These are the top maybe-not headlines from the past 84-hours presented by The Conversation Project from raw engagement data from our social media to the headlines posted over the past weekend.
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The 8 topics that our followers ranked as the most conversational are:
SUPERSTORE ACTRESS LINDA PORTER DIES AT 86, COSTARS SHARE HEARTFELT TRIBUTES
The character actor is best known for her recurring role on NBC’s comedy as Myrtle, one of Cloud 9’s oldest employees, who was laid off but continued to appear on the series, most recently in season 4’s finale. She could always be counted on to deliver problematic, racist, homophobic, and extremely questionable one-liners in her signature sweet tone, making her one of the most confusing, hilarious, lovably-hated characters. There’s no word yet on whether or not Superstore will address Porter’s death onscreen. In addition to Superstore, Porter’s extensive resume boasts many guest appearance roles on shows like Gilmore Girls, Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival, American Horror Story, The Mindy Project, 2 Broke Girls, Childrens Hospital, Togetherness, Bunheads, How I Met Your Mother, Disney Channel shows like Phil of the Future, and films like The House, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, and Dude, Where’s My Car?
[SOURCE: ew.com]
AMBER GUYGER TESTIFIES AT DALLAS MURDER TRIAL FOR FATALLY SHOOTING NEIGHBOR BOTHAM JEAN
Ex-Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger wept on the witness stand Friday morning, her voice soft and trembling as she repeated “I’m sorry” to the courtroom and expressed regret over taking her neighbor’s life after mistaking his apartment for hers. Guyger’s testimony opened the fifth day in her murder trial, as her defense team attempted to make the former officer and her actions relatable to jurors — in sharp contrast to prosecutors, who questioned why she felt obligated to use deadly force. She laid out a narrative of what she says happened on Sept. 6, 2018, when she was still employed by the Dallas Police Department and returned to her apartment complex, where she went to Jean’s unit on the wrong floor just before 10 p.m. and believed he was a burglar inside her apartment.
[SOURCE: nbcnews.com]
SINGER AUBREY O’DAY ACCUSES MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT OF MAKING HER TAKE OFF HER SHIRT
American Airlines says it is investigating a claim by singer Aubrey O’Day that one of its flight attendants made her turn her shirt inside out in front of the rest of the plane before allowing her to fly. In a statement to USA TODAY, American spokeswoman Whitney Zastrow said the airline is “reviewing the situation, and have reached out to Ms. O’Day to get more information.” After the airline responded to her tweets asking for more details, O’Day responded, “I gave you his name. I literally have no interest in dealing with your airline any further. I’m that offended and disturbed. I wish I took @JetBlue.”
[SOURCE: usatoday.com]
STORMY DANIELS TO RECEIVE $450,000 SETTLEMENT OVER ARREST AT OHIO STRIP CLUB
Porn star Stormy Daniels settled her lawsuit against the city of Columbus, Ohio, over her arrest last year at a strip club, officials said Friday. Daniels will receive $450,000 and drop all claims made in her federal civil complaint against the city, according to her attorney, Chase Mallory, and a spokeswoman for City Attorney Zach Klein. Her lawyer said that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, could have reached a settlement for more than $450,000, but she was satisfied with changes implemented by the Columbus Police Department following her arrest. Mallory credited both the Columbus police chief, Thomas Quinlan, and the city attorney’s office, saying, “They have really done a great job of addressing the problems here.”
[SOURCE: nbcnews.com]
HONG KONG POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS, WATER CANNON AT PROTESTERS ONLY DAYS AHEAD OF CHINA’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Despite organizers not requesting permission from authorities, thousands of protesters marched in the 17th consecutive weekend of unrest. Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority said 48 people were admitted for treatment, including one person in critical condition. More than 150 people were arrested over the weekend, police said in a news conference Monday. On Friday, police announced that a total of 1,578 people had been arrested over the course of the protests. Hong Kong police fire a water cannon toward protesters gathered outside the central government offices after taking part in an unsanctioned march through Hong Kong on September 29. Protesters threw as many as 100 petrol bombs over the weekend, Police Public Relations Branch chief superintendent Tse Chun-Chung told reporters. In Hong Kong, arson carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
[SOURCE: cnn.com]
AEROSMITH CANCEL LAS VEGAS ‘DEUCES ARE WILD’ RESIDENCY GIG AFTER STEVEN TYLER LOSES VOICE
Aerosmith were forced to cancel their Thursday night (Sept. 26) Deuces Wild residency show after singer Steven Tyler lost his voice. “I lost my voice… but I can’t talk about it,” Tyler wrote in a tweet about the scotched gig. The singer said refunds for the gig will be available at the point of purchase. The next date in the band’s ongoing residency at the Park Theater at Park MGM is slated for Saturday night (Sept. 28); at press time it appeared that show would go on as scheduled. A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for further information on Tyler’s condition or the status of upcoming shows.
[SOURCE: billboard.com]
FAMILY SUES BEST BUY AFTER THE DEATH OF A 75-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO POLICE SAY WAS BLUDGEONED AND SET ON FIRE BY A MAN DELIVERING HER WASHING MACHINE
Evelyn “Evy” Udell of Boca Raton, Florida sustained multiple skull fractures and serious burns over the majority of her body after the attack on August 19, according to the complaint. She died the following day in a hospital. Police have charged 21-year-old Jorge Luis Dupre Lachazo, one of two workers who delivered the appliances to Udell’s home. Lachazo worked for a third-party company contracted by Best Buy. He was supposed to be helping Udell with the new appliances when he hit her in the head with a mallet, doused her in a chemical, and then set her on fire, according to a police affidavit. The Udell family said Friday during a press conference that the attack could have been prevented through a background check. Lachazo had a suspended license, according to court records. The Palm Beach Public Defender’s office, which is representing Lachazo, did not immediately return a request for comment.
[SOURCE: businessinsider.com]
FERMENTED DRINKS LIKE KOMBUCHA AND KEFIR CAN ACTUALLY CONTAIN AS MUCH ALCOHOL AS HALF A BEER
Fermented drinks like kombucha and kefir aren’t actually alcohol-free, and drinking a lot of them could even leave you over the drunk driving limit, an Australian study conducted by Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services on behalf of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has found. Alongside sauerkraut and kimchi, gut-friendly “soft” drinks kombucha (made by fermenting tea) and kefir (cultured, fermented milk) have soared in popularity amongst the health-conscious in recent years. And as more young people choose not to drink alcohol, many sober-curious or teetotal people are turning to the likes of kombucha in the place of booze. However, due to the fermentation process involved in creating kombucha and kefir, alcohol is formed as a by-product. The researchers wanted to find out whether the amount was enough to breach the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code by containing undeclared alcohol.
[SOURCE: insider.com]
Eight Things To Talk About uses the raw engagement data from the social media engagement from The Conversation Project to generate the top-ranking headlines over the course of a weekend.
A full weeks’ data (from Friday to Friday) is compiled, weighed, and sorted to produce the content for the Wrap-Up Show with J Cleveland Payne, published every Saturday as a podcast available at ThisIsTheConversation.com or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.
To ‘participate’ in the rankings of the headlines for this newsletter or the podcast, follow the Conversation Project on social media and engage with the posts to give them more ‘votes.’ The Conversation Project can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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