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Netflix series producer Lin Qi, who was working with the Game of Thrones showrunners on an upcoming project, is dead at 39 after his tea was allegedly poisoned by a co-worker. Here’s what else caught our attention this weekend:
- Trump Jr.’s ‘humiliating’ Christmas video, a Texas senator’s botched ‘brisket,’ and Jennifer Aniston’s controversial COVID ornament
- Sheriff’s deputy fired after making violent threats on secret Parler account
- How are cities around the world planning to handle a COVID New Year’s?
BREAK THE INTERNET
The internet is still reeling from Christmas controversies.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) felt compelled to defend his Christmas Eve brisket and Texan status on Saturday after being relentlessly mocked for several days straight over a photo of it. Despite the photographic evidence that claims otherwise, Cornyn swears it’s the best brisket he’s ever had.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle went on Facebook Live to wish viewers a Merry Christmas. At one point during the stream, Trump Jr. gives his thanks for Guilfoyle—well, kind of. “I’m reasonably thankful for Kimberly. Maybe not so much. … I’ve managed to maintain a very low bar with Kimberly. I don’t want her to get too big an ego, accustomed to kindness,” Trump Jr. says.
A clip of the stream has been circulating social media ever since, with many accusing Trump Jr. of intentionally “humiliating” and “insulting” Guilfoyle. After watching the video, one commenter said that while they “don’t like her,” Guilfoyle needs to “dump his a**.”
And Jennifer Aniston commemorated her “first pandemic” with a Christmas ornament that many feel makes light of a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people in the U.S. However, some fans are defending Aniston as she’s previously used her platform to encourage people to wear face masks and follow public health guidelines.
Catch up on more you may have missed below.
—Eilish O’Sullivan, news wire editor
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Sheriff’s deputy fired after making violent threats on secret Parler account
A sheriff’s deputy was fired after making hateful and threatening remarks on a secret Parler account uncovered on Friday. The account, discovered by independent journalist Molly Conger, is run by former Deputy Aaron Hoffman of the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia. Conger claimed in a detailed Twitter thread to have linked Hoffman to an account known as @WeThePeopleWarrior on Parler, the social media site popular among conservatives. The discovery of Hoffman’s Parler account is troubling given its content.
Read the full report here.
—Mikael Thalen, contributing writer
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- Subscribe to Behind the Seams.
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT NAUTILUS
How are cities around the world planning to handle a COVID New Year’s?
At the end of each year, cities around the world typically plan festive New Year’s Eve celebrations complete with lively crowds, fireworks, and flowing libations. The coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 anything but typical, however, throwing a wrench into traditional New Year’s plans. Big cities have been left scrambling to provide a satisfying holiday experience while still keeping residents as safe as possible. For many cities, that means a pivot to streaming.
Read the full report to find out more on how cities like Los Angeles, New York City, London, and Las Vegas are ringing in 2021.
—Stacey Ritzen, contributing writer
BTW
- Cops seem to laugh about ‘beating the sh*t out of’ person in TikTok video 👮
- Woman scheduled Instagram message to go live day after suicide 💔
- ‘This isn’t a feel-good story’: Preschool director becomes Uber driver to buy students Christmas presents, clothes 🎁
- Famed jazz musician posts video of woman falsely accusing his Black child of stealing her phone 📱
- ‘This is a picture of a pizza you had in 2019’: Republican caught trying to pass off old dining out photo as new 🍕
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