You might think a major new game in the long-running "Metal Gear" franchise would elicit a ton of hype.

The last major "Metal Gear" game, "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain," was a blockbuster phenomenon — just like every major "Metal Gear" release before it.

But things are quite the contrary in the case of "Metal Gear Survive," the latest major "Metal Gear" game. 

Though I personally enjoyed the game, much of the talk surrounding it has been focused on "Metal Gear" franchise creator Hideo Kojima, who either left Konami or was forced out of the company, depending on who you ask. Is he or isn't he officially thanked in the game's credits? Does this image from the game contain a secret message from employees loyal to Kojima?

So, what in the world is going on with "Metal Gear Survive"? Here's the deal:

SEE ALSO: No one is talking about the latest game in the blockbuster ‘Metal Gear’ franchise — but it’s actually pretty great

First and foremost: What is "Metal Gear Survive"?

"Metal Gear Survive" is a super, super weird game.

It's set in the same timeline as the last major "Metal Gear" game, "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain." But instead of continuing that game's story, it branches into an alternate, paranormal version of events.

The game's main character — one you've molded in the game's character creation tool, and named something silly — is one of dozens of random soldiers involved in a paranormal incident. A wormhole in the sky opens over the base you're stationed at, and you're swept into an alternate dimension: a bizarro version of Earth named "Dite" (dee-tay) that's full of horrific, zombie-like creatures.

And thus your journey begins: You're a soldier trying to survive in a parallel dimension that's full of zombies.

"Metal Gear" is a franchise with seriously passionate, loyal fans. And those fans are mad as hell that franchise creator and longtime director Hideo Kojima left/was forced out of his role at Japanese game company Konami.

Since "Survive" is the first "Metal Gear" game without Kojima, fans of the series and of Kojima himself are looking at "Metal Gear Survive" with extra scrutiny. And so is Kojima himself.

When asked about the game, Kojima noted that he had nothing to do with its creation.

"That’s nothing to do with me," he told an audience at the 2016 Tokyo Game Show, reports IGN. "The 'Metal Gear' games are about political fiction and espionage. Where do zombies fit in with that?"

Since Kojima is so deeply entwined with the "Metal Gear" franchise, many fans see "Metal Gear Survive" as a trick of sorts from the game's publisher, Konami — slapping the "Metal Gear" name on something that isn't truly a "Metal Gear" game (whatever that means).

Kojima was treated terribly by Konami, according to reports.

It's not clear exactly what caused the rift between Konami and Kojima — Kojima worked at the Japanese game publisher for over 20 years — but it's resulted in some seriously scorched earth.

The origin of the issues apparently goes all the way back to 2010, according to Nikkei, when a Konami game named "Dragon Collection" became a hit. The game was big in the mobile game market, and Konami reportedly had a strong reaction to seeing a game earn loads of cash that cost little to make.

As the company's corporate overlords shifted interest toward mobile and social games — games that often cost little to make and can reap massive profits — Konami began looking more shrewdly at its division that made massive, expensive, blockbuster games: specifically, Kojima Productions.

To put an even finer point on it, Kojima is known for being an auteur. His games are routinely delayed while he labors over every detail. This, among other things, leads to his games often costing tens of millions of dollars to make. Though they're often wildly successful, the production process is a scary and risky one.

But, instead of firing Kojima and moving toward mobile development, Konami reportedly instituted bizarre oversight methods to Kojima's production team. Those methods reportedly included cutting off the internet and installing cameras to watch staffers closely. Since Kojima's fans are so loyal, Konami has become a villain in the ongoing controversy.

• Rapper 50 Cent did not make around $8 million in bitcoin, contrary to a TMZ report that he previously seemed to confirm.
• The Blast obtained court documents in 50 Cent's bankruptcy case that reportedly stated the rapper has "never owned" a bitcoin account or "any bitcoins."

Rapper 50 Cent did not make around $8 million in bitcoin, contrary to a January TMZ report and his apparent confirmation of the report by boasting of its headline on social media. 

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, 50 Cent said he'd never owned a single bitcoin. 

The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, reportedly admitted in his bankruptcy case that media reports "falsely stated" that he owned millions in cryptocurrency, and that he has "never owned, and does not own, a bitcoin account or any bitcoins, and to the best of his knowledge, none of his companies had a bitcoin account from 2014 to the present."

TMZ reported in January that Jackson had made around $8 million — according to the valuation of bitcoin at the time — by accepting bitcoin as payment for his 2014 album, "Animal Ambition." 

Jackson later took to social media with screenshots of the article. He posted it on Instagram with a caption that read, "Not bad for a kid from South Side, I'm so proud of me," and then commented on the post, "Ima keep it real, I forgot I did that shit lol."

Jackson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 2015, citing personal debts of over $28 million.

