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Published by OK Magazine mega What happens in America, stays in America! Prince William and Kate Middleton are currently in Boston for the former’s Earthshot Prize Awards, but before the ceremony takes place on Friday, December 2, they’re enjoying all the bustling city has to offer. Case in point: on the night of Wednesday, November 30, they looked like any other loved up couple while taking in the Boston Celtics game. mega The pair sat front row during their unexpected outing and chatted with former athlete Maura Healey, Celtics alum Thomas Sanders and two of the team’s owners, but unlike their official royal engagements, the parents-of-three, both 40, were able to relax and even show some affection. In fact, the Princess of Wales placed her hand on her husband’s leg, and he reciprocated by placing his own hand on top of hers. mega Elsewhere in the game, the duo was greeted with cheers as they were show on TD Garden’s jumbotron. Prior to the sporty outing, they made an appearance at Boston City Hall, where William told the crowd, “Catherine and I are delighted to be back in the United States and are extremely grateful to __Governor [Charlie] Baker__ and the first lady of Massachusetts for their warm welcome into Boston.” The royal noted this was their “first overseas visit” since the passing of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, then thanking “the people of Massachusetts and particularly of Boston for their many tributes paid to the late Queen. She remembered her 1976 Bicentennial visit with great fondness.” mega He insisted the historic city was the “obvious choice” to hold the awards — which focus on climate change and healing the environment — “because your universities, research centers and vibrant start-up scene make you a global leader in science, innovation and boundless ambition.” “Mayor Wu, you have also been a leader in putting climate policies at the heart of your administration. Thank you,” William continued. “Like President Kennedy, Catherine and I firmly believe that we all have it in ourselves to achieve great things, and that human beings have the ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve.” For more on the royal family, tune in below to the podcast “The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Chris Prentice WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department is considering new guidance for corporations on employees’ use of messaging applications and personal devices, as widespread use can thwart compliance and investigations. The agency’s criminal division is contemplating taking action on the issue given rapidly changing technology, differing industry expectations about retaining work documents and privacy implications, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the agency’s criminal division Nicole Argentieri said at an industry event on Thursday. Currently, the Justice Department considers whether companies that allow use of disappearing messaging apps are regularly examining their compliance on records retention. But scrutiny over the use of such apps and personal devices has been on the rise, as they can complicate corporate efforts to comply with laws as well as any potential investigations into wrongdoing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) separately has been scrutinizing how Wall Street firms are handling work-related communications on personal devices and apps such as WhatsApp. The Justice Department is also considering whether it needs to offer more guidance on how prosecutors weigh a company’s executive clawback policies in investigations into corporate misconduct, Argentieri said. Justice Department officials are meeting with counterparts at the Securities and Exchange Commission, defense attorneys, executive compensation experts and other regulators to look at ways prosecutors may potentially reward companies for such policies, she said. The Justice Department under President Joe Biden has already detailed a number of policy changes aimed at more aggressive policing of corporate wrongdoing. The moves have been praised progressive watchdog groups and criticized by some attorneys who argue they may prevent companies from coming forward when they uncover wrongdoing. Argentieri emphasized benefits to self-reporting, including that prosecutors may not require a third-party monitor for companies that cooperate and prove they have tested a compliance program. “Do not wait for us to call you. By then, it’s too late,” she said. (Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Anna Driver) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ross Kerber (Reuters) – Florida’s Chief Financial Officer said on Thursday his department would pull $2 billion worth of its assets managed by BlackRock Inc, the biggest such divestment by a state opposed to the asset manager’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies. The move will hardly dent BlackRock’s $8 trillion in assets and drew a strong response from the company, which said the action put politics over investor interests. Nonetheless it underscores how a backlash among many Republican leaders, such as those in Florida, against ESG investing, which they see as promoting a “woke agenda” is gathering steam. Republicans are set to assume control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January. This