The Scoop: Ed Sheeran drops cold response to Macklemore ousting

Ed Sheeran is trying to distance himself from the decision to remove Macklemore from his Loop Tour after mounting backlash. But his response didn’t do much to help calm the tension.

Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s remaining U.S. tour dates after saying “Free Palestine” during a performance at MetLife Stadium. Several venues then said they would not host shows if Macklemore remained in the lineup. Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium, said his decision was based on Macklemore’s recent comments and a broader history of rhetoric and imagery offensive to Jewish people, Newsweek reports.

Sheeran finally responded to the drama Tuesday, stressing that the decision wasn’t his.

“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram. He said he tried to find a compromise with venues and promoters, but added: “I am not complicit.”

Sheeran also said he tries to keep politics out of his concerts and wants his shows to be a place for “unity, joy, escapism and love.” While Sheeran kept comments closed on his post, some pointed out elsewhere that it seemed like a double standard after Sheeran’s 2022 concert to support Ukraine.

His explanation hasn’t stopped the backlash. Performers Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas have all pulled out of upcoming tour dates in support of Macklemore.

Why it matters: Sheeran gave people a detailed explanation of why the decision happened. What he didn’t do was spend much time acknowledging why people were upset, particularly after Macklemore’s own heartfelt response, which acknowledged Sheeran as a longtime, close friend. Sheeran’s statement made no mention of his personal connection to Macklemore, outside admiring his work.

Instead, much of Sheeran’s statement focuses on separating himself from the decision. The promoter made the call. He tried to stop it. He isn’t complicit. And so on.

Those points may all be important. But when people are already angry, leading with self-defense can make a response feel more than a bit chilly. And now the consequences are becoming visible as other artists walk away from the tour and fans are flooding his comment section with disappointment.

Explaining responsibility isn’t enough in a crisis. People also want to know that you understand why they’re upset. If your statement sounds mostly like an argument for why you shouldn’t be blamed, you’re only giving critics more fuel to throw on the flames.

How is Hyrox responding after the poop incident?

Hyrox has changed its rules after facing backlash over how officials handled a messy situation at the endurance competition in Beijing.

Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk soiled herself during the race but was allowed to continue, using shared equipment and ultimately going on to win. The incident quickly raised concerns about hygiene and athlete safety, with a whole Reddit community expressing disgust.

The Cut reports Hyrox’s now-deleted first response said the situation created “ambiguity” around its existing procedures and praised the “courage, resilience and refusal to give in” of elite athletes. It also said concerns from the community were legitimate.

Co-founder Moritz Fuerste followed with a clearer message. He said, “Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.” He apologized to those affected and said the organization had already changed its rules and procedures to prevent a repeat.

When there’s an issue of safety or health, organizations can’t be ambiguous. The second response addressed concerns more appropriately, following up with action. People don’t care about nuances in situations that could affect their health, so explaining exactly how organizers will prevent it, is exactly what should have been the immediate response.

What did H&M say about the PETA protest?

Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, is on leave after video showed him physically restraining PETA protesters who interrupted a COS show during New York Fashion Week, NBC reports.

Kolb apologized, saying there was “no justification” for physically restraining someone and that security should have handled the situation. He also said he plans to meet with PETA. He will remain on leave while it reviews what happened.

But H&M, which owns COS, also had to respond because the protest targeted the brand’s use of wool. The company said it was deeply sorry about what happened: “We respect everyone’s right to express their views, and we believe everyone should be treated with care and respect…Animal welfare is very important to us at H&M Group, and no animals should be harmed in the making of our products.”

H&M also defended its sourcing practices, saying its animal-derived fibers come from certified farms and, when possible, recycled sources, adding that it “welcomes” these investigations because they help strengthen standards.

The brand acknowledged the incident, the right to protest and addressed the issue that sparked the demonstration. It’s a good example of staying in your lane when outside behavior creates a crisis around your brand. H&M didn’t have to explain Kolb’s actions. It needed to make clear where the company stood.

What is Microsoft’s AI Code of Conduct?

Microsoft is putting more concrete limits around how it wants its AI models to behave, just days after several major AI leaders backed slowing the pace of development over safety concerns.

The company released a draft Code of Conduct for its AI models, saying “people matter more than AI…and AI should be a tool, not a person.” Microsoft says its models should remain under human control, never resist being shut down and never take on goals people didn’t give them. The draft is open for public feedback for six weeks.

Promises about responsible AI mean more when a company can share what those principles actually mean in practice. Publishing the rules, acknowledging they aren’t finished and inviting people to challenge them gives stakeholders something concrete to evaluate. It also makes their effort feel like a genuine attempt to solve a problem rather than a dystopian warning about the End Times.