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Beloved ‘The Good Life’ Star Penelope Keith Passes Away at 86: A Tribute to Her Iconic Legacy

LONDON – The entertainment world mourns the passing of Penelope Keith, a beloved comic actress renowned for her roles as both resilient and charmingly posh characters in the iconic British sitcoms “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born.” At the age of 86, Keith has sadly passed away.

Her family announced on Monday that she had succumbed to cancer, passing peacefully at her residence in Surrey, which is just outside London.

Keith’s illustrious career began on the stage, where she first honed her acting skills with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, which she joined in 1963. However, it was television that catapulted her to widespread acclaim.

Her portrayal of Margo Leadbetter in “The Good Life” won her a BAFTA award in 1977. In the series, she vividly captured the essence of a suburban socialite, horrified yet hilariously bewildered by the rustic experiments undertaken by her neighbors, Tom and Barbara Good—played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal.

The affection and admiration her peers held for her was epitomized by Felicity Kendal, who praised Keith as a “comic genius.”

“She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed,” Kendal said.

Keith displayed a similar mix of imperiousness and deadpan wit in “To the Manor Born,” broadcast between 1979 and 1981 and brought back for a 2007 Christmas special. Keith played cash-strapped aristocratic widow Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her country estate to a nouveau millionaire, played by Peter Bowles, with whom she has a love-hate relationship.

Keith’s velvet tones featured on children’s show “Teletubbies” and in ads for everything from Pimm’s to Parker Pens. She also presented cozy documentary TV series, including “Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages.”

Keith continued to perform in stage roles into her 80s. Theaters in London’s West End will dim their lights on Wednesday evening in tribute to her.

In 2014 she was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, for services to the arts and to charity.

She is survived by her husband, Rodney Timson, and their two adopted sons.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Discover “Fromville”: Unveiling the Secrets of the Enigmatic Town in ‘From

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The curtain has fallen on Season 4 of the MGM+ horror series From, and eager fans are buzzing with anticipation over what lies ahead for the gripping storyline.

For those unfamiliar, From centers around a mysterious town that ensnares anyone who enters. Within its confines, terrifying creatures lurk, while the trapped residents must fight for survival and seek a way out.

Season 4 takes a deep dive into the mythology of the town, shifting its narrative from mere survival to unraveling its enigmatic past. The series introduces the main antagonist, The Man in Yellow, portrayed by Douglas E. Hughes, who cunningly assumes the identity of a local girl named Sophia to blend into the community.

The season finale wrapped up on a cliffhanger, leaving viewers with burning questions about the township’s future, not least being what the town is truly called. Delve deeper to uncover more revelations.

Three people, two men and one woman, stand outside in an overgrown area next to a chain-link fence, looking intently towards the right.

Chris Reardon/MGM+

What is Fromville?

Fans affectionately refer to the mysterious locale as “Fromville,” despite its unnamed status in the series. It’s simply known within the show as “this place” or “the town.” Astute viewers have speculated on different names by examining clues like signage throughout the episodes. For now, “Fromville” remains a popular moniker, but the true identity of the town might be another conundrum awaiting resolution in coming seasons.

How many episodes are in From Season 4?

There are 10 episodes in Season 4 of the series. The tenth episode aired June 28,2026.

Fatima talking to Ellis n 'From' Season 4

Photo: MGM+

What happened in From Season 4, Episode 10?

The season finale of From had it all. Death, relationships, and a lot of unanswered questions.

Despite the warning Victor (Scott McCord), received in Episode 9 from the Boy in White, Boyd (Harold Perrineau) and his team pulled the Bottle Tree out by the roots. It created an opening for them to free Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and Jade (David Alpay) from where they were trapped in the tunnels. Unfortunately, the rope they sent down for the rescue broke.

The consequences of removing the Bottle Tree? The sky went completely dark, giving the creatures of the town the opportunity to come after Jade and Tabitha. That was just first of many unfortunate events that proves the Boy in White was right about not removing the Bottle Tree.

Episode 10 also brought the deaths of two characters. Elgin Williams (Nathan D. Simmons)—a young boy who got trapped in the town in Season 2—discovered that Sophia (Julia Doyle) is not who she says she is. Sophia reveals that she is the Man in Yellow, and tries to manipulate Elgin into a bargain. But when he steps away, it is too late. She makes him choke on his own blood, effectively killing him.