will allow them to hold hearings on ESG and grill the chief executives of BlackRock and other major assets managers about their ESG policies, and also pressure regulators to scrutinize them. In a statement, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis said the state’s Treasury, which he oversees, would remove BlackRock as manager of about $600 million of short-term investments and have its custodian freeze $1.43 billion of long-term securities now with BlackRock, with an eye on reallocating the money to other money managers by the start of 2023. Patronis accused BlackRock of focusing on ESG rather than higher returns for investors. “Florida’s Treasury Division is divesting from BlackRock because they have openly stated they’ve got other goals than producing returns,” Patronis said in the statement provided by his office. Asked about the move, BlackRock said in a statement that “We are disturbed by the emerging trend of political initiatives like this that sacrifice access to high-quality investments and thereby jeopardize returns, which will ultimately hurt Florida’s citizens. Fiduciaries should always value performance over politics.” Neither Patronis nor his office had raised any performance concerns, BlackRock said, adding it has invested more than $65 billion in Florida-based companies, municipal bonds and other securities. While BlackRock has encouraged portfolio companies to take steps like disclosing more data about their carbon emissions or adding more diverse board members, it has said its efforts are aimed at improving company performance and resisted calls for steps like divesting from oil companies. U.S. Democratic officials have argued BlackRock doesn’t press ESG concerns enough.[L4N30T3PB] So far, only Republican-controlled states have made major reallocations away from BlackRock, including $794 million pulled by Louisiana’s treasurer [L4N3162LQ] and $500 million by Missouri’s treasurer, both in October. Other companies also face Republican scrutiny. Earlier this week, Republican attorneys general from various states asked a federal regulator to limit Vanguard Group Inc’s activities over ESG concerns, and asked United Parcel Service Inc and FedEx Corp to clarify their policies on tracking firearms shipments. (Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Osceola County Sheriff’s Office; MEGA A man showed little remorse when detectives questioned him about the alleged killing of his mother in Florida, Radar has learned. “Do you regret doing it,” a detective with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office asked Matthew Sisley, authorities detailed. “No. I would do it again,” Sisley responded. The exchange was detailed in a report by the sheriff’s department about Sisley’s arrest. He is accused of killing his mother and accidentally stabbing his sister. A motive has not been released in the case. Deputies responded to the family’s Kissimmee, Florida, home around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday for a reported stabbing. When police arrived, they found the mom dead and the sister had cuts to her hands. Sisley was found a short distance away and taken into custody. He confessed to intentionally stabbing his mom. In announcing the arrest, officials detailed questioning with Sisley. “Do you think your mom deserved to get stabbed?” one detective asked. Sisley then responded, “yes.” The detective then asked why, and Sisley told them, “Because she never pushed me to be a man.” Police charged Sisley with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, though they say more charges are pending. He is being held in a Florida jail without bond in the case. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden may be a man of tradition, but the Democratic Party he leads is poised to get rid of one of its oldest political rituals. A closed group of Democrats will meet Friday to reshape the party’s presidential nomination process. They plan to bump Iowa as the state where White House runs kick off every four years, hoping to usher in a more diverse, early nominating calendar, according eight senior Democratic officials. Which state takes Iowa’s place and which come next in line in the primaries remain unclear, amid a hard-fought battle among Democratic officials who each want their home state to move up the calendar. Biden has not weighed in on the matter, sources say, and many members of the party’s rules committee await word from the White House. “The one thing I know for certain is Iowa won’t be leading the nominating contest. Everything else is up in the air and will certainly be fiercely debated,” said a senior official with the National Democratic Committee. The committee is expected to decide at a meeting on Friday and Saturday in a Washington hotel. The DNC and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. IOWA’S OUTSIZED POWER Because it comes first in the process, Iowa, the country’s 31st largest state by both population and gross domestic product, has for nearly 50 years had an outsized role for both parties in identifying viable candidates to become president. Presidential hopefuls blanket Iowa’s airwaves with ads and hopscotch the state to talk to voters at state fairs, town halls and school gymnasiums. They take crash courses in agricultural issues that dominate Iowa’s economy. Months of activity