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Published by Al-Araby In a colourful setting on level -1 of the Arab World Institute (IMA) in the heart of Paris, installations, videos, paintings, drawings, designs and embroideries are showcased until February 19 under the title Habibi, the revolutions of love. The exhibition focuses on queer love and expression in the Arab world, as well as Iran and Afghanistan, shedding light on an often taboo topic in the countries the artists come from. The exhibition itself is far from a narrow portrayal of love under oppression. “The queer topic is the line that allows us to question the ideas of norms, social identities, b… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Christina Aguilera, Bad Bunny and Jeremy Pope will be honoured at the GLAAD Media Awards. The trio will be recognised for their contribution to the LGBTQ community at the ceremony that will be held on March 30 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Christina will receive GLAAD’s Advocate for Change Award. The gong is given “to a person who, through their work, has changed the game for LGBTQ people around the world”. The Grammy-winning star dedicated her hit song ‘Beautiful’ to the queer community and launched her own Pride collection in 2001. She has also helped raise over $500 million toward HIV research with MAC cosmetics. GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said: “Christina Aguilera is a beloved icon who has inspired and shared messages of love for the LGBTQ community since the start of her music career. “From using her voice to speak out against anti-LGBTQ legislation to creating songs and music videos that showcase LGBTQ love, Christina loudly and proudly raises the bar for what it means to be an LGBTQ ally today.” Bad Bunny will receive GLAAD’s Vanguard award for his allyship to the LGBTQ community for using his platform to uplift underexposed voices. The reggaeton artist joins a star-studded group of previous honourees including Beyonce, Jay-Z and Britney Spears. Ellis said: “Bad Bunny uses his role as one of the world’s most popular music artists to boldly shine a light on LGBTQ people and issues, including transgender equality and ending violence against trans women of colour. “By consistently advocating for our community, elevating our stories and demanding action from anti-LGBTQ leaders, Bad Bunny redefines the positive influence Latin music artists can have within the LGBTQ community, and has set an example for all artists.” Jeremy will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak award, presented to an LGBTQ media professional who has increased queer visibility and acceptance through their work. Pope has made groundbreaking queer appearances in the film ‘The Inspection’ and the TV series ‘Pose’. View the full article

Published by DPA Bret Easton Ellis, the cult author behind "American Psycho", is back with a massive novel about wealthy teenagers, a mysterious newcomer student and a serial killer, all narrated by a teen who shares the same name as the author. Arno Burgi/dpa After an interlude of 12 years, Bret Easton Ellis is back with “The Shards,” a 736-page tome set in a posh prep school. Hedonistic, dark and wild, this tragic-comic tale set in 1980s Los Angeles thrusts us into a clique of wealthy, troubled youngsters. The work comes on the heels of “Imperial Bedrooms” published in 2010. In his latest novel, the author, or part of him, is both the narrator and main character, leading many to wonder where fact ends and fiction begins, given the novel’s main character is a teenager named Bret. No matter, says the author. He is not worried about conveying the truth, he has told various media outlets in interviews. The main character and his friends all attend Buckley, an expensive private school, and almost all of them are highly privileged. They spend their time getting high on marijuana and cocaine, their lives unfolding to a soundtrack of Blondie, The Babys and Duran Duran. While Ellis the author is gay, his protagonist Bret is bisexual and cheats on his girlfriend Debbie, fantasizing about men and having sexual encounters with them. When he was at school, Ellis recalls having a girlfriend who he called “one of the most popular girls in our senior class.” But, he says, “I was gay, and only pretending to be a boyfriend,” he told Britain’s Unherd website. His latest work features several passages about Bret’s sexual appetites and his pleasure in experimentation. Alongside Bret and Debbie, we also read about a popular quarterback Thom and Susan who is beautiful and numb, a perhaps more typical high-school couple within the circle of friends. The work is initially light-hearted, as easy-going as the California summer Bret describes. But although his senior year was meant to be a dream, in the end it is anything but, as events take an ever darker turn. This is 1981, as the enigmatic Robert Mallory joins their group. Girls are all drawn to him but he is surrounded by mystery, with people wondering why he has come to the school just for his senior year. Right from their first encounter, Bret suspects he is a liar and decides to get to the bottom of what drives this newcomer. Unlike other campus novels with their relationship tiffs and squabbles, Ellis gives the reader a disturbing narrative, showing us the flipside of the seemingly perfect lives of these wealthy young people. They are battling with a Los Angeles that is both dazzling and threatening, peopled by strange and