WEINSTEIN: QUESTIONS OF WHO KNEW
As the scope of allegations surrounding Harvey Weinstein expanded Wednesday, the organization that bestows the Academy Awards moved to distance itself from the film mogul, Ben Affleck was forced to defend his own actions, and scrutiny fell on who knew what about the Weinstein’s behavior over the decades it allegedly took place.
A key component of Tuesday’s New Yorker expose was the claim that “a culture of complicity” has existed at The Weinstein Co. and his previous film company, Disneyowned Miramax. “Numerous people throughout the companies (were) fully aware of his behavior but either abetting it or looking the other way,” the magazine reported.
Further scrutiny has followed the contention that Weinstein’s conduct was “an open secret” in Hollywood. Focus has turned, in part, to not just the workplace environments Weinstein operated in, but the stars who may have had some knowledge of Weinstein’s alleged behavior but who failed to raise any alarms.
Ben Affleck was called out Tuesday by actress Rose McGowan. In a tweet, McGowan accused Affleck of lying after issuing a statement that he was “saddened and angry” about the Weinstein revelations. McGowan, who The New York Times reported reached a $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, suggested Affleck knew decades ago about Weinstein’s behavior.
Actress Hilarie Burton also renewed an earlier allegation that Affleck groped her during a visit to MTV’s TRL, which she was hosting in 2003. Affleck on Wednesday tweeted an apology: “I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize.”
Trump nominates AccuWeather CEO to lead NOAA.
President Donald Trump has nominated the CEO of a private weather company to head the government agency that oversees the National Weather Service, an organization the nominee has at times clashed with.
Barry Myers, who runs the pioneering weather firm AccuWeather, was chosen as undersecretary of Commerce and head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The weather service is part of NOAA.
“American weather companies are now becoming the focal point for weather information in many of the countries around the world,” Myers told Congress last year. “The No. 1 mobile weather source in Europe is an American one — AccuWeather. We estimate that AccuWeather information is on about 1.5 billion or more devices globally.’”
But Myers told the House Science Committee he had problems with the way NOAA keeps some data private and how it works with competing weather companies.
Trump taps Kirstjen Nielsen to lead Department of Homeland Security.
WASHINGTON» President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he intends to nominate Kirstjen Nielsen, a cybersecurity expert and deputy White House chief of staff, to be secretary of homeland security, a job left vacant when John Kelly departed to become White House chief of staff in July.
The White House, in a statement, described Nielsen as having “extensive professional experience in the areas of homeland security policy and strategy, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and emergency management.”