SEE ALSO: Rapper 50 Cent confirms he accidentally made about $8 million in bitcoin: 'Ima keep it real, I forgot I did that s---'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

• Ryan Seacrest's former stylist, Suzie Hardy, has accused him of sexual harassment and assault. 
• NBCUniversal had previously investigated the claims and said it found "insufficient evidence."
• Hardy said she believed the investigator was "whitewashing it for Seacrest’s side.” 

Ryan Seacrest's former stylist has accused him of sexual harassment and assault, and has gone to the press with detailed allegations. 

Suzie Hardy worked as Seacrest's stylist for "E! News" from 2006-2014. A November letter from Hardy's attorney to E!'s corporate parent, NBCUniversal, outlined Hardy's allegations of harassment and assault, according to Variety. 

In the letter, Hardy and her attorneys alleged that while under Seacrest's employment, he grinded his erect penis on her while in his underwear, grabbed her by the vagina, and one time slapped her bottom, leaving a visible welt, Variety reported.

Seacrest has repeatedly denied Hardy’s claims.

Hardy said she reported Seacrest’s alleged actions to human resources in 2013. 

“I was in there for hours," she said to Variety. "I told them everything.”

Hardy told Variety that two weeks later, she was informed by E! that her contract would be ending.

In the letter sent in November, Hardy's attorney asked E! to “come up with a plan to address the treatment of all women at the networks and to take responsibility for the wrongful treatment” of Hardy. A week later, Seacrest took the allegation public, announcing in a statement that E! was investigating a misconduct claim against him made by “someone that worked as a wardrobe stylist for me nearly a decade ago at E! News."

Seacrest called her allegations “reckless.”

Three months later, E! said in a statement that its investigation had concluded and found “insufficient evidence to support the claims against Seacrest.” The investigation was conducted by an independent investigator hired by NBCUniversal. 

“Total exasperation was my definite feeling when I heard about it,” Hardy told Variety. She was interviewed three times by the independent investigator, she said. “I felt like by the third interview, it was obvious the investigator was whitewashing it for Seacrest’s side.” 

A spokesperson for E! told Variety, "Any claims that question the legitimacy of this investigation are completely baseless."

Seacrest denied Hardy’s claims. In a statement sent to Variety, Seacrest's lawyer said:

“It is upsetting to us that Variety is electing to run a ‘story’ about untrue allegations that were made against my client, after they were told that the accuser threatened to make those false claims against him unless he paid her $15 million. At that time, the claimant threatened to issue a demonstrably false press statement unless she was paid. Instead, my client proactively and publicly denied the claims and agreed to fully cooperate with E!’s investigation about the matter.”

SEE ALSO: The biggest misconception about the opioid crisis, according to the Oscar-nominated director of Netflix's 'Heroin(e)'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

The reasons the Olympics enthrall viewers — the atmosphere, the joy of winning, the agony of defeat, the spectacle of sport — are the same reasons they produce some of the best photos.

The Winter Olympics have now come to a close, but for over two weeks photographers captured stunning images from the games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Though there's too many great photos to count, we used Getty to compile some of our favorites.

Take a look below.

Figure skating is an exhausting sport, both physically and emotionally.

But when you get a gold medal, it's all worth it.

Lydia Lassila of Australia floats upside down, as freestyle skiers do.

"Black Panther" is officially a box office and cultural phenomenon. 

The Afro-futurist blockbuster takes place in Wakanda, a fictional African nation that is generations ahead of the rest of the world technologically, but chooses to hide its innovations in order to protect its people.

Since there were some clear connections between the fantasies of "Black Panther" and actual innovation happening in the real world, we took a closer look at a some of the most exciting technologies featured in "Black Panther," and tried to figure out how close these technologies are to becoming reality. (Warning: Massive spoilers ahead.)

SEE ALSO: How to use the new-look Snapchat like a pro, whether you're new to the app or you've been using it for years

"Black Panther": Shuri's magnet-powered subway

There are several references to futuristic vehicles in the film, but none got more screen time than the high-speed magnetic levitation subway that runs through Wakanda's famous vibranium mine.

Like most of the tech in Wakanda, the magnetic levitation (or maglev) rail system was designed by Shuri, King T'Challa's teenage sister and Wakanda's very own Tony Stark equivalent.

"Black Panther" director Ryan Cooler, a native of Oakland, California, has said in interviews that the Bay Area Rapid Transit (or BART) offered some inspiration for the design of the fictional subway, but you wouldn't be able to tell by simply comparing the speed, efficiency and innovation of the two rail systems.

Real Life: Elon Musk's Hyperloop

Shuri's maglev may be years ahead of any current transit rail systems, but as with most conceivably achievable sci-fi tropes, Elon Musk is working on it. 

Just last week, SpaceX got a permit to begin excavations in Washington, DC for building the Hyperloop, a high-speed, vacuum-powered railway that Musk says will someday be able to carry passengers from New York to the capitol in under 30 minutes.

