Whats Trending Today: AI-Generated Drake Song, Disney vs. DeSantis, NBA Player Ejected 

Welcome to Social Buzz, a daily column looking at what’s trending on social media platforms. I’m Caitlin Fichtel, an Editor on Bloomberg’s Breaking News team which monitors everything from company statements to tweets from some of the most prominent people in the financial world. Here’s your daily look at what the internet is talking about.

(Bloomberg) — Welcome to Social Buzz, a daily column looking at what’s trending on social media platforms. I’m Caitlin Fichtel, an Editor on Bloomberg’s Breaking News team which monitors everything from company statements to tweets from some of the most prominent people in the financial world. Here’s your daily look at what the internet is talking about.

Southwest Tech Issue

Southwest Airlines Co. drew the ire of travelers Tuesday morning as it halted flights nationwide as the carrier said it was dealing with “intermittent technology issues.” The company disclosed the unspecified problem Tuesday after passenger complaints on Twitter. Southwest also said there were issues with its website and mobile app.

NBA Player Ejected

Draymond Green, who plays forward for the Golden State Warriors, was ejected during Monday night’s NBA playoff game against the Sacramento Kings for appearing to have stomped on the chest of another player, CNN reported. Green was given a flagrant 2 foul, while Domantas Sabonis was handed a technical foul for appearing to have held on to Green’s leg after he fell.

Fake Drake Song

Artificial intelligence is now taking on the music industry. A song featuring AI-generated vocals purporting to be Drake and the Weeknd has been pulled from streaming services by Universal Music Group after going viral over the weekend, The Guardian reported. The label condemned the song, called Heart on My Sleeve, for “infringing content created with generative AI”.

CBC Pauses Twitter

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is the latest media organization to pause its use of Twitter after the social media platform owned by Elon Musk labeled its account as “government-funded media,” the company said in a tweet. CBC said it will pause activities on its corporate account and all CBC and Radio-Canada news-related accounts. “Twitter can be a powerful tool for our journalists to communicate with Canadians, but it undermines the accuracy and professionalism of the work they do to allow our independence to be falsely described in this way,” said corporate spokesperson Leon Mar. Twitter then changed CBC’s label to read “69% government funded media,” the Toronto Star reported.

Disney vs. DeSantis

The battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Walt Disney Co. rages on. The Florida governor said that he’s looking for ways to reverse changes that Disney pushed through two months ago to weaken the municipal authority that governs its Florida theme parks and was hand-picked by DeSantis. DeSantis foreshadowed more actions against Disney, including studies on what to do with the land owned by the district itself, which could mean creating a state park or another amusement park near Disney. “Someone even said maybe you need another prison. Who knows? The possibilities are endless,” he said. Disney declined to comment.

US Reporter’s Appeals Rejected

The Moscow City Court Tuesday rejected an appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his detention on allegations of espionage, Tass reported, in a high-profile case that’s highlighted the growing pressure on journalists in Russia. Charged with spying, which carries a 20-year maximum penalty, Gershkovich is being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. The Kremlin says he was caught “red handed,” but has provided no evidence. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations.

Homeowner Charged

An 84-year-old homeowner was charged in the shooting of a black teenager who went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brother in Kansas City, Missouri, The New York Times reported. Andrew D. Lester was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action for shooting Ralph Yarl in the head and arm. Yarl underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. President Joe Biden spoke with Yarl on Monday and told him that he hopes for a swift recovery, the White House said in a statement.

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–With assistance from Felipe Marques, Anna Jean Kaiser, Melissa Shadrick, Sylvia Westall, Georgi Azar and Mary Schlangenstein.

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