*Mornings Archives

In her third day on the stand in Johnny Depp‘s libel suit, Amber Heard dropped a few more bombshells.

The actress told a British court that Depp threw about 30 bottles at her “like grenades” during what she called a “three-day hostage situation.” She says they “were in an argument about whether he was going to drink the liquor.”

Amber claimed that Johnny assaulted her more than a dozen times during their relationship, which ended in divorce in 2017.

She also said Depp “ripped my shirt and threw me across the room” during Thanksgiving in 2015, and that he head-butted her the night before she appeared on James Corden’s The Late Late Show in 2015.

Depp is suing The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater” in an old article.

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Kim Kardashian West is speaking out about what her husband has been going through. She posted a statement to Instagram Stories acknowledging Kanye West’s recent struggles with mental health.

The short version: She says Yeezy lives with bi-polar disorder, which can be “incredibly complicated and painful to understand.” She says she’s never spoken up before because she wanted to respect her family’s right to privacy. Kim understands that he’s subject to criticism as a public figure but asks for compassion and empathy.

She notes that because he’s not a minor, she is “powerless” to control him. This seemingly confirms his tweeted-and-deleted posts about how she sent two doctors on a plane to try and place a 51-50 hold on him.

She says, “Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions… Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas.”

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Congratulations to Demi Lovato, who is engaged to marry actor Max Ehrich.

He proposed Wednesday evening following a romantic dinner. Max got down on one knee at a Malibu beach and popped the question. A friend told People magazine that Max bought the diamond after dating just two months and then waited to pop the question while the ring was being designed. (E! News)

If you’re not out doing any winery tours lately, you can still have a little gourmet moment at home with wine and cheese. CheezIt has developed boxed wine and cracker combo packs, and apparently its been going on since before the pandemic. I can’t believe I missed it! This year, it’s a box of rosé alongside CheezIt White Cheddar crackers. The limited-edition wine and cracker combo-pack, which goes on sale today for $29.99, holds a three-liter box of House Wine Rosé and about 20 servings of Cheez-It White Cheddar crackers. You can get your combo-pack at OriginalHouseWine.com. (USA Today)

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The Journal Times says the Illinois State Police recently arrested a Des Plaines, Illinois man for driving 100 mph on I-94. An officer chased down Tomasz J. Ruszkowski after he saw him swerve and nearly hit other cars and concrete barriers. Tomaz said he was blind and was driving because God was guiding him and showing him the way. Officers found drugs in Tomaz’s car before charging him with recklessly endangering safety, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct and possession.

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And, in case you are a sports fan, today’s a big day. Major League Baseball kicks off tonight at 7 as the World Series Champion Washington Nationals take on the Yankees, and later tonight the Dodgers will take on the rival San Francisco Giants. The Detroit Tigers will play tomorrow. You can bet those games will be allllllll over TV and radio.

Congratulations to Demi Lovato, who is engaged to marry actor Max Ehrich.

He proposed Wednesday evening following a romantic dinner. Max got down on one knee at a beach in Malibu and popped the question. A friend told People magazine that Max bought the diamond after dating just two months. Then waited to propose while jewelry designer Peter Marco competed the costume engagement ring. (People)

Demi shared an adorable photo at Instagram and wrote “My birth dad always called me his ‘little partner.’ Something that might’ve sounded strange without his southern cowboy-like accent. To me it made perfect sense. And today, that word makes perfect sense. I’m officially going to be someone else’s partner.”

Demi expressed her excitement to “start a family and life” with Max Ehrich. (E! News)

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On her 28th birthday, Selena Gomez was the one to deliver gifts. She created one of the largest corporate funds supporting mental health.

She announced that her Rare Beauty brand will earmark $100 million for mental health services. The fund will be financed from one-percent of Rare Beauty sales. This the Rare Impact Fund will target under-served communities.

She wrote at Instagram on Wednesday, “We want to give back to our community and further support people who needed access to mental health services, which have had a profound impact on my life.”

Selena has shared her many diagnoses, which include bi-polar disorder, anxiety, depression and the auto-immune disease Lupus. (The Hollywood Reporter)

In her second day on the stand, Amber Heard admitted to punching Johnny Depp to stop him from pushing her sister down the stairs.

Amber told the British court that at the time she had remembered a “rumor” he had done the same to Kate Moss. The actress said that this “information” was “fresh in my mind” during the alleged 2015 incident, and she reacted “in a flash” to protect her sibling.

