This Feb. 28, 2004 file photo shows Oscar host Billy Crystal (left) and presenter Robin Williams joking around after a writers' meeting for the 76th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Billy Crystal will pay tribute to Robin Williams, his longtime friend and fellow comedian, at next week's Emmy Awards.
Crystal will honor Williams as part of the traditional "in memoriam" segment for industry members who died during the past year, Emmy executive producer Don Mischer said in a statement Wednesday.
Mischer said the memorial segment during Monday's ceremony will include a performance from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.
Williams was found dead in his Northern California home on Aug. 11.
At last year's Emmys, Williams honored his friend and mentor Jonathan Winters during the tribute segment.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the tech giant's Connect developer conference in Menlo Park, Calif., Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
Joining companies such as John Deere and Walmart, Facebook and Instagram's parent company Meta Platforms Inc. is getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program that includes hiring, training and picking vendors, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
The move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of the social media giant's decision to end its third-party fact-checking program and scale back policies on hate speech and abuse.
Citing an internal memo sent to employees, Axios said the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant said the U.S. Supreme Court "has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term 'DEI' has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others."
In practice, this means Meta will no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion and the company said it will instead "focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background."
The company will also end its "diverse slate approach" to hiring, which meant that a diverse pool of candidates was considered for every open position.
Other companies that have ended DEI programs recently include McDonald's, automaker Ford, Walmart and farm equipment maker John Deere.
Amazon also said it is halting some of its DEI programs, although it did not specify which ones. In a Dec. 16 memo to employees that Amazon shared on Friday, Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive, said the company has been "winding down outdated programs and materials, and we're aiming to complete that by the end of 2024."