corrupt adults with all their vanities and intrusions. Take the father of one of the teens, a well-connected, self-righteous Hollywood producer who hides his sexual appetites for underage students. Then there’s the “Trawler,” a serial killer who terrorises the city. Ellis is a skilful storyteller, keeping the tension high with one cliffhanger after the next. But that is easy, as the narrator is the ageing Bret, an omniscient observer who knows how the story ends. Even seemingly inconsequential situations come to life with gripping dialogue and unexpected twists, with a rich tapestry of detail throughout the work. But this too is a weakness as some of it is virtually unreadable, from the graphic descriptions of crime scenes to the protagonist’s explicit fantasies. No, this book is not for the squeamish. And yet we already know that this author is not worried about the sensitivities of his audience, having faced a barrage of criticism for some of the graphic scenes in his earlier work, “American Psycho.” He does not set out to offend people, he has said, telling Unherd that he is not thinking about the reader when creating a book. “I don’t really write for an audience.” Like every book he has written, “it starts with a feeling,” he says. He is trying to work something out. “I often write a novel because I’m stuck at a certain point in my life,” he told Variety. “I’m confused, I’m scared, I’m having anxiety and I can’t quite figure out how to move forward. I’m kind of trapped someplace, and the writing flows from that.” That has resulted in a turbo ride of a read that is suffused with dread. A horror-packed journey through glitzy, ’80s LA, it is certainly not for the faint hearted. View the full article

Indigo Girls Tiny Desk Concert NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts hit Number 1000 four months ago. Over the years NPR has expanded the series to at home concerts for COVID and now an annual contest among submissions. Many familiar and LGBTQ-resonant among them: Gay Icons, Queer Artists, allies we love, and a few with tolerable good intentions. [This post contains video, click to play] Brandi Carlile: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Brandi Carlile Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 13:12 Brandi Carlile: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Omar Apollo Tiny Desk Concert 18:14 Omar Apollo: Tiny Desk Concert Harry Styles Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 19:14 Harry Styles: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Lizzo Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 17:00 Lizzo: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Lgbtq resonant tiny desk concert playlistAdele Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 14:35 Adele: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Npr Music Celebrates 1000 Tiny Desk Concerts 03:50 Brothers Osborne Tiny Desk Home Concert 18:39 Brothers Osborne: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Perfume Genius Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 09:29 Perfume Genius: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert [This post contains video, click to play] Who is in the mix? Miley Cyrus Tiny Desk Home Concert 11:17 Miley Cyrus: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Betty Who Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 19:21 Betty Who: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Meshell Ndegeocello Tiny Desk Home Concert 12:04 Meshell Ndegeocello: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Bettye Lavette Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert From The Archives 18:12 Bettye Lavette: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert From The Archives Florence The Machine Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 14:02 Florence + The Machine: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert A Strange Loop Tiny Desk Home Concert 20:23 A Strange Loop: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Rufus Wainwright The Art Teacher Tiny Desk Concert 03:55 Rufus Wainwright – The Art Teacher (Tiny Desk Concert) Taylor Swift Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 28:59 Taylor Swift: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Weird Al Yankovic Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert From The Archives 14:40 ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert From The Archives Pwr Bttm Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 13:30 Pwr Bttm: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Kirk Franklin Tiny Desk Home Concert 15:33 Kirk Franklin: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert H E R Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 18:52 H.E.R.: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Wu Tang Clan Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 20:45 Wu-Tang Clan: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert Macklemore Ryan Lewis Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 14:46 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert The Lion King Tiny Desk Concert 19:15 The Lion King: Tiny Desk Concert Jonas Brothers Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert 13:52 Jonas Brothers: Npr Music Tiny Desk Concert View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Though Kimberly Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. seem happy together, it doesn’t look like the political guru’s family is accepting of her. “Ivanka [Trump] doesn’t trust