These are the top maybe-not headlines from the past 36-hours presented by The Conversation Project from raw engagement data from our social media to the headlines posted over the past day.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL NEWSLETTER | BECOME A SUPPORTER VIA BUY ME A COFFEE
The 8 topics that our followers ranked as the most conversational are:
BARSTOOL CEO ERIKA NARDINI ALLEGEDLY HAVING AFFAIR WITH SQUASH COACH
Flashy Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini appears to have had an explosive affair with her married squash coach. Back in early April, a Page Six spy told us that they’d been at the digital giant’s New York headquarters and had seen Nardini “run out and kiss another man [who wasn’t her husband]. She seemed real excited to see the guy.” Now Page Six has exclusively learned that the hotshot exec may have left her banker husband for her squash instructor, breaking up the racket man’s marriage in the process. Sources say Erika and Brett Nardini became members of the New Canaan Country Club in Connecticut last summer, and that Brett signed up Erika for squash lessons with club pro Yvain “Swiss” Badan in December. But Badan’s wife, middle school teacher Cynthia, became curious when she noticed that over a three-week period, Swiss started coming home from the lessons — which started around 8 p.m. — at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. It seems the coach and student had gotten into a habit of hanging out with two other pals at the club bar until the early hours. Page Six is told that the pair had been planning for their retirement and had recently bought a vacation home together, and Swiss had just flown to Michigan — where Cynthia had taken a short break with her four sons, between ages 17 and 26 — to surprise her on her birthday. But Cynthia was devastated on Jan. 8, 2021, to discover text messages that indicated Swiss had left their home to travel to New York to spend the day in bed with Erika. She also discovered from the messages that they were planning a future together.
[SOURCE: pagesix.com / ENGAGEMENT: 32.08%]
LES MCKEOWN, FORMER LEAD SINGER OF THE BAY CITY ROLLERS, DEAD AT 65
Les McKeown, former lead vocalist for the iconic Scottish pop group Bay City Rollers, has died. He was 65. The late star’s family broke the news of his death in a moving Facebook post on Thursday. The family didn’t disclose the cause of death, only mentioning that they’re “making arrangements for his funeral and ask for privacy after the shock of our profound loss.” McKeown was the frontman for the Bay City Rollers during their heyday in the mid-1970s, during which they recorded such mega-hits as “Shang-A-Lang,” “Bye Bye Baby” and “Give a Little Love.” The Edinburgh teenagers exploded onto the US market with their 1974 hit “Saturday Night,” snagging the top spot on the American Billboard chart. Their overseas success even earned them comparisons with The Beatles a decade before. McKeown left the Rollers in 1978, although in recent years, he took part in a nostalgia tour with ex-bandmates. His distinct vocals in “Bye Bye Baby” and other hits are still recognized by youngsters to this day. The pop-boppers have also collectively sold more than 120 million records worldwide.
[SOURCE: nypost.com / ENGAGEMENT: 9.41%]
NEIL CAVUTO CORRECTS DR. BEN CARSON AFTER HE PUSHES HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE ON LIVE TV
Fox Business host Neil Cavuto refuted Dr. Ben Carson on Wednesday after the former neurosurgeon recommended hydroxychloroquine for fighting COVID-19. Carson brought up the controversial drug during a discussion about COVID-19 vaccines on Fox Business. “It’s hurting us as a nation,” he continued. “We as a nation, for instance, wanted to be focused only on one thing: vaccinations. There were people telling us, you know, there are other kinds of things that work. Hydroxychloroquine. You know, you look at the Western African countries along the coast. When you go there, you know, you have to take hydroxychloroquine or other antimalarials. Interestingly enough, their instance of COVID-19 is tremendously less than ours. Is that a coincidence? I don’t think so.” Cavuto interrupted Carson to remind viewers that hydroxychloroquine can be dangerous for some patients. “Medical experts have looked at that, doctor, as you know, and poo-pooed that connection,” Cavuto explained. “You just said a bunch of people have poo-pooed the hydroxychloroquine,” Carson objected. “But the evidence is there. What they haven’t done is investigated it. You know, and that’s part of the problem. And that’s why people don’t have confidence in our system.” Cavuto again interrupted: “Wasn’t the evidence — the issue on that, doctor, for those with heart or other issues, it would not be a good idea — period — thinking that this was a magic or silver bullet to deal with the virus? Wasn’t that the issue?” “No,” Carson disagreed. “The issue is that we should put everything on the table. We shouldn’t just pick one thing and say, ‘You have to do this.’ We should say, let’s look at this whole variety, this whole plethora or possibilities that we have and let’s develop them all and let’s be objective about it instead of trying to steer them down one pathway.”
