Donald Trump Cageside At UFC Fights W/ Dana White, Kid Rock ... For Jorge Masvidal-Burns
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9:30 PM PT -- Jorge Masvidal, after laying down his gloves and retiring following a decision loss to Gilbert Burns, referenced Trump while talking to Joe Rogan ... saying "we got the greatest president in the history of the world sitting right there. I love that guy," while pointing at DT, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Gamebred also alluded to governor Ron DeSantis (Trump's political enemy and opponent for the Rep. nomination), saying "we also got the greatest governor of all-time here in Florida. Let's keep Florida free, a red state, and let's take back, let's take that 'Let's Go Brandon' mother f***er out of power and replace him!"
Masvidal then started a "Let's go Brandon" chant before leaving the Octagon.
BREAKING: Jorge Masvidal shouts out Donald Trump & Governor DeSantis in his retirement speech — starts a “Let’s Go Brandon” chant & says we need to replace Joe Biden in the White House. pic.twitter.com/srQWUfVLMr
— An0maly (@LegendaryEnergy) April 9, 2023 @LegendaryEnergy
Donald Trump is in the building for UFC 287 in Miami ... sitting Octagon-side with close friend, UFC president Dana White, and Kid Rock.
It makes sense ... #45's Mar-a-Lago home is only about an hour from MIA's Kaseya Center -- the location of 287 -- and with supporter Jorge Masvidal fighting on the cards co-main event vs. Gilbert Burns, it makes sense that Trump would attend.
Massive crowd at UFC Miami chants “U-S-A” after Trump greets crowd 🇺🇸
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 9, 2023 @bennyjohnson
pic.twitter.com/AHGBM8lbzD
Trump is seated just feet from the Octagon, with Dana to his right, and Kid Rock to his left. Mike Tyson is seated next to the controversial musician.
ESPN+, unlike the last time Trump attended a fight (UFC 264, Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier, July 2021) where he was never shown on the television broadcast, was shown ... with a graphic saying "45th President of the United States."
There was also a "U.S.A., U.S.A." chant from a portion of the packed crowd.
President Donald Trump in attendance at UFC 287 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OriJbrcSIg
— Lock-In Jiu-Jitsu (@CombatSport_USA) April 9, 2023 @CombatSport_USA
After Kevin Holland knocked out SantiagoPonzinibbio in the 3rd round, Big Mouth jumped the Octagon fence, and was talking to Dana as Trump listened on.
Donald, KR, and "Iron Mike" aren't the only celebs in the house ...the event's packed with big stars like Odell Beckham Jr., Logan Paul, Justin Jefferson, Joe Burrow and Jonathan “Foodgod” Cheban.
Of course, it's been a hectic week for the former president. On Tuesday, Trump was arraigned in NYC where he was charged with 34 felonies.
For more, tune into the TMZ Sports Podcast available on all podcast platforms!
Starstruck Celebs With The Easter Bunny ... Hoppy Easter!!!
Before these celebs were a "somebunny" in Hollywood, they were just hoppin' around town looking for the Easter Bunny. Lucky for you, TMZ has gathered the cutest pics of celebs having their starstruck moment with the cotton-tailed legend himself ... so, let's hop to it!
Stars like Orlando Bloom and Chrissy Teigen wanted the bunny all to themselves, while Hilary Duff and Alec Baldwin wrangled their fams for a group photo-hop. And, leave it to Robert Downey Jr. to try upstaging the life-size furry animal, (but you already know who the real star is 😉!)
Pounce into our gallery and see all the celebs whose Easter Bunny wishes came true ... After all, everyone needs a friend who is all ears!
Hoppy Easter!
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Tiger Woods Withdraws from Masters ... That Damn Leg's Bothering Me
Tiger Woods has pulled out of the Masters before the third round gets underway Sunday, and it all seems to go back to that car crash.
Tiger was struggling big time Saturday at the Augusta National Golf Club ... clearly limping as he traversed the course in horrendous weather. He was 9 over and 6 over for the second round when officials pulled the plug because of weather conditions.
Tiger said Sunday AM ... "I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!"
As you know, the golfing legend was in a horrific car crash in February, 2021 ... doctors weren't sure they could save his leg. But Tiger rebounded and has played in several major tournaments since.
By qualifying Saturday ... 5-time Masters champ Tiger tied Gary Player for the longest streak of making the cut in the Masters -- 23 consecutive times!
'Barbie' Woman Who Inspired Doll Gives Margot Thumbs-Up
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The woman who the Barbie doll is named after is giving Margot Robbie her stamp of approval ... and she thinks the upcoming movie is going to please Barbie fans.
