Names and faces
Yoko Ono was hospitalized in New York City for flu-like symptoms, but is on the mend and the 83-year-old artist-singer was released Saturday afternoon, her representative said. Ono went to the hospital on the advice of her doctor, and media reports that she had had a stroke were not true, Elliott Mintz said Friday. Ono is the widow of John Lennon of the Beatles. The couple’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, also tamped down reports of a stroke. He said on Twitter that his mother was dehydrated and tired.
Talk-show host Melissa Harris-Perry walked off her MSNBC show, sending an email Friday to her show’s staff members, informing them of her intention not to go on the air this weekend. She wrote that for weeks, her regular weekend show — which covers race, gender and politics — had been pre-empted by election coverage during its regular Saturday and Sunday morning time slot. What’s more, she added, “Social media has noted the dramatic change in editorial tone and racial composition” of MSNBC’s coverage. She continued, “Our show was taken — without comment or discussion or notice — in the midst of an election season. After four years of building an audience, developing a brand, and developing trust with our viewers, we were effectively and utterly silenced. Now, MSNBC would like me to appear for four inconsequential hours to read news that they deem relevant without returning to our team any of the editorial control and authority. … I will not be used as a tool for their purposes. I am not a token, mammy, or little brown bobble head.” In a statement, MSNBC representatives responded: “In this exciting and unpredictable presidential primary season, many of our daytime programs have been temporarily upended by breaking political coverage, including MHP.”