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Roblox is rolling out stricter age-verification requirements and new age-segmented chat systems as it faces mounting legal and regulatory pressure over child safety on the platform. The company confirmed Tuesday that users who want to access private or expanded communication features will soon need to complete an AI-driven age check, with additional limits designed to prevent adults and minors from interacting unless they already know each other offline.

The platform will use facial age-estimation technology provided by Persona, requiring users who opt in to record a brief video selfie. Roblox says the footage is deleted once the age check is completed. Players who decline the scan can still use the platform but will not be able to message others freely. The company notes that children under 13 are already barred from chatting outside of in-game channels without verified parental permission, and private chats remain unencrypted so moderation teams can review communications for safety concerns.

Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s chief safety officer, said the age-estimation tool is generally accurate within one to two years for users between roughly five and 25. He added that those who feel their estimated age is incorrect may verify with a government ID or rely on parental consent. “But of course, there’s always people who may be well outside of a traditional bell curve. And in those cases, if you disagree with the estimate that comes back, then you can provide an ID or use parental consent in order to correct that,” he said.

Once verified, players will be sorted into six age brackets—under 9; 9–12; 13–15; 16–17; 18–20; and 21+—and allowed to chat only with their own or nearby age groups, depending on the feature being used. Roblox plans to begin enforcing these requirements in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in early December, with a global rollout scheduled for January. The company is also launching a new online safety center to guide families through parental controls and upcoming policy changes.

These moves come as Roblox confronts a surge of legal challenges. Dozens of families, along with attorneys general in Kentucky and Louisiana, are suing the company—alongside platforms like Discord—accusing them of failing to prevent predators from contacting children. Florida’s attorney general is conducting a separate investigation into Roblox’s safety practices.

Tech companies across the industry have been accelerating age-verification efforts to comply with new laws and respond to criticism. Google is testing AI-based age checks for YouTube, while Instagram is experimenting with tools to identify users misrepresenting their age.

Roblox previously outlined its intention to broaden age checks for all users seeking access to communication tools, and the new measures represent the most significant expansion of those plans to date.

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The Senate unanimously agreed to send the House-backed Epstein bill to President Trump’s desk on Tuesday, which came shortly after the House overwhelmingly voted to pass legislation to compel the Justice Department to release all its records related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The chamber passed the bipartisan bill – known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act – in a vote of 427-1, with only Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) voting in opposition. The measure secured enough bipartisan support to head straight to the House floor last week, and was boosted over the weekend after President Donald Trump reversed his position and urged Republicans to support it.

The bill will force the DOJ to publicly release files related to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of it being signed into law, with some exceptions for survivors’ personal information and other sensitive material.

The unanimous action by the Senate means there will be no amendments or changes to the bill, despite House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of his Republican leadership team urging. Johnson – who originally opposed the effort but ultimately supported final passage — had said he expected the Senate to fix what he called “serious deficiencies” in the bill. While Johnson voted for the measure, he had argued that the bill doesn’t adequately protect victims of Epstein: “I talked to John Thune over the weekend. I just texted him. We’re going to get together and we’ll talk about this. There’s an easy way to amend the legislation to make sure we don’t do permanent damage to the justice system and I’m going to insist upon that.”

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Kid Cudi has officially unveiled ‘Neverland,’ his long-awaited short film now streaming exclusively on the Amazon Music app for Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers. The film, directed by Ti West and produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, brings to life the story behind the first single from Cudi’s newly released album, FREE.

Neverland centers on a 200-year-old vampire and his newly transformed lover as she navigates her first taste of human blood. The cast stars Cudi alongside Kiernan Shipka, Brittany Snow, Haley Joel Osment, Cary Elwes, and Brandon Scott.

To celebrate the premiere, a limited number of exclusive, autographed Popcorn Buckets inspired by Neverland will be made available through the Amazon Music app.

Fans can also browse a new line of Neverland-themed apparel, launching both in the app and through Cudi’s official Amazon storefront at Amazon.com/kidcudi.

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To mark the 20th anniversary of Daft Punk’s acclaimed third album ‘Human After All,’ Rhino Records will release a special double LP gatefold edition of the companion project Human After All Remixes on November 28 – marking the first-ever complete vinyl edition of the remix collection.

Human After All, originally released in March 2005,  became the duo’s third studio album; one year later, Daft Punk issued a remix album featuring reimagined versions of Human After All tracks, available only on CD in Japan. That edition included contributions from artists such as Justice, Soulwax, and SebastiAn.  In June 2014, an expanded version of the remix collection was released—again exclusively in Japan—adding new mixes from Basement Jaxx and The Juan Maclean. In August 2014, the album was made available internationally on streaming platforms.