The technology is still in its infancy and the permit to dig does not mean it will be ready to ride anytime soon, but SpaceX has been hosting student prototype competitions at its headquarters in California to speed up the research process, according to the SpaceX website.

With any luck, someone young and innovative like Shuri will win the next competition and lead the charge into the future of high-speed rail. 

"Black Panther": Remote piloting

In the movie, both Shuri and CIA Agent Everett Ross are shown driving a car and flying a plane, respectively, from a remote location. 

Using a recurring piece of Wakandan technology, called a Kimoyo bead, they are able to see the view out of each vehicle, as well as touch and manipulate the controls, as if they were really in the driver's seat. 

• Bill Cosby's daughter Ensa, who came to his defense during his trial, has died at age 44.
• Although details on her death have not yet been made public, a spokesperson said she died from renal disease, also known as chronic kidney disease.
• Ensa also made an appearance on "The Cosby Show" in 1989.

Ensa Cosby, Bill Cosby's daughter, has died at age 44 from renal disease, Reuters reported on Monday.

Ensa, who appeared in a 1989 episode of "The Cosby Show," in the role of a girl at a party, came back into the spotlight recently when she publicly supported her father after he was repeatedly accused of sexually assaulting numerous women.

Ensa was the second-youngest of Cosby's five children and the third of his four daughters.

Renal disease, also known as chronic kidney disease or chronic kidney failure, occurs when the kidneys begin to lose their function. Normally, the kidneys play a vital role in the body's natural filtration system: they siphon off waste and excess fluid from the blood, which are then excreted in urine.

The disease can accelerate when dangerous levels of fluid and waste build up over time.

Many people have few symptoms of renal disease in its early stages, but the signs that your kidneys are not functioning properly may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, changes in how much you urinate, swelling of feet and ankles, persistent itching, and high blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Without dialysis, a treatment that involves artificially filtering the blood, the disease can progress to kidney failure and be deadly.

People who develop renal failure typically have another health condition that results in impaired kidney function, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or polycystic kidney disease.

It is unclear what caused Ensa's kidney failure to progress, but USA Today reported that she suffered from a history of medical problems.

"The Cosby Family thanks many people for their prayers for their beloved and beautiful Ensa, who recently died from renal disease," the Cosby spokesperson who confirmed Ensa's death said in a statement.

Ensa Cosby made headlines in May 2017 when she released a statement with her older sister, Erinn, on the popular radio show, "The Breakfast Club," proclaiming their father’s innocence against the multiple rape allegations lodged against him.

The daughters said they were faithful listeners of the show and wanted to use it as a platform to criticize the media’s portrayal of their father, who was best known for his television role as the wise, witty dad on the long-running situation comedy "The Cosby Show."

"The accusations against my father have been one-sided since the beginning, and when he tried to defend himself he was sued in civil court," Ensa said in an audio statement that was aired during the morning show. "I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal."

"My father has been publicly lynched in the media," she added.

Cosby, 80, is scheduled to appear in a Pennsylvania court next week for a hearing on pretrial motions ahead of his scheduled retrial on April 2.

SEE ALSO: What happens if you take the pills Bill Cosby described as 'friends to help you relax'

Join the conversation about this story »

• Gun-control activists are organizing boycotts and calling for companies to cut ties with the National Rifle Association.
• The NRA has partnerships with companies that offer members special deals, such as discounts on car rentals or hotel bookings.
• The car-rental giant Enterprise and the First National Bank of Omaha are among the companies that have cut since ties with the NRA.

Gun-control activists are organizing boycotts of companies with ties to the National Rifle Association — and they're already producing results.

People on social media are calling for boycotts of companies that offer or have offered special deals to NRA members who, as part of their membership, receive discounts on things like car rentals and prescription drugs.

While companies such as FedEx still offer such discounts, other companies have cut ties.

The NRA, in a statement, said, "some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice. In time, these brands will be replaced."

Here are all the brands that have cut ties with the gun-rights group after the recent boycotts as well as past efforts by gun-control activists.

SEE ALSO: Two major hotel chains have cut ties with the NRA — and as boycotts loom, they want everyone to know

Delta Airlines

On Saturday, the airline tweeted that it is "reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel program. We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website."

United Airlines

The airline announced on Saturday that it is cutting ties to the NRA. 

"United is notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website," the company tweeted. 

Hertz

On Friday, Hertz tweeted, "We have notified the NRA that we are ending the NRA’s rental car discount program with Hertz."

Glenn Weiss has made a career directing some of the most nerve-racking live television shows ever created.

Working on the Emmy Awards, Tony Awards, American Music Awards, BET Awards, the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Weiss thought he’d seen it all over a 30-year career.

But then came last year’s Academy Awards.

It was the second time he’d directed the epic show and everything was running smoothly until the final award of the night: best picture.

