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Published by Raw Story Don’t expect Rep. Lauren Boebert to tone down her incendiary speech just because she nearly lost her first re-election bid. The first-term Colorado Republican beat Democrat Adam Frisch by only a few hundred votes, at least unofficially, but political experts aren’t expecting the right-wing lawmaker to move any closer to the moderate middle, reported the Denver Post. “It’s hard to imagine what a more-tempered, moderate, careful Lauren Boebert would look like,” said Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University in Michigan. “I have a hard time envisioning w… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s 14-year-old daughter, Caroline, has been hospitalized for “self-inflicted stab wounds on the arms,” according to Houston police. A representative for Cruz released a statement about the serious situation on Tuesday night, December 6, which read, “This is a family matter, and thankfully their daughter is OK. There were no serious injuries.” MEGA “The family requests that the media respect their daughter’s privacy at this time,” the statement concluded. FIRST LADY WAR: JILL BIDEN STRIPPED MELANIA TRUMP’S ‘TACKY’ WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS, THOUGHT SHE ‘HAD AWFUL TASTE’ Caroline is the eldest daughter of the conservative politician and his wife, Heidi. The couple tied the knot in 2001 and also share daughter Catherine, 11. The upsetting news comes almost one year after the teen, then 13, publicly came out as bisexual and admitted to disagreeing with a majority of her father’s opinionated views. “A lot of people judge me based upon him at first glance,” Caroline said in a January TikTok video. “But I really disagree with most of his views.” The clip offered insight on the young girl’s highly profiled life, as she opened up about the “good and bad” things she has to deal with on a daily basis. “I literally have to have security following me everywhere,” Caroline noted. “Like if I want to go on a walk through the neighborhood or to my friend’s house or something, I have to have like two security guards behind me the entire time,” the seemingly annoyed teenager added. One social media user attempted to change Caroline’s views of her father by commenting, “your dad is awesome,” but she was not having it and curtly replied, “ok.” VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS’ BIGGEST SCANDALS: RUMORED FEUD WITH THE FIRST LADY, QUITTING EMPLOYEES & MORE Caroline did mention the bright side of her day-to-day life, saying, “Some of the good things are we get candy and gifts in the mail. We also get to travel sometimes.” ABC 13 Eyewitness News spoke to Houston police about the cause of Caroline’s hospitalization. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). View the full article

Published by NJ.com A drag show meant to foster a sense of community among Hunterdon Central Regional High School’s LGBTQ+ students has become a point of controversy, with district officials and student organizers defending the show from backlash over whether it was “fair and equitable.” The drag show was an invitation-only event put on Oct. 27 by the high school P.U.L.S.E (People Understanding Love Serves Everyone) club and it was meant to provide a safe space for students to be themselves, club members said during a recent board of education meeting. But the event has exposed underlying tensions at the school a… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Don’t miss business with pleasure — something Kanye West learned from his alt-right buddy Milo Yiannopoulos, who allegedly billed him for more than $100k for the time they spent together over the past few weeks, RadarOnline.com has learned. Insiders revealed the rapper was blindsided by the bill because he never worked out a financial agreement with Milo to work as an advisor on the Ye 2024 presidential media blast. But Ye allegedly received an invoice from his extremest pal anyway. Mega Milo reportedly slapped the fallen musician with an invoice for a whopping $116k. The bill was dated December 1, according to TMZ. Ye and Milo’s friendship made headlines after they were first spotted hanging out in mid-November. Sources claimed Ye’s other right-wing friends — like white nationalist Nick Fuente— are working with the rapper-turned-politician hopeful as volunteers. It sounds like Ye was under the impression that Milo was a volunteer, too, until he got the bill. Mega While Ye’s been pushing his #Ye2024 hashtag amid his media blitz, the insider pointed out that he has yet to formally announce his campaign run — meaning, Milo can’t bill him for a campaign that isn’t real. Milo revealed to the Daily Beast that he and Ye had come to a “mutual conclusion” to part ways. It appears the hefty bill attributed to that choice. Let’s remember: Ye’s bank account isn’t what it used to be. The fashion designer lost his billionaire status in October following his antisemitic rant that forced several brands, including Adidas, to drop the star. Mega He’s also paying his ex-wife Kim Kardashian out of the wazoo. As RadarOnline.com reported, they finalized their divorce last week, and, as part of their settlement, Ye will be forking over $200k in child support on the first of every month to Kim for their four kids: North, 9, Saint, 7, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2. Ye also gave up the multimillion-dollar home that he purchased across the street from his ex. As for their children, they will share joint custody, and each parent will have “equal access” to them. It looks like the agreement is working out perfectly. Ye was even spotted at Kim’s home on Monday to celebrate their son Saint’s birthday like a modern family. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, on Tuesday said giant companies like Ticketmaster, which faces a tsunami of criticism for problems in selling tickets to a 2023 Taylor Swift tour, can become “too big to care.” Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit, Khan said it was the Justice Department that approved the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation in 2010 and referenced a report that the department had a probe under way. “There can be concerns that when firms become (large) they can become too big to care,” she added, saying giant firms may feel no need to invest in innovation because they do not face tough competition. “There’s been public reporting that the Justice Department continues to look at this and I’m sure it’s top of mind for them, given all the incoming that they’re getting,” she added. Ticketmaster has drawn fresh heat from U.S. lawmakers over how it handled ticket sales for Swift’s first tour in five years. On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to Michael Rapino, chief executive of Ticketmaster parent Live Nation, to raise concerns about the chaos in the Taylor Swift ticket sale and to request a briefing for staff on fees, dynamic pricing, ticket availability and transferability and scalping. There will also be a congressional hearing, likely this month, on the debacle in November when Ticketmaster put tickets on sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, and some fans struggled for hours with the ticket sale website. Last month, U.S. lawmakers pressed the FTC to enforce a 2016 law against ticket scalpers using bots after Ticketmaster blamed the software for troubles selling tickets to Swift’s tour. Ticketmaster has blamed problems with presale ticketing for the tour on unprecedented demand and an effort to keep out bots run by ticket scalpers. For her part, Swift has said it was “excruciating” for her to watch fans struggle to secure tickets and that she had been assured that Ticketmaster could handle large demand. Neither Ticketmaster nor the Justice Department immediately responded to requests for comment. Khan also said that the FTC was not investigating cryptocurrency firm FTX, whose dramatic collapse sparked fears of contagion and prompted calls for more crypto regulation. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – More than 1,100 union employees at the New York Times Co are set to walk out on Thursday for 24 hours as negotiations with the news publisher for a “complete and equitable contract” failed on Tuesday, the union said in a tweet. The NYTimes NewsGuild last week had pledged to walk out on Dec. 8 if a contract was not reached by then. The NYTimes NewsGuild has sought “complete and equitable contract” wages that “keep up with inflation” as well as to preserve and enhance health insurance and retirement benefits that were promised during hiring, according to a letter signed by 1,036 members last week. The number of signatories has since topped 1,100, the union said on Tuesday. “Unless the company changes their tune and a deal is reached before Thursday, the work stoppage will officially start from midnight on December 8th and go for 24 hours,” the union said in a statement posted on Twitter. The union said the New York Times during a meeting earlier in the day refused to meet for additional negotiating sessions to resolve the contract dispute by Thursday. The New York Times in an emailed statement to Reuters said the union’s claims were inaccurate and negotiations were ongoing. The union said that the walkout would be the first full-day work stoppage at the New York Times since the late 1970s. The Times Guild represents journalists as well as ad sales workers, comment moderators, news assistants, security guards and staffers at The Times Center, the company’s events venue and virtual production studio. Tech employees of the Times voted last March to unionize and have been trying separately to negotiate their first contract. (Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by AFP The US Supreme Court is to hear a high-stakes elections case Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court hears a case on Wednesday that could fundamentally alter the way democracy operates in America by expanding the power of state legislatures over elections for the White House and Congress. The case, Moore v. Harper, would potentially give lawmakers in each of the 50 US states more authority in deciding who votes, where and how in federal elections. The prospect has raised concerns on the left in a bitterly divided country still reeling from Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results. But it has also alarmed some on the right. The case focuses on a theory known as the “independent state legislature” doctrine advanced by Republican lawmakers in the southern state of North Carolina. Under the Constitution, the rules for federal elections are set by the state legislature. “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof,” the Elections Clause says. State legislatures have used their authority to map out congressional districts, set poll hours and agree on rules for voter registration and mail-in ballots. Their laws have been subject, however, to legal scrutiny by the local courts and possible veto by the state governor. No longer, if the North Carolina lawmakers have their way. In their brief to the nation’s highest court, they say the Constitution “sets forth a detailed set of specific rights, specific procedures, and specific allocations of power. “Here, those carefully drawn lines place the regulation of federal elections in the hands of state legislatures, Congress, and no one else.” Amy Mason Saharia, a Washington lawyer who has argued a number of cases before the Supreme Court, said it “has never adopted that theory, but it has been floating around for a while” and the conservative-dominated court could embrace it. ‘Reshape American democracy’ North Carolina’s Democratic governor Roy Cooper warned that “the court’s decision on this alarming argument could fundamentally reshape American democracy. “Our democracy is a fragile ecosystem that requires checks and balances to survive,” Cooper wrote in an opinion piece published in The New York Times. “Republican leaders in the North Carolina legislature have shown us how the election process can be manipulated for partisan gain,” Cooper said. “And that’s what you can expect to see from state legislatures across the country if the court reverses course in this case.” Moore v. Harper stems from an electoral dispute in North Carolina. The 2020 census found that the state’s population had increased, earning it an extra seat in the US House of Representatives. North Carolina lawmakers redrew the congressional map to add a new district but the state supreme court threw it out in February, arguing that it favored Republicans by grouping Democrats in certain districts, diluting their vote. A second map was also judged to be unfair and the state high court finally named an independent expert to carry out the redistricting. North Carolina lawmakers appealed to the Supreme Court arguing that local courts were usurping their authority. The Supreme Court declined to intervene right away and the map drawn up by the expert was used in November’s midterm elections, resulting in seven House members from each party. ‘Nonsense’ Democrats, from the state level to President Joe Biden, law professors and leading civil rights organizations have filed briefs urging the Supreme Court to reject the doctrine. Sophia Lin Lakin of the American Civil Liberties Union warned of the dangers of an adverse ruling. “An extreme interpretation of the US Constitution by the Supreme Court in this case will make it even easier for state legislators to suppress the vote, fraud, gerrymander election districts and potentially sabotage election results,” she said. The Republican Party dismissed the criticism as alarmist. “Self-anointed constitutional law experts have convinced a healthy cross-section of armchair court watchers that, should the court decide this case the wrong way, it would signal the end of democracy,” the National Republican Committee said in a brief. “Nonsense.” A number of prominent conservatives did express concern. “Our political system would suffer harm if partisan gerrymanders were left entirely without state-level checks and balances,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Republican governor of California. The court is to deliver its ruling by the end of June. