Good morning. It's Wednesday, Oct. 20, and the Haitian gang responsible for kidnapping a group of missionaries sets its ransom demands, Netflix employees schedule a walkout protesting a Dave Chappelle special, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].
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A Haitian gang that kidnapped 17 members of a missionary group Saturday is demanding $1M per person to release the group. Members of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries were returning from an orphanage en route to the airport when they were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang near Port-au-Prince. The demands were reportedly made directly to a ministry leader.
Security in Haiti has dramatically declined in recent years, exacerbated by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August. Gangs have rapidly expanded their influence amid the crisis, with the surge of abductions and violence prompting a strike that has shut down businesses, schools, and public transportation, hurting the already poverty-stricken economy.
More than 600 kidnappings have been reported in the country in the first nine months of 2021, compared to 231 over the same period in 2020.
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Hundreds of Netflix employees are expected to stage a walkout today, protesting a recently released special from comedian Dave Chappelle which they say contains transphobic material. The show, "The Closer," was Chappelle's sixth and final installment stemming from a 2016 deal with the streaming giant.
Backlash for the special centered on remarks that included support for Harry Potter author JK Rowling (see background) and arguing gender is set at birth, among other comments. Chappelle weaved the routine around the story of a transgender friend, Daphne Dorman, who committed suicide in 2019.
A number of Netflix's stars have publicly supported the walkout. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos has backed the decision to air the special, and Dorman's family has strongly pushed back on the criticism of Chappelle. Ahead of the walkout, organizers presented a list of demands to the company—removal of "The Closer" was not included.
Separately, Netflix reported net subscriber growth of 4.4 million last quarter, beating expectations by almost 600,000. See how Netflix plans to shift how it measures user engagement here.
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A House select committee probing the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol voted yesterday to hold Steve Bannon in criminal contempt. The one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump declined to comply with a subpoena issued by the Democratic-led panel.
Bannon has argued he is following Trump's assertion of executive privilege, which allows presidents to withhold certain executive branch information. While the privilege generally remains for ex-presidents once out of office, legal experts say it is unlikely to extend to Bannon. The full House, in which Democrats hold a slim majority, must now vote to certify the charge, and the Justice Department must decide to prosecute the case. Bannon could face fines and up to one year in prison if ultimately convicted.
The vote comes one day after Trump filed suit to block the National Archives from transferring White House documents to the committee.
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