You know the rest.

Presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope, incorrectly said that “La La Land” won, the cast and crew come on stage, and that lead to one of the most incredible live moments in TV history. “La La Land” producer, Jordan Horowitz, realizing that his movie did not win, held up the card revealing the real best picture winner was “Moonlight.”

A year later, Weiss is preparing to direct another Oscars telecast (airing Sunday), but he still can’t shake those infamous few minutes of live television.

“I had no idea that one shot of a card that says ‘Moonlight’ will probably define my career for the rest of my life,” Weiss told Business Insider over the phone.

Here Weiss breaks down how they captured the best picture win at the 89th Academy Awards.

SEE ALSO: MoviePass' CEO explains why a "small percentage" of accounts were terminated, and how to make sure it won't happen again

“I really thought he was just being funny”

Looking back on it now, the reaction Warren Beatty has when he opens the envelope he was given and sees what’s inside speaks volumes. But at the time, Weiss just thought Beatty was putting on the same act he was doing during rehearsals.

“Warren and Faye were very playful with each other during rehearsals,” Weiss said. “So when he started doing that [during the show] I really thought he was just being funny.”

Once “La La Land” was announced as the winner, Weiss said he and his team were getting ready to present Jimmy Kimmel’s closing bit and the end credits.

“It didn’t feel like anything was wrong, looking back, Warren was looking for help,” Weiss said.

Beatty told the audience later that the card he was given was not for best picture, but a duplicate of the best actress award the was already announced, which was awarded to Emma Stone for “La La Land.”

“All my years of training at that moment went 180 degrees”

Weiss said he wasn’t notified something was wrong until a minute and a half after “La La Land” was announced. By that time the producers of the movie had begun giving their acceptance speeches.

“I hear in the headset from my lead stage manager, ‘The accountant just said he thinks we gave the wrong winner,’” Weiss recalled. “I said, ‘Get out there and get this fixed.’”

You can see in the video someone with a headset walking into the camera frame on stage. Weiss said you see that because he decided instantly to show what was unfolding, which goes against everything he was taught.

“When you direct live television, your training says if something is going so wrong that your stage manager has to go out there you’re going to do a wide shot,” Weiss said. “That’s just what we do when we try to keep shows clean. All my years of training at that moment went 180 degrees. I basically thought, something really bad just happened, I don’t want the headline tomorrow to be we tried to cover it up.”

Weiss showed all the whispering and scurrying on stage as producers gave their acceptance speeches and members of the crew tried to obtain the correct envelope.

Weiss was “obsessed” with getting a shot of the card that said the real best picture winner

Weiss said he became “instantly obsessed” with finding someone holding the correct winning card.

“I basically told one of our camera operators who didn’t have an assignment at that moment to ‘just go tight on the card if anyone holds it up,’” Weiss said.

The director said all he was trying to do in the moment was show the audience watching at home what they all were seeing. And then Horowitz lifted up the card that said “Moonlight” was the winner.

“When that card was held up and we took the shot, honestly, I was just doing what my gut told me to do,” Weiss said. “Now, it’s the most talked about thing, it’s crazy.”

Weiss said the significance of that shot didn’t hit him until the next day when he began seeing the shot in newspapers and on TV. He admitted that didn’t make him that pleased.

“I felt really good about that television show I made,” he said. “The next morning reading about this one shot of the card was weird because I really thought the show was beautiful.”

Oscar wins are hard to come by, and those actors who have won multiple Academy Awards are an elite club.

Daniel Day-Lewis, who is one of the six actors with three or more Oscar wins, could tie for the most wins of all time at this year's Oscars should he win for his best actor-nominated turn in "Phantom Thread."

Day-Lewis is joined at the top of the following list by several other actors and actresses with illustrious careers, including Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, and Katharine Hepburn. 

Here are the 40 actors who have won multiple Academy Awards in acting categories:

SEE ALSO: The Oscar-nominated director of Netflix's 'Heroin(e)' talks about exploring a side of the opioid epidemic that the media ignores

Christoph Waltz — 2 wins, 2 nominations

Best supporting actor: "Inglorious Basterds" (2009), "Django Unchained" (2012)

Hilary Swank — 2 wins, 2 nominations

Best actress: "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), "Million Dollar Baby" (2004)

Kevin Spacey — 2 wins, 2 nominations

Best actor: "American Beauty" (1999)

Best supporting actor: "The Usual Suspects" (1995)

• Stephen Colbert blasted President Trump for saying at a US governors' meeting on Monday that he would have "run in" to stop the Parkland, Florida school shooting. 
• Trump told the meeting, "You don't know until you test it, but I think, I really believe I'd run in there, even if I didn't have a weapon." 
• Colbert cast doubt on Trump's ability to "run," and cited Trump's "five deferments from Vietnam" as a further source of doubt on the president's ability to react to "combat situations."