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Shawana Alleyne-Morris (Reuters) – Reduced access to infertility treatments early in the pandemic may have contributed to a drop in twin births, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest. The number of twin births fell 7% between 2019 and 2020 – from 120,291 to 112,437 – compared to an average 2%-per-year decline from 2014 to 2019, researchers reported on Wednesday in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Reports, based on data from 50 states and the District of Columbia. The twin birth rate dropped 3% between 2019 and 2020, from 32.1 to 31.1 per 1,000 births, versus an average annual decline of 1% from 2014-2019, the researchers said. The largest declines were in November and December of 2020 and January 2021, when twin birth rates dropped by 10%, 14% and 7%, respectively, compared to the year before. “The timing of the monthly declines in late 2020 and early 2021 coincide with a period of conception when the coronavirus pandemic began and (experts) recommended that reproductive medicine professionals temporarily limit infertility treatment,” Isabelle Horon and Joyce Martin wrote in the report. The number of births involving one baby declined by only 3% from 2019 to 2020, the authors said. Overall, twin births did not rise significantly in 2021 from 2020 levels, although rates began to increase near the end of the year. The largest decline in twin births was seen in women over age 40, the group most likely to use infertility treatment. The smallest decline was in women under age 30, who are least likely to use infertility treatment, the authors said. The study cannot prove pandemic lockdowns caused twin births to decline. In fact, the authors point out that Hispanic women had a larger decline in twin birth rate than non-Hispanic white women, even though Hispanic women are less likely to receive infertility treatments. Early in the pandemic, the number of babies born prematurely, or at dangerously low weights, was lower than usual, the researchers noted. Because twins are at higher risk for these outcomes, “the decline in twin births may have contributed, in part, to the reductions in preterm and low birthweight deliveries … between 2019 and 2020,” they said. (Reporting by Shawana Alleyne-Morris; editing by Nancy Lapid and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Anne Heche’s final autopsy has revealed that cocaine in her system did not contribute to her death. The actress died aged 53 in a devastating car crash on August 5, and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Conor has revealed while she had used cocaine and cannabis previously, she was not impaired by drugs at the time of the accident. A coroner spokesperson told PEOPLE magazine: “The hospital admission blood showed the presence of benzoylecgonine, the inactive metabolite of cocaine, which means she used in the past but not at the time of the crash.” They added that while cannabinoids were found in her urine, they were “not detected in the admission blood” which is “consistent with prior use, but not at the time of the injury”. Meanwhile, toxicology has revealed she had fentanyl in her system, but the report has indicated this was “obtained after she received treatment at the hospital and therefore is consistent with therapeutic use”. The report adds: “This is supported by the lack of fentanyl in the blood specimen drawn at admission to the hospital.” The report also indicates that Anne’s burns prevented her body from effectively absorbing oxygen. This led to an “anoxic brain injury”, which is what resulted in her death. She was in a coma for around a week and was on life support until her death, with her heart kept beating so she could be assessed for organ donation. Anne had a “sternal fracture due to blunt trauma”, which was labelled a “significant condition”, and typically takes place after the chest hits the steering wheel following a collision. She was severely burned in the car fire, which took 59 firefighters to battle and more than an hour before it was extinguished and the actress was freed. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have accepted an award for fighting “structural racism” in the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – whose Netflix documentary is set to launch on Thursday (08.12.22) – were honoured at the Ripple of Home awards in New York on Tuesday night, but refused to answer questions about the upcoming series. Kerry Kennedy – the daughter of Robert F Kennedy who runs the RFK Foundation, which is behind the awards – previously said she chosen Harry and Meghan for the prize because of their “heroic” stance as apparent “structural racism” in the Royal Family. She added: “Few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family and community about the power structure they maintained, and this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done.” Speaking at the gala this week, Harry said: “Ultimately we live in this world now where sharing experiences and sharing stories has an enormous impact.” Previous winners of the human rights awards from the organisation include Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. At the gala, Alec Baldwin revealed his admiration for the Sussexes. He commented: “They way they deal with difficult circumstances in the press without to much difficulty. “They’ve obviously chosen a different path. Good for them. They’re newly arrived in the States. “I think it’s great they’ve agreed to support this cause which we have for years.” In last year’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple accused an unnamed member of the royal family of asking about Archie’s skin tone before he was born. Meghan, 39, claimed in the interview that there had been several “concerns and conversations” raised by a member of the royal family about how “dark” Archie’s skin would be. She explained: “That was relayed to me from Harry. Those were conversations that family had with him.” Meanwhile, their appearance at the awards come amid controversy surrounding their documentary, with the trailer depicts their experiences with the media by using footage and images of the paparazzi from unrelated events, including a ‘Harry Potter’ premiere in 2011, years before Harry and Meghan had even met. View the full article

