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BAFTA judge Jonte Richardson has resigned from the organization following their handling of an incident at Sunday night's ceremony in which a racial slur was shouted out when Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage

NEED TO KNOW

• In a LinkedIn post, Richardson said he was "compelled" to step back due to BAFTA's "unforgivable" handling

• Following the airing of the n-word on the recorded show, BAFTA and the BBC issued separate apologies

BAFTAjudge Jonte Richardson has resigned over the handling of Sunday night's racial slurincident involving Tourette's Syndrome advocate John Davidsonat the 2026 British Academy Film Awards.

Davidson, 54 — who first began experiencing symptoms of the motor disorder, which causes involuntary verbal and physical tics, as a child — shouted the n-word asSinnersactorsMichael B. Jordan, 39, andDelroy Lindo, 73, presented the award for Best Visual Effects at the Sunday, Feb. 22 show.

TheBBChas since apologized after the moment was not edited out of the BBC One broadcast, which aired with a two-hour delay. It also remained on the broadcaster's catch-up service, BBC iPlayer, on Monday morning before being removed.

Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty

After Davidson shouted the racial slur,Alan Cumming, who hosted the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards,spoke to the audience, noting that the movieI Swearaddressed the type of involuntary outbursts that audience members heard. He then addressed the audience again later in the evening, this time apologizing to anyone who may have been offended by Davidson's words.

Filmmaker Richardson was among those criticizing the way the whole thing was handled during and after the ceremony, sharinga statement on LinkedInon Monday, Feb. 23 confirming he felt "compelled" to "withdraw from the BAFTA emerging talent judging panel" after some "considerable soul-searching."

Richardson said the organization's "handling of the unfortunate Tourette's N-Word incident last night at the awards was utterly unforgivable."

"I cannot and will not contribute my time energy and expertise to an [organization] that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community," he continued.

"This is particularly unfortunate given that this year's cohort boasts some incredible Black talent, especially one of my favourite shows of 2025 'Just Act Normal.' However, when an [organization] like BAFTA, with its own long history of systemic racism, refuses to acknowledge the harm inflicted on both the Black and disabled communities and offer an appropriate apology, remaining involved would be tantamount to condoning its [behavior]," Richardson shared.

He concluded, "I hope BAFTA leadership comprehend the damage they and the BBC have caused and take the necessary steps to ensure their production staff are inclusive enough to prevent such an issue in the future," signing off the message, "Yours sincerely, Jonte Richardson."

BAFTA didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment regarding Richardson's post.

Jeff Spicer/Getty

The BBC told PEOPLE in a statement on Monday, "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony, it was not intentional. We [apologize] that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer."

BAFTA alsoreleased a statementon Monday,which included, "At the BAFTA Film Awards last night our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many. We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and [apologize] to all."

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"Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we [apologize] unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism," BATFA also said in the statement.

"We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we [apologize] to all. We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy," the post concluded.

In addition, Davidsonspoke out about the incident in a statementhe shared withVariety.

"I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast. I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs," Davidson said in his statement.

A stage manager at the BAFTA Film Awards had introduced Davidson to the audience before the show and alerted guests that they may hear some "involuntary noises or movements" during the ceremony, according to the outlet.

"I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me," Davidson continued in his statement. "In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning."

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Davidson attended the BAFTA Film Awards in London to represent the filmI Swear, which is based on his life and experiences with Tourette's. In his statement, Davidson said that the movie, "more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome."

He continued, "I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing."

After the incident, Lindo toldVanity Fairat a Warner Brothers' afterparty that he and Jordan "did what we had to do" when they were on stage, but admitted hewished "someone from BAFTA spoke to us [about the incident] afterwards."

Reps for Jordan and Lindo didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment on Monday, Feb. 23.

Read the original article onPeople

A series of widely circulated images of a man on Nancy Guthrie's porch were not all taken the morning she disappeared from her Arizona home — one was captured earlier, two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said Monday.

Theimage showed the persondressed in dark clothing with a mask and gloves and — unlike other images released by FBI Director Kash Patel — without a backpack.

