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Published by AlterNet In the coming year, nine states will introduce legislation to block transgender youth from seeking gender-affirming care, The Hill reports. The states include Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Over 20 bills have been introduced in these states in an attempt to block the life-saving medical care. Many of the bills would prohibit medical providers from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or gender-affirming surgeries to minors under the age of 18. Gender-affirming surgeries are typically not performed on minors. Medical pro… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) -One is a pistol-packing ex-member of an outlawed Jewish militant group. The other is a religious fundamentalist who once called himself a “proud homophobe”. Both are West Bank settlers averse to Palestinians’ self-rule – let alone their hopes of statehood. And as senior coalition partners to reelected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will be within reach of the levers of power – a troubling prospect for Israel’s once-dominant secular-left and friends in the West. Netanyahu turned to the ultra-nationalists after centrist parties boycotted him over his long-running corruption trial. He needs their support to stay in office as he argues his innocence in court. But he denies this spells pliability to their demands. “I will navigate this government. The other parties are joining me. I’m not joining them,” Netanyahu told Al Arabiya on Dec. 15, pledging to enforce “liberal rightist” policymaking. Besides, he said, “a lot of them have changed and moderated their views, principally because with the assumption of power comes responsibility”. There may be precedent in Avigdor Lieberman, a firebrand whose 2006 appointment as deputy prime minister triggered much the same response as Ben-Gvir’s rise: liberal warnings of civil war and, on Israel’s top TV satire, his lampooning as a Nazi. Lieberman proved to be politically adaptable. He served in various coalitions – one of which included an Islamist party – and ended up in the current opposition, from which he has scorned Netanyahu’s new allies as “zealots and extremists”. Still, Lieberman could also play spoiler from the right. As Netanyahu’s foreign minister in a previous government, he would publicly promote a harder line on the Palestinians than the premier’s. In a later term, Lieberman resigned as Netanyahu’s defence minister in protest at a Gaza truce he deemed too lax. Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party has now retained the defence and foreign ministries. But the optics around Ben-Gvir and Smotrich may yet prove combustible for him – for example, if either man visits or prays at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound, an icon of Palestinian nationalism which is also the holiest site for Judaism as vestige of its two ancient temples. Netanyahu’s previous 15 years as premier saw him feathering the nests of the hawks in his cabinet – or clipping their wings – as he deemed necessary. Back then, however, he had parties to his left to help him function as an ideological fulcrum. “With all the parties in the incoming government situated to Netanyahu’s right, it will be difficult for him to replicate that role this time,” argued Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank. “Does he want to?” PACING THEMSELVES On Ben-Gvir’s and Smotrich’s calls for West Bank annexations, Netanyahu is on record as being in favour while also avoiding action on the ground that would risk escalating into confrontations with Washington or Arab partners. Yet Smotrich did carve out a cabinet niche for himself overseeing settlements, which most world powers deem illegal for taking occupied land that Palestinians want for a state. “He can be effective in multiplying and consolidating Israel’s presence in the West Bank,” said Amotz Asa-El, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, noting Smotrich’s high pace of infrastructure-building as a former transport minister. For Ben-Gvir, by contrast, this is the first stint in government. As police minister, he will focus on law-and-order issues important to a swathe of Israelis, Asa-El predicted – including crime-hit Arabs against whom Ben-Gvir once agitated. “After legitimating his position in broader Israeli circles, he will proceed to the realms that not all agree on – namely the West Bank,” Asa-El said. But that may have to wait, as Ben-Gvir’s portfolio does not grant major powers in the West Bank, which is under the overall control of the military. Arguably, Ben-Gvir, 46, and Smotrich, 42, can afford to shelve some of their agendas for this round with Netanyahu, 73. “But that’s counting on restraint from people who come from very different ideological world-views than what we’ve seen in Israeli governments before,” said Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. envoy to Israel and now Atlantic Council distinguished fellow. Ben-Gvir came up through the Kahane Chai group, which is blacklisted in Israel and the United States for its virulently anti-Arab doctrines. Smotrich’s advocacy of Jewish claims on the West Bank is informed by a doctrinaire faith in Bible prophesy. Earlier generations of Israeli far-rightists in government “demonstrated an interest and capacity to engage in a genuine two-way dialogue with the United States and other international players, and seemed to recognize the limits on pursuing some of their most ideological positions,” Shapiro said. “It remains to be seen whether that approach will characterise members of the incoming coalition.” Alan Dershowitz, a prominent American-Jewish jurist who has advised U.S. and Israeli leaders, said Ben-Gvir and Smotrich disavowed racism and homophobia in meetings with him this month. “The word ‘balance’ came up a number of times” in their reassurances during the conversations, Dershowitz told Reuters. “Obviously they were in some ways trying to get me to have a positive impression of them,” he said. “Let’s see what happens when I’m not in the room and the people in the room are pushing them to become more extreme. That’s the litmus test.” (Reporting by Dan Williams; Editing by Michael Georgy and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune Freedom of speech is forever embattled. That is its nature. Easy to assent to in the abstract, the principle becomes more challenging when the speech at issue assails one’s most cherished values. Polls over the years have consistently reflected this dynamic. “Of course I support freedom of speech,” respondents say, “but not for that sort of speech.” The current state of turmoil over this freedom, however, feels different. I know of no other period, certainly not in my lifetime, when public discourse about freedom of speech has been so contentious and confounding. The impulse to censor is resur… Read More View the full article