Published by DPA Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud awaits the German Chancellor in front of Al-Salam Palace. A US judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Kay Nietfeld/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa A US judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Judge John Bates spoke of his “uneasiness” over the decision but said he had to follow the US Justice Department’s recent recommendation that bin Salman be given immunity. Bate’s unease was due not only to “credible allegations” of the prince’s involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, the judge wrote, but also to the timing of bin Salman’s appointment as prime minister of Saudi Arabia. The case was brought by Khashoggi’s fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, who has accused US President Joe Biden of saving the “murderer” and “criminal” bin Salman by granting him immunity. Mohammed has been blamed by US intelligence for ordering the murder of Khashoggi. The crown prince denies having authorized the crime. The murder led to the crown prince being largely isolated internationally, including by Germany. View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Neuralink, the Elon Musk company that Reuters reported on Monday is the target of a federal investigation over its animal trial program, has been trying to develop a brain chip that would enable the paralyzed to walk and the blind to see. Here is more on what Neuralink does. WHAT IS NEURALINK DEVELOPING? Founded in 2016 by Musk and a group of engineers, Neuralink is building a brain chip interface that can be implanted within the skull, which it says could eventually help disabled patients to move and communicate again, and also restore vision. Neuralink’s device has a chip that processes and transmits neural signals that could be transmitted to devices like a computer or a phone. The company hopes that a person would potentially be able to control a mouse, keyboard or other computer functions like text messaging with their thoughts. “First @Neuralink product will enable someone with paralysis to use a smartphone with their mind faster than someone using thumbs,” Musk said in April 2021. Neuralink also believes its device will eventually be able to restore neural activity inside the body, allowing those with spinal cord injuries to move limbs. The San Francisco and Austin-based company also aspires to cure neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. WHAT PROGRESS HAS NEURALINK MADE? Neuralink has produced several examples of testing aspects of its technology successfully on animals, including a video in 2021 that showed a macaque playing a simple videogame after being implanted with a brain chip. In a presentation webcast last week, the company showcased improvements in the speed and capabilities of the chip. WHAT HURDLES FOR NEURALINK NEXT? Neuralink has yet to secure U.S. regulatory approval to move to human trials – unlike competitor Synchron, which has less ambitious goals for its medical advances. Neuralink has missed Musk’s publicly stated deadlines to start human trials and this year submitted its application to the Food and Drug Administration to begin them. Musk said last week he believes Neuralink can start human clinical trials in six months. CONTROVERSY AROUND ANIMAL TESTING The company is facing a federal probe for potential animal-welfare violations at a time when its staff has complained that the testing is being rushed, causing needless suffering and deaths, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and sources familiar with the investigation and company operations. In all, the company has killed about 1,500 animals, including more than 280 sheep, pigs and monkeys, following experiments since 2018. (Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru and Rachael Levy in Washington; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis, Rosalba O’Brien and Anil D’Silva) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Just 11 when she lost her famous father, Paris Jackson still carries him with her. Michael Jackson may have been worth more than a billion dollars, but his kids didn’t get anything handed to them. “Growing up, it was about earning stuff,” Paris says of her childhood with brothers Prince Michael, 24, and Bigi (a.k.a. Blanket), 19. “If we wanted five toys from FAO Schwarz or Toys R Us, we had to read five books. It’s earning it.” mega That’s just one of the lessons the singer/songwriter took from the King of Pop. “It’s earning it, not just being entitled to certain things or thinking, Oh, I got this,” she said. “It’s working hard for [something] … it’s an accomplishment.” As a result, the 23-year-old shared, she’s not afraid to hustle to launch her own career. “I go to auditions, I study hard,” the model and “Low Key in Love” singer said. “I do my thing.” PRINCE JACKSON RECALLS TRAUMATIC FIRST TIME HE WATCHED ‘THRILLER’ VIDEO WITH DAD MICHAEL JACKSON mega ‘MICKEY’ SINGER TONI BASIL CREDITS MICHAEL JACKSON’S DEATH TO RESIDENCY REHEARSALS, INSISTS ‘IT WAS KILLING HIM AND IT DID KILL HIM’ But being the daughter of the most famous man on earth did have its perks. “My dad was really good about making sure we were cultured, making sure we were educated,” she noted about the family’s world travels, “and not just showing us the glitz and glam, like hotel hopping, five-star places.” To keep the kids grounded, she added, “We saw everything. We saw Third World countries. We saw every part of the spectrum.” And of course, the two bonded over their shared love of music. “He loved classical music and jazz and hip-hop and R&B and obviously the Motown stuff,” Paris recalled. “So we grew up around all of that, and I feel like all of that somehow influences my stuff.” View the full article

