Brooklyn Nets Suspend Kyrie Irving ... For At Least 5 Games
The Nets have suspended Kyrie Irving for at least 5 games after the team says the NBA superstar repeatedly failed to fully apologize for promoting an antisemitic film, with the org. saying he's "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."
The team released a statement Thursday night announcing the move ... a week after the 30-year-old, 7x NBA All-Star tweeted about a film, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!"
Kyrie Irving Pushes Back on Antisemitic Labels After Promoting Movie
“Over the last several days, we have made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with him publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate," the Nets said.
"We believed that taking the path of education in this challenging situation would be the right one and thought that we had made progress with our joint commitment to eradicating hate and intolerance.”
The Anti-Defamation League says the "film promotes beliefs commonly found among antisemitic and extremist factions of the BHI movement."
However, despite the joint statement Wednesday night where Irving acknowledged hurting the Jewish community and pledging $1 million ($500K from Kyrie, Nets), many people, including commissioner Adam Silver were unmoved by Kyrie's words.
On Thursday, he met with members of the media, and again refused to directly apologize.
“We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify.”
This morning's media session was clearly the last straw for the franchise ... which has been struggling on the court, as well.
“Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."
Fans Protest Kyrie Irving Comments With 'Fight Antisemitism' Shirts At Nets Game
FYI, Brooklyn has one of the largest Jewish populations in America.
The Nets continued ... "We have decided that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period served is no less than five games.”
The Nets will play the Washington Wizards Friday night in D.C. Irving will not be on the floor. If he serves the minimum suspension, he'd be eligible to return against the Lakers on November 13th in Los Angeles.
But, given Kyrie's hesitation to say sorry, that's a giant IF.
Story developing ...
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Elon Musk Mass Firings At Twitter ... Half of Staff Reportedly Cut
10:52 AM PT -- Reports state Twitter has lost about half it's staff in the cuts ... with some stating around 3,700 people have been let go.
Elon Musk is sharpening his knives at Twitter...'cause he's planning to wipe out half the workforce to put the company on the right path, or so he claims ... but employees have fired back with a preemptive lawsuit.
The new Chief Twit, as Musk anointed himself after his $44 billion purchase of the social media giant, fired off a chilling memo to his 7,500 employees Thursday.
The email -- which was only signed "Twitter" -- informed workers to stay away from all offices Friday as Musk begins to clean house, the New York Times reported. An exact head count was not provided in the email, but the NYT says half the staff is set to be fired.
The email leaves no doubt ... "In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce. We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward."
Twitter staffers read the tea leaves and filed a class action lawsuit late Thursday, asking a judge to declare any firings now would be in violation of California and federal law, in part because there was insufficient notice.
After receiving the ominous note, employees took to Slack -- the company's internal messaging service -- posting heart and salute emojis. Some workers were cut off from the internal computer system -- a sign their heads were on the chopping block.
Musk has already gone on a mini-firing spree after inking the deal to buy San Francisco-based company Oct. 27. As we reported, the world's richest man promptly gave walking papers to several top Twitter executives, including former CEO Parag Agrawal. Since then, Musk has reportedly chosen 50 engineers from his other businesses to pore over layoff lists of Twitter employees.
All sounds pretty ugly. Good luck.
Originally Published -- 6:19 AM PT
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Bhad Bhabie Oxford U. Is Bhadass ... Kids Loved My Speech!!!
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Looks like Bhad Bhabie has a future in addressing prestigious debate clubs, because she crushed it at Oxford University, and the student body greeted her with thunderous applause.
Folks at the event tell TMZ ... Bhad Bhabie, aka Danielle Bregoli, chatted it up with a chamber full of students Wednesday night, and it was standing room only. Some kids waited for hours in the rain to get their spot inside.
You can tell the crowd was thrilled to have her. Danielle took part in a Q&A with the president of the Oxford Union, where she spoke about her alleged abusive experience at Turn-About Ranch, what it was like becoming famous so young, making 50 million bucks on OnlyFans ... and her new scholarship fund.
Afterward, they opened up the floor to questions from students and, not shockingly, Ye was a hot topic. Gotta admit, she had a pretty funny response when asked about what she thinks of him -- shouting out the rapper's early 2000s hits, and then keeping it moving.
