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Published by Reuters By Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Survivors of mass shootings targeting U.S. LGBT nightclubs detailed the violence they endured and criticized inflammatory political rhetoric in a congressional hearing on Wednesday. “We are being slaughtered and dehumanized across this country, in communities you took oaths to protect,” said Matthew Haynes, owner of the Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where five people were killed and 22 wounded in a mass shooting last month. “LGBTQ issues are not political issues,” Haynes added. “They are not lifestyles. They are not beliefs or choices. They are basic human rights.” The hearing by the U.S. House Oversight Committee was to explore anti-LGBT violence. Michael Anderson told lawmakers he was bartending at Club Q, when the gunman entered the nightclub and began shooting. “I saw my friend lying on the floor, bleeding out, knowing there was little to no chance of surviving that bullet wound,” Anderson said. Experts on LGBT issues told the panel that the attack at Club Q and other acts of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans in recent years have been fueled by state legislation that they said further marginalized the community. They cited a 2016 bill in North Carolina that required transgender individuals to use restrooms, changing rooms and showers that corresponded to the sex on their birth certificates and legislation passed in Florida last year nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill which barred classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for many young students. President Joe Biden signed a modest gun-safety bill into law in June in the wake of mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, but anti-gun violence activists have called for more to be done. There have been 628 mass shootings across the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. LGBT people are nearly four times as likely than non-LGBT people to be the victims of violent crime, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. “We just want to live. Is that so much to ask?” Brandon Wolf, an activist and survivor of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in which 49 people were killed and 69 wounded, told the hearing. (Reporting by Makini Brice in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by City AM By Adam Bloodworth After two years of Covid, London theatre returned this year with a vengeance, kicking off with some of the best new and returning plays of the decade. Here are a few of our favourites. 1. CRUISE (APOLLO) Jack Holden’s incredible one-man show explores the fallout of the AIDS crisis in a spectacularly contemporary way. Having opened in May 2021, it earned a well-deserved transfer to the Apollo this summer, and its combination of heartstring-tugging drama and live house music more than fill the cathedral to London theatre. It’s an ode to queerness, Old Compton Street, joy, resi… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News LGBTQ representation took a hit in 2021, though the year also saw the first transgender character in a major release in five years, according to a new report from GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy group. On Thursday, the organization released the 10th edition of its Studio Responsibility Index. The annual report analyzes the quantity, quality and diversity of queer and trans roles in Hollywood. Of the 77 films theatrically released by the seven major Hollywood studios last year, 16 (20.8%) featured LGBTQ characters. The list included some serious Oscar contenders, including “Lico… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online google earth A famed Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles has fired a manager who was accused of scolding an LGBTQ+ actor for kissing his date, RadarOnline.com has learned. Drew Droege, a local performer and comedian, dined at the popular El Compadre in Echo Park on Monday evening, detailing a homophobic encounter that he described as “sad, disgusting, and hateful” during what was supposed to be a pleasant meal. Instagram After the pair finished up their second round of drinks, they put their arms around each other and were soon addressed for their public display of affection by a uniformed man. Droege revealed the manager said something along the lines of “you guys can’t do that here,” before firmly stating that “this is a family restaurant.” Nobody around them appeared to be bothered, which led Droege to ask if anyone had complained. “[The manager] threw his hands in front of us and said, ‘I don’t care if you’re the President of the United States, we don’t allow your behavior here.” Droege and his date “promptly got up” and made their exit. Following the exchange and a viral tweet shared about the incident, El Compadre said they were looking into what happened in a statement that was later taken down from their page. The well-known restaurant’s official IG followed up with another message on Wednesday, December 14, revealing they were taking action by firing the staffer. @drew_droege/Instagram “We want to sincerely apologize for the actions of our manager on the night of December 12,” the statement began. “This is not representative of our core values at El Compadre.” “We have been in business for almost 50 years, and we accept, appreciate and value every customer that walks through our doors, and this behavior will never be tolerated in our establishment,” the statement continued. “We do believe El Compadre to be a family restaurant, and coming into our restaurant is like coming into our home. In our home, we believe in love and equality and the fact that one of our employees made someone feel unsafe is not acceptable to us.” “We are dedicated to showing our commitment to all of our customers,” they vowed. Amid the controversy, others have defended the establishment and come forward with more positive experiences as members of the LGBTQ community. View the full article