Patel said the image came from the same camera at Guthrie's front door in the Tucson area as other images captured the morning she disappeared on Feb. 1.

More coverage of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

• What we know about the search for Guthrie

• What could come next in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

• Security video from Guthrie's home offers potential clues for investigators

• Genetic genealogy brings promise and challenges to the Nancy Guthrie case

A spokesperson with FBI headquarters declined to comment Monday on possible dates tied to the image or whether the person is the same person seen in the other security video released by the agency.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday that there is no date or timestamp associated with the image and that any suggestion that it was taken on a different day is "purely speculative."

"That's all it is is speculation," Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News. "We understand the thinking behind it, but again, I remind everybody, we follow the rules of evidence. And right now we have no evidence to suggest that it occurred that day or days before."

Nanos said that the images do not come with dates or timestamps and that officials believe the majority of images were from Feb. 1 only because they show the doorbell being disconnected.

Guthrie, 84, the mother of "TODAY" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen Jan. 31. She was reported missing at about noon the next day when she did not show up to watch a virtual church service with friends.

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The weekslong investigation into her disappearance, which now involves local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, has drawn international attention. While authorities believe Guthrie may have been taken from her home, no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.

The images the FBI released Feb. 10 were a significant development in the investigation into Guthrie's possible abduction. They showed a masked, armed man later described as a suspect appearing to tamper with Guthrie's Google Nest camera.

Recovering those imagesappears to have been a challenge.

Guthrie did not have a subscription that would have saved the video, and Nanos has said the camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. There were multiple cameras inside Guthrie's home, he said, and a person was detected at 2:12 a.m., though it is unclear which camera was responsible for detecting that motion.

Patel has said the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department worked with "private sector partners" to recover the images from "residual data in backend systems."

Based on the images, officials have offered identifying details about the man, describing him as being of average build, 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He was wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, sold exclusively at Walmart, authorities have said.

Investigators discovered multiple sources of DNA in and around the crime scene, but testing has yielded no results.

Officials are working to testsamples found at Guthrie's home— which did not match her or anyone who was known to have been there recently —through a process called forensic genetic genealogyin the hope of identifying a suspect.

Nanos has said the DNA sample is mixed and contains genetic information from at least two people, which could take longer to test.

It's been two years sinceGerry TurnerandTheresa Nistexchanged vows in their televised wedding onThe Golden Bachelor. Since then, a whole lot of nonsense has happened.

Gerry and Theresa called it quits, he wrote a tell-all book, and now, he's engaged to a new woman named Lana Sutton. As he gets ready to walk down the aisle for a third time, he and Lana just purchased a million-dollar home.

Gerry Turner and fiancée Lana Sutton are moving house

When Gerry and Theresa broke up, one ofthe many explanationswas that they couldn't agree onwhere to live. Clearly, he and Lana aren't burdened by those same problems.

According toTMZ, Gerry and Lana dropped $1 million on a home in the Chatham Village neighborhood, just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. The house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and 4,455 square feet. They've got a game room, a two-story family room, and everything that they need to live a golden life.

Gerry said he and Lana toured the property a few times, but they were hesitant about putting down an offer. Then, the builder of the house called them up and helped them negotiate a deal.

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Although Gerry and Lana haven't tied the knot and don't have a wedding date locked in, they both put their names on the deed. They're 50/50 owners, soif this relationship goes southlike the last one, they're going to have something serious to fight over.

For now, the two lovebirds are enjoying their new home, all 4,455 square feet of it. Gerry took to Instagram to show off pictures of the stunning, million-dollar property.

"Ther [sic] have been many great days over the last 12 months traveling, bonding families, building a loving and fun relationship with Lana," Gerry wrote. "But yesterday was one of the very best. Finding our perfect home was an arduous journey. So gratifying to close on our new home together."

The Golden Bacheloris streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

TELL US – DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF SUPPORT FOR GERRY AND LANA AS THEY SETTLE INTO THEIR NEW HOME? ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THEY PURCHASED A HOME TOGETHER BEFORE TYING THE KNOT?