Alongside the release, new Human After All merchandise has been launched through the group’s official website. Fans can also purchase the Super7 ReAction Figures 2-Pack, which recreates Daft Punk’s appearance from the 2005 “Technologic” video. The 3.75-inch figures feature five points of articulation, include guitar accessories, and the Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo figure even comes with a removable helmet.

Preorder Daft Punks’ ‘Human After All: Remixes’ – HERE.

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David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), resigned on Monday. (via The Washington Post).

Richardson submitted a resignation letter on Monday to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA. However multiple sources told CNN that plans were already in the works at the agency to oust Richardson from the role.

Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer, is the latest acting leader to resign from the role during President Donald Trump’s second term. Richardson served as FEMA’s “Senior Official Performing the Duties” of administrator since May 8, 2025, when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly removed his predecessor, Cameron Hamilton. Before leading FEMA, Richardson was Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.

Richardson stepped down as pressure intensified over FEMA’s handling of the catastrophic July floods in central Texas, which left more than 130 people dead, including 27 campers and staff at Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River. He faced fierce backlash — even from members of Congress — for being largely out of reach during the emergency. FEMA officials stated that they were unable to contact the acting administrator for several hours, delaying coordination of critical search-and-rescue operations.

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President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course and is urging House Republicans to support legislation that would force the public release of all government-held records tied to Jeffrey Epstein and the investigations surrounding him. The turnaround comes as GOP leaders prepare for a floor vote Tuesday on the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

In a Truth Social post, Trump declared, “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown.’” He echoed similar remarks made earlier in the weekend, insisting that “The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the Public on ‘Epstein,’ are looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!”

Trump had spent the past week opposing the push for transparency, at one point calling the effort a “hoax” and suggesting Democrats were seizing on the documents to divert attention from the shutdown dispute. His shift followed mounting pressure from within his own party, as as many as 100 Republicans signaled they were prepared to join a discharge petition led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that forced the matter onto the floor despite GOP leadership’s resistance.

Trump later told reporters on Monday that he would sign a bill to compel the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein if it passes in Congress. “We have nothing to do with Epstein. The Democrats do — all of his friends were Democrats,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. As previously noted, the measure is expected to go to the House floor on Tuesday.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who also previously opposed advancing the bill, has acknowledged “lots of votes” exist for the measure and confirmed the House will vote this week. “There’s nothing to hide,” he said.

The bill, first introduced in July by Khanna and Massie, would mandate the release of a wide range of Epstein-related materials within 30 days, including investigative files, flight manifests, travel records, internal DOJ communications, and any documents describing the destruction or concealment of evidence. It also covers records involving Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 at a federal jail in Manhattan while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, a death that has fueled enduring suspicion and calls for full disclosure of the government’s records.

The latest news regarding the Epstein filed comes amid renewed scrutiny prompted by the House Oversight Committee’s disclosure last week of more than 20,000 pages from Epstein’s estate. Among the emails was a reference from Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell calling Trump the “dog that hasn’t barked” and claiming he spent hours at Epstein’s residence with one of Epstein’s victims. Trump, however, maintains he ended his relationship with Epstein long before Epstein’s 2008 conviction and has consistently denied involvement in any criminal conduct. Clinton, whom Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate on Friday along with other prominent Democrats mentioned in recent documents, has categorically denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. A Clinton spokesperson said the newly released emails “prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing” and dismissed the broader controversy as political noise.

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YouTuber-turned-boxe Jake Paul will step into the ring against former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Dec. 19 at Miami’s Kaseya Center. The bout — a sanctioned, eight-round heavyweight fight with standard 10-ounce gloves — replaces Paul’s canceled Nov. 14 exhibition with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, which fell apart after Davis was accused of domestic violence in a civil lawsuit.

Netflix confirmed the matchup, posting: “Yes, it’s real. JAKE PAUL vs. ANTHONY JOSHUA. A career-defining pro heavyweight fight. LIVE only on Netflix Friday, December 19. #JakeJoshua”

Talks between Paul and Joshua initially focused on a potential 2026 showdown, but negotiations accelerated once Paul’s Davis fight collapsed. The new matchup marks an extraordinary jump in weight and class for Paul, who has primarily competed at cruiserweight and only recently fought as a heavyweight in his exhibition against Mike Tyson. Paul enters with a 12-1 record and wins over two former world champions, while Joshua brings a 28-4 record and one of the most accomplished heavyweight résumés of the past decade.

