King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Pulls Music From Spotify Over CEO’s Investment in ‘AI Military Drone Technology’: ‘Can We Put Pressure on These Dr. Evil Tech Bros?’

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Pulls Music From Spotify Over CEO's Investment in 'AI Military Drone Technology': 'Can We Put Pressure on These Dr. Evil Tech Bros?'

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard has pulled their music from Spotify. That includes all 27 studio albums by the prolific Australian rock band, plus live albums and compilations. More from Variety Desert Daze Festival Has Its Vibey, Happy Crowd Tripping on Tame Impala and King Gizzard (and on Gopher Holes, Too): Concert Review Tame Impala to Play 'Lonerism' in Its Entirety as Headliner for Desert Daze 2022 King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Talk 'Joyous' New Album and Why Australia Keeps Rocking Explaining the decision, the band wrote in a statement posted to Instagram: "Hello friends. A PSA to those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform. Can we put pressure on these Dr. Evil tech bros to do better? Join us on another platform." The band's statement is seemingly referencing Ek's ties to the European defense company Helsing, for which Ek's investment fund Prima Materia recently raised more than $600 million. Earlier today, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard published an Instagram post about a new collection of demos, writing that the songs are "out everywhere except Spotify (fuck Spotify). You can bootleg it if you wanna." King Gizzard is the latest music act in recent weeks to leave the world's largest music streaming service. On Thursday, the experimental rock band Xiu Xiu announced plans to remove their catalog from Spotify, writing in a statement, "Spotify uses music money to invest in AI war drones. … Although the financial practices of all streaming services is acutely anti-musician, the actions of Spotify to use the profits they made from essentially stealing music in order to murder people to make even more money is almost beyond comprehension," Xiu Xiu's statement continued. Their Spotify exit followed the rock act Deerhoof, who also removed their music from the platform, citing Prima Materia's investments. These artists are not the first to abandon Spotify over ideological beliefs. In 2022, Neil Young ignited a media firestorm after he requested his music be taken off the platform, calling it "the home of life threatening Covid misinformation" due to its partnership with the controversial podcast host Joe Rogan. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

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July 25, 2025

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Pulls Music From Spotify Over CEO’s Investment in ‘AI Military Drone Technology’: ‘Can We Put Pressure on These Dr. Evil Tech Bros?’

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Pulls Music From Spotify Over CEO's Investment in 'AI Military Drone Technology': 'Can ...

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Colbert Is Practically Daring CBS to Shut Him Down Early

