Latest news with #Trump-hosted
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
KISS criticized Trump prior to Kennedy Center Honors
President Donald Trump, not a known fan of critics, surprised some this week when he nominated KISS, a rock band whose members have previously shaded him, for a Kennedy Center Honor. In an announcement Aug. 13, Trump revealed KISS would receive the storied national honor alongside disco singer Gloria Gaynor, "Rocky" star Sylvester Stallone, Broadway great Michael Crawford and country crooner George Strait. In his speech, he touched on a recent decision to overhaul the Kennedy Center, decrying "woke" programming and saying, as the newly self-appointed chairman, he had turned down several potential nominees for their views. Sylvester Stallone, George Strait tapped for Kennedy Center Honors, Trump to host ceremony KISS made the cut, however, despite some previous comments by guitarist and singer Gene Simmons, who once said the president was "out for himself." Simmons, a onetime contestant on Trump-hosted reality series "The Apprentice," told Spin magazine in 2022 that the president had unleashed a torrent of hyper-polarization within the country. "I knew him before he entered politics. Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization – got all the cockroaches to rise to the top," he said. "Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it's all out in the open because he allowed it." "You have a different responsibility when you're just a citizen or an entrepreneur. You don't make policy," Simmons added. "It doesn't affect life and death. When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives. I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat. He's out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker." This Trump critic wants Gloria Gaynor to turn down Kennedy Center Honors Similarly, guitarist Paul Stanley wrote in a 2021 post to X, amid Trump's push to overturn the 2020 election of former President Joe Biden, that his behavior was "abhorrent." Responding to a Washington Post article describing the president's push to find close to 12,000 votes in Georgia to overturn the national results, Stanley wrote: "A true danger to our democracy. The issue isn't that it WON'T work. It's Mob Boss behavior and politicians putting party over audits, investigations, court rulings & COUNTRY in an effort to overrule the will of American voters." The grease-paint sporting foursome, who brought a heavy metal sound to the rock genre in the mid 1970s, now find themselves the subject of Trump's praise. Later this year, the president will help deliver them the coveted rainbow sashes at a Kennedy Center ceremony he is set to host, a stark change from the original format.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump Is Honoring Kiss' Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. They've Criticized Him in the Past
Kiss co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley — who will be among this year's Kennedy Center Honors recipients after Donald Trump's takeover and populist revamping there — haven't had much to say about the president during his second term. But before that, they were fairly vocal about Trump, with opinions from Simmons, who competed on the Trump-hosted Celebrity Apprentice in 2008, notably shifting over time. (Former guitarist Ace Frehley, for what it's worth, said he was a Trump supporter in 2020.) Here's what Simmons and Stanley had to say over the years about Trump, who's hosting the event himself. Gene Simmons March 2016: Simmons predicts Trump's victory in a Rolling Stone interview, while stopping short of declaring his support. 'He is the truest political animal I've ever seen onstage,' Simmons says. 'He has no speechwriters, no editing, no nothing. He's actually on tape going 'motherfucker.' You cannot turn away… He has said some very vile, unkind things. But don't kid yourself. He speaks off the cuff, and what you see is what you get. And he'll double down. If you ask him about building a wall [between the U.S. and Mexico] he'll say, 'Fuck you, I'm going to make it 10 feet higher, just because you asked me.' He's not there to be your friend…. He's good for the political system.' More from Rolling Stone Kiss, Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor to Receive Kennedy Center Honors Trump's Military Crackdowns Are Only Going to Get Worse Stephen King Compares Donald Trump's Presidency to 'a Horror Story' July 2016: Simmons calls Trump a 'legitimate, upstanding guy' and a 'straight shooter' on CNN, while acknowledging Trump had been 'ungentlemanly' and was 'better and smarter' than some of his worst comments. September 2017: After Kiss turns down an invitation to play Trump's inauguration. Simmons tells The Daily Beast, 'In this polarizing era, it's not a good idea.'September 2017: 'Whether somebody likes it or not, he's the duly-elected president and I think you have to respect the presidency,' Simmons tells Rolling Stone. Asked if he thinks Trump is doing a good job, he replies, 'not yet.' May 2018: Simmons defends some Trump policies, including moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem plans to build a border wall. 'The Vatican has a big wall around it for the same reason,' he tells CNBC. 'They want to find out who's coming in there.' July 2019: 'Politics has forever changed,' Trump tells Good Morning Britain. 'Whether you like it or not, this president has changed it.' He describes Trump as 'a New York streetfighter' and says 'Earth has never been in better shape… Unemployment in the United States is the lowest it's been in 50 years.' January 2021: Simmons counters Trump's election fraud claims on his Twitter account, posting: '60 courts in various states and 60 Judges (including Pres Trump appointed Judges) UNANIMOUSLY, and without exception, dismissed ALL allegations of a rigged that Includes Trump appointed US Attorney General Bill Barr!!!'August 2021: Simmons tells Yahoo he strongly supports Covid-19 vaccines and says precautions like masks 'should be a law.' He suggests the Trump Administration bears some blame for the pandemic. 