Kevin Hart steps down as Oscars host after outcry over tweets
NEW YORK — Just two days after been named host of the Academy Awards, Kevin Hart has stepped down following an outcry over past homophobic tweets by the comedian.
Capping a swift fallout, Hart wrote on Twitter just after midnight Friday that he was withdrawing as Oscars host because he didn’t want to be a distraction. “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” wrote Hart.
Hart stepped aside just about an hour after refusing to apologize for tweets that resurfaced after he was announced as Oscars host on Tuesday. In a video on Instagram, Hart said the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gave him an ultimatum: Apologize or “we’re going to have to move on and find another host.”
“I chose to pass on the apology,” Hart said. “The reason why I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times.”
N.C. Dem drops concession amid probe
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Democrat trailing in a North Carolina congressional race withdrew his concession Thursday as state election officials investigated allegations of absentee ballot fraud.
Dan McCready’s reversal came as a top leader at the state’s Republican Party said it would support a new election in the unresolved 9th Congressional District race if an investigation shows that wrongdoing swayed its outcome.
Unofficial totals have Republican Mark Harris leading McCready by 905 votes. But the state elections board refused to certify the results because of allegations of “irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities” involving mail-in ballots in the district.
Sign-ups for Obamacare lagging
WASHINGTON — With open enrollment ending Dec. 15, the government says sign-ups for coverage under former President Barack Obama’s health care law are lagging when compared with last year. Figures released Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that about
3.2 million people have signed up so far for subsidized private insurance, compared with about 3.6 million at the same time last year.