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KANYE WEST'S CAMPAIGN — BACKED BY REPUBLICANS?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Recently, Kanye West announced he was breaking free politically from President Donald Trump — and running for president himself. So, why are Republican operatives helping him get his campaign going? It's a question being asked as GOP officials have been helping the rapper qualify to be placed on presidential ballots in key states. Among the states where West has gotten GOP help to get on the ballot are Colorado, Wisconsin, Ohio, Vermont and Arkansas. That has fueled suspicions that West is being supported by allies of Trump — who hope West's presence on the ballot might siphon support from the likely Democrat candidate for the White House, Joe Biden.
PLACIDO DOMINGO SEEKING TO CLEAR HIS NAME
SALZBURG, Austria (AP) — To hear Placido Domingo put it, saying sorry doesn't mean saying you're guilty. The opera star says people have misread his statement of regret after an investigation found that sexual harassment allegations against him were credible. When the report came out, Domingo said he was “truly sorry” and that he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions. But soon after that, he backtracked — saying on Facebook that he “never behaved aggressively” toward anyone and did nothing to “obstruct or hurt anyone's career." Domingo blames the media for going with his initial statement, which he says “looked like a mea culpa.” He says now he is seeking to clear his name — a promise he says he made to himself after he caught — and recovered from — COVID-19.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN DOCUSERIES PRODUCERS ADD INFO ON MAXWELL ARREST
NEW YORK (AP) — Sometimes you hear the makers of a TV show say their story ideas “are ripped right from the front pages.” That's literally true when it comes to the series “Surviving Jeffrey Epstein.” The producers of the Lifetime docuseries say they had to scramble to add material after Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested on federal charges that she acted as a recruiter for Epstein, the well-connected financier who was found hanged in his prison cell shortly after his arrest. Producers say the fourth episode of the series would have focused on survivors of Epstein's empire. Instead, it will focus on Maxwell's alleged grooming of Epstein's victims.
OLYMPIC ATHLETES AND DEPRESSION
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When people think of Olympic heroes, they think of an athlete standing on a platform, gold medal hanging around their neck as their national anthem plays. But Olympic swimming champ Michael Phelps says he had thoughts of suicide, even at the peak of his athletic prowess. And he says the level of depression and suicide among Olympic athletes is an “epidemic.” Phelps is opening up about his mental health struggles in a new documentary on HBO called “The Weight of Gold.” The film looks at depression and suicide among the world's top athletes — and what can be done to deal with the problem. Other athletes who appear in the documentary include speed-skater Apolo Anton Ohno, snowboarder Shaun White, skier Bode Miller, hurdler Lolo Jones and figure skater Sasha Cohen.
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