Published by AlterNet President Joe Biden jumped into Thursday’s trolling of Donald Trump over the ex-president’s “Major Announcement” that turned out to be not a vice presidential running mate or the unveiling of any policy, but a new series of NFTs, digital playing cards, which he is selling for $99 each. Trump appears to havelicensed the rights to his name and image to a company that produces the NFTs, just as he has done for years with his real estate brand. Some online are calling it grifting and a scam. President Biden Thursday afternoon took to his personal Twitter account to throw some good-natured shade at… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Kathy Griffin had mixed feelings while tuning in for the first three episodes of Harry & Meghan. The comedian took to social media to share her reaction, prefacing that though she “loves” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, she couldn’t help but laugh at some parts of their Netflix docuseries. To start, Griffin found it hilarious that just like so many other modern day couples, the parents-of-two first crossed paths thanks to social media. “I’m disappointed — they met on freaking Instagram. Prince Harry was just flipping through Instagram looking for another hot brunette, like every other guy in L.A.,” she quipped in a Sunday, December 11, Instagram video. “So I’m disappointed. I thought this was going to be a great love story.” (In the doc, Harry explained he came across Meghan after his pal posted a photo with her on the app.) mega The actress, 62, took things a step further by likening Harry, 38, to Armie Hammer — the 36-year-old movie star who suffered a fall from grace after multiple women accused him of sexual assault, rape and having cannibalistic fantasies — since Hammer allegedly met some of his accusers via Instagram. The ordeal was detailed in the three-part docuseries House of Hammer. “Prince Harry’s like Armie freaking Hammer. What if Prince Harry is the new House of Hammer?” she pondered. “My new favorite thing is to compare Prince Harry to Armie Hammer because it makes no sense.” Netflix In an Instagram post from the day prior, the Emmy winner scoffed that the Sussexes act “like they can do so much good in the world, which is great and aspirational, but when’s the last time a royal did anything that helped the world? That’s all I’m saying.” PRINCE HARRY & MEGHAN MARKLE HOLD HANDS AS THEY’RE HONORED AT GLAM NYC GALA: PHOTOS! The star also poked fun at Meghan’s past, pointing out that her Deal or No Deal gig was never mentioned on the show. Nonetheless, Griffin admitted she enjoyed the streaming service special and made it seem like she’ll be on her couch to watch the second half, which debuts on Thursday, December 15. For more on the royal family, tune into the critically acclaimed new podcast “The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession.” Listen below. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Donald Trump Jr. was the victim of Russian trolls who created a fake Kid Rock social media account in an effort to meddle in the United States’ elections, RadarOnline.com has learned. The development comes following a newly published report by the social media tracking firm Graphika and Stanford University’s Internet Observatory. Mega The report found that at least 35 separate accounts controlled by Russian trolls were active across popular right-wing social media apps like Gab, Gettr and Truth Social. Although platforms like Gab and Gettr were previously found hosting “Russian influence operations,” Graphika and Stanford’s findings mark the first time Russian-linked accounts were active on Truth Social – the social media outlet owned by ex-President Donald Trump. Also surprising were the Russian trolls’ penchant for impersonating the American musician and outspoken MAGA supporter Kid Rock. In one instance, ex-President Trump’s son, Don Jr., was caught screenshotting and sharing a post from the fake Kid Rock account KidRockOfficial. Mega “Yup,” Don Jr. posted to Instagram earlier this year alongside a screenshot of a conspiracy theory meme about high gas prices and the alleged Covid-19 cure Ivermectin. The meme was lifted directly from the fake account KidRockOfficial. The Russian trolls also created fake accounts to help push for the failed Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, attack Democratic Senate candidates like Raphael Warnock and John Fetterman, and push conspiracy theories about Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and the now defunct and bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX. “The tactics are exactly what we’ve come to expect from these actors since 2016,” Tyler Williams, director of investigations at Graphika, told Rolling Stone on Tuesday. “They use fake personas to imitate, infiltrate, and attempt to influence a specific online community.” “These personas then coordinate across multiple platforms to amplify division and exacerbate existing tensions,” Williams explained further. “This is precisely the behavior that gets them caught on Facebook and YouTube, but on alt-tech platforms they appear to enjoy relatively free rein.” Mega Graphika and Stanford researchers were successfully able to track the phony social media accounts back to the Newsroom for American and European Based Citizens – a fake media company used as the basis for Russia’s online troll factory. Although the 35 identified fake accounts only garnered an average of 33,000 new followers in their imitation operation, the accounts impersonating Kid Rock reportedly performed the best and received the most successful results – particularly after Don Jr. shared the one fake account with his six million Instagram followers. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lizzo felt “unlovable” when she met her boyfriend for the first time. The 34-year-old singer met Myke Wright in 2016 on the set of ‘Wonderland’, their MTV show, but Lizzo admits she didn’t feel ready for a relationship at the time. She shared: “I had a lot of s*** to do, and I still was very much in my ‘I feel unlovable’ place, and I still was very much not where I wanted to be career-wise. “Even if a person came around that I was googly gaga about, I had these wild defences up that made it almost impossible for a true intimate relationship to occur.” By contrast, Lizzo now admits that she’s “very much in love with Myke”. The award-winning star told ‘The Howard Stern Show’: “When the time was right, we came together, and we just recently were like, ‘Oh, we’re together. This is official’. We’re not playing any games with each other anymore. We’re very much locked in.” Lizzo is also convinced that she’ll spend the rest of her life with Myke. Asked whether they’ll be heading down the aisle together one day, she replied: “There’s nobody else I’m going to be with for the rest of my life.” In October, Lizzo admitted that Myke is “everything” to her. The ‘Truth Hurts’ hitmaker added: “I am not a polyamorous person, I’m not in love with multiple partners. That is not me. He’s the love of my life. We are life mates.” Despite this, Lizzo isn’t in a rush to get married. She explained: “If I wanted to start a business with him, I’d get married because that’s when your finances come together. I like weddings. I would like to have a wedding over a marriage.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. scientists on Tuesday revealed a breakthrough on fusion energy that could one day help curb climate change if companies can scale up the technology to a commercial level in the coming decades. Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California on Dec. 5 for the first time briefly achieved a net energy gain in a fusion experiment using lasers, the U.S. Energy Department said. The scientists focused a laser on a target of fuel to fuse two light atoms into a denser one, releasing the energy. Kimberly Budil, the director of Lawrence Livermore, told reporters at an Energy Department event that science and technology hurdles mean commercialization is probably not five or six decades away, but sooner. “With concerted effort and investment, a few decades of research on the underlying technologies could put us in a position to build a power plant,” Budil said. Scientists have known for about a century that fusion powers the sun and have pursued developing fusion on Earth for decades. The experiment briefly achieved what’s known as fusion ignition by generating 3.15 megajoules of energy output after the laser delivered 2.05 megajoules to the target, the Energy Department said. Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Sciences and Technology Policy, who heard about fusion at Livermore when she worked there briefly in 1978 as a teenager, said the experiment represents a “tremendous example of what perseverance can achieve.” Nuclear scientists outside the lab said the achievement will be a major stepping stone, but there is much more science to be done before fusion becomes commercially viable. Tony Roulstone, a nuclear energy expert at the University of Cambridge, estimated that the energy output of the experiment was only 0.5% of the energy that was needed to fire the lasers in the first place. “Therefore, we can say that this result … is a success of the science – but still a long way from providing useful, abundant, clean energy,” Roulstone said. In order to become commercial, a power plant would have to produce enough energy to power the lasers and to achieve ignition continuously. “This is one igniting capsule (of fuel) one time,” Budil said about the experiment. To realize commercial fusion energy you have to … be able to produce many, many fusion ignition events per minute.” The electricity industry cautiously welcomed the step, though emphasized that in order to carry out the energy transition, fusion should not slow down efforts on building out other alternatives like solar and wind power, battery storage and nuclear fission. “It’s the first step that says ‘Yes, this is not just fantasy, this can be done, in theory,'” said Andrew Sowder, a senior technology executive at EPRI, a nonprofit energy research and development group. Debra Callahan, who worked at Lawrence Livermore until late this year and is now a senior scientist at Focused Energy, said the lab’s results will help companies figure out how to make lasers more efficient. “Everyone is excited about what’s been achieved and what’s in the future.” Focused Energy is one of dozens of companies working to commercialize fusion energy that have raised about $5 billion in private and government funding, with more than $2.8 billion coming in the 12 months before June of this year, according to the Fusion Industry Association. Several, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems, seek to use powerful magnets instead of lasers. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Barbra Streisand is pesteringRobert Redfordto team up for a The Way We Were sequel, but he wants nothing to do with it, RadarOnline.com has learned. At 80, the Funny Girl dreams of recreating the magic she and Redford, now 86, had in the 1973 classic romance about the doomed love of a mismatched couple. Mega But in the upcoming bombshell book The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen, author Robert Hofler details why Redford’s got zero interest in repeating that stressful gig. “He’s too much of a gentleman to say it to her face, but she drove him crazy when they were making the movie and she’s the last person he’d want as his leading lady, spilled a source. “He’s semi-retired, but she won’t stop bugging him and won’t take a hint. His standoffishness just seems to spur her on. “He wouldn’t have done the first movie if it hasn’t been for his friend, the director Sydney Pollack,” the