The postGolden Bachelor Gerry Turner Buys $1 Million Home With New Fiancéeappeared first onReality Tea.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing severe hunger as worsening drought, conflict and global aid cuts intensify the country's humanitarian crisis, the federal government and U.N. agencies said Tuesday.

New data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report shows that 6.5 million people are projected to face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by the end of March.

The report also estimates that 1.84 million children under the age of 5 are expected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026, including nearly 500,000 who will be severely malnourished.

Officials said that the food security situation is deteriorating because of water shortages, insecurity, conflict and historically low levels of humanitarian assistance linked to global funding cuts.

The intensified drought, linked to lower-than-average rainfall, has triggered widespread food insecurity, crop failures, livestock losses, food price increases and displacement.

"The drought emergency in Somalia has deepened alarmingly, with soaring water prices, limited food supplies, dying livestock and very little humanitarian funding," said George Conway, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.

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He said that urgent lifesaving assistance is essential in the coming months, with no rainfall expected until the main rainy season, which runs from April to June.

Even if the upcoming rains perform at average levels, 5.5 million people are expected to remain in crisis or worse later in 2026. Recovery from the extreme drought will take time, officials said.

Water shortages are intensifying in southern and central Somalia and aren't expected to substantially improve, even if upcoming rains are average.

Drought and conflict displaced about 278,000 people between July and December, disrupting agricultural production, market access and aid delivery, according to U.N estimates.

"The severity of this drought is undeniable and deeply alarming," said Mohamud Moallim Abdulle, commissioner of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency. He called on international partners, the Somali diaspora, businesses and civil society to scale up immediate support.

The United Nations and the Somali government warned that substantial funding cuts have forced humanitarian partners to decrease or suspend critical lifesaving programs, including food security, health, nutrition and water and sanitation projects.

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The Trump administration has scrapped plans for an immigration detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, the state's Republican governor said on Tuesday, as localities grapple ‌with a surge in planned detention centers nationwide.

Republican candidates speak at the First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua

"The Department of Homeland Security will not move ‌forward with the proposed ICE facility in Merrimack," the New England state's governor, Kelly Ayotte, wrote on X following a meeting ​with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington last week.

Ayotte said she expressed the concerns of the town roughly 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) northeast of Boston, and that New Hampshire law enforcement would continue to cooperate with DHS to secure the state's northern border with Canada.

Noem, in a statement from DHS, confirmed the meeting and said ‌it would continue to work with ⁠New Hampshire, calling it "a strong partner."

The withdrawal comes as Republican President Donald Trump enacts his sweeping immigration campaign pledges. The deportation drive's aggressive tactics have been met ⁠with growing U.S. voter disapproval ahead of the November midterm election that will decide control of Congress.

ICE and U.S. Border Patrol agents have surged into major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, sweeping through neighborhoods ​and ​clashing with residents. Federal agents shot and killed two ​U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January, and ‌another citizen was shot and killed last year in Texas.

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Trump's administration is also moving to increase detention centers to house immigrants as it ramps up its raids, spending more than $38 billion this year for facilities that have drawn criticism from Democrats as well as concerns from Ayotte and other Republicans.

Democrats, civil rights groups, clergy and other critics have cited human rights, legal and health concerns, including dismal conditions, poor ‌treatment and diseases such as measles at various detention facilities, ​which are run by companies including GEO Group and CoreCivic.

At ​least eight people have died in ICE detention ​centers since the start of 2026, following at least 31 deaths last year.

On ‌Tuesday, Democratic-led Maryland sued the Trump administration to ​halt a detention facility ​in its western Washington County.

DHS officials have rejected any claims that the buildings are akin to "warehouses."

Senate Democrats have blocked funding for DHS as they seek to rein in ICE. White House ​spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on ‌Tuesday that Trump would use his State of the Union speech later that night to ​call for funding to be approved.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; additional reporting by ​Ted Hesson and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police are investigating after officers were pelted with snowballs while responding to a massive snowball fight at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, as awinter storm blanketed the Northeastin snow.