Published by DPA The cap of a Russian soldier lies on the road near a destroyed tank column in Borodianka. In the first book of its kind from Russia since the start of the war with Ukraine, a Russian soldier has given a candid version of life on the front. In shedding light on why Putin’s war is failing, Pavel Filatyev has made himself an enemy of the state. Matthew Hatcher/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa For two months, former Russian paratrooper Pavel Filatyev experienced the war in Ukraine first-hand, battling a determined enemy and despairing at a senseless mission and the incompetence of his own commanders. After he returned home in the summer, Filatyev, 34, poured out his frustrations about the shambolic state of the Russian army in his gripping front-line account “ZOV”, which means “the call” in Russian. Packed with insights into daily wartime life and an army riddled with corruption and nepotism, the 141-page bombshell was recently released in German and is also available in English as “ZOV: A Russian soldier caught inside Putin’s unjust war in Ukraine”. Initially published in Russian on the Internet, the first word of its title was then also written in Latin script to highlight the letters “Z” and “V”, the tactical symbols painted on Russian military vehicles that poured into Ukraine on February 24. The memoir quickly became an international sensation, while Filatyev, who keeps his whereabouts secret while in political asylum in France, faces up to 15 years in jail in Russia for defaming the armed forces. Nevertheless, he hopes his writing will help to enlighten his countrymen about the senselessness of the war, and even prompt them to rise up in opposition to it. The Russian audio book version published on YouTube alone has more than 600,000 hits so far. As his unit, the 56th Guards air assault regiment, was sent into southern Ukraine from Crimea, Filatyev naively believed there was a reason for the invasion. He soon realized that nobody there was waiting for the “liberation” that was announced by the Kremlin. The claim of the Russian leadership that they wanted to preempt an imminent Ukrainian attack is also untrue, says Filatyev, denouncing what President Vladimir Putin stubbornly calls a “special military operation” against Nazis in the neighbouring country. His criticism is not aimed at ordinary soldiers who have been misled by a lack of information, Filatyev stresses, but at the leadership in the Moscow Kremlin. “He never served, he was never in a war and doesn’t know what the army is,” Filatyev said of Putin, a former Soviet KGB intelligence service officer, during a video call from a café in Paris. As the world reels from each successive uncovering of horrors against civilians in previously occupied Bucha, Izyum, Kherson and beyond, he says he can’t personally confirm any atrocities committed by the army during his time in Ukraine. “Of course I can’t vouch for the whole army, but no one was tortured in front of my eyes, let alone raped,” he writes. But he has no doubt that, as in every war, there are “scumbags” committing war crimes. At the same time, he acknowledges that Ukrainian civilians are being killed and entire cities senselessly destroyed. Filatyev, a former horse breeder as well as soldier, authentically describes how the military is failing due to a lack of leadership and motivation – and sheer inability to keep the troops supplied with essentials like food. “I’m a smoker and I’m annoyed with the leadership that we’ve been here for three days and apparently nobody upstairs thought that we need something to smoke, eat and drink,” he writes in his diary-like notes from the front. Dilapidated equipment and vehicles that constantly break down point to a bleak outcome for Russia’s “technically hopelessly outdated and morally rotten” forces in Ukraine: “An army like this doesn’t need an enemy, we’ll ruin ourselves all on our own.” Filatyev, who is not married and has no children, paints a dire future also for the country, which is sinking in “lies, fraud and false values”. Everything is atrophied, from defence to health care to the legal system, while the individual counts for nothing. Ordinary soldiers often have to pay for their medical treatment and medicines themselves, but the Russian elites continue to prosper from the comfort of their villas and yachts. After years of watching annual WW2 victory parades on Red Square, this, he muses, this should surely be enough for the Russian people to finally grasp the tragedy that is unfolding in Ukraine: “On May 9 we thank our ancestors who ended the war. Have we, their descendants, really started a war now?” It is a war that not only tore apart Ukrainians and Russians, who once lived in one country and still have close family ties, but also threatens to bankrupt his homeland because of the immense cost of holding the occupied Ukrainian territory. Ordinary soldiers often have to pay for their medical treatment and medicines themselves, Filatyev writes. Ivan Vysochinsky/ZUMA/dpa View the full article

Published by AFP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes part in a flag-laying ceremony during his visit to the newly liberated city of Kherson in November 2022 New York (AFP) – Time magazine named President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as “the spirit of Ukraine” as its 2022 person of the year on Wednesday, for the resistance the country has shown in the face of Russia’s invasion. Calling Zelensky’s decision to remain in Kyiv and rally his country “fateful,” Time editor in chief Edward Felsenthal said this year’s decision was “the most clear-cut in memory.” Since Russia’s February 24 invasion, Zelensky has delivered daily speeches that are followed not only by Ukrainians but by citizens and governments around the globe. He has appeared on the front lines and recently celebrated in the streets of Kherson when Ukraine pushed Russia from the critical southern city. “His information offensive shifted the geopolitical weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe,” Felsenthal wrote in announcing the winner. “Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Volodymyr Zelensky galvanized the world in a way we haven’t seen in decades,” Felsenthal added. Zelensky’s response to the Russian invasion has transformed the 44-year-old former comedian from an embattled leader of a struggling European outlier to a global household name. He has also become the standard-bearer of opposition to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who himself was Time’s person of the year in 2007. Zelensky, who was born in the southern industrial city of Kryviy Rig in the heart of a mainly Russian-speaking region, has presented his country as the front line in a broader conflict. His appeals to the West for military and financial support, at times echoing the words of British wartime leader Winston Churchill, have helped Ukraine first halt Russia’s advance and then recapture swathes of territory. Zelensky shares the 2022 title with “the spirit of Ukraine,” which Felsenthal said was embodied by the “countless individuals inside and outside the country” who are fighting behind the scenes, including everyday people such as chefs and surgeons. Time’s cover artwork for the edition features Zelensky in his now iconic green fatigues, surrounded by dozens of individuals, including demonstrators bearing the Ukrainian flag, who together represent that spirit. Among those depicted are Iryna Kondratova, who helped deliver babies during shelling, Kyiv chef Levgen Klopotenko, who turned his restaurant into a relief canteen, and Kyiv Independent editor in chief, Olga Rudenko. “The Russians need to understand… They will have no forgiveness. They will have no acceptance in the world,” Zelensky says in an interview published in the issue. Time first presented its Person of the Year award in 1927. Last year’s honoree was Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who has since made major headlines with his high-profile purchase of Twitter. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Paris Hilton has promised a “very exciting announcement” about some new music on the way. The 41-year-old star has confirmed she’s “back in the studio” working on some new material and she’ll be ready to reveal more on December 31. She told E! News: “I am back in the studio. I have a very exciting announcement that’s gonna be happening on New Year’s Eve, but I can’t say yet. But it’s a very iconic song.” While Paris didn’t give any more clues on her next move in the music world, she did open up about her upcoming book ‘Paris: The Memoir’, which is set to be released on March 14, 2023. She added: “I have been writing my book for over a year now and a lot went into it. “Just having to think about so many things that happened in my life and it really revealed so much because I’ve always been someone who likes to keep a lot in but in this book I felt it was such an important story for people to hear and people can relate to, and help people as well.” Meanwhile, Paris – who married her husband Carter Reum in November 2021 – also reflected on Britney Spears and Sam Asghari’s wedding in June. She said: “I love Britney so much… We had the best time at that wedding. It was literally one of the most iconic rooms ever, with all of the girls together.” At the reception, Paris posed for a photo with Britney, Madonna, Donatella Versace and Selena Gomez. Despite the star studded affair, Paris admitted the nuptials were “intimate”, and the guests in attendance loved getting to see Britney enjoy her special day. She explained: “It was very small and intimate, but it just made it so special to see our princess walking down the aisle and dancing the night away after.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News New York City’s oldest gay bar earned landmark recognition Tuesday after a 10-year campaign to honor the Greenwich Village location. The venerable Julius’ Bar, one of Manhattan’s oldest continuously operating taverns, received the new status exactly one decade after the Village Preservation organization took up the cause for the circa 1825 building at 159 W. 10th St. “Julius’ finally has the landmark status it deserves,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation. “This is a huge step forward in recognizing our city’s history as a refuge and home to the nation’s largest LGB… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Raymond Green Vance was among the five people who were killed when a gunman attacked an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs Los Angeles (AFP) – The suspect in a mass shooting that left five people dead at an LGBTQ club in the US state of Colorado was charged Tuesday with 305 criminal counts, including murder. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, has been in custody since the rampage last month in Club Q in Colorado Springs that also left at least 18 people wounded. The suspect, who court-appointed lawyers have said identifies as non-binary, appeared handcuffed and shackled in court on Tuesday to face the litany of charges. They include 10 counts of first-degree murder — two for each fatality, one of murder with intent, and one of murder with extreme indifference. Both charges carry a maximum life sentence without the possibility of parole. It is not uncommon in the United States for prosecutors to levy multiple charges for the same crime. So-called “charge stacking” increases the likelihood of conviction in cases where a jury finds the circumstances do not exactly fit one of the charges, and would therefore find the defendant not guilty. Aldrich, who did not speak during Tuesday’s appearance, also faces 86 counts of attempted first-degree murder, as well as dozens of bias-motivated crimes — the name for hate crimes in Colorado — and dozens more of assault. District Attorney Michael Allen told reporters that the sheer number of charges is an indicator of how seriously authorities are taking the attack. “Obviously when you file 305 counts in a case, that tells the public, this community, this state and this nation that we are taking this case as seriously as we possibly can and we are going to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law,” Allen said. The suspect, who is bearded and heavy-set, wore jail-issue clothes in court and appeared to have recovered from injuries apparently sustained when patrons of Club Q subdued him to end the shooting. Military veteran Richard Fierro, who was visiting the club with his wife, told reporters he had snatched the attacker’s pistol and used it as a cudgel to hit him. The November 20 mass shooting was the latest in America’s seemingly endless gun violence crisis and shattered the peace of Colorado Springs’ LGBTQ community, as customers and staff at the well-known club were gunned down on a night of revelry. Matthew Haynes, one of the owners of Club Q, said the fact that hate crime charges had been laid demonstrated that it was a targeted attack. “The tragedy at Club Q shows that words matter and that words have real-world consequences,” Haynes said, according to the Denver Post. “We continue to call out those who spread disgusting rhetoric and encourage violence against the LGBTQ community, to end this behavior immediately before more people get hurt.” Reporting since the attack has revealed a chaotic life for the alleged attacker, with a childhood marked by instability, and parents who suffered from substance abuse problems. A two-day preliminary hearing was set for February 22. A full jury trial may not happen until some time in 2024, the district attorney said. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Kirstie Alley revealed her unwavering love for John Travolta in the years before her death, RadarOnline.com can confirm, revealing how she resisted the urge to act on her romantic feelings. The longtime friends, who worked together on the three Look Who’s Talking films, shared a special bond that both of them have raved over. News Licensing- / MEGA Alley was married to Parker Stevenson from 1983 to 1997 while Travolta tied the knot with Kelly Preston in 1991, keeping the pair’s connection strictly platonic. “John would agree it was mutual that we sort of fell in love with each other,” Alley said, admitting during an appearance on British podcast The Dan Wootton Interview that not taking their relationship any further was “one of the hardest things” she’s ever done. “I was madly in love with him — we were fun and funny together,” the star confessed, noting she refused to cheat on her husband. “I consider what I did even worse because I actually let myself fall in love with [Travolta] and stay in love with him for a long time.” Alley went on to shut down rumors the Saturday Night Fever icon is gay while revealing what made her stop pining over Travolta, noting it was Preston confronting her for “flirting with my husband.” “And that was sort of when I had to make a decision and that was pretty much the end of that,” said the For Richer or Poorer star, adding that it ultimately worked out for the best. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA “John and I would have devoured each other because John and I are so alike. It would be like two blazing stars that just fizzled out,” she explained. Travolta has since paid his respects to Alley following news of her death at 71 after a battle with cancer, writing via his Instagram caption: “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.” STB / MEGA In recent years, the Pulp Fiction heartthrob lost many women near and dear to his heart including his beloved wife, who died of cancer at 57 in July 2020. This year, his cherished Grease costarOlivia Newton-John died in August at 73. While the heartfelt messages in honor of Alley continue pouring in, her ex-husband also shared a tribute. “I am so grateful for our years together, and for the two incredibly beautiful children and now grandchildren that we have,” the Baywatch alum wrote. “You will be missed. With love, Parker.” View the full article

Published by Raw Story California Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener announced in a press release Tuesday that received threats at his San Francisco home, KRON4 reports. “Early this morning, I was informed by the San Francisco Standard and the police that someone had issued a bomb threat against me, listing my specific home address and also threatening to shoot up my Capitol office,” Wiener stated. “The email said ‘we will f—— kill you’ and called me a pedophile and groomer.” Officers who arrived on the scene did not find any explosives. Wiener was a target of a bomb threat earlier this year. In a separate incident, a man… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Karen Freifeld (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump’s namesake company was found guilty on Tuesday of scheming to defraud tax authorities. Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, said the verdict would be appealed. Here are some of the way in which prosecutors said the company and executives cheated on their taxes. – The Trump Organization gave executives free, cheap and reduced-rent apartments that were not reported as income. – Bonuses were paid as if executives were independent contractors, not salaried employees. – Trump himself signed bonus checks from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, the Trump International Golf Club in Florida, and other Trump entities that could benefit from the deductions. Trump was not charged in the case and has called it politically motivated. – The Trump Organization leased luxury cars for executives and their wives. – The company paid for beds, TVs, carpeting and furniture for the Florida home of Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, and for utilities, cable and parking garage fees in Manhattan. – Trump himself paid the private school tuition for his chief financial officer’s grandchildren. – Checks were made out to an employee in the mailroom to cash and were booked as “Holiday Entertainment” but given to the CFO for personal tips. – Tax statements were issued that did not disclose executives’ Manhattan living quarters so they did not pay city taxes. – The personal expenses were not added to employees’ taxable income. But some expenses were subtracted from salaries and bonuses, leaving the executives with less taxable income and the company with less payroll taxes. – The scheme was a way to limit raises, while giving executives more money. – CFO Weisselberg estimated that $100,000 worth of personal expenses he received was worth double that to him – $200,000 – in salary. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s real estate company was convicted on Tuesday of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, adding to the legal woes facing the former U.S. president as he campaigns for the office again in 2024. The Trump Organization – which operates hotels, golf courses, and other real estate around the world – faces up to $1.6 million in fines following the guilty verdicts by a jury on all charges the company faced. Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, told reporters the company would appeal. The exact amount of the fines will be determined by the judge overseeing the trial in New York State court. The jury deliberated for a total of about 12 hours. Following the verdict, the judge set a sentencing date of Jan. 13. The company had pleaded not guilty. Trump himself was not charged in the case. While the fine is not expected to be material for a company of the Trump Organization’s size, the conviction could complicate its ability to do business by spooking lenders and partners. The case centered on charges that the company paid personal expenses like free rent and car leases for top executives including former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg without reporting the income, and paid them bonuses as if they were independent contractors. “The smorgasbord of benefits is designed to keep its top executives happy and loyal,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors during his closing argument on Friday. SEPARATE LAWSUIT The Trump Organization separately faces a fraud lawsuit brought by New York state Attorney General Letitia James. Trump himself is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over his handling of sensitive government documents after he left office in January 2021 and attempts to overturn the November 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Weisselberg, 75, testified as the government’s star witness as part of a plea deal with prosecutors that will allow him to spend no more than five months in jail. The Trump Organization argued that Weisselberg carried out the scheme to benefit himself. He is on paid leave from the company and testified that he received more than $1 million in salary and bonus payments this year. “The question here is not whether as a byproduct the company saved some money,” Susan Necheles, a defense lawyer, said in her closing argument on Thursday. “(Weisselberg’s) intent was to benefit himself, not the company.” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Nov. 19. that his family got “no economic gain from the acts done by the executive.” Republican Trump, who on Nov. 15 announced his third campaign for the presidency, has called the probe a politically motivated “witch hunt.” Both Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his predecessor who brought the charges, Cyrus Vance, are Democrats. Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty in August to concealing $1.76 million in income from tax authorities, testified that Trump himself signed the Christmas bonus checks and personally paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in private school tuition for Weisselberg’s grandchildren. He also said Trump’s two sons – who took over the company’s operations in 2017 after Trump became president – gave him a raise after they knew about his tax dodge scheme. “The whole narrative that Donald Trump was blissfully ignorant is just not real,” Steinglass said. The Trump Organization also sought to argue that Donald Bender, an outside accountant, should have caught and blown the whistle on Weisselberg’s fraud. The company called Bender as its main witness, but his testimony appeared to backfire when he said he trusted that the information Weisselberg gave him was accurate and that he was under no obligation to investigate further. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military has no hard data to back up claims by top Republicans in Congress that the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate is hurting recruiting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday. “I’ve not seen any hard data that directly links the COVID mandate to an affect on our recruiting,” Austin told a news conference. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who is vying to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and other Republicans are pushing the Biden administration to lift the American military’s mandate requiring troops to be vaccinated against COVID, arguing it hurts recruiting. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega For years, former ScientologistLeah Remini was on a crusade to take down the religion, publically slamming the church and spilling secrets about its famous members — and it never sat well with late actressKirstie Alley, who was a longtime follower of the religious group, RadarOnline.com can reveal. “Kirstie’s one of the toughest defenders of Scientology and has taken Leah’s betrayal of the church very personally,” an insider explained in 2020, just two years before Alley’s surprising death. The ladies were once close friends, they revealed, but after Leah left the religion in 2013 — and began making jaw-dropping claims about the church and its leader, David Miscavige — the Cheers alum felt she had no option but to cut ties with Leah and speak out about their nasty feud. Mega Kirstie didn’t hold back. “I think the most repulsive thing a person can do is attack another person’s faith,” she said in the past, taking a jab at the former King of Queen‘s star. “So when you decide to blanket statement ‘Scientology is evil’ you are my enemy. I just won’t have people in my life that are [like] that. I just think it’s really wrong.” While her words may have seemed harsh — Kirstie publicly called Leah a “bigot” — those who knew the Look Who’s Talking actress best weren’t shocked. “Kirstie’s never been one to hold back, and she refuses to let anyone shame her or other members of the church,” the insider warned years ago, adding she wasn’t afraid of a fight. Mega “That’s why she’s known as Scientology’s unofficial bulldog and the mama bear of the religion,” they continued. “She’ll always stand behind it.” Kirstie and Leah most recently came to public blows in February, sharing a heated exchange on social media after Alley tweeted she’d “pray” over the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. “She has no comment on these crimes against humanity? But she’s going to pray? Scientology, her ‘religion,’ says Christ is a pedophile and a lie. Scientologists aren’t allowed to believe in anything else other than Scientology. So who is she praying to?” Leah unloaded, but Kirstie hit back. Mega “I don’t care what the punk a– t—t say. I believe in the power of prayer,” she responded. “I will continue to pray for the people of Ukraine. Putin is a c—t and a coward and I’ll pray his own soldiers refuse to do his dirty work. PS, I pray to the same God you do. So get over your nasty selves.” As RadarOnline.com reported, Kirstie died unexpectedly after a secret battle with cancer. Her children announced the upsetting news on Monday, revealing she had recently been diagnosed — but they didn’t specify which kind of cancer she had been fighting. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Michael Jackson was the most influential entertainer of the 20th century! Top critics, scholars, showbiz insiders — and the Guinness Book of World Records — believe MJ shaped the future of music, dance, film and fashion with his genius and talent. During his too-short life, Michael produced 13 no. 1 tunes. since his death, his recordings are still red-hot and he’s sold more than 750 Million albums worldwide! But Michael’s cultural impact runs much deeper. acclaimed jazz choreographer Ginger Cox insists the Moonwalker’s fluid grace inspired generations of dancers, and the instructor of new York’s Broadway Dance center proclaims Jackson is the “reason many people started dancing. his influence is truly extraordinary.” mega Jackson’s dance moves were “like quick- silver in motion,” says Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, who worked with Michael on the “Bad” video. “I was in awe of his absolute mastery of movement on one hand and of the music on the other,” he said. Certainly, he shaped how we hear and saw music. MJ’s groundbreaking “Thriller,” “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” single-handedly created the music video. Critics say many of the film techniques developed during the filming are being used in mainstream TV today, and the white glove also had a huge hand in the styles we currently wear. The metallic military cues, peg-leg pants, white socks and fedoras seen on the catwalk were inspired by Jackson, whose sense of style is still being mimicked by hot young stars including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher and Justin Timberlake! PRINCE JACKSON RECALLS TRAUMATIC FIRST TIME HE WATCHED ‘THRILLER’ VIDEO WITH DAD MICHAEL JACKSON mega ‘MICKEY’ SINGER TONI BASIL CREDITS MICHAEL JACKSON’S DEATH TO RESIDENCY REHEARSALS, INSISTS ‘IT WAS KILLING HIM AND IT DID KILL HIM’ One noted critic said, “The king of Pop reigns supreme because of his exceptional talent and because he simply did what no one had done before.” View the full article