No, Ye's antisemitic comments didn't come up -- most likely due to the huge applause her answer drew.
Danielle's in pretty elite company -- one night before her, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai was at Oxford. BTW, similar turnout for both young women.
been too long 🇬🇧 https://t.co/WQXL1Dz5i2
— Bhad Bhabie (@BhadBhabie) September 15, 2022 @BhadBhabie
As we reported, Danielle was invited to speak back in September -- the Oxford Union prez offered the opportunity, saying "It would be an honour to welcome you to continue this fine tradition."
Soak up that Bhad Bhabie knowledge, Oxford!!!
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Nikki Bella Logan Paul Can Be Massive WWE Star ... 'He's The Total Package'
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Nikki Bella is convinced Logan Paul can be the next huge thing in the WWE ... telling TMZ Sports she believes the former YouTuber is "the total package" in the ring.
We spoke with Nikki, who was with her sister, Brie, out in LA this week ... and she raved about Paul's potential -- just days before he's slated to fight Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship in Saudi Arabia.
"He's an amazing wrestler," Nikki said of Jake's older bro. "I think he proved that at WrestleMania. He's a good storyteller. He has charisma. He speaks well on the mic."
"Like, he's the total package as a WWE superstar."
Brie cosigned ... adding, "He has all the tools to be a big star there."
Brie did, though, say Logan will have to continue to work hard to reach his sky-high potential ... telling us the biz ain't exactly easy.
We need to talk more about Logan Paul and his epic in ring work at #WrestleMania38 pic.twitter.com/voVwLWCuGM
— MJ The BOT✨ Born Pink 🌺 (@TribalPapi) June 20, 2022 @TribalPapi
As for if there's any harboring of ill will toward the 27-year-old receiving a championship opportunity this early into his WWE career -- the "Total Divas" stars told us they certainly wouldn't feel bitter about it at all.
"In the entertainment business, nothing is fair, but that's life," said Brie, before Nikki added, "The crowd reacts to him, and you got to listen to your fans, and the fans want it."
Nikki compared the emergence of Logan to Ronda Rousey, who has a similar story to LP in terms of their paths to WWE ... and the role she played in elevating the women's division.
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American Idol Winner David Cook 'Memba Him?!
American rock singer and songwriter David Cook was 25 years old when he was crowned as the "American Idol" winner of season 7 back in 2008.
Cook's musical talents took him all the way, but his runner-up David Archuleta definitely put up a fight and Syesha Mercado was not too far behind with her exceptional musical chops!
While America had the ultimate say on Cook's big win, judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson did not hold back from putting in their two cents and helping guide the singer to the finish line.
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Mike Tyson Nearly KO'ed In Skateboard Debacle ... With Tony Hawk!!!
Saved by the bell big comfy chair!!!
Mike Tyson is SUPER fortunate his podcast setup is surrounded by fluffy furniture ... 'cause he was nearly KO'ed after jumping on a skateboard with Tony Hawk, but, fortunately, he landed safely on a chair instead.
Iron Mike just posted footage of the almost-disastrous scene ... showing him playing around with Hawk while filming another episode of "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson."
Hawk appeared to be trying to teach the boxing legend how to skate -- and when the 56-year-old jumped on the board, Tony cheered!
The problem? Tyson couldn't quite dismount properly ... and almost ate it!
Thankfully, after knocking into a wooden chair and a makeshift wall, he parked onto a seat cushion ... and acted like nothing happened.
Of course, Tyson is no stranger to bustin' his ass on boards ... back in 2015, he fell so hard off a hoverboard, he had to be on bed rest for a week.
DECEMBER 2015
Tyson poked fun at it all in a caption on the vid, writing, "Lucky that chair was there or it would have been a repeat of the hoverboard scare."
Be careful, Mike!
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Johnny Depp I Shouldn't Have to Pay Amber $2 Mil ... Appeals Defamation Verdict
Johnny Depp wants total victory over Amber Heard, and he's just filed an appeal trying to get it ... claiming the jury got it wrong when it ruled in favor of his ex-wife on a single count of defamation.
You'll recall, Johnny was the big winner, by far, when the jury came back in their landmark trial, saying Amber had defamed him and had to cough up $10.35 million dollars -- but it also ruled Amber was defamed, and awarded her $2 mil.
