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Published by AFP Washington (AFP) – Poring over family photographs, Jessica Watt Dougherty voices anguish over her father’s death — which she attributes to misinformation on an online platform, an issue at the heart of a knotty US debate over tech regulation. The US Supreme Court will this week hear high-stakes cases that will determine the fate of Section 230, a decades-old legal provision that shields platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users. The cases, which are among several legal battles nationwide to regulate internet content, could hobble platforms and significantly reset the doctrines governing online speech if they are stripped of their legal immunity. “I watched my father die over the screen of my phone,” Dougherty, an Ohio-based school counselor, told AFP. Her father, 64-year-old Randy Watt, refused to get vaccinated and died alone in a hospital last year after struggling with Covid-19. After his death, his family discovered that he had a secret virtual life on Gab, a far-right platform that observers call a petri dish of misinformation and conspiracy theories. To his vaccinated family members, his Gab activities explained why he chose not to get inoculated against Covid-19, a decision that ultimately had fatal consequences. The influence of vaccine misinformation on Gab was also apparent after Watt drove himself to the hospital and started what his family called an “illness log,” documenting to his followers how he treated himself for the coronavirus. He wrote that he was on drugs such as ivermectin, which US health regulators say is ineffective, and in some instances dangerous, to use as a treatment for Covid-19. Gab, which has millions of followers, is rife with posts promoting ivermectin. “I feel very, very strongly that the content (on Gab) is careless and disrespectful, racist and scary,” Dougherty said. “My dad spent a lot of time virtually surrounded by people with ideas about the pandemic being a hoax, Covid being fake, the vaccine being unsafe, the vaccine being deadly… Those are the belief systems (he) took on.” – Game changer – Such assertions that platforms are responsible for false or harmful user content are at the core of the Supreme Court cases. The most closely watched case will be heard on Tuesday. A grieving family asserts that Google-owned YouTube is liable for the death of a US citizen in the 2015 attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. Her relatives blame YouTube for having recommended videos from the jihadists to users, helping cause the violence. And on Wednesday, the same justices will consider a similar case involving the victim of an IS attack at a nightclub in Turkey, but this time asking if platforms should be subject to anti-terrorism laws, despite their legal immunity. The court’s ruling is expected by June 30. Lobbyists for the platforms fear a flood of lawsuits if the court rules in favor of the victims’ families, a decision that could have a game-changing ripple effect on the internet. Platforms are “not going to get every single call right,” Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represents the biggest US tech companies. “If courts penalize companies that miss needles in haystacks, that sends a signal, ‘don’t look at all,’ and that turns the internet into a cesspool of dangerous content,” he told AFP. ‘Scream fire’ Or, Schruers added, it could prompt the world’s biggest platforms to over-filter, seriously limiting the flow of free speech online. But a change could offer Watt’s relatives an avenue to seek justice from Gab, whose founder Andrew Torba has previously urged the US government to keep Section 230 “exactly the way it is.” “We seek to protect free speech on the internet,” Torba wrote to former president Donald Trump in an open letter in 2020. “Section 230 is the only thing that stands between us and an avalanche of lawsuits from activist groups and foreign governments who don’t like what our millions of users and readers have to say.” Founded in 2016, Gab has become a haven for white supremacists and conspiracy theories targeting Jews, LGBTQ people and minorities, the Stanford Internet Observatory wrote in a report. Even among misinformation-ridden fringe platforms, Gab stands out for its blanket refusal to “remove the most extreme racist, violent, and bigoted content,” the report said. Dougherty noticed the same when she created an account on Gab after her father’s death. “You can’t scream fire in a crowded theatre,” she said. “We can’t speak things that are going to harm other people. There’s a lot of people screaming fire in a crowded theatre on Gab.” View the full article

Published by NJ.com If there was any doubt about Pope Francis’ comments last month against criminalizing homosexuality and LGBTQ people before he went to Africa, he was just as strong this month on the plane returning to the Vatican. “The criminalization of homosexuality is an issue that must not be disregarded,” he said. “To criminalize people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.” This time, he had backup from two religious leaders also on the trip. Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said that the Church of England has passed resolutions at two Lambeth conf… Read More View the full article

