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The Wire actor Michael K Williams has died at the age of 54, police in New York say.

Williams, who was known for his role as Omar Little in the hit TV crime drama, was found by officers at his Brooklyn home at around 2pm on Monday.

His death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, the Associated Press reports, citing the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Dominic West and Michael K Williams in The Wire. Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock
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Dominic West and Michael K Williams in The Wire. Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock
Michael K Williams in his role as Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire. Pic: HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock
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Williams in his role as Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire. Pic: HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock

When contacted by Sky News, an NYPD official said they couldn’t confirm the presence of drugs and that the medical examiner would establish Williams’ cause of death in due course.

The multiple Emmy nominee earned nods for his roles in Bessie, The Night Of, When They See Us and, this year, HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

The Brooklyn-born actor, who had a distinctive facial scar from a bar fight on his 25th birthday, also won fans for his role as Chalky White in the period gangster series Boardwalk Empire.

“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss,” his long-time representative Marianna Shafran of Shafran PR told The Hollywood Reporter.

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Filmmaker James Gunn also paid tribute to Williams, describing him as among the “most gentle souls I’ve ever met”.

He tweeted: “Michael K Williams, in addition to being one of the most talented actors around, was also one of the kindest, sweetest, most gentle souls I’ve ever met. This is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all those who loved him.”

Last week, it was announced Williams had joined the cast of Sony’s untitled biopic of famed world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman.

He was set to play Doc Broadus, who was Foreman’s trainer and mentor.

Michael K. Williams was found dead at his home. Pic: AP
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Williams was found dead at his home in Brooklyn. Pic: AP

Fellow actor Wendell Pierce, who played Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire, tweeted: “The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss.

“An immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth.”

Michael K Williams as Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country. Pic: Bad Robot/HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock
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Williams as Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country. Pic: Bad Robot/HBO/Kobal/Shutterstock

And fellow co-star Isiah Whitlock Jr tweeted that he was shocked to learn of the actor’s death.

“Shocked and saddened by the death of Michael K Williams. One of the nicest brothers on the planet with the biggest heart. An amazing actor and soul. May you RIP. God bless,” he wrote.

Williams’ film roles included parts in The Road, Inherent Vice and the Oscar-winning 12 Years A Slave.

But audiences will best remember him for Omar, the gay, morally ambiguous criminal who frequently targeted drug dealers in a distinctive duster jacket on the streets of Baltimore.

Even former president Barack Obama was a fan of the HBO character.

In 2012, he said Omar was his favourite, saying “that guy is unbelievable” in reference to Williams’ portrayal.

Michael K. Williams. Pic: AP
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The four-time Emmy nominee earned recognition for parts in Bessie, The Night Of and When They See Us. Pic: AP

In its statement, HBO described Williams’ death as an “immeasurable loss”.

It said: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Michael Kenneth Williams, a member of the HBO family for more than 20 years.

“While the world is aware of his immense talents as an artist, we knew Michael as a dear friend who was beloved by all who had the privilege to work with him.

“We send our deepest condolences to his family for this immeasurable loss.”

Aisha Tyler, the actress and director, said Williams was a “beautiful, passionate, expansive soul”.

She tweeted: “I felt so lucky to have known him, and we were all so fortunate to have enjoyed his incredible talent. He burned so very bright. Rest in power, MKW. You will forever be The King.”

Chance The Rapper referenced Williams’s portrayal of Albert “Chalky” White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

He said: “A lot of people knew him as Omar, I knew him as Chalky. I’m sure his family knew him as Michael. Thanks for all you gave to encourage, enlighten and entertain people you didn’t even know. Praying for your people.”

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) posted on Twitter: “Rest in power to our friend and actor.”

Williams was born and brought up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He told the New York Times he had a hard time having been molested as a child and going on to develop a drug problem.

He started out in music videos and landed a role as a drug dealer in Martin Scorsese’s 1999 drama film Bringing Out The Dead.

He then had a small part in The Sopranos before making his name in The Wire, which he starred in throughout its run until 2008.