Colbert Is Practically Daring CBS to Shut Him Down Early

"Over the weekend it sunk in that they're killing off our show,"Stephen Colbertreflected at the top ofThe Late Showon Monday, following a tempest of outrage over CBS'ssuspiciously timed cancellationof the program that had only gained strength over the weekend. "But they made one mistake: They left me alive!" The audience responded with chants of "Stephen! Stephen!"—which, in retrospect, was the first clue that the host's taunt was not entirely a joke. Since then, Colbert has been ripping into Donald Trump with renewed relish, often while also flaying CBS and its parent company, Paramount. By doubling down on attacking his most powerful enemy, at a time when network execs are facing such intense scrutiny for what many believe was a politically motivated firing, he isn't just making the most of the 10 months he has left—he's essentially daring his bosses to kill the show sooner. (Think an expensive contract would be enough to keep a host judged to be a liability on the air? Kindly recallNBC's Megyn Kelly debacleof 2018.) If they take the bait, Colbert will have his most damning evidence yet that what they called a "purely financial decision" was, at least in part, political. For those who don't keep daily tabs on late-night talk shows—which, let's be honest, is the vast majority of us these days—it's worth reviewing this week'sLate Showhighlights. On Monday, Colbert devoted hiswhole monologueto Trump. First he addressed his cancellation ("Cancel culture has gone too far"), expressing relief that "I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump—starting right now," then feinting in the direction of understatement: "I don't care for him. Doesn't seem to have, like, the skillset to be President. Just not a good fit, you know?" He moved on toreportsclaiming that his show, despite winning its broadcast time slot, was losing some $40 million a year: "I could see us losing $24 million, but where could Paramount have possibly spentthe other 16… oh yeah." In an instantly viral soundbite, Colbert responded toTrump's social media postscalling him talentless and gloating over his show's demise by asking: "Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?:Go f-ck yourself." Then he prefaced a riff on theWall Street Journal's Epstein birthday letter bombshellwith: "The President was buddies with a pedophile." "It's a great day to be me because I am not Donald Trump," Colbertgreeted the audienceon Tuesday, before discussingreportsthat FBI agents were ordered to scour the Epstein files for Trump mentions. "All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't hide who Dumpty humped with his friend," he quipped. Also: "It's not a great look when you fly on the pedophile's planeenough timesto earn diamond pervert status." In response toTrump's apparent fixation on arresting Barack Obama, Colbert wondered aloud: "What the f-ck is wrong with this guy?" Finally, he seemed to pivot away from the President with a bit aboutsoaring beef prices. But then he brought Trump into that story as well, suggesting that his tariffs were partly to blame. Wednesday'sLate Showopened by poking fun at Coca-Cola's plans tooblige POTUSby manufacturing cane-sugar-sweetened soda in the U.S. with a faux advertisement for cocaine-enhanced "Don Jr. Coke." Amonologuethat kicked off with a few jokes about the impending heatwave soon segued to a familiar subject. "One person who's already sweating is Donald Trump," Colbert said, before pausing to let the audience boo. To no one's surprise, the host made a meal out of the news that the Justice Department had, in May,informed the President that his name was in the Epstein files. "He's in the file! He's in the file!" Colbert chanted, rubbing his hands together and approaching the camera with a gleeful grin. "You know how they say there's no such thing as bad publicity? They're not talkin' about this." He went on to show a greatest-hits collection of Trump-Epstein photos, casually drop "Micropenis DJT" into a list of fictional Trump nicknames, and roast Trump for themathematical impossibilityof his promised prescription-drug-price reductions. And then he circled back to "how [Trump is] making my network crawl," citing thePresident's claimthat he would secure another $20 million in free airtime from CBS. "By bending the knee, they lost like $40 million this year," Colbert said. "They better watch out. They might get canceled forpurely financial reasons." Colbert ended his show's four-day week, on Thursday, with more than eight minutes on the Epstein saga. First there was acold open skitthat used a montage ofThree Stoogeseye-poking clips to mock Attorney General Pam Bondi for citing a torn cornea as her reason formissingan awkwardly timed speaking engagement at a summit on sex trafficking. In hismonologue, Colbert tore through thelatest Trump-Epstein headlines("What are you gonna tell me next—that the Pope is in the Catholic files? That a bear is on the cover of this month'sModern Woods Pooper?"), from Epstein's evasiveness on Trump in a2010 depositiontoMark Epstein's claimthat his brother dumped Trump after deciding he was "a crook" to theGhislaine Maxwellof it all. When he finally moved off the topic, it was for a bit lampooning the President's recent statements on artificial intelligence that mostly seemed to be an excuse to direct viewers to Wednesday'salready-notorious season premiere ofSouth Park(also a Paramount property), which included anextremely NSFW parody PSAstarring an uncanny, AI-generated Trump. I'd call this a mic drop, but Ihave a feelingColbert will have plenty more to say come Monday. When you consider how litigious Trump has been with regard to practices that legal precedent supports as protected speech—of which satire and commentary are two—Colbert's stand is a risky one. But whether you think his response toThe Late Show's cancellation is brave or foolish, you can't deny that he's playing his cards perfectly against Paramount and CBS. If the powers that be pull him off the air before May 2026, he'll have all but proven that their decision to dump him was about more than the cost of making his show. And if they resign themselves to letting him say whatever he wants for the next 10 months? Well then, he'll get to say whatever he wants for the next 10 months. I can't imagine either option making his bosses jump for joy. Contact usatletters@time.com.

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July 25, 2025

Colbert Is Practically Daring CBS to Shut Him Down Early

Colbert Is Practically Daring CBS to Shut Him Down Early "Over the weekend it sunk in that they're killing off our show,"Steph...

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This isn't the first time Trump's been parodied on 'South Park'

This isn't the first time Trump's been parodied on 'South Park'

