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    Tracy Morgan, bouncing back from bad crash, returns to “SNL”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments767 Views
    In this Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, photo, provided by NBC, actor and comedian Tracy Morgan speaks during a monologue on the show, in New York. (Dana Edelson/NBC via AP)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Tracy Morgan returned to a familiar stage, hosting "Saturday Night Live" in his first appearance on the show since a vehicle crash that left him in a coma.

    "I was in a terrible car accident more than a year ago. It was awful, but it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world," the comic said in his opening monologue.

    "People are wondering, 'Can he speak? Does he have 100 percent mental capacity?'" he asked. "The truth is, I never did. I might even be a few points higher."

    In one sketch, he was joined by "30 Rock" co-stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer. Fey broke character to inject a serious note: "We're so happy you're OK. We're even happier you're ready to make people laugh again."

    Morgan also brought back a couple of his familiar characters – Astronaut Jones (stranded on Mars, a la Matt Damon in "The Martian") and animal expert Brian Fellow (joined by a real camel, who mostly cooperated).

    Morgan suffered severe head trauma in June 2014 when a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike slammed into the back of the limo van he was riding in. Comedian James "Jimmy Mack" McNair, a mentor of Morgan's, was killed in the crash. Morgan was in a coma for two weeks. Three other passengers suffered serious injuries.

    Tags:SNLTracy Morgan



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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