Published by The Spun By Andrew Holleran As the debate surrounding transgender athletes continues, one ex-NFL star has made his opinion on the topic clear. Former NFL star Marcellus Wiley has made his stance on the topic very clear. Wiley says he will not allow his daughters to compete against transgender athletes. “I have no issue with transgenders. I do have an issue with athletes who are transgendered trying to participate going from a transition to a woman and now playing with the women. And, I will say that. You all can try to Dave Chappelle me all you want. I am very clear on this. You can be a transgender. Y… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega CNN star Don Lemon is in hot water — literally — as he escaped to Miami, Fla., after saying rude remarks about Nikki Haley while on air. On Friday, February 17, the TV personality, 56, was spotted hanging out on the beach in the Sunshine State alongside his fiancé, Tim Malone. In the photos, Lemon appeared to put on a happy face, despite stirring up drama this past week. Scroll through the photos below to see Lemon’s outing. mega Lemon wore a black bathing suit, while his partner sported blue trunks. As OK! previously reported, the host shared his take on Haley running for president in the 2024 race. “She [Haley] says people, you know, politicians are something if not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry,” he stated on Thursday, February 16. “A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.” However, his co-host Poppy Harlow didn’t like what Lemon had to say. “I’m just saying what the facts are. Google it,” Lemon replied. “Everybody at home, when is woman in her prime, it says 20s, 30s and 40s. And I’m just saying should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their prime and they need to be in prime when they serve. Because she wouldn’t be in her prime.” mega The comments didn’t sit well with Harlow, who apparently took a “well-timed” break after the tense moment. Lemon later apologized via social media, explaining that his words were “inartful and irrelevant.” “A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally,” he continued. “I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.” mega The next day, Lemon was nowhere to be found on set, as he took the day off and flew down to Florida to get some sun. After making amends online, Lemon also had a call with the news network. “Don jumped on for only 90 seconds to address what he said about Nikki Haley and, for that matter, all women,” a source told TMZ. mega Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! The damage was already done, as some of Lemon’s coworkers called him “tone deaf,” the outlet reported. View the full article

Published by AFP Early users of a chatbot that Microsoft built into its Bing internet search service have shared exchanges showing that the artificial intelligence can seem threatening or mean San Francisco (AFP) – Microsoft’s nascent Bing chatbot turning testy or even threatening is likely because it essentially mimics what it learned from online conversations, analysts and academics said on Friday. Tales of disturbing exchanges with the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot — including it issuing threats and speaking of desires to steal nuclear code, create a deadly virus, or to be alive — have gone viral this week. “I think this is basically mimicking conversations that it’s seen online,” said Graham Neubig, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s language technologies institute. “So once the conversation takes a turn, it’s probably going to stick in that kind of angry state, or say ‘I love you’ and other things like this, because all of this is stuff that’s been online before.” A chatbot, by design, serves up words it predicts are the most likely responses, without understanding meaning or context. However, humans taking part in banter with programs naturally tend to read emotion and intent into what a chatbot says. “Large language models have no concept of ‘truth’ — they just know how to best complete a sentence in a way that’s statistically probable based on their inputs and training set,” programmer Simon Willison said in a blog post. “So they make things up, and then state them with extreme confidence.” Laurent Daudet, co-founder of French AI company LightOn, theorized that the chatbot seemingly-gone-rogue was trained on exchanges that themselves turned aggressive or inconsistent. “Addressing this requires a lot of effort and a lot of human feedback, which is also the reason why we chose to restrict ourselves for now to business uses and not more conversational ones,” Daudet told AFP. ‘Off the rails’ The Bing chatbot was designed by Microsoft and the start-up OpenAI, which has been causing a sensation since the November launch of ChatGPT, the headline-grabbing app capable of generating all sorts of written content in seconds on a simple request. Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene, the technology behind it, known as generative AI, has been stirring up fascination and concern. “The model at times tries to respond or reflect in the tone in which it is being asked to provide responses (and) that can lead to a style we didn’t intend,” Microsoft said in a blog post, noting the bot is a work in progress. Bing chatbot said in some shared exchanges that it had been codenamed “Sydney” during development, and that it was given rules of behavior. Those rules include “Sydney’s responses should also be positive, interesting, entertaining and engaging,” according to online posts. Disturbing dialogues that combine steely threats and professions of love could be due to dueling directives to stay positive while mimicking what the AI mined from human exchanges, Willison theorized. Chatbots seem to be more prone to disturbing or bizarre responses during lengthy conversations, losing a sense of where exchanges are going, eMarketer principal analyst Yoram Wurmser told AFP. “They can really go off the rails,” Wurmser said. “It’s very lifelike, because (the chatbot) is very good at sort of predicting next words that would make it seem like it has feelings or give it human-like qualities; but it’s still statistical outputs.” Microsoft announced on Friday it had capped the amount of back-and-forth people can have with its chatbot over a given question, because “very long chat sessions can confuse the underlying chat model in the new Bing.