• John Oliver bought the contents of a defunct Red Lobster at auction, beating out a local bakery.
• Oliver offered to buy the bakery new equipment if it created cakes in his likeness.
• The 'cake bears' are selling out rapidly, with all proceeds set to go to a local food pantry.

A small, family-owned bakery in the Hudson Valley is getting thousands of dollars' worth of new kitchen equipment following a good-humored feud with John Oliver.

On Sunday's episode of HBO's "Last Week Tonight," Oliver recounted how the viral back-and-forth stemmed from a stunt on his show in which he purchased all of the kitchen equipment from a shuttered Red Lobster in Kingston, New York, at auction.

Oliver recreated his own Red Lobster to exclusively manufacture the chain's hallowed cheddar biscuits.

But the local outlet News 12 reported that Oliver had beaten out another suitor.

Eric Deising, an owner of 59-year-old Deising's Bakery in Kingston, had left a sign on the defunct Red Lobster inquiring about a flat-top oven and convection oven, News 12 reported.

"John — he's just beating me all over the place," the bakery owner told the outlet of missing out on the equipment.

'Check out the donk on that cake bear'

Oliver responded to the report on his show on Sunday. "Last Week" had already donated all of the Red Lobster equipment, he said, and they hadn't even purchased either item Deising requested to begin with.

But Oliver offered a challenge. If the bakery made and sold bear-shaped cakes with Oliver's face on them, he said, he'd gift Deising's new ovens.

"Respectfully, check out the donk on that cake bear," Oliver said of the confection, which Deising's had previously offered. "That cake's got cakes."

Deising's rose to the occasion — with an altruistic bent.

On Monday, the bakery began selling "cake bears" with Oliver's face affixed with edible paper, News 12 reported.

Peter Deising, another owner at the bakery, told Business Insider the items had been a smash hit, with about 100 selling every hour. They're priced at $8 apiece.

He said Deising's planned to donate 100% of the proceeds from the cake bears to People's Place, a local food pantry.

The cake bears are available only through Sunday in-store, despite requests to ship from across the globe, he added.

Peter Deising told BI the kitchen equipment — which he estimated was worth thousands of dollars — was set to be delivered on Thursday.

A rep for "Last Week Tonight" declined to comment.

• Matty Healy and Gabbriette Bechtel have been romantically linked since September 2023. 
• They reportedly met through Charli XCX, who is engaged to Healy's The 1975 bandmate.
• The two announced their engagement while attending a Charli XCX show on June 11.

If you listened to Taylor Swift's latest album "The Tortured Poets Department," you might have thought about Matty Healy.

Swift seemed to reference her weeks-long relationship with Healy throughout the album. The pair dated briefly between May and June 2023 after Swift split from Joe Alwyn, her partner of six years.

Like Swift, who is now dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Healy has also moved on from their relationship. He was first linked to Gabbriette Bechtel, a model, in September 2023.

Late on Tuesday — just over a year on from Healy's high-profile split from Swift —the pair seemingly went public with their engagement on Instagram.

On Wednesday, the singer's mother, Denise Welch, confirmed the news while appearing on the panel of British talk show, "Loose Women."

"They went over to see their friends, Charli and George, in New York and I woke up this morning to the fact that they put it on Instagram!" Welch said on Wednesday's episode of the program.

Here's everything you need to know about Healy and Bechtel's relationship and engagement.

Bechtel is a model and musician

Highsnobiety reported that Bechtel — whose given name is Gabriella — was born in Orange County, California, in July 1997, to parents of Mexican and German ancestry.

Bechtel told Vogue that as a child, she wanted to become a professional ballerina, but ended up dancing in music videos when she moved to Los Angeles. From there, she launched a career as a model.

According to Vogue, Bechtel has appeared in a variety of campaigns for brands including Heaven By Marc Jacobs and Skims. She also walked the runway for Diesel's autumn/winter 2023 fashion show.

Outside modeling, Bechtel also makes cooking content that she posts on Instagram. She told Vogue that her parents influenced her love of cooking.

"Family meals were a big part of our life, we'd sit down together after school without our phones and talk about our day, and the cooking process was always a big part of that," Bechtel told Vogue.

Bechtel is also the lead vocalist of the band Nasty Cherry, which was formed by Charli XCX and was the subject of a Netflix original series titled "I'm With The Band." Nasty Cherry hasn't released music since 2021, and Bechtel confirmed that the band had broken up due to challenges posed by the pandemic.

"We couldn't do anything together, we couldn't tour our second EP, and we weren't able to make music together because we were all in different places in the world. So we just decided that it wasn't going to work out anymore," she told Highsnobiety.

"I miss it all the time. It ended too abruptly."

Healy and Bechtel were first linked in New York in 2023

In September 2023, People published photos of Healy and Bechtel kissing in SoHo in New York City. At the time, the publication reported that their connection was unclear — but that they both had a mutual friend in Charli XCX, who is engaged to The 1975 drummer George Daniel.