Published by Fadeaway World By Aaron Abhishek His retirement press conference was an absolute shocker when he announced his reason to step back from the sport. It was an eventful day for the NBA, Magic Johnson, and the world on November 8, 1991. His retirement press conference was an absolute shocker when he announced his reason to step back from the sport. Magic Johnson was 32 when he was diagnosed with HIV and that led the point guard who had played 12 seasons with the Lakers to call time on his decorated career. His diagnosis was also the opening frame of the HBO sports drama ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dyna… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kim Kardashian’s employees wear uniforms. The 42-year-old reality TV star revealed that she prefers when her employees are coordinated and wearing a similar palette, although she does not consider them uniforms. When quizzed by Angie Martinez on her ‘IRL’ podcast, about whether a dress code for her employees is “intentional”, Kim replied: “Absolutely. I have uniforms. It’s not like hey, this is like your uniform. It’s just palettes.” And Kim revealed that the dress code was discussed with her employees before she brought it in. She said: “My house is so zen, so I asked how everyone felt about it, and everyone actually said, ‘That would make our life so easy’ And once everyone was on board and thought it would be easier for them, I was like, ‘Yes, let’s do this.’ “I should have like a free-dress day on their birthdays or something.” Kim previously spoke about her monochromatic house, explaining that things needed to be “zen” at home because her life outside the house is so chaotic. She told ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’: “It’s getting harder. It really is getting harder. But you have no other choice sometimes. That’s why my house has to be really zen because life, as soon as I step outside, life outside of this house is not zen.” However, her kids don’t always approve, especially daughter North, nine. Kim said: “My kids probably hate me. Like, North will say, ‘Your house is so ugly! It’s all plain, it’s all white!’ She thinks it really gets to me. I’m like, ‘It’s your house too!'” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Daniel Craig couldn’t understand why everyone was obsessed with his ‘Knives Out’ co-star Chris Evans’ jumper in the film. The former James Bond – who stars as detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit franchise – couldn’t get his head around the cable-knit sweater Chris’ alter-ego, Hugh Ransom Drysdalel, wears in the 2019 flick. He told BBC Radio 1: “It’s the bit that goes over my head. “I don’t understand. It’s like, so Chris Evans is wearing a jumper. It’s like he’s naked or at least naked from the sort of waist down, wearing a jumper. I’m like, ‘He’s just wearing a jumper.’ News is like, ‘Chris Evans wears jumper!’” He added: “Sure, it’s a living. He does it very well. “He wears it very beautifully.” The sequel, ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’, has just been released. But Rian has just confessed he is annoyed that ‘Knives Out’ is included in the title. The filmmaker says he worked hard to ensure that the original flick and the recent release felt like separate movies that could exist independently of each other and he was not happy with the full title. Speaking to The Atlantic, he said: “I’ve tried hard to make them self-contained. Honestly, I’m p***** off that we have ‘A Knives Out Mystery’ in the title. You know? I want it to just be called ‘Glass Onion’. “I get it, and I want everyone who liked the first movie to know this is next in the series, but also, the whole appeal to me is it’s a new novel off the shelf every time. But there’s a gravity of a thousand suns toward serialised storytelling.” Daniel is the only actor from the first film to return for the second movie. And Rian also admitted he would have preferred a longer theatrical release from Netflix. He said: “I’d love it to be longer; I’d love it to be in more. But also, I appreciate that Netflix has done this, because this was a huge effort on their part, and the chains, to reach across the aisle and make this happen. I’m hoping it does really well so we can demonstrate that they can complement each other.” ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ co-stars Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Gillian Anderson had fun playing someone “a little loopy” in ‘A Pale Blue Eye’. The 54-year-old actress stars in Scott Cooper’s Edgar Allan Poe-inspired whodunnit as doctor’s wife Julia Marquis and she was delighted to be offered such a “curious” role. She said: “My character is such a curious one. She’s a little loopy. Which was fun. “And she gets to smash plates. I’m trying to talk about it without giving too much away.” Gillian also admired Scott’s way of working and thinks he managed to craft a film that feels “very real” to the time period in which it is set. She told Total Film magazine: “I was very interested in te setting, and having seen a couple of Scott’s films before, it almost felt like I knew what it was going to look like. “You could get a real sense from not just the script but knowing how he works. “And I thought there was something very delicious in that. “And certainly in seeing it myself, I was struck with how quiet it is, and how much he allows the scenes to just sit. “There’s atmosphere. There’s a real silence. You feel the damp, you feel the cold. “It feels very real to the 1800s in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before.” The veteran actress think audiences like whodunnits because they are such an “escape” and she thinks audiences will learn more from ‘A Pale Blue Eye’ than they realise. She said: “They’re such an escape. And more than ever, people want entertainment. They don’t want stuff that’s too heavy-handed or too real or too serious. “Whodunits are a valid form of entertainment. And to have it presented in such a beautiful, luscious, fascinating and not necessarily educational way – but there’s certainly stuff in there that would have been well-researched and adds to the fascination of who Poe might have been when he was a younger man. “And the beginnings of America and the beginnings of West Point and that institution. So all of that is quite curious and fascinating.