In docs filed Wednesday in the Virginia Court of Appeals, Johnny says the jury had erroneously ruled in favor of Amber ... when it said one of Johnny's attorneys, Adam Waldman, defamed Amber by telling a media outlet she had lied while describing a blowout fight that ended their marriage.
Waldman said, "So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911."
In the appeal, Johnny makes the point that his lawyer said that, not him, and he shouldn't be held responsible for Waldman's remarks. He also says Amber's team failed to prove Waldman made those comments with malice ... a requirement to win a defamation claim.
Johnny wants the court to overturn the jury on that single count. Remember, Amber has also filed an appeal of the counts she lost.
So, scoreboard review: Amber's $10.35 mil check to Johnny is on hold and, likewise, his $2 mil check to her is on hold.
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Gabby Petito Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit ... Cops Should've Saved Her!!
The family of Gabby Petito is taking the Moab City Police Department to court, filing a wrongful death suit, claiming officers could've saved her life in the weeks leading up to her death.
Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, say Moab PD failed to protect Gabby when police investigated the reported domestic violence incident roughly 2 weeks before she was killed by Brian Laundrie.
8/12/21
You'll recall, officers interviewed Gabby and Brian on the side of the road with one officer acknowledging she was crying uncontrollably and had cuts on her face and arm.
Still, Brian told officers Gabby had just been under distress -- and officers simply separated them for the day.
New Body Cam Footage of Gabby Petito: She Claims Brian Grabbed Her Face, Scratched Her
The suit claims police didn't probe hard enough on Brian's side of the story ... and even claims the officers treated Brian as if he were the victim, rather than the perpetrator, of domestic violence.
In the family's eyes -- all signs pointed to Brian, and they say the cops "egregiously misinterpreted" the situation.
Her family also calls out the department for failing to train its cops for situations like this -- characterizing this case as a "vehicle for systemic change and a reckoning about how the police enforce the State's domestic abuse laws." They are seeking $50 million in damages.
The city of Moab tells TMZ ... "We feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured. At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito’s eventual murder."
The city says it will defend itself against the suit.
As we reported, Gabby's family filed a notice of complaint in August, informing police they were planning to sue.
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Jay-Z, Jeff Bezos Interested In Buying Commanders ... Amid Sales Exploration
Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos, two of the most successful men in America, are interested in buying the Washington Commanders, in light of owner Dan Snyder's interest in selling the NFL team, sources tell TMZ Sports.
And, we're told a partnership between the men is on the table.
On Wednesday, the team issued a statement announcing Snyder hired a major bank to investigate a possible opportunity to sell the team ... but made it clear he hadn't yet made a final decision.
Still, the move provided hope to droves of Washington football fans ... who after controversy after controversy and endless losing have long wished Snyder would sell.
We're told Jay, worth an estimated $1.3 billion by Forbes, has expressed serious interest in acquiring the team ... valued at $5.6 billion this summer.
Despite the rap legend and businessman's incredible fortune, we're told he'd look for a strategic partner.
Bezos, one of the world's richest people ($114 billion net worth), is also interested in the team.
Bezos has ties to the area ... he owns the Washington Post newspaper.
Amazon also owns Prime Video ... which recently inked a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal to broadcast Thursday Night Football.
Jay-Z and Roc Nation Partner with NFL for Music, Social Justice Campaign
Jay-Z is in business with the NFL ... signing a partnership deal in 2019 which gave Hov power over the halftime show, as well as social justice initiatives.
He also previously owned an NBA team, the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets ... before being forced to sell when he opened his sports and marketing agency, Roc Nation Sports, over a potential conflict of interest.
Byron Allen and Robert Griffin III, amongst many more, have also expressed interest in the team.
There's no shortage of suitors, but topping Bezos and Jay-Z would be a monumental task.
Story developing ...
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Denzel Washington Movie On-Set Movie Caterers Arrested In Cocaine Bust
There's apparently a cocaine problem amongst employees working on a new Denzel Washington movie ... two caterers working on set were arrested after cops in Italy say they seized a bunch of coke following a man's death.
Italian paramilitary police say they seized 120 grams of cocaine during a Tuesday afternoon raid at a hotel on the Amalfi coast, near where Denzel and Dakota Fanning are filming "The Equalizer 3."