At first, the pair were quiet about the nature of their relationship and have never explicitly confirmed it. However, Healy's mother once interacted with Bechtel on Instagram after Bechtel posted a photo of herself in a thong and a leather apron from her collaboration with R&M Leathers.

"That's exactly how I hope to look in mine when it arrives!!" Healy's mother, Denise Welch, replied, accompanied by three thumbs up and heart emoji.

Bechtel also made a cameo on Welch's Instagram account, appearing in a photo with Welch, Healy, and his younger brother Louis. The three saw Welch's play, "The Gap," and she wrote in the caption of the post that it was "lovely to have the family in to see mum at work."

Bechtel alluded to her relationship with Healy in her March interview with Highsnobiety, saying that she wasn't bothered by the attention.

"I don't give a shit. I think it's hilarious. Go for it. Have fun. People have a lot to say," she told the publication. "You don't know me at all."

Rumors that Healy and Bechtel were engaged began circulating in early June

In a series of photos uploaded to Instagram on June 1, Bechtel can be seen wearing a black diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand.

While the 26-year-old made no reference to the previously unseen piece of jewelry in her caption of the post, her followers immediately began to speculate in the comments section that Healy, 35, had proposed.

Just under two weeks later, Betchel seemingly confirmed the rumors while she and Healy attended a Charli XCX concert in New York City by posting a close-up photo of a left hand wearing the same black stone ring.

"Marrying The 1975 is very brat @trumanblack," she wrote over the photo, tagging Healy's account and referencing Charli XCX's new album title "Brat."

Healy also reshared the post to his own account.

It was unclear at first if the post was an announcement or a joke, until the British musician's mother announced the news on "Loose Women," a UK talk show, the following day.

She said that she's "known for a few weeks now," appearing to confirm that the couple got engaged sometime before June, adding that Healy had the ring custom-made.

"Black diamond, he had it made for her," Welch said. "I couldn't be more thrilled."

"She is everything that I would want in a daughter-in-law," she added.

A representative for Healy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in its latest decision on Wednesday.
• It means that interest rate cuts will likely not happen until the second half of the year.
• Powell stated the Fed needs more proof the economy is moving in the right direction before cutting rates.

The nation's central bank is once again leaving interest rates unchanged as it works to lower inflation.

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee announced that it's holding its key interest rate benchmark steady in a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, continuing the pause that first began in September last year. It follows new inflation data released earlier Wednesday morning — the Consumer Price Index found inflation unexpectedly cooled, increasing 3.3% year over year in May, a slight decrease from April's 3.4% reading.

Given that the jobs market is still hot, based on the latest data, and inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, the bank's latest decision confirms that it's willing to wait until it feels confident about the economy's direction before cutting interest rates.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has repeatedly stated over the course of the year that while he recognizes the financial strain high interest rates are bringing to Americans, they need to be patient as the Fed progresses in its restrictive monetary policies.

"We've said that we don't think it would be appropriate to dial back our restrictive policy stance until we gain greater confidence that inflation is moving down sustainably toward 2%," Powell said during a May press conference.

Powell said during that press conference that there are two paths the economy could take that would allow the Fed to cut rates: more data to show inflation decreasing or "unexpected weakening in the labor market."

Still, some Democratic lawmakers think it's time for the Fed to cut rates, especially after the European Central Bank did so earlier this month for the first time in five years. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, John Hickenlooper, and Jacky Rosen sent a letter to Powell on Monday requesting that he cut rates, particularly to give Americans relief from high housing and auto insurance costs.

"This housing-related inflation is directly driven by high interest rates: reducing rates will reduce the costs of renting, buying, and building housing, lowering Americans' single highest monthly expense," they wrote. "Lowering interest rates will likely also decrease the cost of auto insurance as well, which has risen due to factors completely unrelated to the cost of lending."

Rep. Brendan Boyle and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, top Democrats on the House and Senate budget committees, respectively, similarly sent a letter to Powell on Monday urging him to cut rates, writing that "doing so is warranted by the data, will preserve the economic progress that was so hard fought, and will allow workers and families to enjoy the benefits of a strong economy."

Still, Americans will have to wait until at least the second half of the year to see any interest rate cuts, meaning the upcoming economic inflation and jobs data will be critical in swaying the Fed's next move.

• Netflix is replacing Mike Verdu, the executive in charge of its games business.
• Netflix launched its games division in 2021, aiming to replicate Apple's Apple Arcade.
• The gaming strategy's success is unclear, and internal debates over monetization persist.

Netflix owns streaming. Video games is another story. The company launched a games division in 2021, but so far, its strategy has been puzzling, and the results don't appear to be overwhelming.

Which is perhaps why Mike Verdu, the games industry veteran hired to run its gaming division, is reportedly moving on to a new, as-yet-to-be-defined role. His replacement? Yet-to-be-announced.

Gamesindustry.biz, which reported on Verdu's departure, wrangled this quote from him, which doesn't illuminate much: "I am so proud of what we've accomplished, and excited to start a new team at Netflix on the cutting edge of game innovation. New technologies have always been key to creativity in games development and, as an entrepreneur at heart, this initiative is right in my happy place."