Marielle Sinclair (Kaelen Ohm), is the other death in the finale, and it’s caused by the creature Fatima (Pegah Ghafoori) gave birth to. Fatima tries to warn Marielle that Smiley is approaching as she notices the clinic’s talisman fell. Marielle tries to put it back up, but it was too late. At least she got a goodbye kiss from her fiancé, Kristi.

In the main plot, Jade and Tabitha do escape the tunnels, but as they do, the creatures approach. Fatima is able to warn them, and buy them time to escape. But now fans wonder if she is now one of the creatures herself. The Man in Yellow has also gotten rid of the all the talisman in the town, leaving the town vulnerable to potential ruin. What happens next is yet to be known, as viewers wait for the next season.

Will there be a Season 5 of From?

Yes! Season 5 of From is happening, and it will be the final season of the series. From was renewed for a fifth and final season back in April.

Although there is not much information about the From Season 5 plot, fans of the series can hope the final chapter will answer the all of the questions left unanswered with Season 4.

As reported by Decider’s Josh Sorokach, there is not yet a release date for From Season 5, but the fifth season is set to go into production sometime this summer. Per the official press release, Season 5 is scheduled to drop on MGM+ in 2027.

Amy Coney Barrett Expresses Concerns Over Trump and Lisa Cook Case

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Main: President Donald Trump addresses the press after the White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2025 (Photo by Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via AP). Left inset: Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett speaks at an event at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 (AP Photo/Eric Gay). Right inset: Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, right, attends an open meeting of the Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve, June 25, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File).

In a recent Supreme Court decision, Governor Lisa Cook of the Federal Reserve received another legal reprieve from her dismissal by President Donald Trump. However, Justice Amy Coney Barrett expressed support for a ruling that would have resulted in Cook’s immediate removal from office.

The 5-4 ruling on Monday saw Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and the court’s liberal justices joining forces to uphold the Federal Reserve’s distinctive independence and historical significance. This decision temporarily prevents Trump’s attempt to fire Cook over unadjudicated mortgage fraud allegations.

Chief Justice Roberts stressed the importance of maintaining stability in one of the world’s leading financial institutions. He acknowledged differing viewpoints but asserted that disrupting these long-standing arrangements would be premature, pending resolution of specific “factual issues” related to the allegations and their compliance with the “for cause” standard.

Last year, Bill Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, filed a criminal referral against Cook, accusing her of falsifying bank documents and property records to secure favorable loan terms before her Federal Reserve appointment. President Trump later referenced this accusation as justification for her dismissal while advocating for lower interest rates at the Federal Reserve.

“That will not do,” the majority opinion said, concluding that Cook was “entitled to notice” beyond a Truth Social post and letter, plus “some opportunity to respond before her termination.”

During oral arguments, Kavanaugh led the charge in warning about the “what goes around comes around” consequences of embracing a framework where a president can remove Federal Reserve members on a whim and for political reasons. Trump has since installed Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence.

In his Monday concurrence, Kavanaugh emphasized that the “interim ruling does not decide whether the President may lawfully remove Governor Cook for cause.”

“The ultimate decision about whether the President may remove Governor Cook for cause will largely depend on the facts regarding the Governor’s actions. And those facts have yet to be determined,” he said, while at the same time standing up in the meantime for the “longstanding historical practice and understanding that the Federal Reserve is an independent agency whose Governors enjoy for-cause removal protection consistent with Article II of the Constitution.”

Notably, the majority opinion took time to respond to Barrett’s solo dissent at length, downplaying her “fears” that the district court’s injunction, as it currently exists, bars a mortgage fraud-based firing of Cook “no matter what.”

“Neither party agrees, and neither do we,” a footnote said. “Like the parties, we read the injunction to forbid the implementation of ‘the President’s letter of August 25’ in which he purported to fire Cook—but not to forbid the President from trying again, if he chooses to do so.”

The effect of ruling Barrett’s way, the majority explained, would be “granting the Government’s application in full, and thus removing Cook from office immediately, as opposed to merely clarifying the injunction’s limited scope.”