her because she sees her as a social climber desperate to marry into the family,” a source revealed. Guilfoyle, 53, and Ivanka’s relationship got worse at Tiffany Trump‘s wedding in November 2022. “Kimberly wore black, which rubbed everyone the wrong way,” the source said of the party, where all the other women wore pastels. “Kimberly knew the dress code and simply disregarded it, which upset both Tiffany and Ivanka.” mega As a result, the businesswoman, 41, cut the TV personality out of her photo when she posted on social media. “Once people online noticed, Ivanka reposted the image with Kimberly in it, but the damage was done,” the insider dished. However, Ivanka, who is married to Jared Kushner, seems to have a soft spot for Donald Jr.’s ex-wife, Vanessa Trump. “She loves her former sister-in-law, Vanessa,” the source said of Donald Jr.’s ex, whom he divorced after 13 years of marriage in 2018. “There was hope that they would reconcile, but Kimberly put the kibosh on that.” mega These days, the Trump family haven’t been agreeing on many things. After Donald Trump announced he would be running for president again in 2024, Ivanka decided to walk away from the campaign. “Ivanka’s decision to stay out of politics and re-launch her brand is another reason she’s been keeping her distance. Kimberly, along with Eric’s wife, Lara, consider it a huge betrayal, so they’ve taken sides against her,” the source spilled. “No one trusts anyone anymore.” @kimberlyguilfoyle/instagram 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! As OK! previously reported, Ivanka announced why she wouldn’t be working alongside her father anymore. “I love my father very much. This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family,” she said in a statement, which was posted on Instagram. “I do not plan to be involved in politics. While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena. I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and I will always be proud of many of our Administration’s accomplishments.” In Touch spoke with the insider. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Soulful singer Adele had a lot on her mind when she took the stage for her residency at Caesar’s Palace Colosseum in Las Vegas over the weekend. So much so that she forgot the opening lines to one of her biggest hits, RadarOnline.com can reveal. The now 16-time Grammy winner jokingly played off forgetting the words to Rolling In The Deep to her sold-out Sin City crowd. mega The British ballad singer kicked off her tenth weekend of shows for her Las Vegas residency — and those who were lucky to catch her Friday night special were given a unique performance. Adele dazzled the Caesar’s Palace attendees in an elegant black dress that sparkled against her show’s incredible pyrotechnic visuals, but before she could blow away the crowd, she fumbled the lyrics to her own song. An insider who was at the concert told RadarOnline.com how it all went down. Never miss a story — sign up for RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free As the low and heavy hitting drums began on her instant classic, Adele started to sing on the beat. After she turned to her backup singers and mumbled a line, she faced the crowd to ask the audience if they remembered the words to Rolling In The Deep. “Who knows the words to this?” The pop star asked in a cheeky tone. “What is it?” Adele asked her band as she tried to pick up the pieces. The pop icon continued a back-and-forth of belting out a word before she finally decided to start over — but not without poking fun at herself for the embarrassing error. mega “Outrageous!” The singer joked. “Let’s start again I can’t be having that.” The expressive performer couldn’t hide her embarrassment, but like any global sensation, she handled the incident like a pro, giving the audience quite the story to tell after the show. “At least you know I’m singing live,” Adele told the crowd which erupted in applause and laughter. mega After she was given a fresh start from her band, the seasoned performer carried on as usual and amazed the crowd with her powerful vocals. Once she closed out her 19th show, Adele had one more crowd to wow in Las Vegas before she jetted off to the Grammy Awards. Adele took home the trophy for her performance of Easy On Me — and she dedicated her acceptance speech to her 10-year-old son. “I just want to dedicate this to my son Angelo,” Adele said on stage. “Just to my son: I wrote this first verse in the shower when I was choosing to change my son’s life.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Dexter’ is returning for a prequel series focused on a young Dexter Morgan. Showtime – which is set to be folded into Paramount+ – has green lit plans for ‘Dexter: Origins’, which will allow a version of the character in his early 20s and “at the outset of his transition into the avenging serial killer he would become”. Set in Miami and most likely the 1980s, the spin-off show follows on from the success of 2021 sequel series ‘Dexter: New Blood’ and will see Dexter – played by Michael C. Hall in the original eight seasons and reboot – graduating college and joining Miami Metro. There, “he meets younger versions of many of the characters we came to know in the original Dexter”. The press release adds: “And, of course, the show will also focus on Dexter’s family, including a very-much-alive Harry and a very formidable, teenage Deb.” In previous series, Harry and Debra have been played by James Remar and Jennifer