U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of the media, threatening to involve the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against NBC's Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker. Trump objected to Welker's description of his endorsement record as producing "mixed results," calling the remark inaccurate and politically motivated. In a social media post, Trump claimed his endorsements have a near-perfect success rate and urged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to take action. The latest comments have reignited debate over press freedom, media criticism and the relationship between political leaders and news organizations in the United States.

Trump threatens NBC's Kristen Welker with FCC action over 'mixed results' remark 

US President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of major American media networks after ABC and NBC declined to air his prime-time election security address live. Trump accused the broadcasters of political bias and claimed they were part of a conspiracy against him, even calling for possible revocation of their licenses. The networks defended their decisions, citing editorial judgment, while the controversy has reignited the long-running battle between Trump and mainstream US media.

Trump vs. US media: President Donald Trump escalates fight over election speech coverage 

In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies. Her comments echo a recent controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court.

Haley, the last major 2024 Republican presidential challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, has added fuel to the debate over the status of embryos in IVF procedures and the legal implications of considering them as children. With the 2024 presidential race gaining heat in the US, the issue is likely to remain contentious.

Here's all you need to know about the 'embryos are babies' issue.

<h2>What is IVF, and what are embryos?</h2>

IVF or In-vitro fertilisation is a popular fertilisation method available to childless individuals. It uses eggs from a biologically female individual and sperm from a biologically male person to create embryos.

Here, embryos refer to the initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In humans, the term embryo is used to refer to a pregnancy until the end of the seventh week following conception.

IVF combines egg and sperm to grow embryos in the culture medium until they are implanted in the uterus.

<h2>Alabama Supreme court ruling on embryos</h2>

On Friday (Feb 16), the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the state's laws, and that they are entitled to the same right as other unborn children.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-alabama-supreme-court-rules-frozen-embryos-are-children-692287">US: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children'</a>

Passing the 7-2 majority ruling, Justice Jay Mitchell wrote "Unborn children are 'children'… without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics".

The ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court was issued in response to wrongful death cases involving destroyed embryos. In 2021, a patient at a fertility clinic in Mobile had allegedly broken into an IVF freezer and dropped several trays containing embryos. The case was brought against the fertility clinic, and after the top court ruling, three couples can now sue the facility for wrongful death.

<h2>Nikki Haley's comments&nbsp;</h2>

On Wednesday (Feb 21), speaking during a TV interview with NBC News, the presidential candidate addressing the Alabama court ruling remarked, "Embryos, to me, are babies."

"When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that," said Haley.

However, when asked about the potential ramifications of the decision, she chose a softer approach and said: "This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/embryos-are-babies-nikki-haley-agrees-with-alabama-supreme-court-ivf-ruling-692583">'Embryos are babies': Nikki Haley agrees with Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling</a>

In another interview later the same day — with CNN, she clarified that her remarks didn't mean she agreed with the court ruling.&nbsp;

"I didn't say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," she said, adding "Our goal is to always do what the parents want with their embryo. It is theirs."

Nikki has campaigned as an anti-abortion presidential contender, reports ABC News. However, seeking to differentiate herself from the Republican field, she tends to voice a less strict tone on the issue.&nbsp;

<h2>Concerns over the court ruling</h2>

The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos has raised concerns among IVF patients and doctors, with some unsure about how to proceed with treatments.&nbsp;

Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has&nbsp;temporarily stopped IVF treatments due to fears of legal repercussions and said: "We must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments."

Watch |&nbsp;Are frozen embryos Children? Alabama Supreme Court gives first-of-its-kind decision

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The&nbsp;decision has been met with criticism, from experts who warn that it could have a devastating impact on people suffering from infertility and hoping to utilise IVF.

"We know for all these years that we've been doing IVF not only in the United States, but around the world, there is no moment of conception. This is a group of cells. We know that not every embryo even gets to a stage of several days, let alone a live birth. And so to say that every single embryo is a child is just factually incorrect, flies in the face of science, and it is an affront to the millions of babies that have been born through IVF and this process," Barbara Collura, President and CEO of infertility advocacy group Resolve, told Reuters.

On X, Vice President Kamala Harris called the decision "outrageous" and said it would rob "women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family."

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This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. <a href="https://t.co/N04pReaM2B">https://t.co/N04pReaM2B</a>
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1760417615019757924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Criticising the decision, the White House, said it would create chaos for American families.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women.

"This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state," he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alabamas-largest-hospital-pauses-ivf-after-sc-says-frozen-embryos-are-children-692515">Alabama's largest hospital pauses IVF after SC says frozen embryos are children</a>

In the upcoming elections, abortion rights is likely to be a key issue. On one hand, Democrats are likely to utilise it to draw more Democrats and some independent and Republican voters to US President Joe Biden.

His likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, however, is known for his anti-abortion stand, and has gone as far to take credit for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have shown that most voters oppose candidates who favour strict abortion restrictions. Will the issue sway the 2024 US Presidential elections? Only time will tell.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies.

In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies. Her comments echo a recent controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court. Haley, the last major 2024 Republican presidential challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, has added fuel to the debate over the status of embryos in IVF procedures and the legal implications of considering them as children. With the 2024 presidential race gaining heat in the US, the issue is likely to remain contentious. Here's all you need to know about the 'embryos are babies' issue. What is IVF, and what are embryos? IVF or In-vitro fertilisation is a popular fertilisation method available to childless individuals. It uses eggs from a biologically female individual and sperm from a biologically male person to create embryos. Here, embryos refer to the initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In humans, the term embryo is used to refer to a pregnancy until the end of the seventh week following conception. IVF combines egg and sperm to grow embryos in the culture medium until they are implanted in the uterus. Alabama Supreme court ruling on embryos On Friday (Feb 16), the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the state's laws, and that they are entitled to the same right as other unborn children. Also read | US: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children' Passing the 7-2 majority ruling, Justice Jay Mitchell wrote "Unborn children are 'children'… without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics". The ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court was issued in response to wrongful death cases involving destroyed embryos. In 2021, a patient at a fertility clinic in Mobile had allegedly broken into an IVF freezer and dropped several trays containing embryos. The case was brought against the fertility clinic, and after the top court ruling, three couples can now sue the facility for wrongful death. Nikki Haley's comments On Wednesday (Feb 21), speaking during a TV interview with NBC News, the presidential candidate addressing the Alabama court ruling remarked, "Embryos, to me, are babies." "When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that," said Haley. However, when asked about the potential ramifications of the decision, she chose a softer approach and said: "This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it." Also read | 'Embryos are babies': Nikki Haley agrees with Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling In another interview later the same day — with CNN, she clarified that her remarks didn't mean she agreed with the court ruling. "I didn't say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," she said, adding "Our goal is to always do what the parents want with their embryo. It is theirs." Nikki has campaigned as an anti-abortion presidential contender, reports ABC News. However, seeking to differentiate herself from the Republican field, she tends to voice a less strict tone on the issue. Concerns over the court ruling The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos has raised concerns among IVF patients and doctors, with some unsure about how to proceed with treatments. Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has temporarily stopped IVF treatments due to fears of legal repercussions and said: "We must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments." Watch | Are frozen embryos Children? Alabama Supreme Court gives first-of-its-kind decision × The decision has been met with criticism, from experts who warn that it could have a devastating impact on people suffering from infertility and hoping to utilise IVF. "We know for all these years that we've been doing IVF not only in the United States, but around the world, there is no moment of conception. This is a group of cells. We know that not every embryo even gets to a stage of several days, let alone a live birth. And so to say that every single embryo is a child is just factually incorrect, flies in the face of science, and it is an affront to the millions of babies that have been born through IVF and this process," Barbara Collura, President and CEO of infertility advocacy group Resolve, told Reuters. On X, Vice President Kamala Harris called the decision "outrageous" and said it would rob "women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family." This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. https://t.co/N04pReaM2B — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 21, 2024 × Criticising the decision, the White House, said it would create chaos for American families. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women. "This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state," he added. Also read | Alabama's largest hospital pauses IVF after SC says frozen embryos are children In the upcoming elections, abortion rights is likely to be a key issue. On one hand, Democrats are likely to utilise it to draw more Democrats and some independent and Republican voters to US President Joe Biden. His likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, however, is known for his anti-abortion stand, and has gone as far to take credit for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have shown that most voters oppose candidates who favour strict abortion restrictions. Will the issue sway the 2024 US Presidential elections? Only time will tell. (With inputs from agencies)

WION Explains: The 'embryos are babies' debate and how it will affect 2024 US Presidential elections

A court in California sentenced a male nanny to over 700 years in prison for sexually assaulting 16 young boys he was babysitting, as per the office of Orange County District Attorney.