culminate in a series of caucuses where locals gather to make the case for their favored candidate to other Iowa voters, often wooing their support through multiple rounds of voting until a winner is declared. After Iowa, both Democrats and Republicans hold state primaries that narrow down presidential candidates even further. Republicans have not announced plans to strip Iowa of its first-in-the-nation status. The U.S. voting population has morphed from about 85% white in 1996 to 69% in 2020, Pew Research shows, with the newest generation able to vote, ‘Gen Z’ just 55% white. Iowa, with an approximately 90% white population, is no longer an accurate predictor of which candidate will do well on the national stage, Democrats say. Their push to change the primary calendar picked up momentum after 2020 when the Democrats’ Iowa caucuses were plagued by technical and communication issues that delayed the announcement of a winner. The rules governing the party primaries could be particularly important in 2024. Some White House officials think Biden could face a primary challenge within his own party, and new rules could subtly shift the odds. Biden has no love lost for Iowa after disappointing results there in 2008 and 2020. His 2020 campaign was only secure after the fourth nominating contest that year, in South Carolina, where a heavily Black electorate helped lift him to victory. MICHIGAN, NEVADA, SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE MIX Twenty states and territories applied for a 2024 early primary spot and 17 were invited make their pitch to DNC officials over the summer, including the four early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Officials in Michigan and Minnesota are fighting hard to take Iowa’s place. Democrats in both states took control of the governors’ mansions and the state legislatures during the midterm elections, giving them the power to shift the schedule if needed. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz told the DNC in November that Minnesota is ready to pass legislation necessary to move up the primary calendar. “Minnesota offers a reflective snapshot of America and serves as the most suitable landscape for presidential candidates to compete,” he said. Some Democrats believe Michigan is too big to be an early state, because it will cost candidates dearly to campaign there and also allow some to bypass earlier, smaller states and only concentrate on Michigan. But supporters say a key swing state that offers candidates a true test of viability. The committee may also consider adding another state to the early nominating calendar, such as Washington or Maryland, source say. One of the biggest questions heading into the meeting is what to do about New Hampshire. The state has traditionally held the first primary, right after Iowa’s caucuses, but some Democrats would like more-diverse Nevada to get that spot. But New Hampshire state law requires its secretary of state to set the primary date seven days before any other, providing state officials a firewall against any efforts to boot them as the first primary state. (Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) -The first big breakthrough in 30 years of Alzheimer’s research is providing momentum for clinical trials of “cocktail” treatments targeting the two hallmark proteins associated with the mind-robbing disease, according to interviews with researchers and pharmaceutical executives. Drugmakers Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen reported in September that their therapy lecanemab could slow progress of the disease by 27% over 18 months compared with a placebo [. The finding validates the theory that clearing the amyloid protein that forms clumps in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients could slow or halt the disease and has strengthened the support from some scientists for simultaneously targeting another notorious protein linked to Alzheimer’s: tau. Eisai and Biogen are scheduled to present full data from their lecanemab study on Tuesday at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference in San Francisco. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision by early January on the companies’ application for accelerated approval. If approved on an accelerated basis, the companies said they would immediately apply for full U.S. regulatory approval which could help secure Medicare coverage. To date, two deaths have been reported among patients who received lecanemab in conjunction with medicine to prevent or clear blood clots, though industry analysts do not expect those developments alone to prevent approval. “I think lecanemab has reinvigorated the idea that now you could do a combination of amyloid (and) tau,” Dr. Reisa Sperling, a neurologist and Alzheimer’s researcher at Harvard Medical School, said in an interview. Tau naturally accumulates in a memory center of the brain called the medial temporal lobe as people age. A growing body of research suggests that rising levels of amyloid in Alzheimer’s patients act as an accelerant, causing an explosive spread of tau that forms toxic tangles inside brain cells, eventually killing them. “We’ve been trying to do combination trials for years,” Sperling said. Nearly a decade ago, Alzheimer’s experts met in Washington to discuss testing combined therapies. At the time, “no one would