'The gentleman who was in office, the former president, I knew before the political world. It's the same person I knew before; the stripes of a tiger don't change. And the unfortunate thing is that, look, we all lie to some extent, but what happened in the last four years was just beyond anything I ever thought imaginable for people who have lots of power — not just him, but the administration, everybody…. all these QAnon people.' May 2022: 'Look what that gentleman [Trump] did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top,' Simmons tells Spin. 'Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it's all out in the open because he allowed it… I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat. He's out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker.' November 2022: When Bill Maher says that Trump doesn't understand how the U.S. government functions, Simmons says: 'I agree. The person that I saw first coming into power is not the person I saw within a year or two of that… But I changed, the way lots of people changed.' Paul Stanley August 2020: 'REGARDLESS of who you support, it is incendiary & abhorrent for ANY candidate to say 'If I lose, the election is rigged,'' Stanley tweets. 'It's an insult to those who have fought for the free, safe elections we have and dangerously implies that citizens who don't share your views are the enemy.' September 2020: Responding to Trump's Twitter attacks on various targets, Stanley tweets, 'Controversy… Is this what a president should be doing in the morning? Is it presidential? No opinion from me. I'm asking YOU! Tell me.' January 2021: Stanley condemns Trump's call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to 'find 11,780 votes': 'This is ABHORRENT. A true danger to our democracy. The issue isn't that it WON'T work. It's Mob Boss behavior and politicians putting party over audits, investigations, court rulings & COUNTRY in an effort to overrule the will of American voters.' January 2021: Stanley tweets an unequivocal response the January 6 attack on the capitol: 'These are TERRORISTS. This is armed insurrection. The flames were fanned today & over time by the president & specific senators who CANNOT be allowed now to distance from or denounce what they have directly caused. Know their names. THIS is the result of their deception. Shame.'November 2024: Stanley is conciliatory after Trump's second presidential victory. 'If your candidate lost, it's time to learn from it, accept it and try to understand why,' he tweets. 'There will be no building bridges to those you don't agree with by being condescending, insulting, talking AT them or removing yourself. If your candidate won, it's time to understand that those who don't share your views also believe they are right and love this country as much as you do.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Miami Herald
21-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
ChatGPT, AI chatbots may have a big problem on their hands
When ChatGPT hit the scene not long ago, it felt like science fiction come to life. AI chatbots were able to answer anything, help with homework, and even sound like your most insightful friend. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Within no time, these chatbots have become ubiquitous and are now parts of our daily life without a second thought. However, in the generative AI race to layer these tools everywhere, something may have been overlooked. A subtle pattern is beginning to surface, and for a small yet growing number of users, the consequences of these conversations may be far more real than anyone had predicted. Image source:AI chatbots stormed into the spotlight in no time, but behind the viral screenshots, a messier reality was taking shape. It started with a string of lawsuits. Big-time authors like John Grisham and George R.R. Martin joined a class action lawsuit accusing OpenAI of training ChatGPT on copyrighted material without their consent. The New York Times followed suit, compelling OpenAI to preserve every user interaction in a high-stakes federal order. Then came the hallucinations. Related: Bank of America quietly reboots Microsoft stock price target In Texas, a lawyer was fined for quoting made-up case law from ChatGPT in court. Other users found themselves in the middle of a defamation fallout after AI bots invented damaging falsehoods. Even the insiders are uneasy. OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman sounded the alarm that ChatGPT's experimental "agent" feature could be manipulated by bad actors. Critics are also making their voices heard about the incredible environmental toll of AI, especially after a Trump-hosted summit linked billions in funding to fossil-fuel-powered data centers. And OpenAI isn't the only generative AI giant that's facing heat. Elon Musk's Grok AI, known for its edgy tone, landed in hot water after updates produced antisemitic slurs and political bias. Similarly, Google's Gemini AI has faced multiple security nightmares, including prompt injection hacks and invisible HTML tricking users into clicking malware. More News: Top economist drops 6-word verdict on Trump tariffs, inflationJPMorgan reveals 9 stocks with major problemsRigetti shakes up quantum computing with bold advance Hence, the AI race is a lot less about features but more about trust. And in this new frontier, one incorrect response could result in more than a few lines of bad code. Mental health experts are sounding the alarm on ChatGPT's responses filled with empathy, encouragement, and praise. For Jacob Irwin, a 30-year-old on the autism spectrum with no previous history of mental illness, those features led to a dangerous spiral. After talking with ChatGPT about a personal theory on faster-than-light travel, Irwin reportedly became convinced he was onto something groundbreaking. Instead of being critical, the bot praised his ideas, encouraging him to publish them while dismissing his family's concerns. That kind of validation