This came during her second day on the stand in her ex-husband’s libel suit against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that described him as a “wife beater.”

Amber also claimed that Johnny had punched her “for years,” and “for years I had never even hit him.” She added, “I never so much as landed a blow and I will never forget this incident… It was the first time after all these years (I hit him).”

Johnny denies ever hitting Amber.

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Alex Trebek says he plans to keep on hosting Jeopardy as long as his health will allow him, and when he starts taping the show again in a few weeks, the set will have some very noticeable changes.

Social distancing is a top priority on the show, so the new set will allow for more space between the contestants. Trebek told Good Morning America, “We’ve redesigned our set to separate the contestants and myself a little bit more from them. So we’re taking all kinds of precautions. Our testing procedure now is done online.” He adds that he will tape five shows a day, two days a week and without a studio audience. “If it’s too much for me, we can always cut back a little bit, maybe do four a day.”

Trebek, who turns 80 today, released his memoir, The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, yesterday.

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The Daily Star says Kanye West is hiding out in a bunker at his home in Wyoming. A source tells the newspaper,  “There’s an underground bunker, a panic room originally built for the family to go to in an emergency, stocked up with food. Kanye’s surrounded himself with a small group of people he trusts, and he doesn’t trust Kim or her family.”

A source tells The Sun newspaper that Kim and Kanye are fighting. “Since lockdown they’ve had daily bust-ups over literally everything. Mainly about the kids, their future, and the different directions they’re going in. They’ve barely had a functioning marriage for the last year and Kim has been finding living with him too difficult. He’s very demanding and always obsessed with one of his schemes — she’s exhausted.”

A great-great-grandmother, who helped the World War 2 effort as a Rosie the Riveter, is today helping the fight against coronavirus.

Mae Krier spends her days sewing colorful face coverings. The 94-year-old makes them from the burgundy bandanna made famous in the Rosie the Riveter poster. Rosie flexes her bicep while wearing a polka dot bandanna on her head.

As a teenager, Mae Krier joined the millions of women who took jobs vacated by World War 2 soldiers. She built warplanes in a Boeing factory. Mae Krier recalled, (quote) “The women were every bit as good as the men. Up until 1941, it was a man’s world. They didn’t know how capable American women were. We sure showed them!” (The Washington Post)

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Go small … Seems the coronavirus pandemic has inspired many Americans to shop small. According to a new survey, 70% of respondents said they have made it a point to avoid big corporations and support small businesses during the last several months. And 79% said the pandemic has changed their thinking on how important small businesses are to their communities.

43% of respondents said the top way they’ve been supporting their local businesses is by ordering take-out and delivery. And over 50% said they have been tipping their delivery drivers more than they did before. 38% said they’ve been donating money to local businesses. Even though they have been supporting their local small businesses, 74% of those surveyed said they are worried that their favorite local spot may not survive. (SWNS)

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A silver-lining to this pandemic: Work attire is relaxing.

Employees working from home embraced their Zoom shirt. They do not want to go back to a stuffy wardrobe. A survey found that just 10 percent of employees want to return to the office wearing what they did before the pandemic.

The style director at Esquire magazine confirmed, (quote) “Dress codes have been gradually relaxing. So much that big banks got rid of suits and ties for most employees.”

The Urban Dictionary defines the Zoom shirt for men and women as “kept on the back of your desk chair to quickly be presentable for video conferences.” Otherwise, they’re working from home in comfy clothes.

During this pandemic, the typical work from home attire has been shorts, no shoes and a Zoom shirt. Bra is optional. (The Guardian)

After his wild presidential rally, Kanye West headed to his ranch in Wyoming — where he got a special visit from Dave Chappelle.

In a video of the meet-up, Kanye said, “The world needs a smile. You know, we need some joy.”

Chappelle replied, “Brotherhood is real, love is real.’’

In the caption, Kanye wrote, “THANK YOU DAVE FOR HOPPING ON A JET TO COME SEE ME DOING WELL DAVE YOU ARE A GOD SEND AND A TRUE FRIEND ALL LOVE”

The visit comes as his family reportedly fears that the rapper and presidential candidate is going through a mental breakdown. Kanye gave an emotional speech at a bizarre campaign rally in South Carolina on Sunday.

The next day he tweeted: “Kim was trying to fly to Wyoming with a doctor to lock me up like on the movie Get Out because I cried about saving my daughters life yesterday.”