Cops say the drug bust was in response to the sudden death of the movie production's head of catering, a 55-year-old man who reportedly collapsed leaving a bar and died of a heart attack. Police say they found several bags of cocaine in the man's pockets, leading to suspicion of more drugs on the 'Equalizer' set.
A couple of catering workers from Italy were placed under house arrest on suspicion of drug dealing after cops say they seized cocaine from their hotel room during Tuesday's raid. They were reportedly detained by police away from the movie set.
And, get this ... a different caterer was allegedly in possession of a small amount of cocaine, reportedly for personal use.
Italian police say they also searched for drugs at a local port, which is serving as the main staging area for the movie Antoine Fuqua is directing ... but the sweep didn't turn up any cocaine.
A rep for Denzel said there will be no delay in production.
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Quavo Assistant Shot in Melee That Killed Takeoff
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There were two other people shot in the gunfire that killed Takeoff -- and one of those people is Quavo's assistant -- TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us Joshua "Wash" Washington is the 23-year-old male who was shot and rushed to a local hospital by someone at the scene in the minutes following the melee ... cops described his injuries as non-life threatening.
Wash has been close with Quavo for years, and describes himself as Quavo's assistant and part of operations management at Huncho Records on his social media profile.
As we reported, there was also a 24-year-old female who was shot ... she was also taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
While the shooter (or shooters) have yet to be publicly named, the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office says Takeoff was shot in both the head and torso early Monday morning.
In video obtained by TMZ from the scene, you can see Quavo in an argument and then start to walk away as shots ring out. There's also video showing one man holding a gun to his side ... police have named that man as a person of interest in Takeoff's death.
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Jeff Bezos Sued Ex-Housekeeper Claims Racial Bias ... Source Says She's Full of It
11:36 AM PT -- A source close to the couple tells us Wedaa had access to multiple restrooms and 2 breakrooms that were not only stocked with food -- but included air fryers and coffee machines. We're told when Jeff and Lauren were not home, staffers also had access to the family kitchen.
11:36 PM PT -- The source tells us Wedaa was well compensated, and worked largely unsupervised, though we're told at least one of her supervisors was also Hispanic.
11:36 AM PT -- Interestingly enough, another source says Wedaa's daughter was very recently, or still could be an employee at the home.
Jeff Bezos is going to court because one of his former housekeepers claims he racially discriminated against her, and forced her to work under conditions so bad ... just going to the bathroom was a nightmare.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Mercedes Wedaa says Bezos' team allegedly treated her and other Hispanic cleaning staff members much differently compared to the white employees ... claiming his household manager was "aggressive and abusive" to her, while being "respectful and polite" to the white staff.
Wedaa, who began working at Bezos' Seattle mansion back in 2019, claims she would often work 10-14 hour shifts, but was unable to take a break while Bezos and his family were on-property.
She claims she wasn't allowed to enter the home unless actively cleaning ... which is where going to the bathroom became a major issue.
According to the docs, Wedaa and other housekeepers "were forced to climb out of the laundry room window to the outside. Then run along the path to the mechanical room, through the mechanical room and downstairs to a bathroom.”
Wedaa's now seeking damages from Bezos and 2 companies that manage his properties.
Bezos' attorney, Harry Korrell, tells TMZ, "We have investigated the claims, and they lack merit. Ms. Wedaa made over six figures annually and was the lead housekeeper. She was responsible for her own break and meal times, and there were several bathrooms and breakrooms available to her and other staff."
He continues, "The evidence will show that Ms. Wedaa was terminated for performance reasons. She initially demanded over $9M, and when the company refused, she decided to file this suit. Given their backgrounds, the suggestion that Mr. Bezos, Ms. Sanchez, or Northwestern LLC discriminated against Ms. Wedaa based on her race or national origin is absurd."
Originally Published -- 9:45 AM PT
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Adam Silver Slams Kyrie Irving's 'Apology' ... It Wasn't Enough!!!
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is unleashing on Kyrie Irving ... saying the Brooklyn Nets star's attempted mea culpa for sharing a link to a movie laden with antisemitic beliefs was a complete disappointment.
The commish addressed the controversy in a statement on Thursday ... and he didn't hold back.
"Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material," Silver -- who is Jewish -- said.