Whether you're a long-time"South Park"fan or just have heard of the show in passing, you've probably heard aboutthatepisode by now. TheSeason 27 premiere of "South Park"started off with a fiery take on PresidentDonald Trump's widespread attacks on media. The episode, which aired on Wednesday, July 23, shows a character with Trump's face on a cartoon body crawling into bed, naked, with Satan. The episode referencedParamount's $16 million settlementwith the president, Trump's claims that he'll receive$20 million worth of ads on the networkand the cancellation of CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." In response to the episode, the White House told USA TODAY on Thursday, July 24, that the scene was a"desperate attempt for attention," calling the series a "fourth-rate" show. During a panel about the show atSan Diego Comic-Conon Thursday evening, July 24, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone sarcastically said they were"terribly sorry"for the episode. Though Trump himself is not often depicted directly in the series, like the recent episode, Parker and Stone have used the popular character Mr. Garrison to represent the president through several seasons. In the series' 20th season, Mr. Garrison, who previously was an elementary school teacher, wins the 2016 U.S. presidential election against Hillary Clinton. Becoming President Garrison, the character continues to serve as a parody for Trump until 2020. President Garrison takes on Trump's swooped, blonde hair, sends out fiery social media posts and is obsessed with hosting Make America Great Again rallies. Here's a look at some of the key moments the president has been featured, or parodied, in "South Park." White House, 'South Park' trade barbs:What to know about the feud "Where My Country Gone"highlights theU.S.-Mexico border wallthat Trump wished to build long before he took office in 2017. The episode aired in September 2015, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In the episode, Mr. Garrison (not yet President Garrison) begins to promote the idea of building a wall along the U.S.-Canada border to eliminate the number of illegal Canadian immigrants entering the country. Can 'South Park' take on Trump 2.0?They're walking a tightrope In"Oh, Jeez,"Mr. Garrison is elected as president in the 2016 election. The character, renamed to President Garrison, continues to serve as a parody of Trump in the series until Season 24, when Trump lost the 2020 election. The episode aired on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the election. In the next episode, "Members Only," President Garrison begins his duties. He gets a Trump-style toupee, tours the Pentagon, is given a book of "military secrets" and gets in a heated phone call withBoris Johnson, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom. "Put It Down"highlights the United States' relationship with North Korea and referencesTrump's presence on social media. In the episode, which aired in September 2017, President Garrison posts aggressive tweets about North Korea, specifically about a nuclear missile fired by the country, which causes car accidents by drivers who are distracted by the posts. "Doubling Down,"references the decreasing popularity of Trump during his first presidential administration. The episode aired in November 2017. During the episode, President Garrison insults a world leader on the telephone in the White House while his advisers discuss low approval ratings. "Splatty Tomato,"again, parodies Trump's approval ratings following the 2016 election. The episode aired in December 2017. Throughout the episode, President Garrison pops up, scaring characters and asking them about his approval ratings. The characters compare Garrison sneak attacks to characters in "Stranger Things" and "IT." At one point, the character Tweek is riding his bicycle around town when he sees a collection of balloons that read, "Make America Great Again." The balloons then pop, revealing President Garrison, who asks Tweek about his ratings. "The Pandemic Special"was the premiere of Season 24. Airing in September 2020, the episodes satirize the United States' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest amid the Black Lives Matter movement. President Garrison makes minor appearances in the episodes, notably using a flamethrower to encourage citizens to vote in the 2020 presidential election. "Spring Break"parodies the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. In the episode, Mr. Garrison, who freshly lost the 2020 presidential election, goes on a trip with his boyfriend to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The episode aired in March 2023. During the trip, Mr. Garrison starts to slink away to Make America Great Again rallies, despite his boyfriend's pleas not to. The episode ends with Mr. Garrison leading a chant that results in his supporters rushing the U.S. Capitol. Old and new episodes of "South Park" are now available for streaming onParamount+with apaid subscription. A Paramount+ Essential subscription is $7.99 a month with ads, and a Paramount+ Premium subscription is $12.99 a month without ads. Contributing: Brian Truitt and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her atgcross@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'South Park' parodies Trump in premiere, but it's not the first time

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July 25, 2025

This isn't the first time Trump's been parodied on 'South Park'

This isn't the first time Trump's been parodied on 'South Park' Whether you're a long-time"South Park"fan or j...

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Dozens sickened after eating THC-contaminated food at Wisconsin pizzeria