Barbara Handler, whose mother Ruth created the famous toy and named it after her, tells TMZ ... she's seen the "Barbie" movie trailer that just dropped and thinks Margot nailed the starring role.
Overall, Barbara thinks the trailer is super cute and she's especially liking Margot's voice ... and it's got her looking forward to the movie's July release even more. She says the rest of the cast, which includes Ryan Gosling, seems to be great together.
Barbara says her late mother, who also named the Ken doll after Barbara's late brother, never imagined her creation being turned into a Hollywood production ... and she thinks Ruth would be pleased to see the doll come to life on the big screen.
The Handler family wasn't involved in the film, but Barbara says it's great to see her mother's legacy live on.
BTW ... Barbara does NOT go by Barbie -- she's been embarrassed by the connection her whole life. Ditto her brother Ken, who also didn't like the association.
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Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn Splitsville ... Reports Say 'Amicable'
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Taylor Swift and her longtime boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, have reportedly broken up ... but it sounds like there's no drama she'll have to sing about in the aftermath.
ET broke the news Saturday, reporting that the couple split a few weeks ago ... but that the uncoupling was "amicable" and "not dramatic," which isn't always how Taylor Swift breakups go. The outlet goes on to say, citing sources, the relationship had simply run its course.
A sign there was trouble on the horizon, per ET, was the fact Joe hadn't been seen at any of TS's concerts of late. The reason, apparently, is because they'd gone their separate ways. As you know, TayTay is on tour right now -- and Joe has had a habit of coming out to support.
This news is quite the shocker ... Taylor and Joe seemed to be good as recently as this past fall, when they were spotted out in NYC -- not to mention their vacay to the Bahamas last summer where they were packing on the PDA. By most accounts, they were doing great.
JA is usually out of the spotlight, as was their relationship in general. The dynamic between them was, by and large, kept private ... but Taylor seemed head over heels for the guy.
Taylor and Joe first got together back in 2017, so they've been going strong for 6 years now. Up to this point, Joe's been Taylor's most steady and consistent boyfriend since she splashed onto the Hollywood scene ... with a lot of her exes being way more famous.
Remember, she's dated the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Harry Styles, Joe Jonas, Tom Hiddleston, Taylor Lautner, Calvin Harris and John Mayer -- to name a few. None went the distance with her the way Joe did ... and many thought they could even get married.
Of course, the other weird thing about this is that Taylor recently put out a new track that was meant to be a love letter to Joe -- although it's unclear when they may have been recorded. In any case, it appears to be sayonara for now for these two ... for now.
We've reached out to Taylor and Joe's reps ... so far, no word back.
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Pope Francis Hanging Out With The Celebs!
It's officially Easter Sunday, folks ... so as you're divin' into whatever you gave up for Lent, take a look at some big names having a grand ole time with the Pope himself!
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kelly Clarkson, and soccer legend Diego Maradona are just a few shaking hands and chatting it up with Pope Francis -- and it looks like the celebs certainly love him.
Martin Scorsese was blessed to be in the Pope's presence ... even kissing his hand out of respect!
Aretha Franklin got the chance to sing "Amazing Grace" in front of the Pope at the World Meeting of Families in 2015 -- an opportunity we're sure she didn't want to pass up.
U2's Bono seems to be deep in a conversation with PF -- who's seen here in a wheelchair.
As you know, the 86-year-old was hospitalized last month after suffering a respiratory infection ... but was able to return to work a few days later -- and just in time for Easter!
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Mike Tyson NBA Players Should Use My Cannabis ... 'Best In The World!!!'
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If NBA players are tryna get their hands on some top-notch cannabis -- after the league announced they won't be penalized for marijuana use -- then they need to hit up Mike Tyson who tells TMZ Sports he's got the best product in the world!
The NBA announced this month that they're going to remove weed from their drug tests and allow players to use marijuana under a new labor agreement.
The boxing legend -- who also runs a cannabis business called Tyson 2.0 -- loves the idea and told us NBA players should hit him up and cop some of his product.
"I would prefer [NBA players] to use my product," the 56-year-old said on Wednesday. "My product is the best product in the world."
"I'm not tooting my own horn -- it just is. Look at the write-ups from people that have tried it."
Tyson even has a couple of recommendations, including his favorite weed that he smokes on his 'Hotboxin'' podcast regularly ... Sour Diesel!
"If you want to go down and do some indica, you do some OG Kush. If you wanna stay up and enjoy the world, you do the stuff I always smoke, Sour Diesel. It keeps me thinking."