Carpenter respectively. Meanwhile, Showtime has also confirmed plans to explore “exploring projects based on other characters from the Dexter universe”. One of these is a spin-off focused on a young Trinity Killer, who was originally portrayed by John Lithgow in the original show. In a statement, longtime showrunner Clyde Phillips – who will be at the helm of the new shows – added: “I couldn’t be more excited about exploring and expanding the universe of Dexter. “It’s a privilege to contemplate going even deeper with these complex and iconic characters — and the stories, themes and possibilities they inspire.” Although Showtime has halted plans for a second season of ‘Dexter: New Blood’ – which would have focused on his son Harrison – in favour of the prequel, the network has insisted season two is still “in development”. Phillips previously said: “If they were to call me and say, ‘We want to do [a second season], we want you to figure it out,’ I’m pretty busy, but I would drop everything I’m doing and jump right into it. “I would love to do it, but it’s really up to Showtime.” View the full article

Published by Kaiser Health News More than four dozen Jamaican fruit bats destined for a lab in Bozeman, Montana, are set to become part of an experiment with an ambitious goal: predicting the next global pandemic. Bats worldwide are primary vectors for virus transmission from animals to humans. Those viruses often are harmless to bats but can be deadly to humans. Horseshoe bats in China, for example, are cited as a likely cause of the covid-19 outbreak. And researchers believe pressure put on bats by climate change and encroachment from human development have increased the frequency of viruses jumping from bats to people, ca… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA The director of Leaving Neverland, an explosive documentary that told the story of two young boys who claimed to be sexually abused by the late Michael Jackson, slammed the newly announced biopic chronicling the King of Pop’s rise to fame, RadarOnline.com has learned. Dan Reed posted an opinion piece about the new project starring the performer’s 26-year-old nephew Jaafar Jackson and directed by Antoine Fuqua for Lionsgate. @jaafarjackson/Instagram; MEGA RadarOnline.com was the first to report news on a confidential and lucrative secret project in the works back in November. Court documents showed the Jackson estate, run by John McClain and John Branca, had informed the court of a potential new income revenue since revealed to be the biopic. MEGA “In an era when full-throated outrage accompanies anything that smells of delegitimization or insensitivity against a vulnerable group, it amounts to a deafening silence. No one is talking about ‘cancelling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children,” Reed wrote, per The Guardian in an article published on February 5. Jackson’s family had previously blasted the two-part HBO documentary Leaving Neverland as a “public lynching” and “character assassination” as he was no longer alive and able to speak out about the disturbing claims. “Michael is not here to defend himself, otherwise these allegations would not have been made,” a statement from the family read at the time, following accusations made by alleged victims Wade Robson and James Safechuck. MEGA Relatives of Jackson have since thrown their support behind the new biopic, which Reed said may send a bigger message to the world and survivors of abuse, claiming it seems as though those “who grew up loving Jackson are willing to set aside his unhealthy relationship with children and just go along with the music.” In a message directly to filmmakers, he asked, “How will you represent the moment when Jackson, a grown man in his 30s, takes a child by the hand and leads him into that bedroom? How will you depict what happens next?” Never miss a story — sign up for RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. MEGA “By sidestepping the question of Jackson’s predilection for sleeping with young boys, you are broadcasting a message to millions of survivors of child sexual abuse,” Reed declared. “That message is: if a pedophile is rich and popular enough, society will forgive him.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden will on Tuesday deliver his State of the Union address three months after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, a speech that may mark the unofficial start of the 2024 presidential campaign season. Here is what to expect. WHEN IS THE STATE OF THE UNION? Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address at about 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday). It will be broadcast live on major U.S. broadcast television networks and online. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? The speech could deliver Biden his largest television audience of the year. An estimated 38.2 million people watched the speech on U.S. television last year, according to data provider Nielsen. That audience will give Biden a chance to shape public perceptions of the debt limit, social spending, the Russian war in Ukraine and other topics as he plans to announce his re-election campaign in the coming weeks. It also gives him an opportunity to shore up support among Democrats, some of whom are concerned about his age and other issues. Biden turned 80 in November and, if re-elected, would be 82 at the beginning of a second term. WHAT IS BIDEN EXPECTED TO SAY? He is expected to use the speech as an unofficial beginning of the 2024 presidential campaign season, laying out a set of policy priorities that may or may not find support in Congress. He is expected to tout economic progress following the COVID-19 recession, draw sharp contrasts with the priorities of some Republican opponents and lay out “unity” agenda items that he believes should bring the two main parties together. The speech is weeks in the making and subject to many drafts between Biden, his speechwriters and various political and policy officials in the administration. Last year, Biden’s speech came just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and focused heavily on explaining the U.S. response. WHO ATTENDS THE SPEECH? The speech is delivered during a joint session of Congress. All members of both the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House are invited. Members of Biden’s Cabinet, the armed forces and the Supreme Court also attend. Partisan outbursts can occur. Biden was formally invited to give the address in January by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy will preside over the event and be accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also the president of the Senate. The president invites family members and other guests who sit in the First Lady’s view box from the balcony. Their presence can amplify points he is making in his speech. Members of Congress also invite guests. This year, guests will include the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, the Black man who was fatally beaten by Memphis police officers, who were invited by Congressional Black Caucus chair Representative Steven Horsford. Missouri Democrat Cori Bush said she has invited Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown, whose 2014 shooting by a Ferguson police officer helped give birth to the Black Lives Matter movement. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, said he invited Roya Rahmani, who served as Afghanistan’s first female ambassador to the United States, to send a signal to the women of Afghanistan that they had not been forgotten, while Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik will bring Jeffrey Smith, a county sheriff from upstate New York. WHO ARE BIDEN’S GUESTS? The ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova, was invited by first lady Jill Biden. The White House called it a “recognition of sustained U.S. support for Ukraine nearly a year after Russia launched its unprovoked attack.” The White House has also invited Paul Pelosi, husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He was attacked by an intruder in their California home in October. Celebrities have also made the list with Bono, lead singer of Irish band U2, invited for his work to fight HIV/AIDS and poverty. The White House has also invited Brandon Tsay, who disarmed a gunman responsible for a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Other guests include cancer survivor Darlene Gaffney; Amanda Zurawski who was not able to obtain abortion services due to Texas’s abortion ban and Doug Griffin, who lost his 20-year-old daughter to a fentanyl overdose. WHO IS THE DESIGNATED SURVIVOR One person who does not attend is a single member of Biden’s Cabinet who will be picked as a “designated survivor.” That individual will be housed in a secure location and is tasked with taking over the government in case of a catastrophe that impairs the president and his other successors at the Capitol. The designated survivor for this year’s speech had not been announced as of late Monday. WHO WILL GIVE THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE? Republicans have picked Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under Donald Trump, to deliver their response. That speech is generally delivered shortly after the president finishes his. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell, Robert Birsel) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Tom Brady‘s latest sultry snap has fans drooling. On Monday, February 6, the legendary quarterback took to his Instagram Story to tease his 13.4 million followers with a stripped-down mirror selfie. mega “Deals a deal,” Brady wrote alongside a shirtless photo of him on his bed in a pair of boxers. The 45-year-old positioned one of his football-throwing hands directly over his private parts, while the other held onto his iPhone to take the picture. “Did I do it right?” the father-of-three asked his former New England Patriots teammates Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. @tombrady/instagram The jaw-dropping upload comes more than six months after Brady took to Twitter with a promise to recreate the shirtless models’ poses from a Brady Brand photo shoot in June 2022 — but only if his post received more than 40,000 likes. “Hey @TomBrady we haven’t forgotten about this,” the NFL star’s apparel brand wrote on Monday morning alongside the resurfaced tweet. 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! “How it started…” Brady captioned a screenshot of the Twitter exchange, which he posted on his instagram Story to provide background explanation before he shared the nearly nude selfie. The handsome hunk’s thirst trap comes less than one week after the recently divorced celebrity announced his retirement on Wednesday, February 1. mega “Good morning, guys, I’ll get to the point right away: I’m retiring for good,” Brady explained last week of the end to his well-acclaimed career as one of the greatest football players of all time. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first. So I won’t be long-winded,” the sports icon continued in regard to his first retirement exactly one year prior, which he back tracked on 40 days later. “I think you only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year,” the ex-husband of Gisele Bündchen quipped. “So, really, thank you guys, so much, to every single one of you, for supporting me. My family, my friends, teammates, my competitors, I could go on forever, there’s too many. Thank you, guys, for letting me live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all,” Brady concluded. View the full article