listen,” she said. Now, however, Sperling and other researchers in the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC), a research network backed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), say drugmakers are increasingly interested in participating in a study to test tau drugs alone and in combination with anti-amyloid drugs such as lecanemab. “We’ve been talking to multiple companies about working with us on our proposed platform, which can evaluate multiple drugs, and everybody’s interested,” said Dr. Paul Aisen, director of the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, and a leader with Sperling of the ACTC. The scientists said they expect an answer on funding by year-end. The U.S. National Institutes of Health, which oversees NIA, said it does not discuss grants under review. BILLIONS SPENT More than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, costing the U.S. economy nearly $6 billion a year in direct spending and unpaid caregiving expenses, according to congressional briefing documents. By 2050, Alzheimer’s cases are expected to double to 12.7 million, bringing the total yearly cost to nearly $1 trillion, according to the documents. Last year, the FDA gave Biogen and Eisai’s drug aducanumab conditional approval even though it failed one of its two late-stage trials. The approval was based on the drug’s ability to remove amyloid from the brain. Biogen initially priced the drug at $56,000 a year, but the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it needed more compelling evidence, and that Medicare would only cover the drug for use in clinical trials. Lecanemab’s success rests on years of research into the causes of Alzheimer’s as well as advances in measuring amyloid deposits through brain scans and spinal fluids. Trials of tau drugs will aim to build on that progress, using brain scans, spinal fluids and blood tests to better assess the stage of disease, when to intervene and whether the drug is hitting its target. That would allow companies to test drugs even before symptoms emerge. Nearly a dozen drugmakers, including Roche, Merck & Co, Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly and Co, are working on therapies that target tau. At least 16 treatments are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected over the next three years, according to a Reuters review of the clinicaltrials.gov registry. Merck is testing its MK-2214 therapy aimed at clearing tau in patients in very early stages of the disease in several small trials. “The understanding of the disease is getting much, much better,” said Jason Uslaner, Merck’s head of discovery neuroscience. The drugmaker has been largely absent from the Alzheimer’s space after the high-profile failure of its drug verubecestat five years ago. So far, only a few trials combine an amyloid-lowering therapy with a drug that targets tau in a “cocktail” approach, similar to those used against cancers and HIV. Such combinations may improve on the benefit of lowering amyloid alone in people who have symptoms, researchers told Reuters. And when used earlier in the disease, the hope is that they might prevent dementia altogether. “It may be that you need both – the removal of amyloid that’s driving that biological cascade – and you need to clean up any tau that’s already spreading from one cell to another,” said Dr. Adam Boxer, a tau expert at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center. But several antibody therapies from Lilly, Biogen and AbbVie that were designed to slow the rate of tau accumulations failed outright last year. A drug from Roche, semorinemab, showed limited effectiveness. “It took maybe 20 or 30 years before we found a drug that really targeted the right form of amyloid to make a difference,” Boxer said. “It’s still early days.” (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Suzanne Goldenberg) View the full article

Published by Taste of Country Due to the success of her viral classic Christmas song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — in addition to various holiday specials and Christmas-themed products — Mariah Carey made her case this year to officially become the “Queen of Christmas.” Carey’s company, Lotion LLC, submitted a petition to trademark that all-encompassing title, which would have made her the only person allowed to use it in an official capacity, NPR reports. This request was met by disapproval from some, but country legend Dolly Parton — another huge Christmas lover — was happy to step aside and let Carey take the Chr… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK LONDON (Reuters) – The number of people in Europe with undiagnosed HIV has risen as testing rates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening a global goal of ending the disease by 2030, a report said. The joint World Health Organization (WHO) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report said that in 2021 a quarter fewer HIV diagnoses were recorded compared to pre-pandemic levels in the WHO’s European region. This region includes Russia and Ukraine, which have the area’s highest rates of HIV infection. This setback was likely because services related to HIV, includin… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News With unanimous Democratic support and a dozen Republican votes, the Respect for Marriage Act passed the Senate and will soon land on President Joe Biden’s desk, virtuously affirming that the United States will protect same-sex unions. That this is happening just 26 years after the bill’s nasty twin, the Defense of Marriage Act, passed both houses by veto-proof majorities — and a Democratic president signed it into law — is a testament to the power of a movement to change minds. Many have marveled over the speed with which marriage between two men or two women, once broadly considered a serious… Read More View the full article