To hear Barrett tell it, however, there’s a “disconnect” between the removal bar and the majority’s “try again” suggestion. It’s simply true that Trump has “no way to remove Cook for her alleged mortgage fraud” right now, she said.

“Putting aside my difficulties with the opinion’s scope, there is a disconnect between its holding and its disposition line. The Court does not rule out mortgage fraud as sufficient cause for removal under §242; instead, it denies a stay on the ‘narrow groun[d]’ that the President has not yet provided Cook enough process. The President remains free to ‘tr[y] again,’ the Court says, so long as he gives Cook proper notice and an opportunity to respond,” Barrett wrote. “But if the Court wanted to leave the President in that position, it should not have denied the stay.”

“Under our precedent, that significant interference with the President’s removal authority clears the ‘irreparable harm’ threshold,” she added later.

Anna Paulina Luna Unveils Strategic Plan to Preserve Trump’s SAVE Act

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Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna has unveiled an unexpected strategy to revive Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, even as the former President advised that staunch MAGA Republicans should not obstruct the passage of other legislation.

During an interview with the Daily Mail, Luna shared her intention to incorporate Trump’s prominent voter ID initiative into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a key military funding proposal.

The NDAA is set to be reviewed by the Rules Committee on Monday, and Luna noted that two of her proposed amendments would be available for public viewing on the website by 2pm that day.

Trump recently created tension around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s legislative plans by threatening not to approve a pivotal housing bill unless the SAVE Act was included in the legislative agenda.

Despite the friction, the two leaders came together on Thursday, projecting a united stance. Following their meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social, imploring conservative GOP members to end their ‘grandstanding’ and seemingly acknowledging that the SAVE Act should not hinder other Republican legislative goals.

Asked about Trump’s wishes to avoid obstructionism on the floor of the House, Luna replied, ‘We don’t call it obstruction, we call it how the sausage is made, and as you know, DC legislation is a messy thing, but we always get it done.’ 

Luna said that an amendment delivering the SAVE Act in full would be attached to the NDAA ‘as a just vehicle to actually get it passed.’

Speaking on the Kennedy Center red carpet ahead of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday, Luna added that she also has a backup plan for a more moderate proposal that is for ‘voter ID plus proof of citizenship.’

Anna Paulina Luna and her husband Andrew Gamberzky attend the 27th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor gala at The Kennedy Center on June 28, 2026 in Washington, DC

Anna Paulina Luna and her husband Andrew Gamberzky attend the 27th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor gala at The Kennedy Center on June 28, 2026 in Washington, DC

President Donald Trump gestures as he enters the White House on June 28, 2026

President Donald Trump gestures as he enters the White House on June 28, 2026 

‘My task for this week is to get this done on behalf of the American people, literally an 80-20 issue,’ Luna added. 

In a post to his Truth Social site on Thursday afternoon, Trump stated that House Republicans should ‘unify and stop voting down rules’ or ‘threatening to do so.’

‘Giving power to the Radical Left Democrats in the House to control what goes up for a Vote will make our outcomes worse, not better. No more grandstanding, please! Trump said.

In an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who met with Trump at the White House on Thursday, revealed that although the House has passed the SAVE America Act three times, ‘this time we’re going to try to put it on a reconciliation bill.’

Johnson said that the reason for the renewed legislative effort is that ‘it prevents the necessity of 60 votes in the Senate. The Democrats want no part of this. And, remember, this is very basic stuff,’ Johnson told Fox anchor Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.

‘We’re just going to make sure you have to have proof of citizenship to register to vote and then show an I.D. when you – when you turn out at the ballot box,’ he added.

The House Speaker also called out Luna by name, saying, ‘I told Anna Paulina Luna and a couple other colleagues, I said it makes no sense for us to shut down our good work in the House just because Senate Democrats refuse to do the people’s will.’  

A number of Luna’s House GOP colleagues told the Daily Mail last week that they did not think her original plan to stop the passage of other bills before the SAVE America Act is passed was the best approach. 

 Speaking about Trump’s Thursday Truth, Johnson revealed that he ‘was standing next to [Trump] when he TRUTHED it.’