[SOURCE: rawstory.com / ENGAGEMENT: 9.18%]
OVER 400 ASIAN NEW YORKERS SIGN A LETTER AGAINST ANDREW YANG’S MAYORAL BID
More than 400 Asian Americans in New York City have signed a letter opposing Andrew Yang’s bid for mayor, arguing that “representation alone is simply not enough.” Yang, who promised a monthly universal basic income of $1,000 as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, announced his mayoral campaign at a rally in Upper Manhattan in January. Since his confirmation, Yang has consistently placed at the top of polls, the latest of which shows 22% of likely Democratic voters favoring him the most. At second place was Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams with 13%, followed by city comptroller Scott Stringer (11%) and former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Maya Wiley (7%). On Wednesday, 403 Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community members, organizers and activists in the city launched a website called “Asians Against Yang” and signed a letter declaring their opposition. The group argued that representation alone is “simply not enough,” accusing Yang of perpetuating racism himself and associating with racists in the past. The letter cites Yang’s Washington Post op-ed “urging” Asian Americans to show their “American-ness” amid the COVID-19 pandemic, his “anti-Black comments” about applicants to his nonprofit Venture for America, and his recent absence in a progressive Muslim forum to appear in a conservative podcast. The group also criticizes the candidate for his pro-policing stances, including his call for increased funding for the Asian Hate Crimes Task Force instead of community-based alternatives. Yang’s critics also claim that he lacked vision on the issue of housing and homelessness, espoused “harmful education policies,” promoted regressive policies as “progressive” campaign promises, allied with “reactionary forces and big business,” exhibited “discriminatory practices and workplace toxicity,” and took “harmful stances” against the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
[SOURCE: yahoo.com / ENGAGEMENT: 4.78%]
U.S. ADDS 116 COUNTRIES TO ITS ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’ ADVISORY LIST
The U.S. State Department has added at least 116 countries this week to its “Level Four: Do Not Travel” advisory list, putting the UK, Canada, France, Israel, Mexico, Germany and others on the list, citing a “very high level of COVID-19.” On Monday, the State Department said it would boost the number of countries receiving its highest advisory rating to about 80% of countries worldwide. Before Tuesday, the State Department listed 34 out of about 200 countries as “Do Not Travel.” The State Department now lists 150 countries at Level Four. It declined to say when it would complete the updates. The State Department said on Monday the move did not imply a reassessment of current health situations in some countries, but rather “reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s Travel Advisory system to rely more on (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s) existing epidemiological assessments.” The recommendations are not mandatory and do not bar Americans from travel.
[SOURCE: reuters.com / ENGAGEMENT: 4.31%]
ISRAEL SAYS IT STRUCK TARGETS IN SYRIA AFTER MISSILE ATTACK
A missile launched from Syria was fired into southern Israel early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country’s top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. In response, it said it attacked the missile launcher and air-defense systems in neighboring Syria. The incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. Iran, which maintains troops and proxies in Syria, has accused Israel of a series of attacks on its nuclear facilities, including sabotage at its Natanz nuclear facility on April 11, and vowed revenge. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. The Israeli army said it had deployed a missile-defense system but could not confirm if the incoming missile was intercepted, though it said there had been no damage. The air raid sirens were sounded in Abu Krinat, a village just a few kilometers (miles) from Dimona, the Negev desert town where Israel’s nuclear reactor is located. Explosions heard across Israel might have been the air-defense systems. The Israeli military initially described the weapon fired as a surface-to-air missile, which is usually used for air defense against warplanes or other missiles. That could suggest the Syrian missile had targeted Israeli warplanes but missed and flown off errantly. However, Dimona is some 185 miles south of Damascus, a long range for an errantly fired surface-to-air missile.
