ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America pageant (all times local):
9 p.m.
Contestants from Virginia and Louisiana have won titles in the second night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition.
Miss Virginia Emili McPhail won the onstage interview portion.
Miss Louisiana Holli’ Conway won the talent portion for a vocal performance.
The third and final night of preliminary competition is Friday.
The next Miss America will be crowned Sunday night in a nationally broadcast finale from Atlantic City.
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5 p.m.
Signs criticizing the chairwoman of the Miss America Organization have surfaced around Atlantic City, where the competition is to have its second night of preliminaries Thursday.
Intended to parody her book “Be Fierce,” the signs brand Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host, as “So Fake,” adding the words “private bully, public liar.”
Several signs were hung from street lights and at least one was glued to a utility box.
They reference claims by the outgoing Miss America, Cara Mund. Mund said Carlson and pageant CEO Regina Hopper bullied and silenced her during her yearlong reign.
Carlson said she had no comment.
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11:45 a.m.
Signs criticizing the chairwoman of the Miss America Organization have surfaced around Atlantic City, where the competition is to have its second night of preliminaries Thursday.
Intended to parody her book “Be Fierce,” the signs brand Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host, as “So Fake,” adding the words “private bully, public liar.”
Several signs were hung from street lights and at least one was glued to a utility box.
They reference claims by the outgoing Miss America, Cara Mund. Mund said Carlson and pageant CEO Regina Hopper bullied and silenced her during her yearlong reign.
There was no immediate response from Carlson.
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12:15 a.m.
The second night of preliminary competition in the swimsuit-less Miss America competition will be held Thursday night in Atlantic City.
Contestants from Florida and Wisconsin picked up wins Wednesday in the first night of preliminary competition.
Miss Florida Taylor Tyson won the talent competition for a classical piano performance.
Miss Wisconsin Tianna Vanderhei won the onstage interview competition.
This is the first year the Miss America competition does not include a swimsuit competition.
That decision has generated controversy between those who see it as a long-overdue modernization, and those who lament the loss of an essential element of the competition for 98 years.
The third and final night of preliminaries will be held Friday.
The next Miss America will be crowned Sunday night in Atlantic City.
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