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joey Roulette WASHINGTON (Reuters) – NASA is exploring whether SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft can potentially offer an alternative ride home for some crew members of the International Space Station after a Russian capsule sprang a coolant leak while docked to the orbital lab. NASA and Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, are investigating the cause of a punctured coolant line on an external radiator of Russia’s Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, which is supposed to return its crew of two cosmonauts and one U.S. astronaut to Earth early next year. But the Dec. 14 leak, which emptied the Soyuz of a vital fluid used to regulate crew cabin temperatures, has derailed Russia’s space station routines, with engineers in Moscow examining whether to launch another Soyuz to retrieve the three-man team that flew to ISS aboard the crippled MS-22 craft. If Russia cannot launch another Soyuz ship, or decides for some reason that doing so would be too risky, NASA is weighing another option. “We have asked SpaceX a few questions on their capability to return additional crew members on Dragon if necessary, but that is not our prime focus at this time,” NASA spokeswoman Sandra Jones said in a statement to Reuters. SpaceX did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. It was unclear what NASA specifically asked of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capabilities, such as whether the company can find a way to increase the crew capacity of the Dragon currently docked to the station, or launch an empty capsule for the crew’s rescue. But the company’s potential involvement in a mission led by Russia underscores the degree of precaution NASA is taking to ensure its astronauts can safely return to Earth, should one of the other contingency plans arranged by Russia fall through. The leaky Soyuz capsule ferried U.S. astronaut Frank Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dimitri Petelin to the space station in September for a six-month mission. They were scheduled to return to Earth in March 2023. The station’s four other crew members – two more from NASA, a third Russian cosmonaut and a Japanese astronaut – arrived in October via a NASA-contracted SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which also remains parked at the ISS. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, a gumdrop-shaped pod with four astronaut seats, has become the centerpiece to NASA’s human spaceflight efforts in low-Earth orbit. Besides Russia’s Soyuz program, it is the only entity capable of ferrying humans to the space station and back. THREE POSSIBLE CULPRITS Finding what caused the leak could factor into decisions about the best way to return the crew members. A meteroid-caused puncture, a strike from a piece of space debris or a hardware failure on the Soyuz capsule itself are three possible causes of the leak that NASA and Roscosmos are investigating. A hardware malfunction could raise additional questions for Roscosmos about the integrity of other Soyuz vehicles, such as the one it might send for the crew’s rescue, said Mike Suffredini, who led NASA’s ISS program for a decade until 2015. “I can assure you that’s something they’re looking at, to see what’s back there and whether there’s a concern for it,” he said. “The thing about the Russians is they’re really good at not talking about what they’re doing, but they’re very thorough.” Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov had previously said engineers would decide by Tuesday how to return the crew to Earth, but the agency said that day it would make the decision in January. NASA has previously said the capsule’s temperatures remain “within acceptable limits,” with its crew compartment currently being vented with air flow allowed through an open hatch to the ISS. Sergei Krikalev, Russia’s chief of crewed space programs, told reporters last week that the temperature would rise rapidly if the hatch to the station were closed. NASA and Roscosmos are primarily focusing on determining the leak’s cause, Jones said, as well as the health of MS-22 which is also meant to serve as the three-man crew’s lifeboat in case an emergency on the station requires evacuation. A recent meteor shower initially seemed to raise the odds of a micrometeoroid strike as the culprit, but the leak was facing the wrong way for that to be the case, NASA’s ISS program manager Joel Montalbano told reporters last week, though a space rock could have come from another direction. And if a piece of space debris is to blame, it could fuel concerns of an increasingly messy orbital environment and raise questions about whether such vital equipment as the spacecraft’s coolant line should have been protected by debris shielding, as other parts of the MS-22 spacecraft are. “We are not shielded against everything throughout the space station,” Suffredini said. “We can’t shield against everything.” (Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Kanishka Singh and Steve Gorman (Reuters) -The leader of a foiled plot by members of right-wing militia groups to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Tuesday in a U.S. District Court, prosecutors said. Adam Fox, 39, was found guilty in August by a federal court jury in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on one count each of conspiring to abduct Whitmer, a Democrat, and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction in a scheme prosecutors said was intended to spark a “second American Revolution.” Co-defendant Barry Croft Jr., 47, like Fox a member of the Three Percenters militia group, was convicted of the same charges at the same trial and was scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday. Prosecutors described Fox as the mastermind behind a plot to break into Whitmer’s vacation home, kidnap her at gunpoint, and take her to stand “trial” on bogus treason charges and face execution. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jonker said he did not think a life sentence, as asked for by prosecutors, was appropriate, but that the crimes required a “significant sentence,” the Detroit News reported. Fox declined to speak during the sentencing and had no reaction to the sentence, the report added. The judge also imposed five years of supervised release beyond the sentence of 192 months in prison, prosecutors said. Fox’s attorney had said prosecutors overstated his role. The attorney added that Fox and Croft never used explosives and the group would never have been able to actually kidnap the governor. Prosecutors said the plot, precipitated by the group’s opposition to public health measures Whitmer imposed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, was aimed at pushing the country into armed conflict as a contentious presidential race approached in November 2020. The weapon of mass destruction involved was a bomb that prosecutors said the conspirators planned to detonate to hinder law enforcement’s response to the abduction. Whitmer, co-chairman of Joe Biden’s White House campaign that year, had clashed publicly with then-President Donald Trump over her COVID-19 policies. She accused Trump of fomenting political extremism by repeatedly directing heated rhetoric on the issue, including a campaign rally in Michigan where his criticism of Whitmer drew chants of “Lock her up” from the crowd. Fox and Croft were among 13 men arrested in October 2020 in the kidnapping conspiracy. Two others put on trial with them in federal court were found not guilty in April 2022. The same jury failed to reach a verdict for Fox and Croft, resulting in a mistrial for them. Two other men who pleaded guilty to kidnapping conspiracy charges testified for the prosecution at the first federal trial and during the retrial of Fox and Croft about four months later. The two cooperating witnesses, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, were sentenced to 2 1/2 years and four years in prison, respectively. Three other men tried together in state court and convicted in October 2022 of playing supporting roles in the plot as members of the Wolverine Watchmen militia were sentenced recently to minimum sentences of 10, 12 and 7 years in prison, respectively. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Kanishka Singh in Washington. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Is a feud brewing between Ryan Seacrest and Andy Cohen? One year after Cohen, 54, got a little too drunk while hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live alongside Anderson Cooper, Seacrest, 48, weighed in about the situation. “I don’t advocate drinking when one is on the air,” the American Idol alum, who hosts ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, said in a new interview. “I don’t know how that started as a tradition, but it’s probably a good idea [to scale back], CNN.” “There’s some pretty respectable people or at least one, right?” the Live With Kelly and Ryan star quipped. “I think there’s a serious journalist and then a friend of mine who has a lot of fun, but it’s probably a good idea.” mega As OK! previously reported, the Bravo star blasted former Mayor Bill de Blasio for doing the “crappiest job,” and he slammed ABC’s Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve, calling the performers a “group of losers.” Despite Cohen’s controversial comments, he declared he was just trying to have a good time. “I will not be shamed for having fun on New Year’s Eve. That’s why I’m there.” he explained in January. “It’s a four-and-a-half-hour show. The booze started kicking in around 11:30 … I kicked into high gear with 45 minutes left.” However, he did apologize to Seacrest. “The only thing that I regret saying, the only thing is that I slammed the ABC broadcast, and I really like Ryan Seacrest, and he’s a great guy,” he noted. “And I really regret saying that, and I was just stupid and drunk and feeling it.” He added, “I just kept talking, and I shouldn’t have, and I felt bad about that. So that is the only thing [I regret]. It’s the only thing.” VICKI GUNVALSON’S FORMER ‘RHOC’ CASTMATE & ANDY COHEN REACT TO HER EX STEVE LODGE GETTING ENGAGED TO NEW GIRLFRIEND mega Meanwhile, Seacrest believes if alcohol wasn’t in the equation, Cohen would have acted different. “[I don’t] think they would say what they said about our performers if they weren’t drinking,” he explained. Seacrest spoke with Entertainment Weekly. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Conservative Caitlyn Jenner has been sucking up to FOX News stars including Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity in a bid to fulfill her political ambitions, RadarOnline.com has learned. “Caitlyn loves her job as a contributor at FOX,” spilled a source. “It’s given her the platform to say her spiel and she’s hoping it leads to bigger, better things!” MEGA To get ahead, it pays for her to stroke the egos of the network’s stars, sources said. “It’s smart to curry favor with Sean and Tucker,” said the source. “She’s playing both sides, lavishing them with compliments, sending them gifts and planned special surprises for Christmas.” “Caitlyn really does look up to Sean and Tucker,” said the insider. “They’re not afraid to speak up and neither is she, which puts them in the same league, in her opinion.” Her ultimate goal still lies in politics, despite the former Olympian, 73, garnering a pathetic 1 percent of votes