Published by AFP US President Joe Biden will have a huge audience in his State of the Union speech Washington (AFP) – An optimistic President Joe Biden will seek to lift the spirits of a tense nation Tuesday with a State of the Union address showcasing his efforts to fire up the US economy — and demonstrating he still has what it takes to seek reelection at the age of 80. After two years of managing the exit from the Covid pandemic, an end to the 20-year Afghan war debacle, the Western response against Russia’s Ukraine invasion, and extreme US political tensions, Biden feels he has much to celebrate. “I want to talk to the American people and let them know the state of affairs,” Biden said Monday. “Just have a conversation with the American people.” On Capitol Hill, he’ll address the full Congress, nearly every senior government member, and a vast television audience, buoyed by news that the economy is recovering strongly from the pandemic, with the lowest unemployment in 50 years. “This is a president who is incredibly optimistic,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Biden will tap into his powers of empathy — honed in a series of personal tragedies — and show his skill at “connecting with the American people,” she said Tuesday on MSNBC. “Joe Biden is known for doing just that and he is the best messenger in the White House,” she said, “telling the stories of the last two years and, let’s not forget, the optimism.” But the dramatic downing on Saturday of a huge Chinese balloon by a US Air Force fighter leaves the unstable relationship with the communist superpower literally looming over the Biden administration. And there are troubles closer to home, with two new polls showing that well over half of voters do not want Biden, the oldest person ever in the presidency, to seek a second term in 2024 — and that includes members of his own Democratic party. Biden spent the weekend at the presidential retreat Camp David, huddled with top advisors and speech writers to finesse the speech. Tweaks continued “until the last minute,” Jean-Pierre said. Early Tuesday, the White House announced the guests of First Lady Jill Biden for the speech. These include Ukraine’s ambassador, Oksana Markarova and rock band mega star and HIV/AIDS campaigner Bono. The most eye-catching, though may be Brandon Tsay, the 26-year-old man who disarmed the gunman in a January mass shooting in California, and RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the parents of Tyre Nichols, a man whose death after a prolonged police beating in Memphis, Tennessee, shocked the nation. Trouble ahead For Biden, here’s the good news. Inflation, which just a few months ago seemed a near-existential threat to the Biden presidency, is steadily ticking downward. Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are starting to flow out into programs passed under Biden to spur high-tech manufacturing and repair infrastructure. On Friday, new figures showed joblessness hitting that half-century low. This inspired Biden to boast: “I’m happy to report that the state of the union and the state of our economy is strong.” Even if Biden has yet to formally announce his 2024 candidacy, the speech — followed by two very campaign-like trips Wednesday and Thursday to Wisconsin and Florida — is expected to give him a big push. However, the Chinese balloon drama — Beijing claims it was an errant weather research balloon but the US government says it was a high-tech espionage device — shows how narratives in Washington easily take dangerous new turns. When Biden speaks, half of the Congress members in the chamber, as well as Speaker Kevin McCarthy sitting directly behind him, will be Republicans vowing to use their new, narrow House of Representatives majority to block his policies. “The state of the union is weaker and American families are suffering because of Joe Biden,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said. “But all they’ll hear from Biden are excuses.” Already, a major crisis is brewing over Republican refusal to extend the US debt limit, usually a rubber stamp procedure. Biden’s government warns of financial calamity, with major international implications, if Republicans stick to their guns, potentially pushing the United States into default. Those kinds of uncertainties, as well as doubts over Biden’s ability to serve a second term that would end after his 86th birthday, may be partly to blame for pessimism in the polls. An ABC News-Washington Post Poll found that 58 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said the party should find someone else for 2024. In his address, Biden will seek to “meet the meet people where they are, understanding that they are still indeed struggling,” Jean-Pierre said. View the full article