Stephen Colbert on Monday mocked President Trump for saying that he would "run in" to stop an active school shooter, even without a weapon.

"You don't know until you test it, but I think, I really believe I'd run in there, even if I didn't have a weapon," Trump said on Monday to a meeting of US governors, weeks after a shooter opened fire at a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 14 others.

"There's a lot in there that I doubt, but the part I really don’t believe is that he can run," Colbert said. "Look, sir, we already know how you react to combat situations. You got five deferments from Vietnam. What are you gonna do? Run in there and stab 'em with your bone spurs?"

The "Late Show" host went on to say that if Trump is living in a "fantasy world," he "might as well make it interesting." 

Colbert then proceeded in a mock-Trump voice: "Even if I had a gun, I would've dropped it just to show how tough I was. Then I would've run in and hit the shooter with my laser beam eyes, then use my mind like Neo in 'The Matrix' and fly away to space Mar-a-Lago — Space-a-Lago."

Watch the segment: 

SEE ALSO: The 40 actors who have won multiple Oscars, and who has won the most

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

• Blink-182 is refusing to ship merchandise through FedEx following gun-rights activists boycott threats. 
• FedEx pledged to maintain ties to the NRA, even though the shipping company says it disagrees with the guns-rights group's policies. 
• More than a dozen companies, including Hertz, United, and Delta, have cut ties with the NRA in the last week.

Blink-182's bass player says the band is no longer using FedEx after the shipping company refused to cut ties with the National Rifle Association. 

FedEx "has chosen to continue its business relationship with the NRA, despite its board member pushing conspiracies against children who survived Parkland," bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus tweeted on Monday.  

He continued: "I've directed our representatives to stop using them, and encourage you to do the same."

With the boycott, Blink-182 is joining a number of other people threatening to stop using FedEx. Cult-favorite ice cream company Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream also vowed to stop shipping with FedEx on Monday. 

Last week, in the wake of the shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead, people on social media began to pressure companies that offer special deals to NRA members to cut ties with the gun-rights organization.

More than a dozen companies, including Hertz, United, and Delta, have cut ties with the NRA in recent days. However, FedEx has said it plans to continue to offer NRA members discounts.

However, FedEx announced it would continue its relationship with the NRA, offering members discounts of up to 26% on shipping. 

"The NRA is one of hundreds of organizations in our alliances/association Marketing program whose members receive discounted rates for FedEx shipping," the company said in its statement. "FedEx has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues."

FedEx's continued loyalty to the NRA has been met with increased boycott pressure. 

"So how else should we pressure @FedEx to end their relationship with the NRA?" David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who has since emerged as a leading voice on gun control, tweeted on Monday.

Since the weekend, FedEx's social media accounts have been flooded by boycott threats. Celebrities and well-known personalities including Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Rosie O'Donnell, Billy Eichner, and Zach Braff tweeted over the weekend in support of the effort to boycott FedEx. 

SEE ALSO: FedEx breaks its silence with a promise to stay loyal to the NRA amid boycott threats — but says it doesn't agree with the gun group

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Diet Coke has released four new flavors — here's what our resident Diet Coke fans have to say

• YouTube has resumed ads on controversial star Logan Paul's videos.
• YouTube had suspended ads after Paul uploaded a video of him tasering dead rats.
• Paul is still on a 90-day probation period, in which his videos cannot appear among the top trending videos on the website. He also can't receive Google Preferred ads. 

YouTube is allowing ads on Logan Paul's videos once again, but the controversial YouTube star is still on a 90-day probation period. 

YouTube had suspended ads from Paul's videos earlier this month after he uploaded a video of himself tasering dead rats. The video was met with widespread online criticism. 

YouTube has lifted the suspension, but, according to Polygon, Paul isn't off the hook quite yet. Polygon reports that Paul is still on a 90-day probation period. While in this period, he can't receive premium Google Preferred ads and his videos will not appear among YouTube's top trending videos. 

The tasering video wasn't the only controversy in Paul's recent past. In January, Paul posted a video of him and friends discovering a body in Japan's "suicide forest."

Earlier this month, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki explained why Paul hadn't been banned from the platform entirely.

"When someone violates our policies three times, we terminate. We terminate accounts all the time," Wojcicki said at the Recode Media conference. "He hasn't done anything that would cause those three strikes."

Paul hasn't let the slap on the wrist from YouTube stop him from creating content that pushes the envelope. Paul is currently arranging a boxing match with another YouTube star, KSI. The two plan to fight each other in a livestreamed match, and Paul has suggested that his younger brother Jake should fight KSI's brother, as well. 

Despite Paul's controversies and probation, the star still has nearly 17 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

SEE ALSO: 50 Cent reportedly told the bankruptcy court that he never owned bitcoin, contrary to a report that he made $8 million in crypto

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

• Comcast said Tuesday it would bid $31 billion for British satellite broadcaster Sky.
• The deal could upset 21st Century Fox's plans to acquire Sky in order to sell it to Disney. 