to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the California recall election last year.” “Call her crazy but Caitlyn hasn’t given up her dream,” said the source. “And she’s well aware that if anyone can boost her political career, it’s these guys.” MEGA In April 2021, Jenner announced her plans to run for governor of California. She said, “Californians want better and need better from their politicians. Taking on entrenched Sacramento politicians and the special interests that fund them requires a fighter who isn’t afraid to do what is right. I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom’s disastrous time as governor.” MEGA “Small businesses have been devastated because of the over-restrictive lockdown. An entire generation of children have lost a year of education and have been prevented from going back to school, participating in activities, or socializing with their friends,” she added. “I have been a compassionate disrupter throughout my life, from representing the United States and winning a gold medal at the Olympics to helping advance the movement for equality,” she added. Months later, in September, Jenner was shut out with a little over 75,000 votes. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Mega Siblings that ski together, stay together! Two of Michael Jackson’s three children Prince Jackson and Paris Jackson spent the holidays in style, hitting the slopes on skis and snowboards in Lake Tahoe, Calif. On Tuesday, December 27, Paris, 24, took to social media, sharing several sweet and silly snaps depicting her famous family getting festive, enjoying a day out in the NorCal locale. mega The model looked chic and stylish while on the mountain, sporting a black coat, maroon snowpants and a Burton snowboard, completing the look with a fur-trimmed brown hat and red gloves. Meanwhile, Prince opted for a more monochrome look than his younger sister, sporting a black coat, gloves, and helmet as he skied. FANS REJOICE OVER JANET JACKSON & NIECE PARIS JACKSON MENDING TIES AFTER ESTRANGEMENT: ‘BEEN WAITING FOR THIS’ The Jackson family’s day on the slopes comes weeks after Jackson’s eldest son got candid about his father’s legacy, revealing that he still looks to the “Man in the Mirror” artist as a role model — literally. Mega “I like to lead my life with love, which is what he taught me and I try to help at least one person a day and I feel like that is a way of continuing his legacy,” he continued, noting that he displays “artistic paintings of him” and “photos of him and the uncles” in his home. PRINCE JACKSON ON DAD MICHAEL JACKSON’S LEGACY: ‘I LIKE TO LEAD MY LIFE WITH LOVE, WHICH IS WHAT HE TAUGHT ME’ But it’s not just paintings. Beyond these visual representations of the King of Pop, Price said his dad’s beloved music, of course, helps him feel connected to his late, famous father. “I was given so many awesome nuggets of information when I had him with me as a father and he was also very personable in the way he wrote his music,” the 25-year-old explained. “If you listen to it, there’s a lot of him in that. It’s awesome to put it on and feel connected to him again in that way.” Hollywood Life previously reported on Paris and Prince’s day on the slopes. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Late actress Olivia Newton-John‘s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, shared a heartfelt tribute to her late mother on the first Christmas since her death, RadarOnline.com has learned. The Grease star’s only child shared a series of photos of her with family taken on December 25. mega Lattanzi, 36, said it was difficult to celebrate after her mom passed in August at age 73. “Happy belated Christmas everyone,” the 36-year-old said. “I am of no religion but enjoy this day so much. It is a day to give to all those you love and treasure.” Lattanzi, who followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a singer and actress, thanked her husband for being her “greatest present” and wrote that Christmas was a day to focus on others. “This is A day that you don’t focus on you, you focus on the joy you can bring others,” the actress added. “It’s my first Christmas without my mama in physical form. But her spirit was everywhere.” mega While Newton-John was not physically present with her daughter and family for the festivities, Lattanzi said, “her spirit was everywhere.” “All the love all the joy all of it….. my mama,” Lattanzi added. “Merry Christmas to everyone.” Newton-John passed after a long and bravely fought battle with breast cancer. Over the course of her life, the legendary actress was hit with cancer three times and was dedicated to ending the disease through her foundation’s research contributions. Olivia, Chloe and Matt Lattanzi. mega Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. The Let’s Get Physical singer underwent treatment and was in remission for over a decade when a tumor was discovered on her shoulder in 2013. Never giving up her fight, the actress underwent more treatment and was in remission until the cancer returned again in 2017. After publicly battling cancer for decades, the actress formed the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, which Lattanzi has since become the face of to continue her mother’s fight for a cure. Lattanzi is the daughter of actor Matt Lattanzi, who Newton-John met and dated after they filmed Xanadu together. The couple married in 1984 but later split and Matt married their daughter’s former babysitter. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA; Stefani Reynolds – CNP/Newscom/The Mega Agency Republican congressman-elect George Santos appeared on his first televised interview since his resume fibs were exposed, RadarOnline.com can confirm, being put in the hot seat by ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as she called out his “blatant lies.” Gabbard grilled Santos while guest hosting the Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday, December 27. MEGA “If I were one of those in New York’s 3rd District right now, now that the election is over, and I’m finding out all of these lies that you’ve told — not just one little lie or one little embellishment, these are blatant lies — my question is: Do you have no shame?” Gabbard asked. Gabbard, who served in congress for eight years, also inquired about what the word “integrity” means to him. Santos explained it means to carry himself in an “honorable way,” adding that he made a “mistake” and is accepting responsibility so he can be an effective member of congress. Gabbard, for her part, is a former Democrat and now registered as an Independent. She added that the word integrity also means telling the truth, prompting Santos to segue and address the “lies” which Democrats like President Biden have told. She fired back, “This isn’t about the Democratic Party.” Gabbard also pressed about labeling himself as a “proud American Jew.” Stefani Reynolds – CNP/Newscom/The Mega Agency “My heritage is Jewish. I’ve always identified as Jewish. I was raised as a practicing Catholic,” Santos replied. “I’ve always joked with friends and circles, even within the campaign, I’d say, ‘Guys, I’m Jew-ish.’ Remember, I was raised Catholic.” Santos said he understands voters and lawmakers “want to nitpick at me.” “I’m not a facade. I’m not a persona. I have an extensive career that I worked really hard to achieve. And I’m going to deliver from my experience because I remain committed in delivering results for the American people,” he doubled down. MEGA Santos previously owned up to some deceptions, telling the New York Post that he “embellished” his resume by stating he graduated from Baruch college in 2010. He also admitted to never working for CitiGroup and Goldman Sachs, even though his campaign website suggested that he did, explaining that “was stated poorly.” As the explosive television interview came to an end, Gabbard said he will have an uphill battle when it comes to regaining the trust he lost. She declared, “It’s hard to imagine how they could possibly trust your explanations when you’re not really even willing to admit the depth of your deception to them.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA One of the individuals who were scammed out of money by Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah and her cohorts wrote an emotional letter to the judge demanding the Bravo star serve 14 years and pay her back the money she lost, RadarOnline.com has learned. RadarOnline.com has obtained an emotional letter submitted to the court by a 60-year-old woman who lost tens of thousands signing up for Shah’s scheme. MEGA As we previously reported, Prosecutors accused Shah of playing a key role in a telemarketing fraud scheme that preyed on the elderly. Shah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She agreed to forfeit $6.5 million. Shah faces up to 14 years in prison. She has argued for a 3-year sentence while prosecutors believe she should serve 10 years. As part of their argument, the prosecutors had victims write statements to the court. In the latest letter, the 60-year-old one described the “effect that the criminal actions of Jennifer Shah have had” on her. “Not only has her actions caused financial stress for me, I have suffered emotional and physical stress due to her actions as well. My overall health is forever changed,” she said. The victim explained Shah and her cohorts offered programs to help people launch their own websites to sell various products. The woman said she continued to pay money to Shah and others as they promised the business would make her money. BRAVO However, she said she racked up $35k in debt and had no profits to show. She said, “Sleeping at night became increasingly difficult because I was constantly worried about my finances. I only had a small pension. It was not enough to pay my mortgage, utilities, household expenses, monthly credit card payments across four different accounts. I grew dizzy at times, started sweating more than usual, and I became increasingly weaker. I worried all the time.” In 2018, the woman said she suffered a heart attack and had to be admitted to the hospital. Doctors told her it was brought on by extreme stress. After the heart attack, the victim said she had to start taking a variety of medicines. After being released, she tried once again to work on the business with Shah’s company. However, she said they completely locked her out of the website she created and all her work was gone. The victim said she tried to get her money back in July 2018 after realizing she was being scammed. However, she then had another heart attack on August 8 of that year. BRAVO “Just about every day, I live with an uneasy feeling that if I experience any other stressful situations I will have another heart attack,” she said. “I believe that I should receive full restitution from Jennifer Shah to cover the entire amount that I invested and lost as a result of her fraudulent activities, which was $35,290. Additionally, I should receive twice the above amount in restitution for my medical expenses and pain and suffering.” “Now only should Jennifer pay restitution, she should be given the maximum prison sentence allowed by law,” the woman said. Shah will be sentenced next month. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ana de Armas fans are suing Universal Studios for $5 million after it cut her role from ‘Yesterday’. Conor Woulfe and Peter Michael Rosza have accused the studio of fraud after they paid $3.99 to rent the 2019 Beatles-themed film on Amazon Prime in January to see Ana after she featured in the trailer for the movie, despite her part being ditched. The pair say Universal committed “false representation” as the 34-year-old actress appeared for 15 seconds in the 210-second trailer, but did not make the final cut of the movie – about a musician who is one of the few people in the world aware of The Beatles’ music after a mysterious power outage wipes the band’s presence from the Internet. Conor and Peter say the $5 million lawsuit is equal to the number of fans who will have been disappointed by Ana not making the final edit. Universal claimed trailers came under free speech protection in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and should be considered “non-commercial”. But in a new ruling, US federal judge Stephen Wilson ruled the promos were subject to commercial speech regulations, including the California False Advertising Law and the state’s Unfair Competition Law. He said: “Universal is correct that trailers involve some creativity and editorial discretion, but this creativity does not outweigh the commercial nature of a trailer. “At its core, a trailer is an advertisement designed to sell a movie by providing consumers with a preview of the movie.” Universal said the ruling could burden them with future lawsuits and stressed how other films including ‘Jurassic Park’ had also featured footage not shown in the final cut of the movie. Ana was originally set to play a love interest in ‘Yesterday’, but writer Richard Curtis cut her role from the final film, saying fans would be upset her character would take away from the primary love interest Ellie, played by Lily James, 33. ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ screenwriter Richard, 66, told CinemaBlend: “That was a very traumatic cut because she was brilliant in it. “You know, it’s one of those things where it’s some of our favourite scenes from the film, but we had to cut them for the sake of the whole.” View the full article

Published by Raw Story On Wednesday, The Daily Beast reported that a man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting the neighbor of gay New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher during an anti-LGBTQ protest at his apartment building. “In a statement to The Daily Beast, the New York Police Department confirmed that officers had arrested David Nieves, of Brooklyn, on Tuesday morning in connection with an assault on Bottcher’s 52-year-old neighbor,” reported Tim Teeman. “Bottcher welcomed news of the arrest, telling The Daily Beast: ‘Violence, intimidation and vandalism are never acceptable. A message needs to be sent to … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP A passenger searches through hundreds of unclaimed suitcases near the Southwest Airlines baggage claim area at Nashville International Airport after the airline canceled thousands of flights Baltimore (AFP) – Thousands more flights were canceled across the United States on Wednesday, with no end in sight to days of travel misery as the country digs out from a deadly superstorm. Officials in Erie county in western New York — the area of the country hardest hit by the massive winter storm — lifted their death toll to 34, taking the national total to at least 56. Around-the-clock work to restore electricity continued in the county’s main city of Buffalo, with the number of outages down to 500 residents, Mayor Byron Brown tweeted early Wednesday. Another kind of crisis was playing out at US airports around the country, as Southwest Airlines was forced to cancel thousands more flights to try to recover from a spiraling logistics breakdown. The airline’s woes stranded thousands of customers as well as pilots and flight attendants. Donald Sneyder, whose Sunday flight from Baltimore to Indianapolis was canceled, returned to the airport Wednesday in hopes of reuniting with his suitcase. “I didn’t try to come earlier this week, it seems to have been such a mess,” Sneyder told AFP while waiting in line at the Southwest baggage area. The storm, which descended on the United States just before the busy Christmas holiday weekend, led to unusually cold weather in much of the country, including southern states like Texas and Florida. Temperatures were moderating nationwide Wednesday, including in Buffalo, even as the region remained in triage mode. The city, on the shores of Lake Erie near the Canadian border, has seen a majority of the storm-related fatalities. As temperatures plummeted Friday night, commuters and some residents fleeing their freezing homes became trapped on highways, with first responders unable to reach them. Of the confirmed deaths, three bodies were yet to be identified, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told a news conference. The National Guard planned to conduct door-to-door wellness checks for every home in areas that lost power, Poloncarz said on Twitter, while reiterating that a driving ban was still in effect for Buffalo. “We know that some people are low on food,” he said. “We have rations available at area warming centers. Please work with neighbors and friends, walk to open stores if possible.” Southwest ‘optimistic’ Southwest Airlines was still days away from resolving its systemwide breakdown: the carrier canceled more than 2,500 flights on Wednesday, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all scrubbed US flights, according to tracking website FlightAware. In a series of media appearances, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recounted telling Southwest Chief Executive Bob Jordan that the government would “hold them accountable” in requiring the airline to compensate customers for the mounting costs of canceled flights and travel-related expenditures. Jordan said he was “truly sorry” and promised to “make things right for customers,” according to a video statement posted to Southwest’s website. “We’re optimistic to be back on track before next week,” he added. Jordan has acknowledged that the problems have underscored the need to upgrade outdated trip scheduling software that became overwhelmed in the storm. The problem has been highlighted by the flight attendants union, which has called on Southwest to invest more on employees. Several leading Southwest unions remain locked in contract negotiations after earlier pacts expired. Another union, the TWU Local 555, which represents ground workers, said the meltdown reflected Southwest’s failure to adapt its systems as its operations have evolved. “Although it can be complicated, especially during the holiday season, we need to consider better spacing of flights during extreme weather events in the bitter cold of winter — as well as the extreme heat of summer,” said Local 555 President Randy Barnes. In times of extreme weather, “we should consider slowing the entire schedule,” Barnes said. Some travelers took matters into their own hands. Recognizing that Southwest would not get them to Boston from Arizona in time for Monday’s NHL Winter Classic, Tim Maher rented a car for his six-member family and launched a cross-country drive. Maher told CNN the ride itself had been surprisingly fun, but the family did not have its luggage — a common problem for customers. “I’m thinking about people’s luggage, they’re not able to get their luggage for a week. I’m thinking this is crazy,” Maher told the network. “People have gifts or medication or electronics in those bags they just handed you, thinking they’d get it in a couple of hours.