Published by AFP The entrance of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida: state lawmakers have introduced a bill to revoke Disney's special status as part of an ongoing spat with Governor Ron DeSantis over his 'Don't Say Gay' bill Miami (AFP) – Florida lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill that would allow the state to take control of the area around Walt Disney World that has until now been controlled by the entertainment giant. The move was the latest episode in a year-long dispute between the Republican administration of Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney, after the company criticized a law banning school lessons on sexual orientation. Disney’s special self-governing status was granted when the huge theme park was being built the 1960s. It gave Disney broad local management autonomy and exempted it from most state regulations. The new bill will be debated in the Florida House of Representatives this week before being sent to the Senate. It provides for the creation of a committee of five people, appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate, to take care of the administration of the zone once Disney’s special statute is revoked. DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for the White House, signed a law in April last year, and which is due to come into effect in June this year, eliminating Disney’s special status. Relations between DeSantis and Disney soured after Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out publicly against a law pushed by the governor prohibiting the teaching of subjects related to sexual orientation or gender identity in primary school. Disney was initially silent about the law. But widespread criticism of the company, which employs more than 75,000 people in Florida, after it failed to publicly speak out eventually prompted Chapek to condemn it and suspend donations to state politicians. Disney’s theme park near Orlando is among the most visited in the world and the Disney brand remains a favorite with Americans. With its special status, Disney guaranteed a number of essential public services such as garbage collection or water treatment. Some elected officials fear that revoking the status will result in Disney debts of around $2 billion being transferred to local governments surrounding the park. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine TLC Jazz Jennings has entered the dating pool — which has turned out to be more of a rocky, dating dance. In the sneak peek of the Tuesday, February 6, episode of I Am Jazz, the transgender activist goes on a double date with a guy named Dayron, her brother Sander and his “lady friend.” TLC While the couple tries to loosen up with a fun-filled dance date, things go sour for Jazz and her man after he points out that she appears to be on edge, making matters worse. A blonde instructor named Maria leads the group’s private dance lesson, showing them moves while flipping her tresses. “Look! Look!” Jazz’s date says while watching the instructor, who adds, “You just wanna get a little groovy.” After watching Maria’s sassy demonstration, Jazz — who is wearing a tiara of flowers on her head — says, “Oh, oh! OK!” before joking: “I’m leaving my crown on. This crown is staying on.” Dayron then grabs Jazz by the arm and tries to get her to do the moves with him, but the whole situation seems to have Jazz on edge. “I’m getting a little uncomfortable because Maria does her hair flip, and Dayron is kind of like ‘Jazz, you do it! You do it!'” she admits in a confessional. TLC Though Dayron appears to try and calm the 22-year-old down by saying he doesn’t know why she’s “nervous,” as he reaches over to touch her arm again, the remark only pushes Jazz to get more inside her head. “I’m not nervous!” Jazz declares, going on to repeat herself while adjusting her flower crown. When Maria asks if they want a break or some water, Jazz quickly takes her up on the offer. “I would love some water. Yeah, that would be great. We’ve been dancing for long,” she insists, as she makes her way off the dance floor, with Dayron in tow. “Hearing Dayron say I seem nervous kind of takes me off guard because now I just feel uncomfortable because I feel I’m projecting negative emotions I don’t want to be projecting,” she explains in the confessional. Ahead of the latest season of I Am Jazz, the star teased that the biggest storyline “is my love life, and where I’m going with that, and do I, or do I not find love?” TLC 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! “All those questions will be answered,” she hinted to a news outlet, admitting that dating has proven to be quite the challenge. On top of the regular stresses that come with getting to know people, Jazz adds that the reality of dating as a transgender person comes with additional obstacles. “I wish people understood that dating as a trans person is really hard because transgender people are immediately judged and ostracized for who they are,” the brunette babe emphasized, concluding that she wishes she wasn’t just defined by being a transgender woman. “I wish people could be like, ‘You know what? I don’t care that you’re transgender. You’re just a woman to me. You’re beautiful. And I see that in you.'” I Am Jazz airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC. People obtained the first look at the I Am Jazz episode and talked to the reality star about the upcoming season. View the full article