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Cards Against Humanity sues SpaceX for $15m over claims Elon Musk’s firm illegally trespassed on land

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Cards Against Humanity sues SpaceX for m over claims Elon Musk's firm illegally trespassed on land

The maker of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity is suing SpaceX for $15m over claims Elon Musk’s company trespassed and damaged a plot of its land.

A lawsuit filed in Texas alleges SpaceX treated a plot of land owned by Cards Against Humanity as essentially its own for at least the past six months.

The company purchased a plot of land in Cameron County in 2017 as part of a stunt to prevent then president Donald Trump from building a border wall in the area between the US and Mexico.

It was purchased after 150,000 subscribers paid $15 to their Cards Against Humanity Saves America campaign.

The lawsuit said Cards Against Humanity – referred to as CAH in legal filings – “acquired the Property for the sole purpose of ensuring that it would stay that way” and added: “SpaceX’s abuse of this Property has not only destroyed its natural condition, but has also caused even greater harm to CAH by virtue of the damage it has caused to CAH’s relationship with its paying supporters.”

Cards Against Humanity purchased a plot of land in Cameron County, Texas, to protest Donald Trump's border wall in 2017.
File pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court
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Cards Against Humanity purchased a plot of land in Cameron County, Texas, to protest against Donald Trump’s border wall in 2017.
File pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court

SpaceX allegedly trespassed and abused the property for at least six months without Cards Against Humanity's knowledge
Pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court
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SpaceX allegedly trespassed and abused the property for at least six months without Cards Against Humanity’s knowledge
Pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court

In a statement through their Saves America campaign, Cards Against Humanity said SpaceX “f***ed” the land and alleged Mr Musk “figured he could just dump his shit all over our gorgeous plot of land without asking”.

The Chicago-based company then claimed “SpaceX gave us a 12-hour ultimatum to accept a lowball offer for less than half our land’s value” after they noticed the alleged trespass on their land. They said they declined the offer before filing the suit.

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On a website – titled elonowesyou100dollars – the card company said it was seeking $15m in damages and offered the original subscribers to the Save America campaign $100 should they win the claim.

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They also referenced a Reuters news agency report into SpaceX’s rapid development in the south Texas areas where it operates, in which some locals criticised the company for unfair and unchecked property and government dealings.

SpaceX started operating in Texas in 2003. In recent months, Mr Musk has stated he would move more of his businesses to the state.

Neither SpaceX nor Mr Musk have commented publicly on the matter. Sky News has contacted SpaceX for comment.

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Second boat boarded by FBI after Baltimore bridge collapse

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Second boat boarded by FBI after Baltimore bridge collapse

FBI agents have boarded a boat managed by the same company whose cargo ship crashed into a Baltimore bridge and caused it to collapse.

The two companies in charge of the ship “recklessly cut corners” and ignored electrical problems on the vessel before the crash in March, alleged the US Justice Department on Wednesday.

Three days later, FBI agents boarded the Maersk Saltoro, a second ship managed by the same company, although authorities did not offer further details on the operation.

Six construction workers were killed when the Dali ship had a power outage and crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Read more: Could the Baltimore Bridge disaster happen again?

The Justice Department alleged that mechanical and electrical systems on the massive ship had been improvised and improperly maintained which led to the power outage.

The Singapore-flagged container ship 'Dali' after it collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
Pic:  Harford County MD Fire & EMS/Reuters
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The Dali after it collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Pic: Harford County MD Fire & EMS/Reuters

Authorities are seeking to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port, which was only fully reopened in June.

It could become the most expensive marine casualty case in history and the two Singapore-based companies, Synergy Marine Group and Grace Ocean, are trying to limit their legal liability.

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The Justice Department said it will vigorously contest that limitation, arguing that vessel owners and operators need to be “deterred from engaging in such reckless and exceedingly harmful behaviour”.

Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean spokesperson, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore on Saturday morning.

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Mr Wilson has previously said the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight” about the Justice Department’s lawsuit.

The Dali, which was stuck amid the wreckage of the collapse for months before it could be extricated, departed Virginia on Thursday afternoon en route to China on its first international voyage since the March 26 disaster.