insider added. Mega According to the source, Streisand tried to meddle in everything during the original shoot. “Barbra’s strongly opinionated, she complicates things,” said the well-placed insider. “She nags about the script and camera angles and everything else. “But Bob was the only leading man who wouldn’t be bullied by her larger-than-life personality. He’d ignore her and leave her completely in the dark as to what he was doing, and that impressed her. “That’s why she won’t let up now. But he wishes she won’t let up now. But he wishes she would because there’s no way in hell he’ll get on a movie set with her.” Mega Streisand and Redford reunited in 2015 when he was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Chaplin Award, marking 42 years since the Oscar-winning 1973 film. She praised her costar while presenting him with the award. “You never quite know what he’s really thinking, and that makes him fascinating to watch on screen,” Streisand said at the time. “Bob understands the power of restraint. You’re never going to get it all, and that’s the secret, I think. That’s the mystery. That’s what makes you want to keep looking at him.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper performed at the White House to celebrate President Joe Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act. The 30-year-old non-binary pop star – who uses the pronouns they/them – and the music legend and LGBTQIA+ activist both performed on the South Lawn at the world leader’s residence in Washington D.C. on Tuesday (13.12.22), to welcome the federal law protecting the rights of same-sex and interracial couples. Sam took to the stage for a breathtaking performance of their ballad ‘Stay With Me’, while Cyndi performed her 80s’ classic ‘True Colors’. A song close to the community, the 1986 hit became the name of the singer’s fund dedicated to eradicating LGBTQIA+ youth homelessness. Cyndi told the crowd: “This time, love wins.” The 69-year-old star then gave an empowering speech, in which she thanked Biden and his colleagues for making it legal for Americans to “love who we love”. She said: “I came here because I wanted to say thank you to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Vice President Harris and all the advocates in his team. “For once, our families, mine and a lot of my friends, people you know, sometimes your neighbours, we can rest easy tonight because our families are validated. “Because now we are allowed to love who we love, which sounds odd to say, but Americans can now love who we love. “Bless Joe Biden and all the people who worked on this for allowing people and their children not to worry about their future.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John thinks the metaverse is “perfect” for the next stage of his career. The 75-year-old singer has teamed up with Roblox for a 10-minute virtual live experience called ‘Elton John Presents: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ and he’s delighted to have found a new way to connect with fans as he looks ahead to the end of his touring life, which will conclude in September 2023 following the final leg of his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. He said: “Throughout my career, I’ve always been interested in finding new ways to connect with my fans worldwide. As I finish touring, Roblox and the metaverse are perfect for this next stage of my life; it’s a new, innovative way for me to express my love of music, fashion, and the limitless creativity that comes from both. “The beauty of Roblox, to me, is that there are no limitations. It offers people all over the world the opportunity to be themselves wholly and connect with people in a way they never have before. It’s a new world that allows fans and creators to be themselves completely. “You can be as flashy or down-to-earth as you want to be. It’s very much like how I have chosen to live my life and express myself on stage and through my music. “There is so much art and creativity from the moment you log in that it’s a constant source of inspiration for people, no matter who you are, what you love, and your passions. I am excited to see what the creators come up with; it will undoubtedly inspire me too! Elton was introduced to the platform by his and husband David Furnish’s young sons, Zachary, 11, and Elijah, nine, and he’s very excited about what he can do with it. He told Hype Beast: “I was first introduced to the platform through my two sons and thought it was incredibly inspiring; I had never seen anything like it! “The creators we’ve worked with on ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ are so talented and have made some of the most incredible looks; it’s so exciting to have the opportunity to relive some of the most incredible moments of my life with my family in a new and exciting way.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The new ‘Harry and Meghan’ teaser claims Buckingham Palace used Meghan Markle as a “scapegoat” in the press. The second volume of Netflix’s explosive ‘documentary drops on Thursday (15.12.22) and the latest teaser sees Meghan insisted the Palace planted stories about her to distract from other royals. In the new clip shared on Twitter, Jenny Afia – a partner at London’s Schillings Law Firm – says: “There was a real kind of war against Meghan, and I’ve certainly seen evidence that there was negative briefing from the Palace against Harry and Meghan to suit other peoples’ agendas.” Friend Lucy Fraser adds: “Meg became this scapegoat for the Palace, and so they would feed stories on her, whether they were true or not, to avoid other less favourable stories being printed.” The 41-year-old former actress herself insists you could “see it play out” whenever “someone in the family” made the news in a negative way. She says: “You would just see it play out. A story about someone in the family would pop up for a minute, and they’d go, ‘We gotta make that go