Published by Global Voices A screenshot of Google maps (Jakarta). Composed by Sydney Allen via Canva Global Voices has extensively cataloged the pressures, violence, hate speech, and oppression queer people face all over the world. Whether it is violence against trans sex workers in Azerbaijan, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Kazakhstan, opposition to the Gay Games in Hong Kong, or crackdowns on LGBTQ+ education in Brazillian schools, it is well documented that queer people often face a litany of abuse and discrimination that their cis-straight counterparts do not. The threat of persecution, violence, or judgement is why man… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee is pressing the Department of Justice for details about a former FBI agent who was indicted for working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch and laundering the proceeds. Charles F. McGonigal retired as special agent in charge of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York office in 2018. McGonigal allegedly began cooperating with an agent of aluminum baron Oleg Deripaska while he was still working for the FBI. Deripaska is under indictment for allegedly evading sanctions and obstructing justice. Dick Durban raised urgent questions in his open letter to A… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A Christian school in Kansas City is being forced to close after its donations almost completely dried up ever since it came out in support of LGBTQ rights. The Kansas City Star reports that the Urban Christian Academy announced its support for LGBTQ rights last year and, by the end of the year, it had lost 80 percent of its funding. “Before publicly supporting the LGBTQ community, Urban Christian Academy raised nearly $334,000 in December 2021,” the Kansas City Star writes. “This past December, donations dropped to $14,800. All eight churches that helped fund the school withdrew their support… Read More View the full article

Published by Al-Araby The Taliban arrested Samir, a 21-year-old gay man from Faryab province, for the first time back last November after he had been repatriated to Afghanistan from Iran. They abused him with homophobic slurs and sent private photos from his phone — of him in women’s clothes and with his boyfriend — to his family. “They told my family this was proof I was gay,” he said. He was soon released, but weeks later the Taliban returned and detained him again. This time the abuse was physical — he was tortured so severely that he’s now deaf in one ear. “After this happened, my parents disowned me and threw … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ has seemingly added the first transgender ‘Harry Potter’ character. The introduction of Sirona Ryan, a barkeep at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, comes amid the J.K. Rowling transgender row. Although It’s not stated in the game if Sirona is transgender, one piece of dialogue about an encounter with a goblin called Lodgok suggests as much. Sirona says: “I’ve known [Lodgok] for years. We met when I was waiting tables here as a student — well before I bought the place. “He was cordial enough, but we weren’t friends then. His mistrust of wizardkind ran deep… Hadn’t seen him in years when he came in a few months ago. But, he recognised me instantly. Which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realise I was actually a witch, not a wizard.” Warner Bros. Games has insisted Rowling is “not directly involved”, though her writing has provided the “foundation” for the title. The acclaimed scribe first caused controversy when she took issue with an online article’s mention of “people who menstruate” by tweeting: “‘People who menstruate’. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Among those who have since hit out at the author over her remarks are ‘Harry Potter’ actors including Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), as well as Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), who featured in her ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films. The much-discussed role-playing title arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this Friday (10.02.23). PlayStation 4 and Xbox One follows on April 4 and Nintendo Switch players will have a while longer to wait with a date set for July 25. View the full article

Published by PsyPost In a guest editorial at the journal of Bioethics, Joona Räsänen of Aarhus University discusses the possibility of sexual loneliness as a neglected public health problem. A recent study found that between the years 2000-2002 and 2016-2018, the proportion of men between ages 18-24 who reported no sexual activity over the past year increased from roughly 19% to 31%. However, this trend did not apply to women. A similar pattern has been confirmed in other research as well. Despite this trend among men, there is also another pattern at play; there is a category of men who report having more sexual … Read More View the full article

Published by Relaxnews By Robyn BECK / AFP For once, men overshadowed women on the red carpet of the 65th Grammy Awards. Overalls, jumpsuits, oversized capes, and colorful or floral suits replaced the formal tuxedo, taking men’s fashion far away from its traditional codes. These sartorial choices reflect a keenness to shake up certain standards, and to pave the way for more diverse visions of masculinity. For once, men overshadowed women on the red carpet of the 65th Grammy Awards. Overalls, jumpsuits, oversized capes, and colorful or floral suits replaced the formal tuxedo, taking men’s fashion far away from its tr… Read More View the full article