Shares of Disney fell as much as 3.7% in trading Tuesday after Comcast unexpectedly said it would launch a competing $31 billion bid for British broadcaster Sky.

The offer could throw a wrench into 21st Century Fox’s previously attempts to increase its stake in Sky from 40% to a majority 61% before selling the company to Disney.

For years now, 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch has made multiple attempts to buy the British satellite operator, but suffered a major setback in June 2017 when the UK government said it would refer the possible deal to regulators.

Fox has already agreed on paper to sell its stake in Sky to Disney as part of a $52.4 billion (£37.5 billion) package of film and TV assets. At the time the deal was announced, 21st Century Fox said it remained "committed to completing its proposed acquisition of the shares in Sky it does not own."

Comcast was one of the interested bidders in Fox's entertainment assets, according to multiple reports.

Comcast says it is “confident that we will be able to receive the necessary regulatory approvals,” and Wall Street seems to agree.

“We expect this deal to go through as we do not think Fox (or Disney, who are acquiring the Sky assets as part of their purchase of various Fox assets) will want to get into a bidding war, especially given the complications surrounding Sky News,” Liberium media analyst Ian Whittaker said in a note Tuesday morning.

You can read a full roundup of Wall Street analyst reactions to the news here>>

Oscar Williams-Grut contributed to this report from London

SEE ALSO: NBC-owner Comcast opens bidding war for Sky with surprise £22 billion offer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Elon Musk explains the one thing that went wrong with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy flight

• The Marvel Cinematic Universe has lasted 10 years and 18 movies, and shows no signs of slowing down. 
• During that time there have been plenty of memorable moments.
• We ranked 16 of the best moments in the MCU. 

After 10 years and 18 movies, with many more on the way, Marvel Studios has given audiences a bevy of memorable moments for casual moviegoers and super-fans alike. 

From Tony Stark's first armored suit that started it all, to most recently "Black Panther's" emphasis on a strong supporting cast of fearless women, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to both portray the best parts of the comic books, and please audiences of all kinds.

With "Black Panther" still drawing crowds to movie theaters, Business Insider has reflected on the best moments from the MCU that have kept audiences returning for more.

Below are 16 of the best moments, ranked. (Major spoiler warning if you haven't seen these films): 

SEE ALSO: If you loved 'Black Panther,' prepare to be disappointed by the rest of 2018's superhero movies

16. Star-Lord vs. Ego ("Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2")

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" attempts to be more emotional than its predecessor. Some of it doesn't work, but when it does, it works really well. For instance, when Star-Lord's father, the evil cosmic being named Ego, reveals that he gave his mother the tumor that killed her, Star-Lord realizes his long-lost dad isn't who he thought he was. The ensuing battle is a blast of action and even some Pac-Man, and that earlier revelation gives it an extra emotional weight. 

15. Odin exiles Thor ("Thor")

The first "Thor" is not that great, but it somehow managed to lure Anthony Hopkins to play Thor's father, Odin. Thank the gods, because this scene is lifted by his presence. When Thor royally messes up a truce between the people of Thor's homeworld Asgard and the Frost Giants, Odin banishes Thor to Earth until he is worthy enough to wield the hammer Mjolner once again. It's such an effective scene because of Hopkins' performance. 

14. The raceway fight ("Iron Man 2")

"Iron Man 2" is one of the worst films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one scene in particular stands out for being an impressive, effects-driven action sequence. Mickey Rourke is unfortunately underutilized as the villain Whiplash in the movie, but he makes a worthy grand entrance during a fight scene on the Monaco Raceway. 

• Barbra Streisand told Variety that she successfully made two clones of her Coton du Tulear dog, which died in 2017.
• She said they have different personalities.

Barbra Streisand said in a new interview with Variety that she successfully made two clones of her pet dog. 

The singer said that two of her Coton de Tulear dogs were cloned from cells taken from the mouth and stomach of her 14-year-old dog Samantha, who died in 2017. 

"They have different personalities,” Streisand said of the two clones, Miss Scarlet and Miss Violet. "I'm waiting for them to get older so I can see if they have her [Samantha's] brown eyes and seriousness."

Streisand added that she owns a third dog of the same breed, Miss Fanny, (pictured in the Instagram post above), which she said is a distant cousin of the original dog.

In 2015, Tech Insider profiled the South Korean lab Sooam Biotech, which took up the practice of cloning dogs for $100,000 each.

Read Variety's profile of Streisand.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

• Szechuan sauce returned to McDonald's menus across the US on Monday. 
• While a few people loved the sauce, most said it failed to live up to its heavily-hyped expectations. 
• "Rick and Morty" fans rioted in October after the fast-food chain gave away Szechuan sauce across the US — and demand far exceeded supply.