Luna also said on Thursday that consideration of her amendment on the SAVE America Act would make her stand down.

The SAVE America Act would require Americans to show a passport, birth certificate or REAL ID to vote — student IDs and utility bills would not qualify.

The bill in its current form has needed 60 votes to pass in the US Senate, far more than the simple majority it cleared in a procedural test vote in March.

It’s has been widely viewed as dead on arrival it its previously passed form given Republicans’ slim Senate majority.

Momentum Builds for America 250: Washington Readies Unprecedented Security Measures

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal law enforcement agencies are gearing up for what promises to be one of the largest and most intricate security operations in Washington, D.C., as the city prepares to commemorate its 250th Independence Day.

In light of increasing political violence, including recent events close to the White House, and given a president who thrives on public ceremonies but has been a target of numerous assassination attempts, a formidable security challenge looms.

“It’s no secret that D.C. is a high-value target even under normal circumstances,” stated Darren B. Cox, assistant director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, during a recent briefing on security measures. “We are equipped to handle any potential threats.”

Hundreds of thousands are anticipated to flock to the nation’s capital over the next few weeks for these celebratory events.

These crowds will be met with a substantial security presence, including thousands of law enforcement officers and agents, 5,000 National Guard members, and an assortment of military-style vehicles and equipment rarely seen in American cities.

Authorities are preparing for a major security operation

The largest crowds are expected July 4, with multiple events happening simultaneously, including the Great American State Fair, a showcase for each state and a signature attraction of the celebrations that stretches across the National Mall.

The annual fireworks display that night is designated a National Security Special Event for the first time by the Department of Homeland Security, granting it the highest classification for federal security coordination.

For visitors, that means strict ID requirements, long lines and magnetometers, similar to air travel security. Snipers are also expected to be deployed at some events.

Flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is across the Potomac River from Washington, will be suspended longer than in other years because of the scope of the celebrations — from noon on July 4 until the next day. Other America 250 events that include flyovers or parachute jumps could prompt more flight disruptions.

The FBI, Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police and D.C. National Guard have all been involved in security coordination for the events. At the press conference earlier this month, equipment that could be deployed to guard the city was on display, including BearCat armored SWAT vehicles, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, known as MRAPs, as well as communication vans and FBI diving boats.

Officials say they see no actual credible threats at the moment. But they are preparing for any scenario.

“Our protective model is meant to adjust to any type of direct or indirect threats that we come across,” said Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service Washington Field Office. “I can assure you that we have no lack of imagination as to the potential threats out there.”

Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, interim commander of the D.C. National Guard, said the planning had been underway for months and included rehearsals.

Blanchard said the guard members would continue the roles they have served the last 10 months as part of a deployment to the city President Donald Trump says is meant to fight crime. Blanchard highlighted that guard members, including military police officers, would be helping with duties like traffic and crowd control as well as responding to emergencies around the events.

President Trump, who has already attended several events leading up to July 4, including the kickoff rally last week launching the Great American State Fair, has said on Truth Social that he would hold a rally on the National Mall.

Recent violence has shaped the threat picture

The festivities come at a fraught moment, with recent political violence creating a complex threat environment for authorities. One man, Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president after he sprinted past security at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April. Allen has pleaded not guilty.

In the following weeks, two men on two separate occasions opened fired at Secret Service officers, the service said. Each incident happened in the vicinity of the White House.

More recently, the FBI announced it had thwarted a planned attack targeting Trump’s UFC cage-fighting show at the White House. Several suspects have been arrested in that case.

Security was already enhanced on the National Mall ahead of the launch of festivities, as Trump claimed without providing evidence that vandals had damaged the Reflecting Pool that he had recently renovated.

Matt Dallek, a political scientist at George Washington University who studies extremism, said Trump posed a unique security challenge because he is “both an accelerant and a target of political violence.”

The nation’s bicentennial offers a historical parallel

Observers draw some parallels to the 1976 bicentennial. The nation was coming off Watergate and Vietnam and 10 months before the celebration there were two assassination attempts against then-President Gerald Ford.

“There was a lot of sourness in the country in ’76, a lot of cynicism about the direction of the country,” Dallek said. But both Ford and his democratic opponent Jimmy Carter understood the threat political divisions posed and “were looking to bring down the level of vitriol.”