I've asked Netflix for comment.

Until then, this is what we know: Netflix launched its games unit three years ago as its first real departure from streaming movies and TV shows. The idea was to create its own version of Apple's Apple Arcade offering: free, easy-to-play games for your phone that didn't have ads and never asked users to pay up to buy additional levels or anything else.

The logic, per then-CEO Reed Hastings: Netflix users also played a lot of video games. So why not give them video games on Netflix, too?

And, sure, Netflix executives argued, they didn't have any competency in building, buying, and distributing games. But they didn't know anything about making their own TV shows when they started back in 2011, and things worked out pretty well for them in the long run.

But it's never been clear why, exactly, Netflix's selection of casual games would add value for its customers, who can get that sort of thing in lots of places.

And while Netflix has continued to say that games are important for them, there seems to be some debate about that internally: Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that some Netflix officials were interested in putting ads into the games or finding other ways to turn them into revenue. For the record: The games push is one of the duties assigned to current Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters.

• I cooked bacon using my stove, oven, air fryer, and microwave to see which had the best results.
• A pan on the stove may be the classic approach, but it was messy and extra greasy.
• The oven is great for big batches of bacon, but the air fryer created the perfect taste and texture.

I cook a lot of bacon — as in about a pound a week. Even though pork prices are slightly lower this year, I still don't have much room in the budget for a bad batch.

My preferred way to prepare our bacon is to cook a large batch in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. When it's done, I'll chop up the fatty meat into bits and store it in the freezer for breakfast omelets.

But when bacon is front and center rather than a mere part of a larger meal, I'm not sure the oven is the best way to go.

To find the best cooking method, I made bacon using my oven, stove, air fryer, and microwave to see which appliance came out on top.

I used three different types of bacon to ensure my tests were thorough.

To make sure I was giving each cooking method a fair look, I used three different kinds of bacon in all four appliances.

I bought cherry-smoked, uncured bacon from Porter Road, sugar-free organic applewood-smoked uncured bacon from North Country Smokehouse, and Alewel's Country Meats "Sweet & Sassy Bacon," which was part of Harry & David's All About the Bacon Sampler.

I preheated my oven and air fryer to 350 degrees, placed a large pan on the stove, and lined a large plate with paper towels before digging into the packs.

I already knew what to expect from oven-cooked bacon.

Since I cook bacon in the oven all the time, there was no guesswork here.

I placed strips of bacon on a sheet pan covered in parchment paper and let them cook for a bit longer than I usually would for omelets — since they wouldn't get any extra time in a frying pan.

I ended up pulling the pan out after 13 minutes.

If you're cooking for a crowd, the oven might be the way to go.

I don't like crispy or crunchy bacon. The oven is great for my tastes because the meat cooks gradually and rests in plenty of grease that helps prevent any singeing.

That said, oven-cooked bacon is often a bit, shall we say, floppier than one (even I) might like. It's best as an ingredient in a larger recipe.

But since you can make a lot at once, I also think it's handy if you're serving multiple people.

Microwaved bacon is so quick that it’s easy to forgive it being the worst method.

I used to cook bacon in the microwave often enough in my apartment days, but it's been a while. The one thing I remember clearly is that paper towels are key.

I laid out six strips of bacon on my lined plate, added another layer of paper towel on top (to avoid any grease splatters), and popped the plate into the microwave.

For a standard microwave, four minutes is the perfect amount of time for my texture preferences. I grabbed the plate (with an oven mitt) and pulled off the top layer of paper towels.

Now I remember why I stopped cooking bacon like this.

The microwaved bacon didn't look appetizing, especially with all the drippings falling off the paper towels and plate.

The strips were curled up — crisped in parts and soft in others — and there was a notable sheen of grease.

When I took a bite, I was met with more chewiness than tenderness, but I had to admit the flavor was all there. If you only have five minutes to get out the door, I guess microwaved bacon is better than no bacon at all.

Cooking bacon in a pan was a surprising letdown.

It's always best to start with a cold pan when you cook bacon on the stove. This lets the fats slowly break down into grease rather than burning the meat. There's no need for oil or cooking spray, the fat has you covered there.

I brought the burner to medium-high heat, and within 30 seconds or so, the bacon started to sizzle — which smelled great.

After about four minutes, the rashers started curling, so it was time to flip them. I was a bit frustrated by how much effort it took to get each one lying relatively flat again without all of them falling on top of each other.

A couple of minutes later, the bacon was done, and I was so over the method.

When the bacon was done, there was grease spattered across the stove and even on the countertop.

Although one of the strips came out perfectly, most of the bacon was seared beyond my liking and very greasy.

The stovetop is a classic way to fry up some bacon, but I don't think it was worth the effort and mess.

The air fryer quickly became my favorite way to cook bacon.

Like many people, I went on an air-fryer kick a few years back. But lately, ours has largely sat at the back of a shelf.

After digging it out and preheating it to 350 degrees, I popped in the strips of bacon and set the timer for eight minutes (which the internet seemed to agree was best).

The taste, texture, and grease level were all perfect.