away’. “But there’s real estate on a website homepage, there is real estate there on a newspaper front cover and something has be filled in there about someone royal.” Afia comments that the amount of coverage about the “breakdown of the relationship with her father” Thomas Markle Sr. was the last straw. She says: “This barrage of negative articles about the breakdown of the relationship with her father was the final straw in a campaign of negative, nasty coverage about her.” In another trailer released earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared to accuse the Palace of being willing to “lie to protect” his “brother” Prince William. In the teaser dropped on Monday (12.12.22), Harry said: “They were happy to lie to protect my brother. They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.” In the trailer, Meghan – who previously was known as Meghan Markle before she gave up acting and married Harry – claims she was “being fed to the wolves” as Harry speaks about “institutional gaslighting” as footage is shown of newspaper presses rolling. Speaking into the camera, Meghan says: “I wasn’t being thrown to the wolves. I was being fed to the wolves.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA DJ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss who worked alongside Ellen on her long-running talk show has died at the age of 40 after he took his own life, RadarOnline.com has learned. Law enforcement sources revealed that his wife Allison Holker rushed to an LAPD station on Tuesday after Stephen had left their residence without his vehicle. She told officers this was not like her husband. Later in the day, the police were called for a shooting at a hotel in Los Angeles. Once they arrived to the scene, they found Stephen dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Allison told People, “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans. She added, “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” she continued. “I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children.” Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.” Earlier in the week, Stephen and Allison appeared to be all smiles in a TikTok they posted. Allison captioned the video of them dancing in front of their Christmas tree, “HOLIDAY SUNDAY FUNDAY DANCE !!! With my lover.” Celebrities have been quick to send Allison love on social media. Tamar Braxton wrote, “Sisssssssster my heart is broken. I’m sooooo sorry.” RHOBH star Kyle Richards said, “Heartbreaking. I am so sorry for your loss. Sending love and light to your beautiful family.” Real Housewives of Miami star Larsa Pippen commented, “Praying for your family.” Another friend told Allison, “Heart-shattering!!!! Allison my heart is with you!!!!!” Earlier this week, Stephen posted a sweet message to Allison celebrating their 9th anniversary together. He shared a photo of their wedding writing, “Happy anniversary my love.” View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to commit $55 billion to Africa over the next three years, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Monday. The money will go to “a wide range of sectors to tackle the core challenges of our time,” and is being distributed in close partnership with Congress, Sullivan said. Much of the funds appear to come from previously announced programs and budgets. Here is what the White House has said so far about where the $55 billion will go: HEALTH The Biden-Harris administration has invested and committed to provide nearly $20 billion in health programs in the Africa region, the White House said on Tuesday. That includes $11.5 billion to address HIV/AIDS; more than $2 billion to combat malaria; more than $2 billion in support of family planning and reproductive health as well as maternal and child health; and more than $2 billion to address the health, humanitarian, and economic impacts of COVID-19. The administration also plans to ask Congress for $4 billion for healthcare workers in Africa, investing $1.33 billion annually from 2022 to 2024. CLIMATE CHANGE Since January 2021, the administration has invested and plans to provide at least $1.1 billion to support African-led efforts in conservation, climate adaptation, and energy transitions. These funds include U.S. International Development Finance Corporation investments into Malawi’s Golomoti JCM Solar Corporation, and a Climate Action Infrastructure Facility. NEW TRADE AND INVESTMENT U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted $15 billion in trade and investment partnerships and deals at the summit on Wednesday, the White House said. They include a $500 million memo of understanding between U.S. and African Export-Import banks to support diaspora engagement and a new “Clean Tech Energy Network” that supports $350 million in deals. WOMEN’S PARTNERSHIPS Vice President Kamala Harris made new commitments to advance women’s economic participation in Africa, the White House said. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced $358 million of new investments for women’s initiatives and the State Department will launch a program for green jobs for women with an initial $1 million investment. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday said they have charged eight individuals in a securities fraud scheme, alleging they reaped about $114 million from by using Twitter and Discord to manipulate stocks. The eight men allegedly purported to be successful traders on the social media platforms and then engaged in a so-called “pump and dump” scheme by hyping particular stocks to their followers with the intent to dump them once prices had risen, according to prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it has filed related civil charges against the defendants in the scheme, claiming that seven of the defendants used Twitter and Discord to boost stocks. It said the eighth was charged with aiding and abetting the scheme with his podcast. “Securities fraud victimizes innocent investors and undermines the integrity of our public markets,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The individuals charged were Texas residents Edward Constantinescu, Perry Matlock, John Rybarczyk and Dan Knight, along with California residents Gary Deel and Tom Cooperman, Stefan Hrvatin of Miami and Mitchell Hennessey of Hoboken, New Jersey. Matlock pleaded not guilty following his arrest on Tuesday, according to a court filing. His attorney did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Rybarczyk and Deel did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The others could not immediately be reached. (Reporting by Chris Prentice and Nate Raymond; Editing by Mark Porter and Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Twitter Inc suspended a bot account tracking its owner Elon Musk’s private jet, the account’s operator Jack Sweeney said in a tweet on Wednesday. The Twitter account tracked movements of Musk’s private jet using data available in the public domain. Later in the day, Sweeney’s Twitter account was also suspended. Musk said in a tweet in November that his commitment to free speech “extends even to not banning the account following my plane, even though that is a direct personal safety risk”. Sweeney, a 20-year-old student at the University of Central Florida, who also operates similar bot accounts tracking Musk’s jet on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram, tweeted on Saturday that Ella Irwin, Twitter’s vice president of trust and safety, requested that the account be filtered and less visible to users. Twitter and Sweeney did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. In previous media interviews, Sweeney said he turned down a $5,000 offer from Musk in 2021 to shut down the bot account. Separately, Twitter accounts tracking the jets of billionaire tech entrepreneurs Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates have also been suspended. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Eva Mathews; Editing by Maju Samuel and Shounak Dasgupta) View the full article

Published by Miami Herald MIAMI — Ghislaine Maxwell calls a Tallahassee federal prison home, but the convicted sex trafficker’s secrets are still being closely guarded. A federal court in New York on Monday night unsealed the latest batch of documents from her 2015 defamation lawsuit brought by victim Virginia Giuffre. Like many of the most recent releases of unsealed documents from the suit — the last came out in May — the latest round of documents are short on new revelations, and still contain page-after-page of black ink, blotting out key names and entire conversations, keeping the secrets of Maxwell and her ex-boy… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine @madonna/Instagram Madonna teased fans with a nearly nude photoshoot on Tuesday, December 13. “Express yourself, don’t repress yourself,” the Queen of Pop wrote alongside a series of provocative pictures on her Instagram Story. @madonna/Instagram The first seductive snap featured curve-hugging high waisted booty shorts and Madonna’s basically exposed breasts. MADONNA FACES FAN BACKLASH AFTER APPEARING UNRECOGNIZABLE IN STRANGE NEW VIDEO The 64-year-old remained topless as she used two very small emojis to just barely cover her nipples. She appeared to be feeling herself as she softly smirked at the camera and held her hands above her head to give fans a full view of her stripped down body. @madonna/Instagram Madonna’s nude frenzy didn’t stop there, however, as she followed up her topless photo with a lingerie selfie and an image of herself sprawled across a bed naked, showing off her entire bare behind. MADONNA DITCHES PANTS, ROCKS FISHNET STOCKINGS & BUSTIER BODYSUIT AT MIAMI ART BASEL EXHIBIT HONORING HER ‘SEX’ BOOK Fans have had more than enough of the “Material Girl” singer’s bizarre “attention-seeking” behavior, as they let the mother-of-six feel their wrath in the comments section of her most recent Instagram post. MEGA “For god sake get a grip. Why are you destroying your legacy. I’ve been on this journey with you and supported you since 1983, but I’m now at the point where as a fan I just don’t get you anymore. Stop trying to be young. REALITY check no teenagers know who you are. Embrace your amazing legacy and fans as we are still here,” one longtime admirer roared in disapproval. Another user chimed in with hopeful prayer, stating, “You need to seek and find Jesus, Fame and Money no matter how much or little of it you have, it does not bring Peace or Joy. Only Jesus does. I’ve been a fan since the ’80s and your recent behavior is not only concerning its ruined you legacy and legend. Im saying this not to put you down but out of genuine concern. Hope you find peace and come to terms with growing old. We all have to let go of some of the things we enjoyed in our younger years. .” @madonna/Instagram Although a majority of users continue to beg Madonna to quit flaunting her body every chance she gets, other supporters believe the pop icon should be able to proceed as she pleases. “I think it’s very funny that you say you are fans [but are] criticizing her. She was part of my whole life. We both lost our youth. Only people who lost their beauty, their youth know how much it hurts. I believe it’s just worry, but had she accepted her wrinkles and worn these clothes and necklaces you would have judged her anyways. So please mind your own business,” a fan wrote as they jumped to the “Hung Up” singer’s defense. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Back at it! Britney Spears let it all hang out when she took to Instagram on Tuesday, December 13, to share a video of herself dancing topless in the shower. In the now-deleted video clip, the 41-year-old wore nothing but a pair of red bikini bottoms as she danced around to LL Cool J‘s “Doin’ It.” “41 and finally expressing my freedom has never felt better!!! Learning to love myself has become my passion this year… I’d rather be in my skin than wear my skin!!!” the “Toxic” songstress captioned the post. Some of Spears’ fans were concerned for her well-being, with one writing, “With videos like this watch out the conservatorship may make a come back.” On the other hand, another fan defended the pop star. “Understand that this woman was under control for over a decade. She finally has control over what she posts. If you don’t like what she posts, unfollow. That’s it,” they wrote. mega As OK! previously reported, the blonde babe’s quirky behavior has been making headlines. First, she gushed about her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, despite publicly feuding earlier this year. “It’s my b-day but you’re my heart so I’m thinking about you … congratulations on being so brave, inspiring, and showing guts and glory in your show !!! You ain’t alone … if anybody knows what that feels like … I get it My baby sister !!! I love you !!!” she captioned a photo of Jamie Lynn, 31, playing a guitar and sitting down near a counter top via Instagram. While some believed Spears’ Instagram account had been hacked, her husband, Sam Asghari, made it clear that she’s doing just fine. “Social media can be traumatizing. Sometimes it’s good to take a break,” the handsome hunk said. “She has her voice and is a free woman. I have respect for her privacy and I protect it at all times.” FANS BEG FOR BRITNEY SPEARS TO RECEIVE A ‘WELFARE CHECK’ AFTER ELLEN DEGENERES REMINISCES ON POP STAR’S EARLY DAYS mega “I’ve always respected and supported her privacy with everything I’ve had,” he added. “I ask of you supportive and protective fans to do the same.” Daily Mail reported on the photos of Spears. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rebel Wilson admits kissing Charlotte Gainsbourg on screen “opened her heart up” to the idea of dating women. The actress – who stars opposite Gainsbourg in ‘The Almond and the Seahorse’ – has reflected on how she reassessed her own sexuality after they locked lips in the new movie, which came shortly before she met her now-fiancee Ramona Agruma. She told The Hollywood Reporter: “I had kind of had a situation with a woman before, not a sexual relationship and we hadn’t kissed or anything. “But then the kiss with Charlotte came up. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal or anything. “Then, weirdly through kissing her in my professional life I thought, well, maybe I should do that for real in my personal life and see how it goes, which I did.” The shoot took place in 2021 before meeting Ramona by the end of the year, and Rebel credits the movie – and her subsequent “experience” – with becoming more open. She added: “If I hadn’t had the experience with Charlotte or the experience with the other woman, I don’t know if I would have ever met Ramona. “Having those experiences opened my heart up to it as a possibility. I’m grateful for those two experiences. It changed my love life completely. It’s such an awesome thing.” The 42-year-old star revealed she knows other actresses who have had similar experiences. She explained: “I have another actress friend who had to kiss a woman in a show and then she became a lesbian for a bit. [Laughs] And another actress I know here in America, the same thing happened. “There’s a couple that I know of actually. It’s something I hadn’t thought of before because I had only dated men. I’ve watched shows about lesbians, like ‘The L Word’, but it just never occurred to me. “I just thought I liked those shows. But kissing Charlotte was a big thing for me. I was so nervous that day because she’s so cool and I was really stressed. “But it was great. Yeah, I don’t think I would have been open to Ramona without those experiences, and she’s just an amazing partner.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Twitter’s former head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, was forced to flee his California home this week after Elon Musk leaked the ex-employee’s PhD thesis to the public, RadarOnline.com has learned. The shocking development comes just weeks after Musk officially took over Twitter in October, and Roth marked Musk’s latest target after the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder previously targeted Dr. Anthony Fauci. Mega According to Daily Mail, Roth, 34, and his 44-year-old partner, Nicholas Madsen, were forced to leave their $1.1 million San Francisco Bay Area home over safety fears after Roth began receiving an influx of threats. The threats reportedly came after Musk posted part of Roth’s 2016 University of Pennsylvania PhD thesis to Twitter in which the former Twitter censor advocated for letting underage LGBTQ+ members use dating apps. “Looks like Yoel is arguing in favor of children being able to access adult Internet services in his PhD thesis,” Musk wrote on Saturday alongside a snippet of Roth’s thesis. Although Musk implied Roth advocated for child sexualization, the 34-year-old’s 2016 thesis seemingly advocated for age-appropriate versions of apps like Grindr to help underage LGBTQ+ members find support in their communities. Mega As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Roth was one of the few Twitter executives to temporarily remain at the company after Musk officially took over on October 27. Although Roth ultimately departed his role at Twitter shortly after Musk’s $44 billion acquisition, both Roth and Musk spoke highly of one another at the time. “I want to be clear that I support Yoel,” Musk tweeted in late October. “My sense is that he has high integrity, and we are all entitled to our political beliefs.” “I think one of things that is tricky about Elon, in particular, is that people really want him to be the villain of the story, and they want him to be unequivocally wrong and bad, and everything he says is duplicitous,” Roth said in his own post after his departure in November. “I have to say that wasn’t my