Angelyn Spaulding Flowers, Professor of Homeland Security & Administration of Justice at the University of the District of Columbia, said the amount of security was unparalleled for the city, citing the ongoing and open-ended National Guard presence that has flooded Washington with additional security patrols for months.

Record-Breaking Heatwave Overwhelms Paris Mortuaries, Leaving Families Struggling in Europe

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PARIS — The phone of a local mortuary owner buzzes incessantly. Ever since a record-breaking heat wave began claiming lives across Paris and its surroundings, funeral directors and grieving families have been reaching out with a singular, poignant request: Is there space for another?

With every one of the 32 slots in his refrigeration unit occupied, Zouhaeir Hertelli regretfully finds himself repeating a gentle “Non” time and again.

“This is truly a disaster scenario,” he explained. “I am overwhelmed by the sheer volume of calls.”

As the unprecedented heat wave pushed its lethal temperatures eastward across Europe’s landscape over the weekend, France began to confront the human toll that had accumulated in its aftermath.

Tallying heat-related deaths could take time

Although the detailed work of counting heat-induced fatalities might extend over weeks or months, it is already evident that the fierce and persistent heat delivered a devastating impact in France, which was first struck in mid-June. The elderly, particularly those who perished in their homes, faced the brunt of this tragedy.

“We’re dealing with an enormous spike of deaths because of the heat wave and we’re really full, full, full,” Hertelli said.

In its first preliminary estimate, the national public health agency said deaths surged during the heat wave’s peak in France last week, which roasted most of Europe’s largest country with temperatures that soared in many places above 40C (104 F) and also broke records for nighttime highs — an exhausting one-two punch for fatigued bodies.

Public Health France said there were more than 1,200 deaths last Wednesday, when France registered its hottest-ever day, breaking a record that had been set just the previous day. By way of comparison, the pre-heat wave death rate in April and May was around 900 to 1,000 per day, it said.

There were more than 1,400 deaths on Thursday and another 1,400 on Friday, it said.

The agency cautioned that its estimate of at least 1,000 additional deaths during those three sizzling days is expected to increase as more death certificates come in for people who died at home and in care facilities for older people, where most deaths are still not registered electronically.

“Mortality will as a consequence be higher than these first figures,” the agency said.

Many who died were 65 and older

It said that 85% of the deaths registered so far during the three days it studied involved people aged 65 and above and that there was a sharp increase in deaths at home — up by about 40% — particularly in the Paris region.

Hertelli and others in the funeral industry said Paris mortuaries quickly ran out of storage space. City Hall said two temporary storage units, with 20 places each, were installed for municipal mortuaries and that city hospitals provided another 50 additional places.

Still, Hertelli said funeral directors he spoke to told him they were having to store bodies as far away as Chartres — 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Paris — and in other regions around the capital. To open more space, he said he has asked authorities for permission to temporarily install refrigerated containers outside his mortuary, which is next to Paris’ Orly airport, but is still waiting for a green light.

“Families are suffering,” he said. “We have no solution to offer them, because the funeral homes are full. So we are deeply affected, we have empathy for them, but there’s nothing we can offer. We are really facing a problem, a big problem,” he said.

Temperatures reached historic highs

Historic high temperatures in 2003, surpassed this time, were blamed for 15,000 deaths, provoking a national reckoning about care of older people, who were particularly hard-hit. More than 5,700 deaths were also attributed to heat during an exceptionally hot summer last year.

Véronique Bertrand, a Paris funeral director, said she fears that lessons have been forgotten.

“Most of the deaths that we are dealing with at the moment were people who were living alone at home, isolated. Given the circumstances in which they were found, there can be no other conclusion than that these were deaths caused by the heat,” Bertrand said.

“I think people absolutely need to wake up, that solidarity needs to come back, that what happened in 2003 led to a movement in that direction, with people thinking about their neighbors, of those around them who live alone and perhaps checking from time to time that they’re drinking water and are being looked after,” she said.

“With the passing years, we’ve perhaps forgotten that it could happen again and that things would even perhaps be worse.”