The air-fried bacon was tender with a hint of crispiness that even I could appreciate. It wasn't bordering on crunchy and was remarkably low in grease.

The strips also didn't curl up nearly as much as with the microwave or pan. They held their shape, which made for better-looking bacon. Not that looks matter as much as taste, but I can appreciate a well-plated meal nonetheless.

It's safe to say we'll be using our air fryer more often again.

I’ll still cook bacon in the oven for ease, but the air fryer produces the best results.

There's no doubt I'll stick with the trusty oven method our everyday bacon so that I can make big batches. But the air fryer was the clear winner when it came to strips.

Considering most air fryers heat up in less than a minute and the cooking time was under 10, it's not even a time suck.

As for the microwave, that approach is only worth considering when time is the main factor since it's ready in five minutes.

If you prefer pan-fried bacon, I wish you all the best. I acknowledge that it's a classic approach, but it's the one method I'll be avoiding from now on.

• Joey Chestnut won't compete in Nathan's hot dog-eating contest this year.
• Event overseer Major League Eating cited Chestnut's partnership with a rival brand.
• "Meat eaters shouldn't have to be exclusive to just one wiener," Impossible Foods told BI.

Competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut has been kicked out over a beef between him and the Coney Island hot-dog-eating competition he's won a whopping 16 times.

Chestnut, 40, won't participate in this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 — an event he won last year after pounding 62 hot dogs.

In a statement posted to X on Tuesday, Major League Eating (MLE) — the governing body that oversees the event — announced that Chestnut had "chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing."

The League cited "hot dog exclusivity provisions" that have been enshrined for nearly two decades.

The New York Post reported Chestnut's deal is with Impossible Foods.

"We love Joey and support him in any contest he chooses," an Impossible Foods spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement. "It's okay to experiment with a new dog. Meat eaters shouldn't have to be exclusive to just one wiener."

Chestnut, in his own statement to X, said he was "gutted to learn from the media" that he'd been "banned" from the Nathan's hot dog eating contest after 19 years.

He said he'd been training to defend his title.

"I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with," Chestnut wrote.

Representatives for MLE and Nathan's Famous did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

"To my fans, I love you and appreciate you," Chestnut concluded. "Rest assured that you'll see me eat again soon!!"

• Polls show that the economy is the most important issue in the election.
• President Joe Biden has a good record, but Americans are still angry over high prices.
• Former President Donald Trump is hoping that inflation-related angst will push him back into office.

No issue looms larger for the 2024 election than the economy.

A May ABC News-Ipsos poll found that nearly 9 in 10 Americans said that either the economy generally or "inflation, meaning raising prices" was the most important issue in determining their vote for this November.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is Europe's largest conflict since WWII. Illegal border crossings are at their highest level on record. The Supreme Court's reversal of Roe triggered a major shift in abortion politics. And yes, a former president, Donald Trump, has been found guilty on felony charges. Despite all of that, political strategist James Carville's axiom "It's the economy stupid" may still hold.

In a traditional election, Biden wouldn't be feeling too much pressure. Unemployment remains low. Inflation has cooled, but prices remain high. Wall Street has hit new records. But voters consistently say they aren't feeling it. One economist coined the term "vibecession" to describe the disconnect between the solid fundamentals and the downright dour outlook.

Here's a look at each candidate's stance on the issue

Where Joe Biden stands on the economy

Biden is proud of his economic record. Many of the core metrics illustrate there's reason for him to be. Unemployment has remained under 4% for the longest stretch since the 1960s. More than 15 million jobs have been created since he took office. The US economy is expected to grow at double the rate of its G7 peers, according to the International Monetary Fund. Trump loved touting new Wall Street records; under Biden, the Dow hit over 40,000 for the first time.

Americans aren't feeling it. Inflation has cooled, but prices on everything from eggs to gas remain high. In 2022, food costs accounted for the highest percentage of household income since the 1990s, according to the Department of Agriculture. Even home repairs are costlier now than ever before.

Biden has pressured companies to cut prices, but the Federal Reserve has far more power to address inflation than presidents. And the central bank typically only cuts rates when faced with the possibility of a recession or the confidence that a rate cut wouldn't exacerbate inflation. Neither condition exists.

The president has outlined an agenda that could help address some pressures. In his 2023 State of the Union, Biden called on Congress to pass tax credits for middle-class home buyers. He also wants existing homeowners who have held off on buying bigger homes to receive $10,000 if they sell a starter home below the median price in their area.

Biden's 2025 budget proposal also outlines other potential policies he could pursue if he wins reelection, though he would need Democrats to retake the House. The president proposed hiking the corporate tax rate to 28%; billion-dollar companies would also face a higher corporate minimum tax. Biden also wants a 25% tax on the wealthiest Americans' unrealized income. Taxing the rich would help cut the deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, according to the White House's estimates.

Where Donald Trump stands on the economy

Trump has not yet provided many specifics on what he would do with a second term. Polls show that voters view his presidency much more favorably now. Trump has repeatedly pointed out that inflation was far lower (under 2% on average) during his time in office. Some of the stock market and unemployment records that were set under Trump pre-COVID-19 have been surpassed by Biden.