A court in California sentenced a male nanny to over 700 years in prison for sexually assaulting 16 young boys he was babysitting, as per the office of Orange County District Attorney. The court found 34-year-old Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski guilty of dozens of charges, including sexually assaulting boys between two and 12 years of age. He was also found guilty of exposing his 17th victim to child pornography to sexually assault him. Zakrzewski's heinous crimes did not stop there. He filmed several of his crimes against the young children. The authorities initially charged him with three felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor under 14, one felony count of oral copulation of a child under ten, and one felony count of child pornography. The district attorney's office reported that the crimes occurred between January 2014 and May 2019. The Laguna Beach police Department arrested Zakrzewski in May 2019 at a local airport after a couple filed a complaint against him for touching their eight-year-old son inappropriately. ALSO READ | Ohio woman charged after her toddler accidentally fires her gun at Walmart The investigators found more video evidence and tips against him during the probe. Zakrzewski had a website where he called himself the "original sitter buddy." He also portrayed himself as a manny, providing multiple services like mentorships, big brother relationships, and overnight and vacationing babysitting. In the court, the parents of the young victims expressed their anger towards Zakrewski through victim impact statements, narrating how he tricked them into gaining access to their children. A mother of a boy who fell victim to Zakrzewski's crimes described her pain in the court, saying she will never know how her little one should've turned out in the absence of the trauma of being sexually assaulted. The young boy was only two when Zakrzewski molested him. However, Zakrzewski did not show any remorse or apologise. Instead, he said, "I prided myself on bringing smiles to your children, and all the good times we shared were 100 per cent genuine." Several parents present in the court covered their ears and wept while he spoke. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, "This monster disguised by smiles and giggles engaged in the most horrific and calculated manipulation to ensure he would continue to have unfettered access to what these parents cherish the most." He added, "These innocent little boys must bear a lifetime of trauma, and their parents will bear a lifetime of pain knowing that they put their precious children in the arms of an animal because they believed who he said he was." (With inputs from agencies)

Male nanny who sexually assaulted 16 young boys sentenced to over 700 years in prison

NBC News fired popular &quot;Today&quot; show host Matt Lauer after receiving what it called a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, the network said on Wednesday.

NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said that, after serious review, the complaint received on Monday night represented &quot;a clear violation&quot; of the company&#39;s standards.

&quot;As a result, we&#39;ve decided to terminate his employment,&quot; Lack said in a statement. &quot;While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he&#39;s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.&quot;

Lauer&#39;s agent Ken Lindner did not respond to a request for comment.

The news was announced by &quot;Today&quot; co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the start of the talk show, a staple of US&nbsp;morning television for more than six decades that, NBC says, averages more than 4 million viewers.

&quot;We just learned this moments ago just this morning,&quot; Guthrie said, visibly shaken. &quot;As I&#39;m sure you can imagine we are devastated.&quot;

Lack&#39;s statement did not say who made the accusation. Lauer, 59, is married.

&quot;We are deeply saddened by this turn of events,&quot; the statement said. &quot;But we will face it together as a news organization - and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.&quot;

The New York Times quoted Ari Wilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer with the firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen &amp; Atkinson in Washington, who said he represented the woman who made the complaint to NBC but declined to publicly identify her.

&ldquo;My client and I met with representatives from NBC&rsquo;s Human Resources and Legal Departments at 6 pm&nbsp;on Monday for an interview that lasted several hours. Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace,&quot; Wilkenfeld said in a story published by the Times on Wednesday.

The law firm representing Lauer&#39;s accuser did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint said the sexual misconduct occurred while Lauer and the female colleague were covering the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, NBC News reporter Stephanie Gosk said on-air.

The misconduct continued after the Games, Gosk said. An NBC representative did not respond to a request for more details.

Fellow NBC News anchor Willie Geist, who hosts the &quot;Today&quot; show&#39;s Sunday program, told MSNBC&#39;s &quot;Morning Joe&quot; that he was stunned, especially given Lauer&#39;s role.

&quot;Matt Lauer is the most powerful person at NBC News, arguably,&quot; Geist said, referring to Lauer as a friend and mentor who he said had always led by example on the show&#39;s set.

Comcast Corp, the largest US&nbsp;cable television company, owns NBCUniversal. Shares of Comcast rose 3.4 per cent to $37.49 in morning trade on Nasdaq.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump responded with messages on Twitter calling for some of Lauer&#39;s colleagues to be fired too and adding to his recent attacks against multiple US&nbsp;news outlets for their reporting on his administration.

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Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for &ldquo;inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.&rdquo; But when will the top executives at NBC &amp; Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack&rsquo;s past!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/935844881825763328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Wow,&quot; Trump wrote about the Lauer announcement. &quot;But when will the top executives at NBC &amp; Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack&#39;s past!&quot; he added, without further explanation.

An NBC spokeswoman did not respond to questions about Trump&#39;s comments.

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So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the &ldquo;unsolved mystery&rdquo; that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/935874566701842434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Trump was accused by 13 women who publicly said that in the past he had physically touched them inappropriately in some way, the Washington Post reported.

Trump denied the accusations, accused rival Democrats and the media of a smear campaign, and went on to win the election.

Just last week, Lauer co-hosted with Guthrie NBC&#39;s Thanksgiving Day coverage of the Macy&#39;s parade in Manhattan.

Since Lauer took over the anchor chair in 1997, &quot;Today&quot; has dominated morning show ratings. It earned $509 million in advertising revenue last year, more than any other morning show, New York-based analysts Kantar Media said.

