Zuckerberg Humiliated as $70 Billion Flagship Project Shuts Down

Tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg is abandoning ship on a social media project once envisioned to be a cornerstone of Meta’s leap into the metaverse. Horizon Worlds is winding down as a social network and game space meant for users of the Quest virtual reality headset. The decline of this much-hyped VR product is happening at breakneck speed, with the app turning into a 2D mobile app at the end of March. This is just the latest setback for Zuckerberg’s stumble into the metaverse, which motivated the name change from Facebook to Meta. The company laid off more than 1,000 employees from its metaverse division, Reality Labs. The tech CEO initially had high hopes for the metaverse. “Our hope is that within the next decade, the metaverse will reach a billion people, host hundreds of billions of dollars of digital commerce, and support jobs for millions of creators and developers,” Zuckerberg once said. But, as CNBC reports, this goal has faced strong headwinds as customers are skeptical of the 3D world. Reality Labs reported billions of dollars of losses as a result, prompting the company to look instead to advancing its artificial intelligence offerings.

Famed actor and martial arts expert Chuck Norris has been hospitalized in Hawaii, according to TMZ. The star of Walker, Texas Ranger was on the island of Kauai when he suffered a medical emergency. No details have been made public about what landed Norris in the hospital. Sources said he has appeared to have made a quick recovery, is in good spirits, and is even cracking jokes. He was in Hawaii, in part, to train. A video posted on social media earlier this month shows him landing some jabs while boxing with an instructor. A caption reads, “I don’t age up, I level up.” Even more remarkable was that the video was uploaded on his 86th birthday. Norris is known for his roles in fast-hitting movies like Hitman, The Delta Force, and Expendables 2. Norris is also an experienced martial arts practitioner, having earned black belts in Karate, Taekwondo, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to name a few. He served in the United States Air Force for several years in the late fifties and early sixties.

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Spring marathon season puts your shoes through their paces. Simplifying your gear rotation (without sacrificing performance) is vital. For those seeking a streamlined setup, Skechers has two complementary options that cover everything from race day to recovery runs. The Aero performance line was designed for both lighter, speed-focused sprints and cushioned comfort for long-distance runs.

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The Skechers Aero Razor weighs just 6.9 ounces, making it great for speed-focused training and uptempo runs. Its breathable mesh upper and sawtooth laces provide a secure fit, while the Arch Fit insole system and Goodyear Performance Outsole deliver support, grip, and durability on the road.

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The Skechers Aero Burst is a highly cushioned daily trainer built for marathon prep and high-mileage weeks. It features dual-density Hyper Burst Ice cushioning for a soft, yet stable ride, and Hyper Arc technology for smoother transitions.

If you’re ready to hit a PR this year, give this Skechers Aero combo a try.

Jordan Wright, who starred in the reality show The Only Way Is Essex, was found dead in Thailand on March 14. A Burmese worker found the 33-year-old’s body face down in a drainage canal near Bang Tao Beach in Phuket. Authorities believe Wright was likely dead for two days before his body was discovered. Wright’s cause of death is unknown at this time. “The case remains under investigation while we wait for the official autopsy results,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthirak Chuthong told the Daily Mail. According to authorities, staff at the hotel where Wright was staying were concerned about him when he didn’t check out on March 13. “CCTV footage showed that he appeared restless and was moving back and forth in front of the hotel before leaving the area,” Chuthong added. Wright was found barefoot and without his phone, wearing a gray T-shirt and black pants. Investigators found his iPhone placed on a nearby bank. Wright is best known for his 17-episode run on the reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex in 2018. He returned to his career as a firefighter after allegedly being removed from the network for claims that he used sick days from the London Fire Brigade to film the reality TV show. Wright moved to Thailand earlier this year.