Economists fear that some of Trump's ideas could actually make inflation worse.

He wants a crackdown on illegal immigration, which matches the sentiment that the issue has gotten out of control under Biden's watch. But such actions could worsen labor shortages.

The self-described "Tariff Man" wants to impose a 10% tariff on all imported goods and even higher tariffs on some Chinese products. Trump has falsely argued that foreign countries bear the costs. In actuality, US importers are forced to pay the additional costs, and studies show that sometimes, that is passed on to consumers.

Trump's allies are also looking at ways to expand on his assault against the Federal Reserve and its chairman Jerome Powell. Trump appointed Powell to lead the central bank, but soured on him. Like all presidents, Trump wanted lower interest rates to juice borrowing. Unlike his recent predecessors, Trump applied significant pressure on the Fed, undermining its prized political independence. The central bank is mandated to keep inflation low, which requires raising the benchmark interest rate. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump's allies are considering policies that would give a president greater say over the Fed's moves.

The former president also wants Congress to renew his signature tax plan that passed without Democrats' support. Conservatives often argue that tax cuts and deregulation fuel economic growth. At times. of higher inflation, such cuts can actually raise prices. As NPR previously reported, there's no perfect relationship between cutting taxes and economic growth. Trump has also proposed working with Congress to end the taxation of tips.

• In a recent episode of "The Kardashians," Kim opened up about feeling overwhelmed as a single mom.
• Her past comments on motherhood were met with backlash because she has staff helping her.
• A therapist said that money can't buy the attention kids need from their parents.

Kim Kardashian isn't exactly living the lifestyle of the average American family, whose median household income is around $74,000.

Yet her recent comments about single motherhood showed a glimpse of how hard raising her four kids has been — even with nannies to help.

"I just can't do it anymore, I just need to get away," Kardashian told a friend on the latest episode of "The Kardashians" after her kids were "banging on the door, just screaming" during her Zoom interview. She locked herself in the bathroom to escape.

"My heart goes out to her. I know that 'wanting to lock myself in the bathroom' feeling very well myself," Annie Wright, a licensed marriage and family therapist (and mother), told Business Insider. She also acknowledged that hearing Kardashian's complaints could anger some single moms, who don't have the money to afford bigger housing or medical emergencies, let alone extra help.

Kardashian, who previously spoke about her motherhood struggles on Jay Shetty's podcast, said that her staff is "beyond helpful." However, she added, "At the end of the day, your kids only want you."

"Even with a team of babysitters or support staff, the emotional and psychological weight of parenting often falls squarely on the single parent's shoulders," Wright said. She shared why Kardashian's struggles touch upon a difficulty many single moms face, no matter how much money they have.

You can't outsource everything

Kardashian previously said that her children's struggles "really have nothing to do with the amount of help that I have."

While daily tasks like cooking and cleaning can be outsourced, Wright said there's more to parenting.

"It is about being there emotionally for your kids all the time, depending on custody issues and the presence of the other parent," she said. Single parents can feel even more acutely spread thin because they're doing it alone.

According to Wright, Kardashian's desire to lock herself in a room to get a break from her children speaks to a common issue all parents, especially single ones, face.

"We are so stressed and so burned out sometimes that all we want to do is just isolate in the bedroom with Netflix for 10 minutes and dissociate," Wright said. "But that's the time when the kids actually need connection with us."

"Kids, all they want is time," Kardashian told Shetty in 2023. "They just want your time. You can give 'em all these amazing big experiences and they'll remember them and they're great, but they'll always remember you being present."

Wright agreed with that sentiment. When it comes to income, "incremental gains don't necessarily make up for the fact that at the end of the day, our children need to attach to us," she said. "There is an emotional labor component of that, no matter how much money you have."

Navigating divorce adds more strain

Another factor in Kardashian's motherhood struggles may be her relationship with Ye (formerly Kanye West). Kardashian, who filed for divorce in 2021, previously said on the "IRL" podcast that she tries not to bash her children's father.

Wright said that no one should feel shame for divorcing. However, she added, unless it's managed with intention and self-awareness, divorce can be damaging experiences for kids.

"If the divorce process is not skillfully managed, it's normal and natural to see children of all ages demonstrating big, strong feelings," Wright said. That makes the single parent's job that much more challenging.

Wanting to parent well makes it harder

Anyone trying to be sensitive to their child's emotional needs will find parenting more difficult.

"If you're attempting to do it well and you're mindful of what contributes to good development for your child, you're going to live with a heightened level of awareness," Wright said.

Wright also noted that Kardashian has the means to be more removed from her children and have more time to herself.

"People do outsource every single part of parenting, and that has consequences for children," Wright said. "The fact that she is trying not to do that says actually a lot about her, and it is going to be harder for her, in some ways."

• Hamas wants to change the terms of a US-backed ceasefire proposal, says Antony Blinken.
• Israel has already accepted the deal, but Hamas is holding out.
• Negotiations continue, but Blinken says he's starting to question if Hamas is acting in "good faith."