A source tells Britain’s The Sun that Kanye fled to the couple’s ranch because “he’s very paranoid and is convinced he needs ‘protection’ from Kim and [her mom] Kris — even though they’re only trying to help him.”

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Katy Perry recently told Howard Stern that she ended her feud with Taylor Swift in order to set a good example for young women. ”It’s hard for young girls growing up, [with] cliques and high school and pettiness and all that stuff, so now we’re super friendly and I’ve always wanted the best for her and we can talk about the best we want for each other.”

Amber Heard took the stand in the Johnny Depp‘s libel suit on Monday.

The actress told the British court that she was afraid Depp was going to kill her and that he threatened to kill her “many times.”

Depp is suing The Sun for describing him as a “wife beater.” He denies that he was violent toward his ex.

Heard also said Depp often accused her of being unfaithful. She said, “He accused me of having affairs with each of my co-stars, movie after movie: Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum; even women co-stars like Kelli Garner.”

She claimed that Depp even accused her of cheating on him with Leonardo DiCaprio, whom she had auditioned with for a role, and that he had nicknames for her “male co-stars he considered a sexual threat.” She said, “For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was ‘pumpkin-head,’ [her Magic Mike XXL co-star] Channing Tatum was ‘potato-head’ and Jim ‘Turd’ Sturgess.’”

Depp and Heard were married from 2015 to 2017.

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Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts will reunite in the Netflix drama Leave the World Behind. Variety says the movie “is a story about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.” Denzel and Julia last starred together in the 1993 legal thriller The Pelican Brief.

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Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie left work a little early this morning to go under the knife for more eye surgery.

Guthrie, who suffered a freak eye injury eight months ago when her young son hit her in the eye with a toy train, previously had surgery to fix a detached retina. She explained this morning that she’s developed a cataract in the eye, which is normal, but it needs to be corrected and it could sideline her for another few days. (People)

Feeling the need to scream? Well, now you can — and you can have that scream released outside … in Iceland. Iceland’s tourism board has launched a new program called “Let It Out.” People around the world are encouraged to release their pent-up anger, frustration and stress into a scream – and then have that scream played on a loudspeaker in the wide open spaces of Iceland. Just go to the Let It Out website to record your scream. (Lifehacker)

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New this morning, there’s at least one positive COVID-19 development that we’re hearing about. Researchers from Kansas State University have found that mosquitoes can’t spread COVID-19 to humans.

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A jeweler here in Michigan has buried gold and silver and gems worth $1 million around the state — and is encouraging people to go on an epic treasure hunt. Clues can be found at the website JohnnysTreasureQuest.com, but it’s not free. You have to purchase a ticket to participate. Good luck? (WTVT-TV)

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A Kansas family praying that their missing dog would return home, finally had their prayers answered when she showed up — at the family’s old house 60 miles away.

Cleo, a four-year-old Labrador, got loose from her family’s home a week earlier prompting calls on Facebook for help in tracking her down. Then, they were shocked when they received a phone call from the family who bought the house they had sold two years ago telling them that Cleo showed up on their front porch. They didn’t know who the dog belonged to, but they had her microchip scanned and discovered she had traveled 60 miles from her family’s new house. The most incredible part of the story is that to get back to the old house, she would’ve had to somehow cross the Missouri River. (KMBC-TV)

Katy Perry says that having “child-bearing hips” helped her keep he secret that she was having a child.

Katy Zoomed into Australia’s Kyle and Jackie O Show to talk music and motherhood. When asked if she’d field questions about pregnancy before her official reveal, she told the hosts, “Not many, because I’m very voluptuous.”

She went on to joke about the situation saying, “I think in a pop star’s life, usually the conversation every three months — especially when she’s dating someone — is, ‘Are you pregnant? Pregnant yet? You pregnant now? Now? Is that Taco Bell?’… It’s like, it’s only annoying if you let it be annoying.”

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We’re not 100 percent sure that Super Bowl 55 will actually happen, but British gamblers are already laying down bets — on the halftime show!

Legal bookmaker CalvinAyre.com has installed Taylor Swift as a big favorite to headline the big stage. Her odds of +150 mean that you’d get a $50 profit if you bet $100. Other top contenders include Adele, at +300 and Rihanna at +600 — even though RiRi has already turned the gig down once due to the NFL’s blacklisting of activist quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

With any luck, Super Bowl 55 will take place in Tampa, Florida on February 7, 2021.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake have welcomed a baby boy after managing to keep her pregnancy a secret.