McDonald's Szechuan sauce didn't get the celebration the fast-food giant hoped for when it returned to menus on Monday. 

After months of petitions by "Rick and Morty" fans, bidding wars, and riots in fast-food parking lots, some McDonald's customers found the Szechuan sauce to be disappointing. 

A few people straight-up hated the Szechuan sauce. 

"I would rather dip a nugget in bigfoots butt crack than ever taste this swill again," one commenter wrote on McDonald's Facebook page.

However, most customers were more tempered in their response. 

"I got some this time," another Facebook commenter wrote. "It was pretty good but people if you don’t get any trust me it's not worth rioting over."

A handful of people truly loved the sauce. 

"Guys just tried this sauce for the first time ... its the best thing you guys have ever done!" one commenter wrote on Facebook. 

The reality is that it would be hard for McDonald's to produce a sauce that lived up to the hype.

McDonald's locations literally had to call the police because "Rick and Morty" fans were rioting when they didn't get a taste of the sauce. DJ deadmau5 spent roughly $15,000 on a jug of the stuff.

Business Insider taste testers described the Szechuan sauce as a mix of classic suburban, American-Chinese restaurants' sweet-and-sour chicken with some soy sauce and a hint of sesame. All in all, it was fine — but nothing special. 

"It's goopy, sweet, and very salty — and, in its own right, it's a pretty tasty option," we wrote in our review of the sauce. "We aggressively dunked and quickly downed 40 nuggets doused in the Szechuan sauce, so we can promise that it's tasty, and you'll want to keep on dipping."

The return of Szechuan sauce was sparked by "Rick and Morty" fans' demands. The limited-menu item from the '90s had appeared in an episode of the Adult Swim show. 

In October, McDonald's gave away the sauce at select locations after some fans of "Rick and Morty" bid thousands of dollars to get the select jugs of Szechuan sauce released by the fast-food giant. 

"Rick and Morty" fans swarmed to those locations, only to find that each restaurant had only 20 to 40 sauce packets and 10 special-edition posters. The diehard fans, some of whom had shown up at the locations as early as 4 a.m., were furious at McDonald's.

Ultimately, Szechuan sauce was about "Rick and Morty" — not the taste of the sauce itself. So, any McDonald's customer hoping that the sauce would live up to the hype based on taste alone was sure to be disappointed. 

SEE ALSO: We finally tried McDonald's mythical Szechuan sauce — and it proved that 'Rick and Morty' fans were fools to riot and spend thousands of dollars on it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Diet Coke has released four new flavors — here's what our resident Diet Coke fans have to say

• The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) oversees video game ratings in North America.
• On Tuesday, the ESRB announced that a new label will be applied to games "with in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency."
• The label will show up on retail boxes in stores, as well as on digital storefronts like the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store.
• The move comes after lawmakers in several states have proposed steps to regulate in-game purchases.

The group that oversees video-game ratings in North America just announced a huge change that impacts all games, and the future of the industry as a whole.

Going forward, any video game "with in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency" must be labeled with a new sticker that says "In-Game Purchases." 

More directly: Any game with in-game purchases must now be labeled as such.

The move is a warning to consumers about potentially expensive components of a game they're about to buy. The group that oversees game ratings in North America, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), is framing the move around parents being informed.

"With the new In-Game Purchases interactive element coming to physical games, parents will know when a game contains offers for players to purchase additional content," ESRB president Patricia Vance said in the press release that announced the new labels.

Beyond informing parents, the move is in response to the controversy surrounding several notable video games released in 2017. The biggest most recent example is "Star Wars Battlefront 2," which infuriated players with its choice to lock major characters behind a paywall (the move was quickly retracted). 

Players were mad enough, and vocal enough, that legislators got involved at one point.

Then, in February, Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire got in touch with the ESRB directly.

"I respectfully urge the ESRB to review the completeness of the board's ratings process and policies as they relate to loot boxes, and to take into account the potential harm these types of micro-transactions may have on children," Hassan wrote in the letter.

Without saying as much directly, the ESRB is adding the label in an attempt to assuage the concerns of legislators. It's a small move, but it's one that impacts all video games published on game consoles in North America. Whether or not consumers will notice the label, or care, is another question altogether. 

Beyond the new label, the ESRB has also launched a website dedicated to educating parents on various aspects of gaming — from parental control instructions for each console, to information about how various online services work, and all sorts of other stuff. 

SEE ALSO: A state politician in Hawaii says the new 'Star Wars' game encourages kids to gamble and he wants to ban sales to anyone under 21

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's actually like to hear voices in your head

• Jennifer Lawrence told Vanity Fair that appearing nude in her new movie "Red Sparrow" was a prospect that "scared the hell out of" her, following a 2014 hack that leaked her nude photos online.
• Lawrence said that her "biggest fear" was that people would say "'Oh, how can you complain about the hack if you're going to get nude anyway?'"
• Lawrence said in an interview on Sunday with "60 Minutes" that she ultimately felt "empowered" to do the nude scenes. 