Live Updates: Thrilling Brazil vs Japan Clash in World Cup Round of 32

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I find myself in a constant dilemma when trying to assess this Brazilian team. It seems I can’t quite settle on a definitive opinion.

Leading up to their match against Scotland, I couldn’t help but voice my concerns. Gone, it seemed, were the days of the dazzling Brazil of the past, as I speculated that the team had lost some of its former brilliance.

The outcome of the match, however, might compel me to reconsider. Perhaps the Scottish players, who endured a thorough defeat, would have a different story to tell.

Yet, I’m not claiming that this is the enchanting Brazil of old. But I must admit, their performance in the final group encounter against Scotland was impressive in its own right.

With Vinicius Jr at the helm, Brazil executed stunning transitions and boasted a sturdy defense. They indeed showcased the complete package.

It made me think that this Brazil side could possibly go further than many of us thought. They still have enough joga bonito (playing beautifully in Portuguese) to do damage to teams.

However, tonight they are facing their biggest test of this tournament so far. And yes, I know they played Morocco in the group.

Japan are now slouch, they will push the Brazilians all the way.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Vinicius Junior #7 of Brazil and teammates prepare for kick off before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Scotland and Brazil at Miami Stadium on June 24, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Senator Raphael Warnock Addresses L.A. Synagogue, Calls Out Homophobia in Black Churches and Labels Transphobia as ‘Violence Against Divinity

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Speaking at Los Angeles’ IKAR synagogue, Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) delivered a powerful message, challenging those whom he believes propagate homophobia and transphobia.

In his appearance with Rabbi Sharon Brous, Warnock, who is also a Baptist minister, spoke out fervently against his critics. Referring to transphobia, he stated that it constitutes “violence not only against humanity but against divinity,” labeling it an affront to God’s majesty.

Warnock candidly acknowledged his need to confront some members of his church over similar issues, noting, “that church is as homophobic as anybody.”

For a complete transcript and detailed coverage of his speech, click here.

Previously reported by As – News, Warnock identifies as a “pro-LGBTQ+ pastor” and is among the Democratic Party’s most vocal champions of transgender rights.

“I’m a pro-LGBTQ+ pastor who understands that no one is free until we are all free,” Warnock tweeted during his 2020 campaign against former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA).

That same year, Warnock claimed that “embracing fully members of the LGBTQ+ community,” is part of his journey “to try to be a better leader and a better person.”

Warnock also claimed his Christian faith drives him to be an outspoken proponent of transgender rights.

Warnock is endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com

How Social Media ‘Thinfluencers’ Sparked an Unhealthy Eating Obsession in Teens

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A rising wave of online influencers is embracing and advocating for extreme thinness, capturing the attention of millions. Dateline delves into this alarming trend and connects with families challenging major tech companies. Catch “Under the Thinfluence” on Tuesday, June 30, at 9:30 PM (AEST) on SBS or stream anytime on SBS On Demand.

Content Advisory: This article discusses topics related to body image and eating disorders.

For Luka and her loved ones, holidays and milestones like birthdays are a source of tension and anxiety.

Each year, Luka asks her mother to bake a birthday cake, even though she knows consuming it is not in her plans.

At 23, Luka hails from Hervey Bay in southern Queensland and has battled anorexia nervosa—a leading mental health challenge in Australia—for almost ten years. She has undergone treatment for six years and is currently on her recovery journey.

“I had nurses checking on me in the night because I was at risk of my bones protruding through my skin,” Luka tells Dateline.

“I was on my deathbed.”

It’s a far cry from the little girl she once was — fascinated with healthy eating and nutritious recipes she found on social media. 

“I remember seeing people’s exercise routines, their diets and what they ate. And I don’t think I was, as a nine-year-old, actively looking for that stuff; I think that’s what came up.”

A portrait photo of a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, red lipstick, a pearl necklace and a serious expression on her face.

When Luka was scouted to become a model at age 13, her interest in her appearance grew; she wanted to look like the models she saw on social media.

Her mother Suze watched in dismay at the constant information Luka was exposed to.

“Whether it’s fasting, whether it’s eating eight small meals a day, whether it’s eating this many grams of protein … you just get bombarded,” she says.

Over time, Luka’s interest in healthy eating became an obsession, and she became ill.