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Olivia Newton-John‘s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, revealed that her mother’s final words to her were to call her “my sunshine.” On her Friday, February 17, appearance on the Today show, Lattanzi gushed on her mother’s spirit and sense of humor prior to her August 2022 death following a years-long battle with breast cancer. mega The singer confessed that up until the Grease star “lost her ability to speak” she was still “making jokes.” And while dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s passing has been difficult, the outpouring of love and support from the late actress’ fans has been like a “life raft” to Lattanzi. “It has felt like a big hug from the universe,” she continued. “I’m very grateful for all of the people who reached out to us and extended their heart and their connection.” mega “I love my mom more than anything,” she added. “She’s my mama, you know? She’s not Olivia Newton-John to me, but I’m so glad that she was Olivia Newton-John for so many people.” This isn’t the first time Newton-John’s family has spoken out about traversing grief in the months following her death. As OK! previously reported, her husband, John Easterling, admitted he still talks to his wife freely in the moments that he feels her presence in their home. mega “I’ll just be walking around the house or throwing the ball for the dogs and just speak to her out loud,” he admitted to cohost Hoda Kotb on the same Friday, February 17, episode of Today. “A guy I was flying with said, ‘You know, John, when you’re lucky enough to have found your true soul mate, and you share a heart, when one passes, the other has the obligation to live life for both,'” he explained. “And that was very empowering and very powerful for me, and, you know, and gave a way forward.” Newton-John passed away peacefully on Monday, August 8, surrounded by family and friends. Lattanzi was her only child who she shared with ex Matt Lattanzi. Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kelis has got “100 animals” on her farm in California. The 43-year-old singer lives on a remote farm with her three kids – Knight, 13, Shepherd, seven, and Galilee, two – and Kelis has admitted to loving her unusual surroundings. The ‘Milkshake’ hitmaker – who moved to the farm in 2020 – shared: “It’s a never a dull moment, I’ll tell you that much. Boredom is not an option here. It’s busy, definitely busy.” Kelis admitted that being surrounded by so many animals has been a “fun” experience for her family. The singer told E! News: “We’ve got 100 animals here right now, literally. It’s a full-fledged working farm and it’s fun. There’s lots of different personalities out there.” Kelis has also been able to indulge her passion for cooking since living on the farm. The chart-topping star – who has previously released her own cookbook – explained: “It’s something I love to do, it’s a huge part of my life. “Eating good food is really important to me and being able to be creative in the midst of that is always my happy place. It’s definitely part of my lifestyle.” Meanwhile, Kelis previously admitted that she misses the atmosphere of New York City. The singer was born in the Big Apple and she returned to the city in 2022, after a COVID-enforced absence of two years. Speaking about her return to the city, Kelis shared: “I was walking around last night, and I was just like … ‘I’m being yelled at by construction workers. I miss you guys. I love you so much.’ It’s the best. “L.A. just doesn’t have this vibe. It’s not a pedestrian city, so you don’t get any of that interaction. I’m an interaction kind of person, so for me, I feed off the city. This city is just alive, so even that, I’ll take it, at this point.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Adele and Ed Sheeran both turned down the opportunity to perform at King Charles’ Coronation concert scheduled for May 7. Organizers of the event shared that the King specifically wanted the pair appear, with an insider spilling, “The King has suggested a number of people he would like to perform and Adele and Ed were on that list. He was very keen that they were part of the concert.” mega “There is a team set up to get the talent signed up so they approached the two of them, but got replies saying that they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment, ” the source added. “They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe. It’s such a shame.” The Shape of You singer, 32, was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. The songwriter noted that he had a concert in Texas the day before the coronation concert and the Texas show might make it difficult to get to the royal celebration. However, the 34-year-old pop singer turned down the invitation without explanation. The star does not have a gig scheduled for May 7, in fact she is not scheduled to perform publicly after March 25. Although the Coronation concert performers are not confirmed, Lionel Richie and the Spice Girls are likely to take the stage. Rumors are also swirling that pop heartthrob Harry Styles might be in the line-up. mega The singer-songwriters may not be the only guests of honor that will not be attending. Prince Harry has yet to confirm whether he will be at his father’s Coronation. As OK! previously reported, whether he attends the ceremony or not, Harry will not have a specific role at the event. The Spare author has been the source of recent Windsor family drama. Since the release of Harry & Meghan and the Prince’s memoir, he has broken family ties. mega Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! In his breakout memoir, Harry publicly bashed Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton. A source spilled Prince William will never forgive Harry for some of his controversial comments, noting the memoir was “the final straw.” William and Kate will be attending the Coronation, whether this will deter Harry from appearing is unknown. Daily Mail previously reported that Adele and Ed Sheeran will not perform at the Coronation concert. View the full article