A video of the fracas shows two uniformed officers pacing a walkway in the park Monday as snowballs fly at them from all directions, hitting the officers and covering them in snow.

The officers, growing visibly frustrated, shoved at least two people to the ground as snowballs continued to whizz by. At one point, a person runs up behind an officer and mushes some snow onto his head. One of the officers can be seen rubbing his eye toward the end of the video.

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In a statement Tuesday, the New York Police Department said multiple uniformed officers were struck in the face with snowballs and were "removed by EMS in stable condition" to a nearby hospital, but did not disclose additional information on their injuries. No arrests have been made.

Jessica Tisch, the city's police commissioner, called the behavior "disgraceful" and "criminal" and said the department is investigating.

Several political figures in the city were quick to denounce the dust up, with many of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's critics seizing on the incident as evidence that respect for law enforcement has declined under the new mayor, who faced attacks during his campaignover criticismshe made of the department in 2020. Mamdani haswalked back those past remarks.

Mamdani, in a post on X on Tuesday, wrote "Officers, like all city workers, have been out in a historic blizzard, keeping New Yorkers safe and cars moving. Treat them with respect. If anyone's catching a snowball, it's me."

On her eighth studio album,singer-songwriter Mitskicrafts a stunningly dark tapestry concerned with solitude and death, in which psychological unrest manifests physically as a spooky house.

Music Review - Mitski - 3x2 for APNews

And yes, there are cats.

Mitski has described the new 11 song collection, "Nothing's About to Happen to Me," as a musical continuation ofher celebrated 2023 release,"The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We." She again blends Americana and alt-rock with meticulous orchestral and choral arrangements.

But this is more than a simplesecond edition. At its core, the new release is a free-standing concept album and gothic multimedia project about a reclusive woman's progression from lonesome despair to horror. In her telling, haunter and haunted are often one in the same — and in the same home.

Backed by her large touring band, Mitski unleashes her musical arsenal sparingly but effectively. She utilizes instrumental bursts to shape the narrative and build drama in a manner more common in musical theater than in popular music. Fats Kaplin's mournful pedal steel frequently shines, pairing seamlessly with Mitski's melancholy.

Her patient vocals outline a loose but gutting narrative of an unraveling. On the opener "In a Lake," she sings, "I've tried very hard to be good, but / When they think you're bad, people act worse." As the vignettes descend from loneliness to evident madness, there is little comfort to be found outside the companionship of cats (as evidenced in the track "Cats.")

Mitski's songs sometimes feel nostalgic for a bygone Romantic era, but the raucous, indie rock "Where's My Phone?" piledrives directly into digital-age anxieties and paranoia. Guitarist and longtime-producer Patrick Ryland plays with a chunky urgency that contrasts with her languid delivery. "I keep thinking, 'Surely, somebody will save me'," she sings in the first verse. "At every turn, I learn that no one will."

"I'll Change for You," a standout track on the album, starts out jazzy and becomes increasingly unstructured and unsettled as it recounts a needy drunk dial. Mitski's vocals find a gorgeous, heartbreaking depth as she sings, "If you don't like me now / I'll change for you." But it is clearly too late.

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By track nine, "That White Cat," the narrator's solitude has metastasized to deeper disorder, and she raises her voice for the first time. "The white neighborhood cat / Marking my house," Mitski sings, "It's supposed to be my house / But I guess according to cats / Now it's his house."

Those hoping for relief would be wise to look elsewhere. In the song, her lament at having to provide for "the bugs who drink my blood / And the birds who eat those bugs / So that white cat can kill the birds," is as close as the album comes to levity.

Mitski is practicing her craft at a high level here, and she has once again created a powerful artistic statement. But the relentless darkness results in a claustrophobic listen — as is its goal.

"Nothing's About to Happen to Me" by Mitski

Three and a half stars out of five.

On repeat: "I'll Change For You"

Skip it: "Rules"

For fans of: The writing of Shirley Jackson, "Grey Gardens," Weyes Blood, cats