Tyson knows his stuff when it comes to good cannabis ... his brand is in 12 countries, the Mike Bites ear-shaped cannabis-infused gummies are sellin' like crazy and he just opened up the first Coffeeshop TYSON 2.0 in Amsterdam with his friend and CEO Adam Wilks.
"It's a real full Tyson 2.0 experience," Wilks said about the new café.
"You can buy cannabis, baked goods, ear-shaped cookies, and brownies, you can buy pre-rolled joints ... all different Tyson 2.0 cannabis products that you can experience in-house at our café."
What about the NBA and Tyson 2.0 partnering up since the adjusted drug tests??? Well, Wilks tells us there are some "open discussions to be had."
Stay tuned!
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Guess Who These Easter Cuties Turned Into!
These future stars clearly loved hoppin' into the Easter spirit before their claims to fame, but can you crack these celebs before they broke into the limelight?
Zac Efron, Sarah Hyland and Kate Bosworth are just a few of the little bunnies who woke up on Easter Sunday ready to cop some eggs -- but good luck figuring out which one is them ... Hoppy hunting!
This singer owned the "American Idol" stage with her country songs, but who is this lil' bunny all dressed up?!
These lil' peeps loved scouting for Easter goodies, but do their kiddie bangs and matching outfits throw you for a loop?
Hollywood celebs still dig getting in the holiday mood ... but there's something so sweet and playful when it comes to Easter when you're just a cute kid!
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LFO MEMBER BRAD FISCHETTI Death Curse Theory Doesn't Scare Me ... I'm Alive, Show Must Go On
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Brad Fischetti, the last living member of LFO, says he's not scared by the fact death seems to come early to those involved with the band ... he's alive and well, and touring in their honor.
Brad tells TMZ ... he was shocked and dumbfounded at the end of March, when original LFO member Brian "Brizz" Gillis suddenly died, leaving Brad as the last surviving member.
Lots of folks didn't even know Brian was in LFO ... and some thought it was really Brad who passed. Brian was LFO's third member when the band started, but he left before Devin Lima joined the group in 1999, the same year "Summer Girls" became a huge hit.
Remember ... Devin was only 41 when he died back in November 2018, and Rich Cronin was just 36 when he died in September 2010 ... with cancer taking both their lives. Brian's cause of death is still unclear.
Brad says it's not just LFO band members who have died young ... he says their OG record label head, keyboard player, choreographer and a producer they worked with are all dead too.
Still, Brad says he hopes there's not a death curse on LFO. He hopes he lives a long life and tells us he's got no plans to stop touring, viewing it as a way to carry on LFO's legacy.
Brad says he keeps Devin, Rich, Brian and the others in his prayers and tries to remain strong in his faith ... and he thinks they would want him to keep making music.
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Celebrity Easter Scramble Guess Who!
Hidden under this curly-haired Easter Bunny is an egg-cellent entertainer who's been singing since he was a little bun-bun but got his big break after collabing with Cardi B and Drake. He always has an im-peck-able time on stage ... dancing, singing and rapping ... either way his music slaps hops!
It may come as no surprise he chose his stage name after posting a throwback pic wearing a bunny suit and a grumpy face, and if you'd prefer to solve this celeb scramble faster, throwing on a pair of his Adidas "Easter Egg" kicks will help you get there!
Hop on it!
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Ben Affleck I'm Walking on Sunshine ... Maybe 'Air' is Too???
Ben Affleck was looking light on his feet this weekend next to J Lo, and it might have to do with his new Michael Jordan movie ... even though it's not quite a money-maker just yet.
The couple was spotted out Saturday grabbing a bite for lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where they were both dressed up in snazzy duds -- BA was rocking a tan pullover sweater with jeans and matching sneakers to round out the ensemble. Nikes, specifically, mind you.
Jen, meanwhile, was wearing a Springtime colorful sun dress and some high-heeled boots.
It's Ben ya gotta focus on, though, 'cause the dude is absolutely radiating ... flashing a big smile to the paps who were shooting them and carrying a little extra pep to his step. The question ... what the heck is he so damn happy about considering his long grump streak???
#BenAffleck’s new film #Air is not afraid of #SuperMarioBrosMovie and is coming for that money at US #BoxOffice grossing 5.1M on FRI, up +112.5% from THU, as Positive WOM shall help #AirMovie to beat industry’s projections eyeing 22M-25M 5-day opening & 16M-19M 3-day weekend pic.twitter.com/y71anPp2QO
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) April 8, 2023 @Luiz_Fernando_J
Besides being married to Jennifer, he's got a lot to be cheery over ... including his latest flick, 'Air,' which hit theaters this week and which has garnered tremendous reviews and stellar word of mouth. By most accounts, it's 2023's first great flick and a crowd-pleaser.