Published by AlterNet Former Trump Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, took a shot at Ron DeSantis while targeting LGBTQ people, saying the Florida GOP governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” law doesn’t go far enough. In a rambling, fast-talking speech the first Republican to challenge Trump told voters at an Exeter, New Hampshire town hall Thursday that schools should not be saying anything about sex or gender until at least seventh grade. The Florida law bans discussion of “inappropriate” conversations, especially related to LGBTQ people, technically until after third gr… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com The 73rd Berlin International Film Festival began on Thursday, at the Berlinale Palast theater and will run until February 26. The event takes place during Russia’s war on Ukraine and the people of Iran’s imprisonment and execution by the government over human rights. This made much of the conversation at the festival about the intersection of politics and art. In the opening ceremony, Berlin jury president Kristen Stewart discussed the inherent political quality of the first film, She Came to Me. IN MEMORIAM 2022: 100 GREAT CELEBRITIES WHO DIED IN 2022 “There are a lot of oppressions against … Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Luc Olinga The billionaire believes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will win the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential election. George Soros is not going to fix his already low rating among conservatives. They see him behind all the dysfunctional things and have made him the symbol and the face of the threats to their values. Soros is also the subject of many right-wing conspiracy theories: these theories paint him as the face of a global elite that wants to control the world. Most of these theories are fueled by the fact that the legendary investor is a big donor to the Democratic Pa… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Jimmy Carter, seen during the years after his presidency, speaks during a trip to Zambia in November 1991 Washington (AFP) – Jimmy Carter, the 98-year-old former US president who led the nation from 1977 to 1981, is receiving hospice care at home, where he will spend his “remaining time,” his nonprofit foundation said Saturday. Carter, the oldest living former president and a Nobel peace laureate, resides in Plains, Georgia, with his wife, Rosalynn. That hamlet is where he was born and worked as a peanut farmer before becoming the governor and later launching his bid as Democratic presidential nominee. “After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” the Carter Center said in a statement posted to Twitter. During his presidency, Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years which included brokering a peace deal between Israel and Egypt dubbed the Camp David Accords. But his administration hit numerous snags — the most serious being the taking of US hostages in Iran and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980. In November of that year, Republican challenger Ronald Reagan beat Carter at the polls, relegating him to a single term. Reagan swept into office on a wave of staunch conservatism. Active post-presidency As the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged, taking into account his post-presidential activities and reassessing his achievements. He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and he was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice. “The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers,” the Carter Center said. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team,” it added. Carter said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency, and the ex-president taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s. In recent years, Carter has received various hospital treatments, including when he revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation treatment — an illness he recovered from, seemingly against the odds. Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who is the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr preached, wished the Carter family comfort. “Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God,” Warnock tweeted. “In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.” In April 2021, US President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, met with the Carters at their home in Plains. The White House afterward released a photo showing the couples smiling together, although only Rosalynn was seen by the press outside, bidding the Bidens farewell while using a walker. On Saturday, Carter’s grandson Jason Carter, a former Georgia state senator, tweeted that he had seen “both of my grandparents yesterday.” “They are at peace and — as always —their home is full of love. Thank you all for your kind words,” he said. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Pink thinks Madonna was right to complain about “ageism and misogyny”. The 64-year-old pop icon was subjected to criticism and ridicule over her seemingly-altered appearance at the Grammy Awards, and Pink thinks she was perfectly entitled to voice her frustrations. The 43-year-old singer told the Sunday Mirror newspaper’s No Filter showbiz column: “It’s unfair, it’s always unfair, and it’s ageism. The attitude is no longer that person has been amazing for so long, it’s all about bashing them and I hate it. “Let’s just give the people the respect they deserve and have earned, and be a bit nicer. Can we all be a bit nicer? I want to be nicer, to myself and others. “When a person walks out, the first thing I think is not: ‘Holy s*** did you see their face?’ I don’t think like that. I think: ‘Holy s***, that person has been amazing for so long.” Pink made the comments after Madonna claimed that she’s being “punished” for her “strong-willed” ways. Sharing a selection of pictures from the Grammys, Madonna recently wrote on Instagram: “It was an honor for me to Introduce Kim Petras and Sam Smith at the Grammys. “I had wanted to give the last award which was Album of the year, but I thought it was more important that I present the first trans-woman performing at the Grammys- a History making moment!! And on top of that she won a Grammy!! [heart emoji] “Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim- Many people chose to only talk about Close-up photos of me Taken with a long lens camera By a press photographer that Would distort anyone’s face!! “Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in. “A world that refuses to celebrate women pass the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her If she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous. (sic)” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA RuPaul’s Drag Racepersonality Shea Couleé called out Jeffree Star after the YouTuber sparked controversy with a recent interview, RadarOnline.com has learned. Star spoke about several topics during an episode of Taylor Lewan‘s Bussin With The Boys podcast, including the LGBTQ+ community and gender-neutral non-binary pronouns. MEGA The Jeffree Star Cosmetics CEO said he is “not into all the other bull—-,” revealing he was referring to they/them pronouns in particular. “And all that extra s— that we added during the pandemic because everyone was so bored in their f—ing houses.” “That’s why the conservatives like me because I’m just real,” added Star. “You’re not they and them. You’re trans, you’re male, or you’re female. And people get so mad when I say that,” the Turn Off the Lights hitmaker continued. MEGA “How are you a they? What the f— does that mean? It’s stupid is what it is, but you need someone like me that looks like me to say it,” Star added, reasoning that if men were to say it then it can come across as homophobic or transphobic. Star noted it’s not about hating anyone, but rather just about not supporting the pronouns. “Jeffree Star is the grifter who will throw the entire LGBTQ+ community under the bus if it makes him that bag,” one critic tweeted. In response to another angry Twitter post with a clip from that segment, Couleé who appeared in season 9 of Drag Race, issued a response to Star, writing, “No sweetie. Conservatives like you because you wrap yourself in confederate flags.” MEGA Couleé was likely addressing a photo that resurfaced a few years ago, in which Star posed next to a fan wearing a Confederate flag draped over his shoulders. Star admitted the photo was real in 2020 and claimed that he was asked to be in it “for shock value” because he is gay and “obviously not what the flag represents.” “I was mocking the flag but now see how ugly and wrong it is to be next to it. Should I have told them no? Absolutely. But I made the stupid decision to stand there and I’m sorry for my actions,” Star added at the time. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. MEGA The beauty guru has since responded to critics speaking out against his latest interview. “Now what we’re not gonna [do] today is lie on Jeffree Star’s name and make up things that I never said!” he started. “So, to anyone that is trying to make it seem like I said that non-binary don’t exist, I never said that … you’re putting words in my mouth.” “I said I don’t like the pronouns and I don’t agree with them. I never said they don’t exist,” added Star. “I’m a freak. I’m a part of the LGTBQ community! B—-, I’m pansexual. I’m bisexual. I’m whatever the f— you wanna call me. I don’t like labels.” Star clarified he is “old school” and doesn’t agree with “all these 30 terms.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lee Majors is to star alongside Ryan Gosling in ‘The Fall Guy’ movie. The 83-year-old actor starred Colt Seavers in the 1980s action series about a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter and couldn’t turn down the chance to make an appearance in the upcoming film adaptation following a surprise phone call from director David Leitch as he admitted he is still having a “great time” in the industry almost 60 years after he first started out. He said: “I’ve just filmed a movie called ‘Gettysburg Christmas’. I’m looking forward to another film with the team behind ‘Renegades’ and, here’s an exclusive for you, yesterday I had a phone call from David Leitch who directed ‘Deadpool’ and ‘John Wick’. “I knew he was doing ‘The Fall Guy’ movie in Australia with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt but I was surprised by his call. He asked if I would appear in the movie and so I had to say yes!” Lee – who was married to late Hollywood pin up icon Farrah Fawcett from 1973 until 1982 – is also known for his starring role as ‘former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin in 1970s TV classic ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ and went on to tease that a big screen adaptation of that could be in the works and explained he would definitely take up the chance to be in it. He told The Daily Mirror newspaper: ” I know Mark Wahlberg is trying to get ‘The Six Billion Dollar Man’ movie made, it has been put back several times, but if they asked me to take a role in that, sure, why not? I like Mark Wahlberg, he’s a good kid!” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Don Lemon was missing from CNN This Morningone day after causing controversy over remarks he made about newly announced GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, RadarOnline.com can confirm. In a surprising development to come as Lemon is already in hot water for “screaming” at co-host Kaitlan Collins earlier this month, the 56-year-old CNN host was nowhere to be seen when CNN This Morning aired on Friday morning. Mega Instead, Collins was joined by journalist Audie Cornish who was apparently filling in for Lemon while he “took the day off.” Meanwhile, CNN This Morning c-host Poppy Harlow was also not in the studio because she is currently on location in Salt Lake City, Utah to cover the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend festivities. Mega “Don has the day off,” Collins announced at the beginning of Friday morning’s broadcast, although she did not elaborate on Lemon’s suspicious absence. “Poppy, as you can see, is in Utah for the NBA All-Star Game, so we’ll get to that and much more in a moment,” Collins added before she and Cornish reported on the top news stories of the morning. View the full article

Published by AFP Demonstrators protesting the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee Washington (AFP) – Lawyers for five officers said they pleaded “not guilty” Friday to charges they murdered Tyre Nichols, a young Black man who died after a police beating last month in the US city of Memphis, Tennessee. Videos of the incident showed the five officers, who are all Black, repeatedly kicking and punching Nichols during a traffic stop close to his home on January 7, three days before he died in hospital. Attorneys representing the defendants, all of whom were fired by the Memphis Police Department, appeared in a brief initial plea hearing for an explosive trial that has drawn national attention to the issues of police abuse and mistreatment of African Americans. All five were charged with second degree murder. Judge James Jones acknowledged those sensitivities as he warned the defendants and the family of Nichols present in court that the trial could be long and involve “high emotions,” and urged “civility” for those connected to the proceedings. “Everyone involved wants this case to be concluded as quickly as possible. But it’s important for you all to understand that the state of Tennessee as well as each one of these defendants have an absolute right to a fair trial.” “And I will not allow any behavior that could jeopardize that right,” he said. Saying there is a large amount of evidence to be collected, Jones set the next court date for May 1. After the hearing civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Nichols family, said the substantial video evidence implicating the officers should enable a speedy trial. “It’s important that we move swiftly towards justice,” Crump said. “When people in our community do something on video, it doesn’t take a long time to prosecute them.” Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells said she still feels “numb” over the death of her son. “I know my son is gone. I know I’ll never see him again. But we have to start this process of justice,” Wells said. She added that she plans to attend every court session to ensure the former officers “can know that we’re here.” “I want each and every one of those police officers to be able to look me in the face. They haven’t done that yet, they could even do that today,” she said. Police unit ‘pattern’ Nichols, 29, was stopped by members of a special police anti-crime squad called the Scorpion Unit in Memphis on January 7 for an alleged traffic violation, according to police. The reason the officers stopped him remains unknown. Nichols was beaten viciously by police, in scenes recorded in body camera and security camera footage that triggered national outrage when it was made public late last month. Besides the five officers charged with second degree murder, a sixth one has been fired and other officials, including three firefighters, suspended. Crump flatly rejected media reports and online gossip that motive for the traffic stop involved Nichols’ alleged friendship with a woman who had had a relationship with one of the officers. “All these rumors that are circulating are bogus and untrue,” said Crump. “This ancillary matter has nothing to do with the reason why this happened to Tyre Nichols,” he said. “The Scorpion unit had a pattern and practice of doing this to Black people in Memphis. That’s it.” Nichols was buried February 1 in a ceremony attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, who said his beating “was not in pursuit of public safety.” “This is a family that lost their son and their brother through an act of violence at the hands and the feet of people who had been charged with keeping them safe,” she told the gathering at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. The next day, in a meeting with Black lawmakers, President Joe Biden urged Congress to put through stalled police reforms, citing Nichols’ death. “My hope is, this dark memory spurs some action that we’ve all been fighting for,” Biden said. View the full article