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News The man we know as George Santos, if that is indeed his name, is a work of fiction. The character may have been a run-of-the-mill inspiring rags-to-riches story in some low-budget TV drama, where it would have been a tad tedious but ultimately harmless; instead, it manifested in a much more nefarious fashion, having propped up the political campaign of the underlying man and carried him to victory in a congressional district straddling Queens and Nassau County. To say politicians lie is no earth-shattering statement, but that belies the sheer extent to which Santos manufactured everything. The… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Former pope Benedict, a hero to conservative Catholics and who in 2013 became the first pontiff in 600 years to step down, is “very sick”, his successor Pope Francis said on Wednesday, asking Church members to pray for him. Bishops from Europe, the United States and beyond, urged the faithful to keep Benedict in their thoughts, after the Vatican followed Francis’ announcement with a statement saying Benedict had suffered a sudden “worsening” of his health. “I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the Church,” Francis said in Wednesday’s surprise announcement made at the end of his weekly general audience. “Let us remember him. He is very sick, asking the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end,” Francis said, speaking in Italian. The Vatican statement said Benedict was receiving constant medical attention and his condition was under control. Francis, who visited the former pontiff after making the announcement, has often praised Benedict, saying it was like having a grandfather at home. But the presence of two men dressed in white in the Vatican has at times been troublesome. Conservatives have looked to the former pope as their standard bearer and some ultra-traditionalists even refused to acknowledge Francis as a legitimate pontiff. They have criticised Francis for his more welcoming approach to gays and to Catholics who divorced and remarried outside the Church, saying both were undermining traditional values. Catholic Church leaders from Germany, Britain, the United States and elsewhere urged the faithful on social media to join prayers for Benedict, who was pope for almost eight years before he retired. “This morning I received the news that there is great concern in Rome about the health of the Pope Emeritus. And so we especially want to include him in our prayers,” German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich, told churchgoers. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italy’s bishops conference, asked Italians to keep Benedict in their thoughts “in this moment of suffering and trial”. Until a few weeks ago, those who had seen Benedict said his body was very frail but his mind was still sharp. Italian news reports said he had been suffering from respiratory problems over the Christmas period. The Vatican did not give any details of his condition. There was no immediate response to a request for comment from Benedict’s private secretary. One of the latest known photographs of Benedict was taken on Dec. 1, when he met the winners of a prize for theologians named after him. He was seated and looked exceptionally weak. Since resigning Benedict has been living in a former convent inside the Vatican gardens, with his secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, and a few other aides and medical staff. Benedict announced his intention to resign on Feb. 11, 2013, shocking a meeting of cardinals. He said he no longer had the physical and mental strength to run the Church. He formally stepped down on Feb. 28 that year, moving temporarily to the papal summer residence south of Rome while cardinals from around the world came to Rome to choose his successor. Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected to succeed him on March 13, 2013. Benedict, the first German pope in 1,000 years, had been elected on April 19, 2005 to succeed the widely popular Pope John Paul II, who reigned for 27 years. Cardinals had chosen Benedict from among their number seeking continuity and what one called “a safe pair of hands”. For nearly 25 years, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was the powerful head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, then known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Edmund Blair) View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) The director of a Moroccan film shortlisted for an Oscar says she hopes it will provoke “a healthy, much-needed debate” around LGBTQ+ rights in the North African country. The Blue Caftan (Le Bleu du caftan), directed by Maryam Touzani, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and shared the Jury Prize at the 2022 Marrakech Film Festival with Cristèle Alves Meira’s Alma Viva. It has been shortlisted in the International Feature Film category for next year’s Oscars, which take place on 12 March 2023. The movie tells the story of a married couple who sells tradi… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News If you want to get with Mel C, you better get with her friends. The Spice Girls singer, whose full name is Melanie Chisholm, took to Twitter Monday to pull out of a New Year’s Eve gig she had planned in Poland due to “some issues” believed to be in connection with the LGBTQ community — which she supports. “In light of some issues that have been brought to my attention, that do not align with the communities I support, I’m afraid I will no longer be able to perform in Poland as planned on New Year’s Eve,” she wrote. Noting she intends “to be back there very soon,” Mel C wished her followers “a … Read More View the full article