“Every birthday, every Easter, we’ve got all these other alternative Easter presents for Luka that aren’t related to food because I didn’t want her to miss out,” Suze says.

Luka says she knows content around extreme dieting and thinness is harmful.

“It’s like eating disorder Olympics. You strive for that one goal. To be the thinnest, to be the most in control, to be the sickest, to be suffering the most, to be the most underweight.

“To be the most afraid of food.”

What’s a ‘thinfluencer’?  

For some online content creators, thinness means rising in the ranks on social media.

Popular videos that include commentary on ‘What I eat in a day’ have become so common that they’ve been shortened to ‘WIEIAD’ — typically featuring clean and whole foods, aesthetically plated and presented.

A healthy vegan lunch presented on a plate.

A growing number of social media accounts have built their brand around thinness, weaving it into fitness content, fashion and ‘wellness’ posts. Known as ‘thinfluencers’, these influencers centre their content on the pursuit of being thin.

Four United States influencers agreed to speak to Dateline, but when asked about whether their content had the potential to cause harm, all four backed out.

One of those content creators posted publicly about her decision, saying it was “not her mission” to be a thinfluencer.

She said while she “loved being skinny”, chasing that ideal had taken a serious toll on her life, and she now wants to help other women pursue thinness without “being stuck in an ED [eating disorder]”.

Weight loss drugs have given the pursuit of thinness a new boost. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these medications have surged in popularity in Australia, with around half a million Australians on some form of the drug.

Several celebrities once celebrated as ‘body positivity’ icons like Rebel Wilson and Lizzo have spoken openly about trying weight loss drugs as part of their own transformations, though both say they now focus on diet and exercise.

A black singer in a black leather jacket stands at a microphone and sings.

Lizzo even commented on the ‘thin is in’ trend on her Substack, saying that “our big girls are not-so big anymore”. 

From health content to hospitalisation

Based in San Jose in California, Neveen also saw social media content have a huge impact on her child.

Her daughter, whom Dateline is not naming to protect her privacy, was a star athlete at school. When COVID hit, she tried to find ways to maintain her physique at home.

Searching online for healthy eating tips, she was soon served up content on extreme dieting.

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair stands in a garden looking at the camera with a serious expression on her face.

“She’d click on one of those ‘What I eat in a day’ videos, and the majority of them were, like, how to stay under 500 calories a day: eat a cup of yoghurt and an apple,” Neveen tells Dateline.

Before long, her daughter developed a severe eating disorder and ended up hospitalised.

Neveen blames social media for accelerating her daughter’s spiral.

“They nearly killed my daughter,” she says.

The role of Big Tech 

In the US, Big Tech may be facing a landmark reckoning.

In March, a jury found Meta and YouTube had deliberately designed their platforms to be addictive and harmful to children — and that their executives knew it.

TikTok and Snapchat settled out of court.

The case was brought by a young woman who started using the platforms as a young child and claimed they fuelled her anxiety, depression and addiction.

The verdict, which Meta and YouTube are appealing, is being compared to the tobacco trials of the 1990s, which blamed the tobacco companies for concealing the addictiveness and harm caused by cigarettes.

After the trial, Meta spokesperson Ashly Nikkole Davis said: “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.”

Legal experts now say the case could open the floodgates for thousands more trials brought about by parents seeking answers and wanting change — some fighting to protect their children from harm, some fighting in their memory.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Testifies In Social Media Addiction Trial

As many as 10,000 cases are already pending.

Neveen’s is one of them. She feels angry that these companies have not only taken a big part of her family’s lives, but also that they have “made billions of dollars because of it”.

Bans, rights and algorithms

Studies have shown that social media can damage body image in teenagers — with exposure to carefully curated ‘ideal’ body types fuelling dissatisfaction and poor self-worth.

Australia’s social media ban was designed to protect young people from harmful online material, screen addiction, online predators and cyberbullying — with the UK now following.  

But the ban has attracted heavy criticism, with early studies showing 85 per cent of Australian teens are already skirting the rules.

Helen Bird at the Butterfly Foundation, an Australian charity which supports people with eating disorders, says harmful messages about bodies, food and fitness continue to bombard young people — despite the ban.