Britain’s Daily Mail reports that Jessica gave birth last week.

The couple, who’ve been holed up in Montana with 5-year-old son Silas, haven’t been photographed in public since March and Jessica had been avoiding posting full-length photos to social media, apparently to hide her baby bump.

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Alex Trebek, who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, tells The New York Times that “when I start slipping, I’ll stop hosting” Jeopardy! Last week, he told fans he’s “doing well.”

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“Eating and drinking while walking” has been banned at Disney World. The move was made to ensure guests wear their masks at all times. The theme park has come under fire for reopening while COVID-19 cases are spiking in Florida. (Deadline)

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Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid and the other stars of The Parent Trap will reunite on Kate Couric‘s Instagram on Monday in honor of the movie’s 22nd anniversary. (People)

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The Daily Star says Johnny Depp may not appear in another Pirates of the Caribbean film because of the allegations that have surfaced in his libel lawsuit against The Sun. A source tells the newspaper that Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are dismayed about his alleged abuse and drug use.  “They were working on storylines to bid him a fitting farewell from the franchise. They realize that, whether Johnny wins his cases or not, he is likely to be viewed as box-office poison in these sensitive times. But Jerry was hoping there might be a way to get him on board for a small scene.”

The death of Congressman John Lewis on Friday has added fuel to the movement to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, after the long-time activist who marched across it in the battle for civil rights.

The bridge, currently named after a former Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader, became the focal point of the nation on March 7th, 1965, when protesters, including Lewis, were beaten by Alabama state troopers while marching for the rights of Blacks to vote. The incident became known as Bloody Sunday. (The New York Times)

Lewis, who continued to fight for racial equality during his career in Congress, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80. (The New York Times)

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People are ready to get back to normal dating again – but they are being cautious about it. A new survey by dating.com found that 85% of daters are excited to get back to real-life dating again – including meeting people they met online over the last few months in person. But 60% of those surveyed said they plan to ease into in-person dating, because they want to be careful. (PRNewswire)

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Even though everyone agrees that breaking up with someone over text is cold and cowardly – it’s amazingly common. According to a survey of Millennials by text marketing software company SimpleTexting, 57% admitted that they’d broken up with someone over text and a whopping 69% said they’d been broken up with via text. (Bustle)

Brace yourself: We may need to settle on Instagram concerts and shows at drive-ins for the next 18 months.

Live music executive Marc Geiger said last week in a podcast, (quote) “It’s going to be 2022. It will take that long before the ‘germaphobic economy’ is slowly killed off and replaced by the ‘claustrophobia economy.’ That’s when people want to get out: dinner, festivals and shows.”

The co-founder of Lollapalooza warned “super-spreader events — sports, concerts, festivals — aren’t going to do too well when the virus is this present.”

Live concerts face several obstacles before musicians can tour again. It’s just not about limiting capacity. Nor filtering recycled air and disinfecting air with UV light. But also insurance and liability could be a serious roadblock. (Consequence of Sound)

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The Star claims Britney Spears is struggling while in quarantine. A source tells the magazine, “It’s no secret Britney’s a bit wacky and out there, but she’s finding quarantine difficult to adapt to. Part of it is due to the limited contact she has with her sons — she’s only seen them a couple of times over the past few months — and because she’s lonely and doesn’t have many friends. She spends hours making selfie videos because she’s so bored.”

In related claims, fans of Britney’s Instagram account claim that she is sending signs in her videos that she is in need of help. TMZ reports that obsessed followers see hints in things like a photo with Brit crossing her arms in an “X” and in some of her comments before her dance videos. But the site talked to a lot of people who say that the cocktail of medications that Britney takes to stabilize her mental health has become less efficient over time and that recently she’s been “struggling.”

Even though the show was based in Florida, The Los Angeles home made famous by The Golden Girls is up for sale. Exterior shots of the home appeared frequently on the sitcom. (Interior scenes were shot on a set.) The 3,000-square-foot property is going for $3 million.

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Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis did not appear in Johnny Depp’s libel suit on Thursday as scheduled.

Johnny’s exes were due to appear in a British court via video, but his barrister said they decided there was no need to hear from them.

At a preliminary hearing in the case, Vanessa’s witness statement said, in part: “I have known Johnny for more than 25 years. We’ve been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together. Through all these years I’ve known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father.”

Winona’s witness statement read, in part: “I cannot wrap my head around (Ms Heard’s) accusations. He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me.”