Lauer signed a two-year deal in 2016 that would pay him $20 million per year, according to Fortune Magazine. He joined &quot;Today&quot; in January 1994 and has interviewed presidents George Bush and Barack Obama and broadcast from seven Olympic games.

There were reports that journalists from multiple outlets had been investigating complaints against Lauer.

Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ramin Setoodeh, two Variety reporters, said they had been working for months on a story about sexual harassment allegations by multiple women against Lauer. &quot;NBC was aware that Variety was working on a bombshell story about sexual harassment allegations against Matt Lauer,&quot; Setoodeh wrote on Twitter.

&ldquo;This is not a Hollywood media problem, this is a problem across all industries including the US&nbsp;government,&rdquo; said Bob Bakish, CEO of Viacom Inc, when asked about the Matt Lauer firing, at the Business Insider IGNITION Conference in New York on Wednesday. &ldquo;Secondly, this is not a US&nbsp;problem, it is a global problem.&rdquo;

NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said that, after serious review, the complaint received on Monday night represented "a clear violation" of the company's standards

NBC News fired popular "Today" show host Matt Lauer after receiving what it called a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, the network said on Wednesday. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said that, after serious review, the complaint received on Monday night represented "a clear violation" of the company's standards. "As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment," Lack said in a statement. "While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident." Lauer's agent Ken Lindner did not respond to a request for comment. The news was announced by "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the start of the talk show, a staple of US morning television for more than six decades that, NBC says, averages more than 4 million viewers. "We just learned this moments ago just this morning," Guthrie said, visibly shaken. "As I'm sure you can imagine we are devastated." Lack's statement did not say who made the accusation. Lauer, 59, is married. "We are deeply saddened by this turn of events," the statement said. "But we will face it together as a news organization - and do it in as transparent a manner as we can." The New York Times quoted Ari Wilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer with the firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen & Atkinson in Washington, who said he represented the woman who made the complaint to NBC but declined to publicly identify her. “My client and I met with representatives from NBC’s Human Resources and Legal Departments at 6 pm on Monday for an interview that lasted several hours. Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace," Wilkenfeld said in a story published by the Times on Wednesday. The law firm representing Lauer's accuser did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The complaint said the sexual misconduct occurred while Lauer and the female colleague were covering the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, NBC News reporter Stephanie Gosk said on-air. The misconduct continued after the Games, Gosk said. An NBC representative did not respond to a request for more details. Fellow NBC News anchor Willie Geist, who hosts the "Today" show's Sunday program, told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he was stunned, especially given Lauer's role. "Matt Lauer is the most powerful person at NBC News, arguably," Geist said, referring to Lauer as a friend and mentor who he said had always led by example on the show's set. Comcast Corp, the largest US cable television company, owns NBCUniversal. Shares of Comcast rose 3.4 per cent to $37.49 in morning trade on Nasdaq. US President Donald Trump responded with messages on Twitter calling for some of Lauer's colleagues to be fired too and adding to his recent attacks against multiple US news outlets for their reporting on his administration. Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017 × "Wow," Trump wrote about the Lauer announcement. "But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack's past!" he added, without further explanation. An NBC spokeswoman did not respond to questions about Trump's comments. So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the “unsolved mystery” that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017 × During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Trump was accused by 13 women who publicly said that in the past he had physically touched them inappropriately in some way, the Washington Post reported. Trump denied the accusations, accused rival Democrats and the media of a smear campaign, and went on to win the election. Just last week, Lauer co-hosted with Guthrie NBC's Thanksgiving Day coverage of the Macy's parade in Manhattan. Since Lauer took over the anchor chair in 1997, "Today" has dominated morning show ratings. It earned $509 million in advertising revenue last year, more than any other morning show, New York-based analysts Kantar Media said. Lauer signed a two-year deal in 2016 that would pay him $20 million per year, according to Fortune Magazine. He joined "Today" in January 1994 and has interviewed presidents George Bush and Barack Obama and broadcast from seven Olympic games. There were reports that journalists from multiple outlets had been investigating complaints against Lauer. Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ramin Setoodeh, two Variety reporters, said they had been working for months on a story about sexual harassment allegations by multiple women against Lauer. "NBC was aware that Variety was working on a bombshell story about sexual harassment allegations against Matt Lauer," Setoodeh wrote on Twitter. “This is not a Hollywood media problem, this is a problem across all industries including the US government,” said Bob Bakish, CEO of Viacom Inc, when asked about the Matt Lauer firing, at the Business Insider IGNITION Conference in New York on Wednesday. “Secondly, this is not a US problem, it is a global problem.”

NBC News fires 'Today' co-host Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct

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WION Explains: The 'embryos are babies' debate and how it will affect 2024 US Presidential elections

Male nanny who sexually assaulted 16 young boys sentenced to over 700 years in prison

NBC News fires 'Today' co-host Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct