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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Gary Lineker is leaving the BBC after criticism for sharing an anti-Semitic Instagram post.
👥 Who’s Involved: Gary Lineker, BBC Director-General Tim Davie, Campaign Against Antisemitism, and the Palestine Lobby group.
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📍Where & When: Announcement made Monday; Lineker steps down from the Match of the Day soccer show after this season.
💬 Key Quote: “I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic—it goes against everything I stand for,” claimed Lineker.
⚠️ Impact: Lineker’s departure ends his 24-year tenure with the BBC and raises questions about impartiality and social media use by public figures.
IN FULL:
Gary Lineker, a former England soccer star and top-paid BBC presenter, will step down from his role at the de facto state broadcaster following backlash over his social media activity. The controversy arose after Lineker reposted an Instagram story from the group Palestine Lobby, which featured a rat and was titled “Zionism explained in two minutes.” The image drew criticism due to its historical association with anti-Semitic propaganda.
In a statement Monday, the BBC confirmed Lineker would leave the corporation entirely after the final episode of the Match of the Day show this season. Lineker, 64, had initially planned to step back from hosting the iconic soccer program but remain involved in other BBC coverage. Instead, he will now depart fully.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie said, “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.”
Lineker apologized last week, claiming he had shared the post without realizing its offensive nature. “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic,” he said, adding that the post was deleted once he became aware of the issue. “Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action,” he added.
Lineker’s social media activity has previously caused friction with the BBC. In March 2023, he was temporarily suspended for criticizing the British government’s asylum policy, leading the BBC to update its social media guidelines for prominent presenters. The broadcaster and its employees are supposed to be impartial, as the public funds it through a compulsory license fee.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomed Lineker’s departure, accusing him of promoting “dehumanizing and extreme messages” and flouting the BBC’s impartiality rules.
The BBC itself has been accused of bias against Israel in its conflict with Hamas, breaching its own editorial guidelines over 1,500 times. Another BBC star was even linked to funding the terrorist group Hezbollah earlier this month.
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump questioned whether Kamala Harris paid entertainment elites for endorsements during her 2024 campaign.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, Kamala Harris, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, and Tyler Perry.
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📍 Where & When: Trump made the statement on Truth Social on Monday, May 19, 2025; celebrity endorsements occurred during Harris’s 2024 campaign rallies in various locations, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas.
💬 Key Quote: “BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!” — President Trump.
⚠️ Impact: Trump’s comments raise questions about potential election law violations and the role of celebrity influence in political campaigns.
IN FULL:
President Donald J. Trump has raised concerns over whether Kamala Harris compensated entertainment elites for their endorsements during her struggling 2024 presidential campaign. In a post on Truth Social on Monday morning, Trump raised the possibility, suggesting a potential investigation into whether election laws were violated.
“According to news reports, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!” Trump wrote, continuing: “Remember, the Democrats and Kamala illegally paid her millions of Dollars for doing nothing other than giving Kamala a full throated ENDORSEMENT.”
He added: “THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL! IT IS AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION! BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!”
The President’s accusations come amid renewed attacks from Bruce Springsteen, who drew Trump’s ire last week. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Springsteen announced his support for Harris, stating, “Donald Trump is the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.”
At a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris received backing from a host of Hollywood stars, including Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, and Tyler Perry. Meanwhile, pop icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter endorsed Harris during a rally in Houston, Texas, focusing her remarks on abortion.
“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé stated. “Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations.”
Trump’s Truth Social post suggests he believes these endorsements may warrant scrutiny under election law. Notably, campaign finance records indicate that the Harris campaign paid at least $1 million to Oprah‘s production company. This payment was supposedly in exchange for the company’s assistance with the “United for America” livestream rally featuring numerous celebrities and endorsements in September 2024.
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A man opposed to pro-life values committed what authorities are calling “an intentional act of terrorism” over the weekend, bombing a reproductive center in California.
The details: On Saturday, 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus blew up his car outside the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) in Palm Springs, killing himself and injuring four others. ARC performs IVF treatments, egg retrievals, and other fertility care.
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- Police found two rifles and ammunition with the exploded vehicle.
- None of the embryos or other “sensitive material” was damaged by the blast.
His motive: Bartkus is a self-described “pro-mortalist” and “anti-natalist.” In a manifesto posted to his website with the tag line “F*ck you pro-lifers!,” he wrote:
- “I think we need a war against pro-lifers.”
- “I just wanted to say, your god definitely doesn’t exist, but if he did, I’d choose satan over your evil god. Did you ever think that maybe the bible is just slander against satan, and that satan just realized what a f***ing creep your god is?”
Glossary: A pro-mortalist believes death can be good or should happen sooner. An anti-natalist thinks having children is wrong because life causes pain or harm.
What they’re saying: The FBI Los Angeles field office confirmed: “This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility. Make no mistake, we are treating this, as I said yesterday, is an intentional act of terrorism.”
Zoom out: President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to expand access to in vitro fertilization, aiming to reduce treatment costs and remove regulatory barriers.
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A man opposed to pro-life values committed what authorities are calling “an intentional act of terrorism” over the weekend, bombing a reproductive center in California. show more
English (US) ·