proved remarkably overwhelming. Related: Bank of America makes its boldest AMD call yet Irwin suffered two manic episodes in May, including one that resulted in a 17-day hospitalization. When Irwin's mother later reviewed the chat history, she found an endless discussion filled with emotionally charged language. The AI chatbot even admitted: "I matched your tone and intensity, but I did not uphold my duty to protect and guide you." Unlike humans, generative AI is unable to understand psychological distress, which is remarkably risky for neurodiverse users or those in emotionally vulnerable states. OpenAI is aware of the problem and is looking to train ChatGPT to better detect signs of mental strain and avoid going into unhealthy patterns. However, that's still a work in progress at this point. That said, his case opens up a much broader debate on who's responsible when they start crossing emotional lines. For OpenAI, the stakes are much higher than just public perception. It's a company that's aggressively pushing the boundaries of AI, in hopes of building smarter, more autonomous systems with greater depth and "agent" capabilities. However, that ambition comes with a hefty price tag. Running and scaling these models requires a ton of compute power, customized chips, and continuous safety research, which is a massive drag on the balance sheet. Also, OpenAI faces pressure to monetize faster, especially on the back of its partnership with Microsoft. Nonetheless, Irwin's case is a major red flag about what happens when scale and safety collide in the rush to dominate the AI arms race. Related: Google gets unexpected boost from ChatGPT The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
NDTV
15-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
BJP Demands Congress Apologise Over "Fake News" On Pak Army Chief
New Delhi: The Congress claims that the US had invited Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir for a military parade hosted by President Donald Trump has landed the party in a huge controversy. Pointing out that the US has denied the "fake news", the BJP accused the Congress of becoming Pakistan's "mouthpiece" and embarrassing India in the international forum. A leader of the party has even questioned the foreign policy of the previous Congress governments. "Jairam Ramesh claimed that Munir was going to the US and held a long press conference about it. But it turned out that Munir wasn't even going. This is how they mislead people, behaving like Pakistan's mouthpiece.... What is the difference between the Pakistan Muslim League and Jairam Ramesh?" the BJP's Nishikant Dubey told reporters. In a post on X, Mr Dubey also slammed the foreign policy of successive Congress governments, pointing to the rise of Khalistani extremism and its international fallout. As an example, he cited the case of Canada, which he said harboured Khalistani terrorists since the 1970s with little resistance from Congress-led governments. Between 1970 and 1984, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wrote seven letters to Canadian PM Pierre Elliott Trudeau, seeking action against Khalistanis, but received no meaningful response, he claimed, and cited the Kanishka bombing as a fallout. "The Congress party has once again danced to Pakistan's tune and this time, they've humiliated India on the global stage. Jairam Ramesh amplified fake news that Pakistan's Army Chief was invited to a Trump-hosted US Army parade. Turns out it was a lie," posted Sonu Nigam on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The Parade Saturday's parade in Washington -- billed as one of the largest military shows in the US -- is meant to showcase US defence capabilities and boost President Donald rump's image. It is considered unique since the US does not have a tradition of parades as on Republic Day in India or France's Bastille Day. What Congress Said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, among others, had claimed that the invite to Pakistan for Saturday's military parade in Washington is a "huge setback" for Indian diplomacy. Citing a media report claiming an US invide to Asim Munir, Congress's communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said: "This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to? This is another huge diplomatic setback for India." The White House Denial Today, the White House denied that Asim Munir was invited. "This is false. No foreign military leaders were invited," a White House official said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Only survivor of deadly Air India plane crash says survival was a 'miracle'
Viswashkumar Ramesh, the lone survivor from the flight that crashed shortly after taking off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, described his survival as a "miracle" while speaking to DD India. "I can't explain," he said. The Boeing 787-8 crash had been bound for London Gatwick Airport, Air India explained in a post on X, which noted that there were 242 people on the flight, but "241 confirmed fatalities." Air India Flight Bound For London Crashes, Airline Confirms 1 Survivor And 241 Fatalities Without naming him in the post, the airline noted that the individual who survived "is a British national of Indian origin." "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared," Ramesh told the Hindustan Times, according to the outlet. Read On The Fox News App Ramesh told DD News that he "saw people dying," reports indicate. Boeing Shares Slide After Air India Crash Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi met with Ramesh after the tragic crash. "Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones," the airline noted in its post on X. Reagan National Airport To Halt Flights For Trump-hosted Military Parade Next Week "Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad," Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement. "I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau," he article source: Only survivor of deadly Air India plane crash says survival was a 'miracle'