The US-led plan for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has hit another stumbling block — and the US says Hamas is to blame.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the militant group has made new demands, moving the goalposts on a proposed cease-fire to end the 8-month-long war.

Blinken told reporters from Doha on Wednesday that Hamas has not agreed to a US-backed ceasefire proposal because it wants to make "numerous changes," despite the deal being "virtually identical" to one Hamas had previously accepted.

Blinken said Israel has already accepted the deal, and that while "Hamas could have answered with a single word: yes," it has not.

"Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes, a number of which go beyond positions it had previously taken and accepted," Blinken continued.

Blinken did not specify what aspects of the deal Hamas wanted to change, but a source familiar with the matter told CNN that Hamas's response, which was submitted to Qatari mediators, includes establishing a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and for Israel to completely withdraw its forces from Gaza.

"Some of the changes are workable. Some are not," Blinken said.

Blinken added that because the negotiations have gone on for so long and Hamas keeps changing its demands, he is beginning "to question whether they're proceeding in good faith or not."

Hamas had previously agreed to another deal, proposed by mediators Egypt and Qatar, that included a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, as well as a release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that deal, saying it was "very far" from Israel's central demands.

Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, a mediator who spoke to reporters alongside Blinken, said that on different occasions, the behavior from both Israel and Hamas has been "counterproductive to the efforts."

Blinken said the US and mediators will work with Hamas in the coming days to resolve its issues as best as possible and close the deal.

"The longer this goes on, the more people will suffer, and it's time for the haggling to stop and the cease-fire to start," Blinken said. "It's as simple as that."

Palestinian health authorities have said Israeli forces have killed over 37,000 people in Gaza since the war began in October when Hamas launched terrorist attacks across the Israeli border, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than a hundred hostages.

• Multiple celebrities have come out this year.
• They said they hope their visibility will help others who identify as LGBTQ+.
• Here are 15 stars who have opened up about their sexuality or gender identity this year.

We are halfway through 2024, and 15 celebrities have spoken about their sexuality and gender identity for the first time.

In the last few years, some critics have questioned whether stars still need to announce they are coming out, as wider society becomes more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community.

But Renée Rapp, Deshawn Radden, and other stars have said they hope that talking about their journeys could help any fans struggling with their LGBTQ+ identity.

Sophia Bush wrote in an essay for Glamour in April that she thought it was especially important to be vocal about her sexuality after she saw that state legislators had introduced more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills in 2023.

Here are 15 stars who have come out in 2024 and what they have said about their journey.

Sophia Bush

In October 2023, multiple outlets reported that Sophia Bush was dating soccer player Ashlyn Harris. This news came shortly after Harris and her ex-wife Ali Krieger filed for divorce, so some fans called Harris a cheater and accused Bush of being a "homewrecker."

Harris denied the cheating allegations in a statement in November 2023.

In April, Bush came out as queer in an essay for Glamour's cover story about her recent divorce and how her relationship with Harris began.

In the essay, Bush wrote that she hated the idea of "having to come out in 2024" but thought it was important with the increase of legislation against the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

"I think I've always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum," Bush wrote. "Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can't say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great."

Bush added later that coming out publicly was a weight off her shoulders.

"I finally feel like I can breathe. I don't think I can explain how profound that is," Bush said. "I can feel my legs and feet. I can feel my feet in my shoes right now. It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time."

In the essay, Bush said she caught feelings for Harris after they supported each other during their respective divorce proceedings. She also said she was hurt when people began criticizing the relationship.

"It's painful to be doing deep work and have it picked apart by clueless strangers," Bush said. "Just because I didn't want to process my realizations in real time on social media and spell them out for the world doesn't mean the journey wasn't long and thoughtful and exhaustive."

Reneé Rapp

For years, Reneé Rapp has identified as bisexual. However, in the early months of 2024, she began to identify as a lesbian.

In January, she said on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM radio show: "I don't think I like boys." Later that month, when she appeared in a sketch on "Saturday Night Live," she was referred to as a "little lesbian intern."

In February, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she is a lesbian. She said her journey with her sexuality was similar to that of her "Sex Lives of College Girls" character, Leighton Murray.

"It is so interesting that at the time I wasn't even aware that what I was experiencing in my own personal life was actually exactly what I was doing onscreen," Rapp said. "I was in a relationship with a man, incredibly confused, unsure of myself, feeling so insecure in my acting."

Rapp added later that she had only recently started referring to herself as a lesbian.

"I've only recently been in a relationship where I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm a lesbian for sure,'" she said. "It's also been the most rewarding, validating, scary, and exciting experience ever."

In June, Rapp told Them that she was nervous about publicly coming out on "Saturday Night Live" because some of her friends responded negatively.

"I stayed off my phone for a couple days because I was so fucking terrified and felt so shitty but then it was just, like, a thing, and it felt good," Rapp said of what she did after appearing on "SNL."

Madame LaQueer

In January, PinkNews reported that "Ru Paul's Drag Race" season four contestant Madame LaQueer came out a trans on her Instagram story and changed her stage name to Madame Cassandra Uzumaki LaQueer.