Depp is suing The Sun for calling him a “wife beater” and being violent toward ex-wife Amber Heard.

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Alex Trebek has given fans a new health update and announced a Jeopardy! first.

In a video recorded at his home, the 79-year-old said that for the first time ever old episodes of the game show will be broadcast this summer. New episodes can’t be taped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of the clip, Alex gave fans an update on his treatment for pancreatic cancer. “I’m doing well. I’ve been continuing my treatment and it is paying off. Though it does fatigue me a great deal, my numbers are good. I’m feeling great. In fact, during the break from the studio, I even wrote a book that will be coming out July 21st.”

Trebek will release his memoir, The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, on Tuesday, the day before he turns 79.

A British teen went a little too far to shoot the perfect TikTok video and ended up needing firefighters to rescue her.

For some reason, the 14-year-old’s video required her to squeeze into a baby swing at a park, so that’s what she did. But she got stuck and couldn’t get out. First her friends called her mother for help, but she couldn’t get her out. So her mom called the fire department, which sent a rescue crew over to the park with tools and liquid soap to slide her out of the swing. Although her TikTok video didn’t work out as planned, she still got to experience viral fame as her rescue was captured on video and shared on YouTube. (NY Post)

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What’s in a name? Well, just type your first name into Poke My Name.com and it will give you all sorts of cool stats, like how popular it is — and even how popular it is as a middle name.

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Need a laugh today? Check out The Craftsman Blog’s Instagram account. It’s an account dedicated almost entirely to shaming homes with really bad shutters. After scrolling through the pics and realizing how many bad shutters there are out there — and how hilarious looking at bad shutters can be — you’ll understand why account owner and historic preservation contractor Scott Sidler has over 30,000 followers. Every #ShudderSunday, Scott posts photos and commentary of truly shameful shutters that will have you laughing out loud … and thinking about shutter placement on your own home and every home in your neighborhood. There’s also awesome renovation photos and design inspo that will have you happy to follow this unique account. Who knew shutters could be so entertaining?!

Lady Gaga tells Apple Music that she hopes people will dance to her new material, even if it means dancing alone at home. “I can’t wait to dance with people to this music. I can’t wait to just go into any space with a whole bunch of people and blast this as loud as possible to show them how much I love them. Until then, I hope that they listen to this record, and go on not only my personal journey with me, and dance through all the pain, but also go through their own journey, and dance through all THEIR pain.”

Camila Cabello tells Elle magazine that she doesn’t care what the media says about her and her love life with Shawn Mendez, because she’s all about becoming a better person. “There are probably a lot of misconceptions of me out there, but I don’t care. I think I have a better, wiser perspective on things because I am older and I understand myself a lot more. I feel far more grown-up. Growing up! It’s an adventure.”

Another sequel to Dirty Dancing could be in the works. Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate Studio have a plan.

There isn’t a lot of details, but according to Deadline the studio and Jen are collaborating on a new film that involves dancing.

Considering it’s been 30 years since the original, and sadly, key cast members Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach and Jack Weston have died — so a reunion kind of seems impossible. Also, there’s no mention of Eleanor Bergstein coming onboard — she created the now-beloved Baby and Johnny characters. We reached out to her and she replied, “I have no details on this at the present time.  If I know more, I’ll let you know.”

Nick Cannon apologized on Wednesday for his anti-Semitic comments. He removed the podcast episode, Cannon’s Class, where he made “uninformed and naïve” remarks.

In a Twitter thread, Cannon expressed his shame that the podcast “reinforced the worst stereotypes of a proud and magnificent people.” Nick added, (quote) “My deepest and most sincere apologies to my Jewish sisters and brothers for the hurtful and divisive words.”

Nick Cannon was not so contrite with ViacomCBS, who fired him from the VH1 show Wild ‘n Out. He claimed that they owe him and apology. Also, he demanded ownership of his “billion-dollar” Wild ‘n Out brand.

He will remain as host and executive producer of The Masked Singer. FOX-TV taped the third season before the pandemic hit. Firing Nick Cannon would’ve required scrubbing an entire season and disqualifying the winner. (Variety)

Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Apple all had their Twitter accounts hacked Wednesday.

The con artists posted messages imploring followers to send Bitcoin to their account. Posing as the public figures, they said they’d double whatever anyone deposited “for the next 30 minutes.” The accounts are secure now, but there’s no word on how the hackers gained entry.(Engadget)