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Well-fitted suits, pearls and ‘the same’ red tie: What Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s fashion tells us about them

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Well-fitted suits, pearls and 'the same' red tie: What Donald Trump and Kamala Harris's fashion tells us about them

The style choices of politicians have long been scrutinised by voters and the media.

Women have historically been subject to more inspection for their looks than men.

But all politicians are communicating through their style, according to two experts.

“We receive most of our information, many of us, through screens and through the visuals,” says Hazel Clark, professor of design and fashion at the Parsons School of Design in New York.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has been leaning into trouser suits.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to board Air Force Two at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Ms Harris arrives to board Air Force Two in New York. Pic: AP

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a debate with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Ms Harris during a debate with Mr Trump. Pic: AP

“The well-fitted suit, the more masculine suit, is telling voters that she is not a politician’s wife, she is not the president’s wife, she is the president,” says Deirdre Clemente, professor of history at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

She wore a dark suit to make her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Pic: AP
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The presidential hopeful wore a dark suit to make her acceptance speech at the DNC. Pic: AP

The look “gives that sense of the legal profession, judges and authority. I think it was just saying ‘I’m here to be taken seriously, I can be your leader’,” says Ms Clark.

Many of the audience were wearing white, thought to be a reference to the suffragettes, who fought for women to have vote.

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris embraces her husband, second gentleman of the U.S. Doug Emhoff, following her acceptance speech on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Many DNC audience members wore white as Kamala Harris made her acceptance speech. Pic: Reuters

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris celebrates with her husband, second gentleman of the U.S. Doug Emhoff, and vice presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife Gwen, following her acceptance speech on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Vincent Alban
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Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris wore a dark navy or black suit to make her acceptance speech at the DNC. Pic: Reuters

“I think there’s a lot of weight in the choice of white in the audience of the DNC that night and her choice of a black suit was a power move,” Ms Clemente said.

Donald Trump has had a consistent style for many years – he’s known for his dark blue suit and silky red tie.

With wife Melania and daughter Tiffany at his 2017 inauguration. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump at his 2017 inauguration. Pic: AP

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with vice president Kamala Harris. Pic: AP

“He seems to have been wearing the same red tie since the 1970s. It seems to have gotten longer,” said Ms Clemente.

“It is his way of projecting power, confidence and stability.”

And his vice presidential pick JD Vance seems to have adapted his style to match.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, pray during the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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Donald Trump with Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance at the Republican National Convention. Pic: AP

“It’s putting on a uniform to say we are all one, we are all following this person. I think sameness, perhaps, with the party as well,” said Ms Clark.

“With Trump it’s almost become like a costume now.”

Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance
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Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been seen wearing similar clothing. Pic: Reuters

Harris often wears a pearl necklace, a reference to her college sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, which was founded by black women at Howard University.

California Attorney General candidate Kamala Harris arrives for a campaign rally at the Los Angeles Public Central Library in Los Angeles, Monday, Nov. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Kamala Harris wearing a pearl necklace in 2010. Pic: AP

“Her wearing of the necklace is absolutely a shout-out to all the women who have supported her and that sorority is central to that,” said Ms Clemente.

The vice president is also known for her love of Converse shoes.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign event, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Vice president Kamala Harris wearing Converse shoes as she arrives to speak at a campaign event. Pic: AP

The trainers, which are associated with American basketball culture, “are a powerful cultural tool because what she’s saying is these shoes are just like the ones you have in your closet”.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris..arrives to speak on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Vice president Kamala Harris speaks on the final day of the Democratic National Convention. Pic: AP

Mr Trump and his supporters often wear the instantly recognisable red Make America Great Again baseball cap.

“The MAGA hat has an incredible amount of power, especially here in battleground states,” said Ms Clemente. “You see MAGA hats all around.”

Wearing a MAGA hat in March 2016 in Arizona. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump wearing a red MAGA hat in 2016 in Arizona. Pic: AP

Baseball caps are “ubiquitous in being used to signify something, it’s like having a slogan on your t-shirt”, says Ms Clark.

One accessory all US politicians are rarely seen without is an American flag pin badge on their lapel, which can be used to show patriotism.

It may also project a message that “we are all fighting for the same team” despite political differences, said Ms Clemente.

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