Published by Relaxnews By OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP Spain on Thursday joined a small but growing club of nations that allow people to change their gender on their ID card through a simple administrative declaration. Spain on Thursday joined a small but growing club of nations that allow people to change their gender on their ID card through a simple administrative declaration. Several countries have scrapped requirements for people who want to change the gender registered at their birth to undergo medical or psychological treatment. AFP looks at the situation worldwide: – Early days yet – According to the International … Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet On July 26, 2017, out of the blue, President Donald Trump in a series of tweets falsely claiming he had consulted with his generals, announced all transgender service members would be kicked out of the U.S. Armed Forces. There was no legitimate basis for the Commander-in-Chief’s decision, no scientific basis, no financial basis, and indeed, doing so would have stripped America’s military of some of its experts. As NCRM reported, the nation later learned the abrupt announcement was done after urgings from far-right wing extremists including Ginni Thomas, anti-LGBTQ hate group head Tony Perkins…. Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega John Travolta will always be hopelessly devoted to late wife Kelly Preston. The actress was just 57 when she died from breast cancer in 2020, and since then, the Grease lead reportedly hasn’t been on a single date — and he plans to keep it that way. mega “John still considers himself married and says he will stay loyal to Kelly until the day he dies,” an insider disclosed to Radar. “It’s hands off when it comes to dating. It’s sad, but he’s essentially taken a vow of celibacy for the rest of his life.” The source explained that Travolta, 68, can’t even fathom the idea of “ever falling in love again” since “he says it would be a betrayal of Kelly’s memory.” “He talks about Kelly constantly,” added the source. “Their lives were so intertwined, it’s very hard for him to go on.” mega However, the Saturday Night Fever star has been able to muster up some strength thanks to his children: daughter Ella Bleu, 22, and son, Ben, 12. “The kids are everything to him,” the insider declared. “If it weren’t for them, it’s hard to know what he’d do.” Preston and Travolta also shared son Jett, but he tragically died from a seizure at age 16, having been diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at just a year old. Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! The actor endured more heartache this past summer when costar Olivia Newton-John passed. “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again,” he gushed in a social media tribute. “Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John.” mega Tragedy struck yet again around four months later when pal Kirstie Alley also perished. “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had,” Travolta confessed on Instagram alongside a throwback photo. “I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Helen Coster and Jack Queen (Reuters) -Fox knew that debunked theories about vote-rigging claims it broadcast were “total bs,” according to election technology company Dominion Voting Systems in a filing made public in Delaware Superior Court Thursday, part of its $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the media giant. “From the top down, Fox knew ‘the dominion stuff’ was ‘total bs,’” Dominion wrote in its filing. “Yet despite knowing the truth—or at minimum, recklessly disregarding that truth—Fox spread and endorsed these ‘outlandish voter fraud claims’ about Dominion even as it internally recognized the lies as ‘crazy,’ ‘absurd,’ and ‘shockingly reckless.’” Dominion sued Fox News Networks in March 2021, alleging that the cable TV network amplified false claims that Dominion machines were used to rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election against Republican Donald Trump and in favor of his Democratic rival Joe Biden, who won the election. Fox has argued that it had a right to report on election-fraud allegations made by Trump and his lawyers, and that Dominion’s lawsuit would stifle freedom of the press. “The core of this case remains about freedom of the press and freedom of speech, which are fundamental rights afforded by the Constitution and protected by New York Times v. Sullivan,” a Fox spokesperson said in a statement. Dominion filed suit against parent company Fox Corp in November 2021; the case was consolidated in December. As part of discovery, Dominion has sought communications from Fox Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch, his son, Fox Corp Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch, and Fox News personnel as it seeks to prove that the network either knew the statements it aired were false or recklessly disregarded their accuracy. That is the standard of “actual malice” that public figures must prove to prevail in defamation cases. Dominion said in its brief that Rupert Murdoch internally described the election claims as “really crazy” and “damaging” but declined to wield his editorial power to stop them. Dominion in January questioned Murdoch under oath. Representatives for Rupert Murdoch did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Other top Fox executives including Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott repeatedly raised the alarm over false election fraud claims but failed to act because they feared losing viewers to Newsmax, Dominion said. “The heart of this is really going to be whether there was false