The viral, monster-like toy Labubu is diving into the world of Hollywood. Pop Mart, the creators of the Labubu, and Sony Entertainment announced that they are developing a film featuring the ugly-cute plushy. Labubus made waves last summer, with everyone from Rihanna to David Beckham seen with the internet sensation. But its hype sank by the fall, tanking the company’s once sky-high stock. The film is an attempt by the brand to give the collectible new life, in hopes it can become more than a once-trendy item. “What we look forward to more is using storytelling to help people fall in love with these IPs more deeply or find those points of connection,” Pop Mart’s Chief Operating Officer, Si De, told CNBC earlier this month. The film is set to be a live-action and CGI hybrid. Paul King, the film-maker behind the 2016 animated hit Paddington, will produce and direct the film. It comes amid a wave of movies about beloved toys including Barbie, My Little Pony, Hot Wheels, and Transformers, The announcement did not indicate when the film will be released. The movie is currently in early development.

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Summer is a little over three months away, which means our beauty routines are bound to shift to lighter moisturizers, darker foundation shades, and less eye makeup (after all, mascara isn’t known for playing nice with sweat and ocean water). If you’re looking to try out the no-mascara trend this spring and summer, now’s a great time to invest in a quality lash serum for a fluttery set sans the smears, clumps, and flakes. Achieving fuller, more voluminous lashes can take around 90 days, so now is the ideal time to start a new formula to get them prepped and ready.

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Flash Cosmetics’ eyelash serum mascara set to give your lashes the boost they need, and it’s only $58. Flash’s Ultimate Duo 2.0 is formulated with peptides, botanicals, and prostaglandin to give you visibly longer, fuller lashes in just three months or less. The duo includes a physician-formulated, ophthalmologist-tested Flash Eyelash Serum and Flash Happy High-Definition Mascara. It’s great for growing your lashes while still not abandoning your mascara just yet. Plus, if you do decide to use its mascara on a pool or beach day, the waterproof formula will stay put. Most single lash serums cost $50+ for a 30-day supply, so this serum and mascara duo is a serious steal.

An Idaho mayor who was sworn in two months ago died after he passed out while speaking at a town hall. The tragic scene played out on Wednesday evening, when Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam collapsed while addressing a crowd in the nearby town of Eagle, Idaho. Eagle’s mayor, Brad Pike, who was standing next to Hogaboam, jumped into action and administered CPR to the 47-year-old as emergency services were called. All attempts to revive Hogaboam were unsuccessful. The mayor’s cause of death is unknown. Hogaboam moved to the city in 2008 and has been chief of staff to the former mayor, a city councilman, a substitute Idaho state senator, and a county clerk. “His dedication to strengthening Nampa, supporting families and fostering thoughtful growth will leave a lasting impact for generations to come,” the Idaho GOP said in a statement celebrating Hogaboam’s years of service to the party. Hogaboam won the Nampa mayoral election in November with a decisive 62.86 percent of the vote. The late mayor is survived by his wife, five children, and a grandchild.

Spring breakers are facing travel carnage as airports across the country descended into chaos Thursday amid security delays due to the ongoing shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security. At major hubs in Pennsylvania and Texas, travelers encountered overwhelming queues at TSA checkpoints early in the day. Online videos captured packed stairways and escalators at Philadelphia International Airport, where only limited screening lanes were operating. In Houston, lines had already extended beyond the terminal before sunrise. By midmorning, flight disruptions mounted, with more than 1,200 delays reported nationwide. Officials attribute the turmoil to a partial funding lapse at DHS, leaving approximately 50,000 screening staff unpaid. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned that conditions may worsen significantly if the impasse continues. “As we get into next week and they are about to miss another payment, this is going to look like child’s play what’s happening right now,” he said. The funding standoff stems from Democrats seeking to introduce immigration enforcement reforms and Republicans refusing to agree.

The fog of war was once meant to describe battlefield conditions in which limited, contradictory, and inaccurate information compromised a commander’s decision-making. But then the fog was extended; reality itself was in a constant state of confusion and uncertainty, clouded by competing political agendas, a flattening and conflating of sources, the miasma of social media... Hence, now, the fog of Epstein—a story that has been shaped to fit almost everybody’s view, right-wing or left, and to confirm the depravity of virtually anybody you don’t like. An anomaly of this story is that anyone who had an up-close view of Epstein’s life has every reason not to want to share it. To relate their experience of it, other than as a forced confession, would implicate them. Everyone, therefore, becomes part of the cover-up, part of the conspiracy. It is a story, therefore, left largely to be told by accusers and by people who don’t know it. Until now. What I am going to try to do is tell the story that I have been privy to. All battles for truth seem to end up creating even greater fog. My intention is not to engage with the battle, but to offer a personal version of the story—I will tell it only according to what I have seen.