[SOURCE: politico.com / ENGAGEMENT: 3.37%]
LEVAR BURTON JOINS FINAL ROUND OF ‘JEOPARDY!’ GUEST HOSTS AFTER CAMPAIGN
The former “Roots” and “Star Trek: Next Generation” star, who has vociferously campaigned for “Jeopardy!” host, is among a new crop of guest hosts who will preside over the iconic game show through the rest of its 37th season. The other guest hosts will include “Good Morning America” anchors George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts; author and CNBC host David Faber and sportscaster Joe Buck. Specific dates for the hosts have not yet been announced, but will begin showing up in June. After the death of beloved and longtime host Alex Trebek in 2020, “Jeopardy!” has been cycling through guest hosts while producers search for a permanent replacement. The hosts so far have included:”Jeopardy!” champ Ken Jennings; Richards; journalist Katie Couric; talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers; and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who is in the midst of a two-week run now. Future guest hosts who have already been announced include “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, neurosurgeon and CNN medical adviser Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker (who’s next up on May 3) and actress Mayim Bialik. The inclusion of Burton, an actor and educator who hosted PBS’s “Reading Rainbow” for over 20 years, is significant because there was a very loud social media campaign supporting him as a successor to Trebek. “This is something that I really think is a good idea,” Burton told USA TODAY last week while appearing on an episode of The Mothership podcast. “I think it’s a good fit of what the show is, what the show requires and what I feel like I bring to the table.” Over 200,000 fans have signed a Change.org petition supporting his bid.
[SOURCE: usatoday.com / ENGAGEMENT: 2.82%]
COUPLE TRY TO THROW WEDDING AT $5.7M MANSION BELIEVING IT WAS VACANT
A brazen Florida couple tried to throw a lavish wedding at a mansion believing it was vacant, and even told guests it was their own home, only to be confronted on the big day by the confused owner who called 911. Shenita Jones and Courtney Wilson planned to tie the knot at the $5.7 million estate with 7.2 acres of sprawling land in Southwest Ranches, Florida, currently owned by an heir to a lucrative IHOP restaurant franchise, according to the Sun Sentinel. Wilson had allegedly posed as a prospective buyer to visit the home several times in the weeks leading up to the nuptials after it was posted on realty sites. A detailed wedding website invited guests to join the bride and groom for a lavish ceremony at what they claimed was ‘our dream home’, even calling the property ‘The Wilson Estate.’ But, the couple had not even hired the property – let alone bought it – and the real owner Nathan Finkel knew nothing of their plan until Wilson showed up on the morning of the big day. A 911 call on April 17 revealed a baffled Finkel telling the dispatcher people were ‘trespassing’ on his property and had told him it was ‘God’s message’ that they should be wed at his home. The bizarre incident began some weeks ago when Wilson started making multiple visits to the mansion pretending he was interested in buying it, Town Attorney Keith Poliakoff told the Sentinel. The estate, featuring a 16,313-square-foot nine-bed home, is on the market for $5.7 million.
[SOURCE: dailymail.co.uk / ENGAGEMENT: 2.82%]
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 the past day.
A full weeks’ data (from Friday to Friday) is compiled, weighed, and sorted to produce the content for the Weekly Wrap-Up 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.
Connect with us directly by emailing us at theconversationinbox@gmail.com or by simply visiting thisistheconversation.com.