experience with him.” Mega Musk’s recent attack against Roth also came shortly before the 51-year-old Twitter CEO disbanded the platform’s Trust and Safety Council – a council Roth once oversaw – on Monday night. According to an email leaked by members of the recently dissolved council, Musk disbanded the board because Twitter is “reevaluating how best to bring external insights” and the council is “not the best structure to do this.” “Our work to make Twitter a safe, informative place will be moving faster and more aggressively than ever before and we will continue to welcome your ideas going forward about how to achieve this goal,” the email added. View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Candace Owens said that she “definitely” discriminates against certain people and suggested “society would be safer” if more people did the same. On Monday, the right-wing commentator began her podcast defending her right to discriminate against transgender and nonbinary people. “I discriminate! I feel like I want to get that off my chest,” the Daily Wire host said at the start of episode 58 of the Candace Owens Podcast. “I’m already feeling lighter,” she added after her initial statement. Owens went on to blame the left for turning terms such as “discrimination” into a “dirty word” — which is… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP US President President Joe Biden smiles during a signing ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act, in a major victory for same-sex couples in the United States Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a bill granting federal protections to same-sex marriage, with a large crowd of guests gathered at the White House to celebrate the legislative milestone. Biden — who as vice president took a public stand in favor of same-sex unions well before they became legal throughout the United States in a 2015 Supreme Court decision — touted the landmark law as a rights victory. “America takes a vital step toward equality, for liberty and justice, not just for some, but for everyone,” he said during the signing ceremony Tuesday afternoon. “Love is love. Right is right. Justice is justice,” he said. After the US Supreme Court — now significantly more conservative — overturned longstanding abortion rights last June, lawmakers from the left and right came together to prevent any subsequent move to curb same-sex marriage rights. The legislation’s final adoption by Congress last week marked a rare show of bipartisanship in deeply divided Washington. In celebration, Biden gathered with a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the White House grounds, along with advocates and plaintiffs in marriage equality cases across the country, as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” roared from the speakers. Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay US senator, said she was “overcome with joy” at the signing of the law, which she helped draft in Congress. “Today, we are making history and making a difference for millions of Americans,” she said in a statement. Growing support The legislation, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday, “will give peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who will finally be guaranteed the rights and protections to which they and their children are entitled.” Jean-Pierre herself made history as the first openly gay White House press secretary. Hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision legalizing the unions throughout the United States. Public acceptance has grown dramatically in recent decades, with polls now showing a strong majority of Americans supporting same-sex marriage. Some conservatives and the religious right remain opposed. The new Respect for Marriage Act does not mandate states to legalize same-sex marriage but does require them to recognize a marriage so long as it was valid in the state where it was performed. It repeals previous legislation defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and also protects interracial couples by requiring states to recognize legal marriages without regard to “sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.” In the House of Representatives, 39 Republicans joined a united Democratic majority in supporting the bill, while 169 Republicans voted against. It was previously adopted in the evenly split Senate by 61 votes to 36. True colors Jean-Pierre said Monday that Biden believes “there is much more work to be done to protect LGBTQI+ individuals across the country.” She recalled that the 80-year-old Democrat was among the first American political leaders to publicly support same-sex unions at the highest levels of government. Back in 2012, Biden caused a stir by candidly declaring his support for same-sex unions — when Barack Obama’s White House was still looking for the best way to make the president’s position official as he sought reelection to a second term. Following his own presidential election in 2020, Biden tapped Pete Buttigieg to become his transport secretary — the first openly gay person to be confirmed by the Senate to a cabinet post. Beyond marriage, the Biden administration has taken a strong stance in support of LGBTQ rights — notably towards the transgender community whose push for greater rights has become a US political flashpoint. The administration has introduced gender-neutral passports — allowing people who identify neither as male nor female to select the gender “X” — and it lifted a ban on transgender people serving in the military, introduced under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump. Pop icon and LGBTQ rights advocate Cyndi Lauper, who sang at Tuesday’s White House ceremony, said she was pleased that the concerns of so many American families have been eased with the new law. “We can rest easy tonight because our families are validated and because now we’re allowed to love who we love,” she said. View the full article