces US ban (just like TikTok) Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook, Instagram block new Apple product Wynn-Williams has made it clear that she saw these decisions as highly concerning. 'To me, this type of surveillance and monetization of young teens' sense of worthlessness feels like a concrete step toward the dystopian future Facebook's critics had long warned of,' she states. Despite the harsh accusations made in Wynn-Williams' book regarding the targeting of vulnerable groups, Meta has issued no direct statement on them, nor have they publicly disputed them since its publication. However, it has reportedly directed journalists to a 2017 company blog post following The Australian's report on its targeted the post, Meta described the original article as misleading in premise and denied allegations that it had ever targeted users with ads based on their emotional state. 'The analysis done by an Australian researcher was intended to help marketers understand how people express themselves on Facebook,' it stated. 'It was never used to target ads and was based on data that was anonymous and aggregated.' Regardless of the accuracy of Meta's claims, it has opted against offering an updated statement directly about these allegations, despite the fact that Wynn-Williams' allegations renew focus on The Australian's original report and may lend credibility to its in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta braces for ex-Facebook employee's tell-all book
Meta is trying to prebunk the claims made by an ex-Facebook employee in what has been described as an explosive insider account. A document from the company first shared with Semafor runs through various details from, a new memoir by Sarah Wynn Williams, a former director of public policy at Facebook. \The company is pushing back particularly hard on descriptions of its efforts to woo users in China and Myanmar, and the concessions the company considered as it attempted to operate abroad. The Meta document lays out how many of the details in the book were reported in The New York Times, Wired, and other business outlets. The company has been aggressively campaigning against the book all week. It shared information earlier this week with media writers Oliver Darcy and Brian Stelter, sent a letter to the book's publisher, and dispatched spokespeople Andy Stone and Frances Brennan to criticize the book and its claims on X.