The only (potential) problem is that 'Air' is not on pace to be a box office smash -- especially since it's up against Mario and co., which is taking the top spot this weekend by a mile.
Although his movie is on pace to rake in around $20 mil or so through Sunday -- depending on which projections you look at -- it reportedly cost a fortune to make ... around $90 mil, according to Variety. With that sorta budget, it's hard to say if Amazon Studios will recoup their investment in the short term ... but it's also hard to say what'll be considered a W here.
'Air' is Ben and Matt Damon's first project under their new production co., where they're sharing the wealth, and what's more ... this flick was made with a streaming-first mentality, even though it's hitting theaters initially. So, the formula for success on this one's wonky.
Considering just about everyone's digging 'Air' ... it might be a victory for Ben either way. Dude pulled a Phil Knight in Hollywood, and the gamble may just pay off in the long haul.
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Dallas Mavericks Being Investigated by NBA Apparently Tanked for Play-In Tourney
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks are under investigation by the NBA for apparently tanking in one of their final games of the season ... which means they're out of the playoffs.
The announcement came down Saturday from NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, who said .. "The NBA commenced an investigation today into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to last night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions."
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd confirms sitting players is a managerial decision, but he’s confident the team could win two play-in games on the road.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) April 7, 2023 @GrantAfseth
While things could change based on tonight’s outcome, Kidd expects Luka Doncic’s season to be done after the 1st quarter. pic.twitter.com/gPSYSeNsAA
The reason Adam Silver and Co. are digging into this is because of what seemed to be an obvious move by upper management and the coaching staff to not play their best guys.
Before Friday's matchup against the Bulls, HC Jason Kidd surprisingly announced a number of the best Mavs players were out due to injuries ... including Kyrie Irving. Luka Doncic only played for a quarter and change -- the rest of the game was carried by bench players.
Mark Cuban reacts to the Mavs missing the game-tying shot.https://t.co/BboJ4LXo6z pic.twitter.com/XhHGOz9vDT
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 8, 2023 @WorldWideWob
But even with their backup dudes, the Mavs still had a chance to close the game out and secure a spot in the play-in tournament -- which could see them move on further into the playoffs. However, the Mavs somehow blew an 11-point lead in the 4th ... and it appeared they weren't playing their best basketball -- at least that's the consensus on Twitter, anyway.
Adding insult to injury was Cuban's reaction to his team missing the game-tying shot in the final seconds of the game -- which officially ended their chances at getting into the play-in -- and he seemed to be smirking ... further fueling speculation they were tanking on purpose.
Jason Kidd literally put it on wax so this investigation should be quick lolpic.twitter.com/PxRqn8vrjJ
— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) April 8, 2023 @JoshGBuck
Of course, Kidd himself didn't do a great job of masking anything either -- pregame or postgame -- because he essentially said ... yeah, we sat a lot of guys and it was upper management's decision in the hopes of building a better roster for next season. Yikes ...
Dallas gets to hold on to some high draft picks as a result -- but the NBA clearly doesn't like what they're seeing here .. namely, apparently throwing in the towel and not trying at all.
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Chris Pratt Voice as Mario is Perfectly Fine ... Consensus on Twitter, Etc.
Chris Pratt took a lot of crap when he was announced as the voice of Mario for the new 'Super Mario Bros.' flick -- but now that the product is out ... the consensus is, he's aight.
The critics/amateur critics have sounded off on Twitter these past few days, weighing in on whether CP did the iconic video game character justice in the first animated feature-length film -- and from the looks of it, sounds like most everyone thinks he did a decent job.
Lmao the original mario voice actor pic.twitter.com/YWJvGpRxuw
— RHYSISABOMB 🥳32 Days till im 18 Years Old🥳 (@RHYSISABOMB) April 5, 2023 @RHYSISABOMB
Specifically, the term that keeps getting thrown around for his voice work is ... "fine."
As Polygon put it, Chris is "Aggressively Fine" as Mario ... and it would appear others feel the same. In other words, it ain't a groundbreaking performance ... nor does it move the needle in voice acting. But, the guy got the job done -- and wasn't distracting doing it.
If you're wondering what exactly he sounds like -- which has mostly been kept under wraps -- well, you can just go see it ... or look for snippets on Twitter. In either case, you'll see that Chris used a mash-up of accents ... mostly honing in on an Italian-American one that you might hear in Brooklyn. Throughout the film, he also slips into classic cartoonish Mario-isms.
While Chris might've been serviceable, the movie itself has gotten pretty awful reviews -- with some calling it soulless. Others, meanwhile, say it's a hoot ... especially for the kids.