For Joshua, 36, the December date comes as he eyes a February return in Saudi Arabia and potentially a long-anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury if he wins early next year. Joshua has not fought since being stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024, a loss that halted a four-fight winning streak. He has since undergone elbow surgery and trained without a full-time coach, working with several teams across Europe.

Paul, meanwhile, has boxed only 70 professional rounds and has never faced a heavyweight anywhere near Joshua’s level. Paul framed the bout as the moment he proves he belongs among boxing’s elite: “This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime… On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep. I KNOWWWW YOU GOT EM PICKED HAHAHHA”

Joshua added: “Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy.  took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me… Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”

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The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday that guard Ja Morant will be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks after suffering a right calf strain in Saturday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Morant left midway through the first quarter after reporting calf soreness and did not return. Further evaluation confirmed a Grade 1 strain, and he is set to be re-examined in “approximately two weeks.”

The injury comes during an already turbulent season for the two-time All-Star, who was suspended one game on Nov. 2 for what the team described as “conduct detrimental to the team.” According to reports, that suspension stemmed from an exchange with head coach Tuomas Iisalo following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, during which Morant’s response to a challenge about his leadership and effort was deemed inappropriate.

Morant has since appeared in six of seven games after the suspension, averaging 17.9 points, 7.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1 steal while posting career-low shooting percentages — 35.9% from the field and 16.7% from three. His scoring output is his lowest since his rookie year and well below his career average of 22.4 points per game.

Morant scored seven points in six minutes before exiting Saturday’s game, which marked his return after missing Wednesday’s game in Boston with a sore ankle. The Grizzlies has already been dealing with significant injuries: Ty Jerome remains out with a high-grade calf strain, Scotty Pippen Jr. is sidelined with a toe injury, and Brandon Clarke continues recovering from knee surgery. Center Zach Edey only just returned in the Cleveland game.

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Legendary Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah has dropped his latest track, “Ancient Dirt (L’Etrusco Uccide Ancora),” marking his role as narrator in ‘Nightmare in Rome — a first-of-its-kind multimedia project uniting hip-hop, electronic experimentation, and Italian soundtrack heritage.

In collaboration with acclaimed Italian producer Lorenzo Senni, ‘Nightmare in Rome’ envisions a futuristic city split by the “Green Line” — where the wealthy New Urbe rises over the sprawling slums of Zuburrah. In this dystopian world, music becomes rebellion: an underground band performs from ancient catacombs to keep hope alive as society fractures around them. The full Nightmare in Rome album will drop in early 2026.

Along with “Ancient Dirt,” GFK also released a visualizer for the song “Candyland” off his Supreme Clientele 2 album which came out back in August. Check it out: HERE.

“Ancient Dirt (L’Etrusco Uccide Ancora)” is available HERE.

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Busta Rhymes is paying tribute to the late R&B legend D’Angelo with the tribute song, titled “Magic.” D’Angelo passed away last month at the age of 51.

In the song announcement on Instagram, Busta shared: “THE BLESSINGS DON’T STOP SO WE WON’T EVER STOP!!! THANK YOU @thedangelo FOR GIFTING US ABUNDANTLY AND FOR BEING SUCH A BLESSING TO SO MANY OF US KING!!! I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME RECENT THOUGHTS AS WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU IN THIS TRIBUTE TO YOU KING!! THANK YOU @okayplayer FOR BEING APART OF SHARING THIS!! WE LOVE YOU MISS YOU VERY MUCH KING D’ANGELO!!! REST EASY KING!!! #MAGIC ”

Busta also told Okayplayer in a statement: “I met D’Angelo through Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed [Muhammad] at an A Tribe Called Quest studio session probably around 1990. It wasn’t too far from around the timeframe that we were working on ‘Scenario.’”

Busta recalled the positive energy from the D’Angelo, and how he immediately felt a kinship: “When I met him, it was just a good, beautiful energy with the bro. D’Angelo’s personality speaks volumes because of how reserved he was. When it was time for him to actually speak — when you heard him sing or play the keyboard — it magnified the polar opposite of how quiet he was. The entire 34 years of knowing D has been an incredible experience … I feel like the Earth shifted when D came to do music. He was the embodiment of some shit that was a complete balance of what our ancestors created, to where he took it.  The sh-t that he did decide to share with us — when people discover it, now or years from now, [it] is going to still shift the way of thinking. For whoever can appreciate real music. People think that it ends because of his physical transition, but it needed to be made clear that there’s nothing about him that’s going to end anytime soon.”

Listen to ‘Magic (D’Angelo Tribute Song)’ from Busta Rhymes – HERE.

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