A day later, LaQueer told Entertainment Weekly that she spontaneously decided to come out after liking how she looked in the mirror after trimming her eyebrows.

She said that she realized she was trans in 2006 but had struggled to come to terms with it and experience a "12-year long depression." LaQuuer said she eventually decided to accept her trans identity after having a conversation with Jade Jolie, another "Drag Race" contestant who came out in October 2023.

"It came out in the conversation, and she knew everything I was going to say. She clocked it quickly, and it just made sense. Like, girl, it's now or never," LaQueer said.

LaQueer added that she hoped coming out would help others who have struggled to accept their identity.

"It's never too late to come out and live your true experience and be yourself and be authentic. There's nothing like feeling loved in your own skin," she said.

Amanda Tori Meating

A week later, another "Ru Paul's Drag Race" star came out as trans.

Amanda Tori Meating, who starred in the most recent season of "Drag Race," told Entertainment Weekly's "Quick Drag" podcast that appearing on the reality show earlier this year helped her figure out her gender identity.

She identified as nonbinary for four years before appearing on "Drag Race," but she said it didn't feel right. Meating said when she started to consider that she was trans, her former husband was not OK with it, partly causing their divorce.

"It wasn't at all supported by my partner, and it ended up being a big part of why I had to leave, because he didn't want to be with a trans person," Meating said. "I was in a bad place about it, mentally, for a while, but you get to a point where you're like, I have to do what's right for me, and that involved getting out of that."

Meating added that hearing people calling her Amanda or using she/her pronouns for her made her feel "a bit more comfortable in the reformation of my identity."

"That experience helped push me out of the nest a little bit and crack the egg," she said, adding that she refers to herself as a "t-girl" because she doesn't feel ready to call herself a transwoman.

Bethany Antonia

"House of the Dragon" star Bethany Antonia came out as gay while responding to racist trolls.

Multiple media outlets reported in late April that Antonia shared a racist DM she had received on her Instagram story.

"'N**** you look like a piece of shit," the message read. "It's a miracle they even included you in the trailer. But we don't care. I hope you accidentally die on set."

Below the DM, Antonia captioned the post: "Wait till they find out I'm gay too."

Many fans shared posts supporting Antonia after the story went viral.

Bruce Joel Rubin

Bruce Joel Rubin, the 81-year-old screenwriter behind "Ghost," came out as gay while promoting his memoir "It's Only a Movie."

Rubin told The Guardian in May that he's known he is gay since childhood. Rubin said he had told his wife, Blanche, and children long before he came out.

"I don't like that I was closeted for so long but it would just have confused people," Rubin said, before adding. "I didn't want to leave this world with any secrets.'"

Rubin said he told his wife Blanche that he was gay when they first met but that he enjoyed sex with women. Rubin said Blanche did not mind, and they married two years later.

"Clearly, I held back my sexuality. My sexual life was always very internalized. Of course, one wants orgasmic life, but I had orgasms with Blanche. She and I had a good sex life," Rubin said.

He added: "And I'll tell you something you'll find out: when you hit your 80s and you think your libido is gone, it comes flying back. So big! Male beauty for me is overwhelmingly powerful. Just seeing someone in the supermarket, I feel this explosive joy."

Colin Grafton

"Dancing On Ice" UK star Colin Grafton came out during an interview with PinkNews in February.

Grafton, who is a former US Olympic skater, told PinkNews that he has never hidden his sexuality but has never felt the need to announce it.

"I told my closest friends, I told the people around me and I eventually told my parents. I was maybe 24 when all that happened," Grafton said. "I know there's a lot of curiosity about my sexual orientation and my love life, but I never actually came out to the public."

He added: "If I'm honest, I never really felt the need to announce it before but the reason I am saying this now is because I want to show that there is representation in any way I can."

Zoe Lister-Jones

In February, actor Zoe Lister-Jones came out as queer while on the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards red carpet alongside her new partner Sammi Cohen, the director of "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah."

"I'm here, I'm queer, I have some fear but I'm working through it," Lister-Jones told The Hollywood Reporter.

Lister-Jones also praised the Spirit Awards for having genderless award categories.

"All award shows should follow in their footsteps and make categories genderless," she said. "I'm dating a nonbinary person. I'm friends with so many nonbinary people. And I think that without really shifting the paradigm in a larger way, it's closing a lot of doors for really important voices."

Grace Wilson

Grace Wilson was Australia's first professional football player to come out as nonbinary.

Wilson, a goalkeeper for Adelaide United and Young Matildas, spoke to Holly Ransom, Australia's Pride Cup chair, about their gender identity in a video published on Adelaide United's YouTube page on March 1.

In the video, Wilson said they realized they were nonbinary in 2022 after shaving their hair for charity. Later in the video, Wilson said they decided to reveal their gender identity because they wanted people to refer to them in the way they were comfortable with.

"I didn't really realize kind of how angry I was getting at people for when they were misgendering me and they didn't know because I didn't tell them," Wilson said.