Of course, all that matters to the studio heads are those box office numbers ... and so far, 'SMBM' is on its way to a stellar start. It's already on pace to hit $195 mil domestically through Sunday.
Wahoo!
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Heather Graham No Regrets Not Having Kids ... I Feel Free & Fulfilled
Heather Graham says she's A-OK with the fact that she doesn't have children ... something she feels like most women haven't been able to say up until recently.
The star dished her thoughts on the subject to People, telling them ... "I think we all have different paths. You just have to embrace the one that you're on. If, somehow, I had had kids, I'm sure that would've been cool."
She adds, "But at the moment, not having kids, I do feel free. And I get a lot of sleep. That is pretty great."
HG also had this to say about the notion of being able to own the fact one might not want little ones, especially as a woman ... "I do feel like as a woman, culturally, you're not allowed to say, 'I didn't want to have kids. Because it's like, what's wrong with you?'"
She finishes her thought by saying, "I think as a man it's like, oh yeah, cool, you didn't want to have kids. Now, women are getting more free to just make their own choices."
Graham says she believes if she was meant to have kids, she would've. Instead, she focuses on film/TV projects, which she says she views as her "little kids." She finishes by saying she's fulfilled with her life and happy with the journey she's chosen as an actress in Hollywood.
Heather's never been married, but has been in relationships with the likes of James Woods, Heath Ledger, Adam Ant and Israeli screenwriter Yaniv Raz -- whom she dated for 7 years.
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Donald Trump NYC Criminal Case??? Eh, Fore-geddaboudit!!!
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Donald Trump is doing what he tends to do best in times of crisis -- hitting the links to blow off some steam ... with this weekend being no different for him amid his criminal case.
The ex-Prez was playing a round Saturday morning at his hotel in Miami ... the Trump National Doral, which has four full-blown golf courses to choose from. Unclear which one DT was on in this instance, but he was out there with some pals ... and his MAGA hat to boot.
Dude looks pretty relaxed ... which makes sense, we suppose. This is sorta his happy place, even during the worst of times -- as we've witnessed throughout these past several years.
The only difference now, of course, is that he's under criminal prosecution by the Manhattan D.A.'s Office on 34 felony counts -- most of which stem from the Stormy Daniels hush money incident ... which law enforcement now alleges was directed to be paid at the behest of DT.
He's looked/sounded defiant in the wake of those charges -- especially when he was in NYC this past week to plead not guilty and get processed by cops ... putting on a brave face.
Here, the Don's more mellow, it seems, and there's another thing to consider with this appearance -- namely, the fact that it's Passover right now for Jewish folks ... and not just that, but his hotel there is actually hosting a whole slate of Passover events this weekend.
It's interesting timing ... seeing how it's custom for Jews to take it easy during this time, especially since Saturday, specifically, is the day of rest -- when most Jews wouldn't be out on the course playing ... or doing much of anything, in fact. Almost like he planned it. 😅
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Elon Musk Tweaks NPR's 'State Media' Status ... As Org Boycotts Twitter
1:03 PM PT -- NPR reporter Bobby Allyn says Twitter is removing the state-media label from NPR's account and instead adding "Government-Funded" ... which now reflects on the platform.
EM apparently told Allyn that Twitter will do this for other outlets as well in the near future.
Elon Musk appears to be flip-flopping on whether Twitter considers NPR to be state-run media -- although it's unclear if he's gonna take that label off their account.
The Twit-in-Chief was directly asked about this by an NPR reporter this week ... and when he was shown the hard numbers on where NPR gets its funding -- with only 1% of it coming from the U.S. government, and a majority of it coming from donors -- he relented a bit.
According to the journo -- citing an email exchange he says he was having with Musk personally -- EM apparently didn't understand the difference between public media and state-sanctioned media ... and replied, "Well, then we should fix it" as it pertains to NPR's status.
Musk then supposedly asked for the breakdown of their finances, which the reporter says was provided to him ... to which Musk then apparently responded, "The operating principle at new Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as govt, then we should do the same for US, but it sounds like that might not be accurate here."
Seems accurate pic.twitter.com/nx5TmJY7GX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2023 @elonmusk
Earlier in the day, Musk said NPR's new state-affiliated media label -- which Twitter has yet to remove -- seemed "accurate." But now, based on this new reporting, it sounds like he's not sure. Musk reportedly told this reporter Twitter would mull over a final decision.
Of course, NPR is not state-controlled media -- unlike the ones in North Korea, China and Russia ... it's a nonprofit news org that operates independently and has provided accurate reporting for years. In light of Twitter's designation, NPR has stopped tweeting altogether.
Originally Published -- 11:29 AM PT