Two days after posting a link to an antisemitic film (that’s still up), here’s Kyrie Irving:
— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) October 30, 2022 @kendallbaker
- Claiming that posting a link to something isn’t promoting it 🤔
- Playing the victim
- Accusing a journalist of “dehumanizing” him by simply asking about itpic.twitter.com/qGdDVO7awA
"While we appreciate the fact that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize."
As we previously reported, Kyrie made a $500k donation to "eradicate hate" on Wednesday ... but stopped short of completely denouncing the contents of the "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" project.
"I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles," Irving said in the statement ... but did not clarify what parts he was distancing himself from.
Silver is so pissed, he says he will be personally meeting with Kyrie in person within the next week to discuss the situation.
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Ray Guy NFL Legend Dead At 73
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NFL Hall of Famer Ray Guy -- the most legendary punter of all time -- has passed away. He was 73 years old.
Guy became the first pure punter to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft ... going 23rd overall to the Oakland Raiders in 1973 after a stellar career at the University of Southern Mississippi.
He went on to win three Super Bowls with the Raiders in 1977, 1981 and 1984.
Guy's résumé is as good as it gets -- he was a 6-time first-team All-Pro selection, 2-time second-team All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary teams.
Guy was famous for his long-hanging punts ... which allowed the Raiders to run downfield in coverage before opposing teams were able to get off a return.
The Ray Guy Award -- named after the icon -- is presented to the best punter in college football every year.
Guy was enshrined in Canton in 2014 -- the first punter to receive the honor. During his speech, he famously said, "Now the Hall of Fame has a complete team."
RIP
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Johnny Depp Savage X Fenty Guest Appearance In Rihanna's Show!!!
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Johnny Depp is a wanted man in just about every lane Hollywood has to offer these days, and he's about to make a guest appearance in a huge show -- orchestrated by Rihanna!
No, Depp won't be shredding his guitar with RiRi at the Super Bowl ... but production sources tell us he'll be a featured surprise guest in her Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 fashion show.
We're told JD won't be walking the runway, instead, he's going to be a focus of one of the show's "star" moments -- which has included the likes of Cindy Crawford and Erykah Badu in the past. Depp -- who will wear items from the men's collection -- will be the first male in Savage X Fenty show history to take the role.
Our sources say Rihanna and her team invited Johnny to be a part of it, and both sides were super excited to make it happen. We're told Johnny has already filmed his part, and it'll be included in the show's premiere on Amazon Prime Video November 9.
As for how Depp will look, we're told the vibe is "cool and chic" and works for all aspects of Johnny's artistry -- music, modeling and acting.
TMZ broke the story -- it was just a couple months ago when JD made his big return to TV after the Amber Heard trial, when he appeared as the Moon Person at the VMAs. One thing's for sure ... he's been welcomed back to A-list status with open arms.
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Selena Gomez I Contemplated Suicide During Bipolar Episode
Selena Gomez is opening up even more about her struggles with bipolar disorder ... revealing she had suicidal thoughts and checked into 4 different treatment centers.
She says, "I think when I started hitting my early twenties is when it started to get really dark, when I started to feel like I was not in control of what I was feeling, whether that was really great or really bad.”
In the Rolling Stone interview, Selena also recounts having extreme highs and lows for weeks or months, before understanding her bipolar diagnosis. At times she would have symptoms of mania like feeling the need to buy everyone in her life a car so she could share her "gift" -- but then she'd fall into a deep state of depression and not be able to get out of bed.
And in her darkest moments, she said ... “I thought the world would be better if I wasn’t there." After a 2018 episode, she says she ended up on a ton of meds, which helped her psychosis, but made her feel unlike herself.
She also touched on all the fan-stirred drama, where fans accused Hailey Bieber of stealing her ex, Justin Bieber ... saying it made her feel bad about herself.
In the past, she says this kinda incident could've set her back for months ... but this time it was diffused with kindness.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
You'll recall, Selena and Hailey posed with each other last month at an event -- seemingly putting the whole mess behind them.
Selena gives a deeper look into her life in her new doc "Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me." It premiered Wednesday night in L.A. ... and stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Camila Cabello and Billie Eilish were all in attendance.
The documentary is out on Apple TV+ tomorrow.
If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.