Jennifer Lawrence said in a new profile with Vanity Fair that she was wary of appearing nude in her new movie, "Red Sparrow," following a 2014 hack that leaked her nude photos online.

Lawrence stars as a Russian secret intelligence agent in the film, a spy thriller filled with sex, violence, and nudity.

"'Red Sparrow' really scared the hell out of me because I get nude," Lawrence said. "I tried to do the movie without nudity but realized it just wouldn't be right to put the character through something that I, myself, am not willing to go through."

The 27-year-old actress told Vanity Fair that she was concerned viewers would criticize her for appearing nude after she condemned the hack of her nude photos.

"My biggest fear was that people would say, 'Oh, how can you complain about the hack if you're going to get nude anyway?,'" Lawrence said. 

Lawrence said in an interview with "60 Minutes" on Sunday that she ultimately felt "empowered" to do the nude scenes. 

"I realized that there was a difference between consent and not and I showed up for the first day and I did it and I felt empowered," Lawrence said. "I feel like something that was taken from me I got back and am using in my art."

"Red Sparrow" opens in theaters on March 2.

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence says she felt empowered doing nudity in her new movie following her 2014 nude photo hack

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The truth about the US jury system

• The most common reason potential contestants cannot participate on "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" is because they have a sexually transmitted infection.
• Creator Mike Fleiss' former assistant said "you'd see that herpes is the biggest thing."
• Writer Amy Kaufman details it in her upcoming book, "Bachelor Nation," out March 6.

Want to know the most common reason contestants don't get approved to compete on "The Bachelor?" It's not looks, and it's not the psychological exam. It's herpes, according to a new book on the show. 

Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman discovered this information while researching her upcoming book "Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure," out March 6. (An excerpt was published today in The New York Post.) 

In the book, Kaufman details every step to becoming a contestant. After filling out an extensive application, with five to 15 pictures of themselves and a “well-lit” video showing off their home, lifestyle, and personality, finalists are invited to LA or a weekend to fill out personality tests. The weekend also includes interviews with producers on the show. Participants are confined to the hotel the entire weekend, and are not allowed to talk to each other. 

They also have to take a medical examination, which includes an STI test. 

“As soon as the medical tests came back, you’d see that herpes was the biggest thing,” Ben Hatta, [creator and executive producer] Mike Fleiss’ former assistant, said. “And sometimes you’d be the first person to tell a contestant that they had herpes. You’d be like, ‘Uh, you should call your doctor.’ Why? ‘We’re not going to be able to have you on our show, but you should call your doctor.’

Every potential contestant with any STI is taken out of the running immediately.

“Then they’d realize they’d been denied from ‘The Bachelor’ and now a bunch of people knew they had herpes," Hatta said.

"Apparently, that’s the top reason applicants don’t make it onto the show," Kaufman writes in the book.

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence shared her 'biggest fear' about doing a nude scene for her new movie 'Red Sparrow'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

• McDonald'sannounced in August 2017 that it would be cutting Hi-C Orange from the menu. 
• Many customers have still not recovered from the loss.
• With the return of Szechuan sauce, some people are demanding McDonald's also bring back Hi-C. 

McDonald's customers are demanding the return of Hi-C Orange. 

The fast-food giant announced back in April that it would replace the iconic Hi-C Orange Lavaburst with a new soda, called Sprite TropicBerry.

However, the limited return of Szechuan sauce has prompted a new wave of demands that McDonald's bring back Hi-C. 

"All of these Rick and Morty idiots have no idea what Mulan is or what this crap even tastes like," reads one of the top Facebook comments on McDonald's post about Szechuan sauce. "Take care of your customers and bring back Hi-C Orange." 

Another person commented: "all i want is the HI-C back NOW." 

Twitter users have been similarly adamant in their demands that McDonald's bring back Hi-C Orange. 

"How could McDonald’s get rid of Hi- C Orange," one person tweeted earlier in February. "This is a travesty". 

Even McDonald's workers are mourning the loss of the beverage. The cover photo of the Facebook page "McDonald's Worker Memes" currently reads "In Memory of HI-C ORANGE LAVABURST."

Hi-C is a Minute Maid brand, owned by Coca-Cola.

McDonald's still sells other Coca-Cola products. But, as the fast-food chain moves to build a healthier menu, it is unlikely that the sugary Hi-C Orange Lavaburst will return to the menu. 

SEE ALSO: McDonald's customers slam Szechuan sauce as 'overrated' and 'the biggest disappointment in my life' after 'Rick and Morty' riots

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The rise and fall of Hooters Air — the airline that lost the 'breastaurant' $40 million