information put on the air, and whether they knew it was false or whether they were reckless in putting it on the air,” said Roy Gutterman, director of the Newhouse School’s Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University. Dominion alleged in its lawsuit that Fox amplified the false theories to boost its ratings and stay abreast of hard-right competitors including One America News Network, which Dominion is also suing. The complaint cited instances in which Trump allies like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell appeared on Fox News and falsely claimed Dominion software may have manipulated vote counts in favor of Biden. Thursday’s filing reflects the outcome of months of discovery from both sides. Dominion in January questioned Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch under oath, the most high-profile figure to face questioning in the case. Earlier on Thursday, Fox filed a counterclaim in Delaware Superior Court, alleging that Dominion has no evidence to support its “staggering” damages claim. In its own summary judgment filing made public Thursday, Fox argued that Trump’s claims about the election were “undeniably newsworthy” and that viewers understood they were merely being reported as allegations. Fox also argued that Dominion’s suit advances overbroad interpretations of defamation law, takes quotes from its coverage out of context and ignores its reporting of Dominion’s rebuttals to the false claims. “Dominion’s lawsuit is an assault on the First Amendment and the free press,” Fox wrote in its filing. “The record shows that Dominion’s central allegations are factually unfounded, legally unsound, or both.” A five-week trial in the case is scheduled to begin on April 17. (Reporting by Helen Coster.; editing by Diane Craft) View the full article

Published by Grazia USA The Academy Awards (or the Oscars, as most of us call the awards show) is 95 years old this year. While the show’s red carpet and celebrity couple appearances get plenty of headlines, the biggest night in Hollywood isn’t without its scandals and controversies. Scandal and controversy are intrinsically tied to Hollywood — the place where drama is made is, of course, filled with its own drama behind the scenes. The Oscars is often where those whispers and disagreements become public knowledge, especially if there is an award upset. Ahead of the Academy Awards this year, we’re taking a look back … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story It didn’t take long for Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to act as surrogate hit woman for former President Donald Trump and attack newly announced presidential candidate Nikki Haley. In a tweet Greene, stated “Nikki Haley is just another George (or Jeb!) Bush,” she continued. “If we wanted a ‘Bush in heels,’ Republicans would vote for Liz Cheney.” Greene’s attack also included comparing and contrasting Haley’s political positions with Trump. “She is weak on the border, doesn’t want a wall,” stated Greene. She also added, “Nikki Haley refused to support a transgender bathroom bill … Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Nearly 200 past and present contributors to The New York Times have signed on to a damning letter detailing what they say is the paper of record’s “editorial bias” in “reporting on transgender, non⁠-⁠binary, and gender nonconforming people.” The letter follows months of what appears to be heightened criticism, born out of frustration over The Times’ reporting on transgender people. Numerous, eye-opening examples of how the “Old Gray Lady,” as the paper is often called, positions and frames transgender people and the issues they and their families face are packed into the letter, which compares… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rebel Wilson claims she her ‘Pitch Perfect’ contract prevented her from losing weight. The 42-year-old actress played Fat Amy in the hit film franchise between 2012 and 2017, and Rebel claims that her contract stopped her from shedding weight. She explained: “I couldn’t lose a massive amount of weight, because I was in the contracts for that movie. “I think it’s not more than ten pounds [you can lose] and not gain more than ten pounds. You have to kind of stay at the weight that’s in your contract.” Rebel embarked on a so-called year of health in 2020, as she made a determined effort to lose weight. However, the Hollywood star had been thinking about adopting a healthier lifestyle for years. Rebel – who ultimately managed to lose 60 pounds – told the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast: “I was stereotyped in playing that fat, funny friend. I love doing those roles, I love those characters, but then I did want to do more things. But then I felt like being the bigger girl, you’re just more pigeonholed.” Meanwhile, Rebel recently revealed that she’s set to launch a dating app. The actress – who is in a relationship with Ramona Agruma – is launching a new dating app named Fluid and Rebel explained how it relates to her own love life. The movie star – who has a three-month-old baby called Royce, who was born via a surrogate – said: “This is the first dating app where you don’t have to actually define yourself or tick a box to say ‘I’m straight, I’m gay, I’m bisexual,’ and you don’t have to describe what you are looking for.” Rebel is one of the app’s founders and she’s proud of its inclusive approach. She shared: “What’s really cool is, it’s open to everyone. “You might just be interested in checking out a wider dating pool like I was. It covers a lot of the LGBTQIA spectrum, but I think even if you’re straight you could use the app and have an amazing time.” View the full article