“Equipping young people with critical thinking and social media literacy skills to support their body image matters now more than ever,” she tells Dateline.

She believes platforms must be held accountable.

“Social media companies need to invest in ongoing safeguards, including the ability to opt out of appearance-based content and advertising, on-demand algorithm reset, and more stringent safeguards and action against pro-eating disorder content.”

But Corynne McSherry at the Electronic Frontier Foundation — a non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco — worries that the recent trials will only give Big Tech more power over what kids see online, as we’re asking those companies to decide what’s harmful to young people, and what’s not. 

“It’s sort of ironic. We are just like, ‘Big Tech, please decide for us,'” she tells Dateline.

She doesn’t believe social media bans work, arguing that children have a right to information, and it’s “the most marginalised kids” relying on online communities who suffer the most.

Matt Motyl is one of the whistleblowers who spoke out before the trials against Meta, offering a rare insider account of how the algorithms actually work.

He points to what insiders informally call ‘Zuck’s Law’ — the idea that the closer a piece of content gets to violating platform rules, the more engagement it attracts.

Motyl was a senior staff researcher on Meta’s Civic Integrity team. As part of his research, he analysed the algorithm to see what was performing well and why. He said he found that the “good stuff” — that is, the engaging content — is at the top of people’s feeds.

In practice, he says, that means a user can start by searching for healthy meal tips and find themselves deep in hardcore thinfluencer content “very quickly” — with the algorithm doing the pushing.

Meta has safeguards such as parental controls that can be activated for teen accounts. 

However, Motyl also questions whether Meta’s safeguards are merely “an instance of safety theatre, not meaningful, true safety”.

“They know how to fix the problem,” he says. “It’s just a matter of, do they want to?”

Meta and TikTok have recently introduced search safeguards to reduce users’ exposure to potentially harmful content and direct them towards help.

A screenshot showing a message of support on Instagram when someone searches for 'anorexia'.

A Meta spokesperson said the company takes its role in supporting teen well-being seriously.

“We’ve continued to make meaningful changes for teens on our platforms, including introducing Teen Accounts with built-in restrictions and giving parents the ability to oversee their teens’ experiences on our apps.”

The company says that it’s continuing to invest in technology that finds and removes content related to eating disorders before anyone reports it.

It adds it will also continue listening to parents, experts and regulators to make improvements.

A TikTok spokesperson said the platform does not allow content that depicts, promotes, normalises or glorifies eating disorders, and searches for such content redirect users to support services.

 ’Definitely conflicting’

Despite her negative experiences on social media, Luka still maintains her own account. 

“It’s definitely conflicting. [Social media] brings me joy, but then it’s also been a contributing factor to how I became so unwell,” she says.

Luka doesn’t feel social media gave her an eating disorder, but she believes it made her condition worse.  

“Through social media forums, through pictures of thin people, through ‘What I eat in a day’ videos from models … Without all that, would it have gotten this bad?

“Absolutely not.”

For support, call the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit www.butterfly.org.au to chat online or email, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight (AEST). 

Other services include Lifeline 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au, Beyond Blue and Kids Helpline (for people aged five to 25) on 1800 55 1800.

Tragedy Strikes in Malta: Jet Skier Fatally Crushed by Iconic ‘Kissing Elephants’ Rockfall

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A tragic incident unfolded in Malta when the renowned “Kissing Elephants” rock formation collapsed, crushing a jet skier to death just moments after an American tourist had jumped from the site.

The unfortunate victim, a 26-year-old Chinese tourist on a jet ski, was maneuvering beneath the natural arch around 7 p.m. on Saturday when falling rocks trapped him underwater. His 27-year-old female companion sustained critical injuries and was subsequently hospitalized, as reported by the Times of Malta.

This unusual accident occurred shortly after a 32-year-old American visitor had taken a dive off the formation, according to the publication.

While the diver was successfully rescued by a boat passing nearby, hospital treatment was deemed unnecessary.

The identities of all the tourists involved remain undisclosed.

The “Kissing Elephants” is a famous landmark that has wowed visitors for decades.

The tour group Outdoor Explorers Malta called the collapse “an immeasurable tragedy.”