Click through and subscribe to Michael Wolff’s HOWL, where this story begins with a first meeting with Epstein—a ride on what was not yet known as the Lolita Express.

The U.S. failed to break the top 20 in the latest edition of the World Happiness Report. The top spots went mostly to Nordic and Northern European countries, though Costa Rica and Israel came in at No. 4 and No. 8, respectively. The U.S. was ranked a distant No. 23, after most of Western Europe, Mexico, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. To determine the ranking, the Gallup World Poll asks respondents in 147 countries to evaluate their lives using the image of a ladder, with the best possible life as a 10 and the worst possible as a 0. The top-ranked Finns reported an average life satisfaction score of 7.76, while the U.S. reported 6.82, down 0.27 from the year before. Researchers also look at six factors including GDP per capita, life expectancy, generosity, and perceptions of freedom and corruption to try to account for variations among countries. Life satisfaction among Americans under 25 in particular has dropped by almost a full point over the last decade.

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Getting a good night’s sleep beside your partner is an unappreciated luxury, because waking up rested together is the best way to start the day. CPAP is helping couples on that journey by offering a discount on the At Home Sleep Test for Sleep Awareness Month. The goal is to help couples discover how to make bedtime more enjoyable for each other.

CPAP machines primarily help with sleep apnea (a common sleep disorder that causes breathing problems during sleep and snoring). It is the second most common sleep disorder in the world, yet it is severely underdiagnosed. Sleep apnea may also increase the risk of developing other health conditions (including cancer, according to CPAP), making detection key.

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The at-home test kit includes the Wesper device, a clinical-grade sleep apnea test that uses two medical sensors to measure your breathing, oxygen levels, snoring, and overall sleep quality throughout the night. The kit also includes a physician evaluation and, if you qualify, a prescription for treatment. Getting started is simple—just download the Wesper app, set up the device, wear it for two nights in a row, and wait for your results to be reviewed by a medical professional. The comprehensive test delivers lab-quality insights from the comfort of your own bed, making it a convenient alternative to traditional sleep studies.

A CPAP may not be the first product to come to mind when you think of romance, but knowing how to bring more peace and quiet to the bedroom is a great way to enhance intimacy—and your wellbeing overall. After all, sleep is sexy. So, if you or your parent thinks they might suffer from sleep apnea, take advantage of this discount on the CPAP At Home Sleep Test.

Kevin Spacey has reached an out-of-court settlement with three men who had accused him of sexual assault, halting civil trials that were set to begin later this year at the High Court. The allegations date from 2000 to 2013, including claims by two men who had previously accused Spacey during a 2023 criminal trial in which he was cleared of nine sexual offence charges. One man, identified only as LNP, alleged multiple assaults between 2000 and 2005. Another, GHI, claimed an assault in 2008 after meeting Spacey through a workshop at London’s Old Vic, where Spacey served as artistic director from 2004 to 2013. The third accuser, Ruari Cannon, publicly waived his anonymity and said Spacey groped him after a 2013 press night party. Spacey denies all allegations, calling them “ridiculous.” Terms of the settlements were not disclosed. The actor was cleared of nine separate sexual offence charges at a criminal trial in 2023.

Joseph Duggar, a former cast member of the TLC series 19 Kids and Counting, has been arrested over allegations he molested a 9-year-old girl in Florida in 2020, authorities said. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said the 31-year-old was arrested on Wednesday accused of repeated unlawful sexual activity in Panama City Beach. The victim, now 14, reported the alleged abuse this week to police in Arkansas, prompting an investigation that led to an arrest warrant. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the girl told investigators that Duggar later apologized, and she said the alleged abuse ended after that. Duggar faces charges including lewd and lascivious molestation and is awaiting extradition to Florida. The case adds to past controversies surrounding the Duggar family. The long-running TLC show was canceled in 2015 following abuse allegations involving Josh Duggar, the older brother of Joseph, who was accused of molesting five girls, four of whom were his sisters. No criminal charges resulted from the case, but he was later convicted in a separate child exploitation case and sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.