They added: "So I've decided that I can't live like that anymore. I want to be fully myself. I want to fully embrace this, and I want other people to be able to refer to me in ways that I'm comfortable with."

Matt Terry

In late March, Matt Terry, the winner of "X Factor" UK season 13, said he is part of the LGBTQ+ community in an interview with Gay Times to promote a new song.

The new song, "His Car," was about Terry's previous relationship with a man and how he kept their romance a secret.

"I said to him, 'You're not allowed to tell anyone about this' and he loved me enough to do so," Terry said. "Six, seven, years later, I realize that's not something we should be doing, and it's not something you should ask somebody. It's such a regret of mine, and I'm just really sorry."

In 2016, while Terry was competing in "X Factor" UK, multiple tabloids began speculating about his sexuality.

Terry said this period was "fucking hard" because he hadn't come out yet to his friends or family.

"The press, and people around me in the music industry, were asking me for an answer I could've give, because it wasn't an area I'd explored yet. I'd never been with a man at this point," Terry added, saying this made him step back from the industry for a few years.

Terry said he is currently in a relationship with a man and is "very proud" of his sexuality.

Sean Gunn

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Sean Gunn, an Olympic swimmer for Zimbabwe, publicly came out during an interview with Outsports, published on March 22.

Gunn said he realized he was gay while studying at the University of Kentucky and was supported by his peers.

"I think in my head I built it up for so long, and I was terrified that the way they acted or treated me would be different," Gunn said. "But I was really lucky that everyone was so amazing and wanted me to be the happiest version of myself."

He added that he came out to his family and friends back home later.

"As someone who did struggle with coming out and only did come out at 27 to my family, it makes me so happy to be surrounded by friends and family and so much love, and am really grateful for them all," Gunn said.

Jessica Gunning

"Baby Reindeer" star Jessica Gunning publicly came out as "a big old gay" during an appearance on the "Reign with Josh Smith" podcast in June.

Gunning said she came out to her parents in November 2022 after realizing she was gay at age 36.

"That was a mega, mega thing for me. I'm surrounded by gays, all my friends are gay, and so it wasn't that I was repressing anything," Gunning said. "It was just that I didn't think I could be, and I still can't articulate it in the best way."

She added: "But yeah, I realized I was a big old gay, and I was like, 'That's what it's been. That's what it is.' That was a massive moment where everything clicked, and I made sense for myself then."

Gunning said that realizing she was gay was "the most liberating thing," and she slept well after telling her parents.

Bulk Bronson

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— Bulk Bronson (@bearbronsonBC) June 3, 2024

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On June 3, WWE wrestler Joe Fitzpatrick, also known as "Dirty Bulk" Bronson, came out as bisexual in a social media post.

Fitzpatrick's fiancée, Gabby Forza, took part in a trend where people post a picture of themselves and the flag that indicates their sexuality. She explained that she identified as bi/pansexual & queer.

Fitzpatrick responded to the tweet with a picture of himself and the bisexual flag.

After receiving much support from his fans and friends, Fitzpatrick shared a statement on social media a day later.

"I've been left speechless by the endless phone calls, texts, DM's, replies from faithful fans, my close friends, our scumbag, and so many others I've had new interactions with," Fitzpatrick wrote.

"Between the social media response — and just now getting off a 55-minute phone call with my parents that was overflowing with so much love & uplifting support — I could run through a brick wall right now from how grateful I feel," he added.

Fitzpatrick said he felt ready to come out after his fiancée and friends inspired him.

"I feel like the luckiest guy in the world today. I love every single one of you for making me feel this way," he said. "Thank you. Happy Pride."

Maren Morris

On Sunday, Maren Morris, a Grammy-winning country singer, came out as bisexual in an Instagram post.

"Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+," Morris captioned a slideshow of pictures from her sold-out concert in Phoenix.

Deshawn Radden

Deshawn Radden came out as queer on June 10 when he appeared on the "Survivor"-focused podcast, "The Pride has Spoken."

On the podcast, Radden, the runner-up in "Survivor" season 41, was interviewed by one of his costars Evvie Jagoda, who identifies as queer and nonbinary/transmasc.

Radden told Jagoda that they taught them the term "queer," and Radden realized this term fit him more than straight or gay.

"You spoke power into the word because when I was growing up, queer was a very derogatory term for people," Radden said. "So just watching you and you owning your title as you know a queer person was very, very influential to me."

Radden said he came out to his family in 2021 at age 25 but was unsure whether he should make a public statement, so he didn't bring it up while on "Survivor."

Radden said he first realized he was different when he was four or five but was constantly told that being gay or acting like a woman was bad.

He added that before he realized he was queer, he felt a lot of "anguish almost every single day" and turned to "substance abuse" to cope.

Later the same day, Radden said he was a "queer black man" in an Instagram post.

"As of today, I look to do 2 things: 1. No longer live in duality, but in truth & oneness 2. Be an example that God loves each of us and can/will use anyone," Radden wrote. "To anyone who may struggle reconciling parts of your identity with your faith, this is my advice: Experience God, on your own, through genuine relationship and see what happens. Love!"