Dozens sickened after eating THC-contaminated food at Wisconsin pizzeria

Dozens of people wereaccidentally dosed with THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, after consuming food served by a pizzeria in Wisconsin, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionsaid in a report shared Thursday. Famous Yeti's Pizza, a pizzeria in Stoughton, Wisconsin, is located in a building with a shared kitchen used by a state-licensed vendor who produced edible THC products, the CDC said. While preparing food in October 2024, the pizzeria ran out of cooking oil and used what employees believed was plain canola oil from the shared kitchen, the CDC said. In reality, they had used "THC-infused oil" to prepare dough that was used in pizza, garlic bread, cheese bread and some sandwiches. The contaminated food was sold between Oct. 22 and Oct. 24, Madison and Dane County public health officialssaid at the time. Officials became aware of the situation when emergency services reported taking seven people to local hospitals for symptoms including dizziness, sleepiness and anxiety. All seven people reported eating food from the pizzeria. One person reported receiving a positive THC test result without having knowingly consumed the substance, the CDC said. Public health officials began an investigation and shared a news release highlighting the situation, asking anyone who had eaten in the restaurant recently to fill out a questionnaire. Of 107 valid responses, 85 people said they had eaten the contaminated products and reported at least one symptom of THC intoxication that began within five hours of eating the food. Public health officials also put out a news release telling people not to eat leftover food purchased at the pizzeria between Oct. 22 and 24. THC intoxication symptoms include dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, time distortion, increased heart rate, nausea, paranoia, panic attacks, increased blood pressure, vomiting and hallucinations, the CDC said. A person's short-term memory could also be affected by THC intoxication. The people who had experienced THC intoxication ranged in age from 1 to 91, according to the CDC. Thirty-three of them said they contacted a health care provider because of their symptoms. Fifteen people said they received a positive result for THC. The CDC said that when the restaurant owner was contacted by local public health officials, they agreed to close the restaurant immediately. The restaurant owner also informed health officials that the restaurant had used oil from the shared kitchen, and said they later realized that the oil might have been infused with THC. The CDC did not say when the restaurant owner realized the restaurant might have used THC oil. The oil tested positive for THC. Police were informed and investigated the incident, but no charges were filed because the investigation found the situation was unintentional, the CDC said. The restaurant reopened on Oct. 26. Johnson says Jeffrey Epstein files controversy is not a hoax Idaho murders documents released after Bryan Kohberger is sentenced to life in prison The Sentencing of Bryan Kohberger | "48 Hours" Podcast

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July 25, 2025

Dozens sickened after eating THC-contaminated food at Wisconsin pizzeria

Dozens sickened after eating THC-contaminated food at Wisconsin pizzeria Dozens of people wereaccidentally dosed with THC, the primary psych...

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UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas

UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher has demanded that Israel provide evidence for its accusations that staff with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs were affiliated with Palestinian militants Hamas, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Friday. At a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon declared that Fletcher and OCHA were no longer neutral and that hundreds of OCHA employees would undergo security vetting. Israel would also restrict OCHA visas to one month, he said. "Israel has uncovered clear evidence of Hamas affiliation within OCHA's ranks," Danon told the 15-member council without providing evidence. In a letter to the Security Council on Thursday, Fletcher said Danon's remarks were the first time any such concern had been raised and that the accusations were "extremely serious and have security implications for our staff." "I expect the Israeli authorities to immediately share any evidence that led them to make such claims to the council," Fletcher said. He noted that around the world OCHA engages with all parties to armed conflict to secure humanitarian access, press for the protection of civilians and promote respect for humanitarian principles, adding: "As Israeli authorities know, our contacts with Hamas have also supported hostage releases." Israel is committed to helping civilians and getting aid to those in need, Danon said, though he warned: "We will not work with organizations that have chosen politics over principles." The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins. "We must hold all parties to the standards of international law in this conflict," Fletcher wrote in his letter. "We do not choose between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages." Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, denies it is responsible for shortages of food. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Howard Goller)

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July 25, 2025

UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas

UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -United Nations aid ...

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Expelled ex-congressman George Santos to begin serving prison sentence

Expelled ex-congressman George Santos to begin serving prison sentence

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, is expected to surrender to federal custody July 25 to begin serving a prison term after a wire fraud and identity theft conviction. In April, Santos was sentenced toseven years and three months in prison. Santos was also ordered to pay more than $370,000 in restitution and forfeit another $200,000. "Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed. From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days," Santos wrote in a post onX, formerly known as Twitter. "To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it," he wrote. "To my critics: Thanks for the free press. I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit." Santos came to Washington as a larger than life character who some in the GOP pointed to as the future of the Republican party. He basked in the new found notoriety even after news reports began unraveling the majority of the life story he used to win votes. Santos described himself as a successful business owner with experience at prestigious Wall Street firms. In reality, he was struggling financially and never worked for most of the firms he claimed ties to. He claimed to have been a volleyball star at, and had multiple degrees from, a college he never attended and referred to himself as "a proud American Jew" before insisting he meant that he was "Jew-ish" because his Brazilian mother's family had a Jewish background. The misinformation led to congressional and criminal investigations into how he had funded his campaign. Santospleaded guilty in August 2024to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. As part of the plea, he admitted to filing false campaign finance reports, charging donors' credit cards without authorization and fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits, among other acts that began years before he ran for Congress. A House ethics investigation found he had "sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit." Santos represented parts of Queens and Long Island for 11 months. He wasexpelled from Congressin a bipartisan vote following the release of the House Ethics report. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Expelled ex-congressman George Santos to begin prison sentence

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July 25, 2025

Expelled ex-congressman George Santos to begin serving prison sentence

Expelled ex-congressman George Santos to begin serving prison sentence Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, is expect...

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