Published by City AM By Adam Bloodworth Harun Tulunay lost his job when he was first diagnosed with HIV because he wasn’t aware he was legally protected in the workplace, and stigma around his condition meant it wasn’t easy to speak with his HR department. He is one of many Londoners who has been treated unfairly despite people living with HIV being protected by workplace law under the Disability Act. It is estimated that there is over 107,000 people living with HIV in the UK today, but this World AIDS Day, new data from the Terrence Higgins Trust reveals that 31% of people living with HIV have experienced stigma … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dua Lipa thinks the World Cup offers a “really unique opportunity to hold Qatar to account”. The ‘Cold Heart’ hitmaker was unhappy when rumours spread she was set to perform at the opening ceremony for the soccer tournament because the event “really goes against [her] beliefs” due to the Gulf state’s human rights policies. She told Variety: “The World Cup is a really unique opportunity to hold Qatar to account. “They made pledges on human rights when they signed the deal for the World Cup that have not been satisfactorily met on migrant workers’ rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and freedom of expression — what kind of message does it send if these pledges mean nothing? “I really have nothing against Qatar, and I hope one day I will get the chance to go there. “But I didn’t like being amongst speculation that I was going to perform for something that really goes against my beliefs.” This isn’t the first time the ‘Levitating’ singer has explained why she wouldn’t want to be associated with this year’s tournament. She wrote on Instagram: “There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the world cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform. “I will be cheering England on from afar and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.” Sir Rod Stewart previously admitted he had rejected a huge pay-day to perform in the country, insisting it “wasn’t right” to go. He said: “I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1 million, to play there 15 months ago. I turned it down. It’s not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms. Tell you what, supporters have got to watch out, haven’t they?” View the full article

Published by AlterNet Right-wing pastor and Oasis Granger founder Lucas Miles appeared on the propaganda network Real America’s Voice on Wednesday and proclaimed that students are infiltrating religious institutions of higher education to join the clergy and brainwash Christians into atheism. Miles: Bible college student enter Bible college as a um, you know, passionate believer and then leave an atheist. And that’s hap – and then go and get a job at a pulpit someplace in America pastoring a church even though themselves, they don’t believe in God. This is happening all the time, and this is one of the things that … Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Mexico fans cheer in the stands prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at the Lusail Stadium. Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa FIFA is investigating the conduct of Mexico fans following the country’s World Cup elimination, with the Mexican football federation saying on Thursday its supporters had been accused of homophobic chants. Mexico went out in the group stage on Wednesday despite beating Saudi Arabia. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Mexican Football Federation due to chants by Mexican supporters during the Saudi Arabia v. Mexico FIFA World Cup match played on 30 November,” said the FIFA statement, which did not specify the offence. FIFA had already launched an investigation over the same chants after Mexico’s first World Cup match against Poland. According to Mexican media, the federation is now threatened with a more severe punishment. FIFA also said on Thursday that it had charged the Tunisian Football Association after an individual invaded the pitch during Wednesday’s game with France. Tunisia also bowed out of the competition despite a victory. Mexico fans cheer in the stands prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at the Lusail Stadium. Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa View the full article

Published by Reuters By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The threat environment in the United States will remain heightened in coming months, with lone offenders and groups motivated by a range of ideologies posing a danger, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Wednesday. Threat actors could exploit several upcoming events to justify or commit acts of violence, including certifications related to the midterm elections, the holiday season and associated large gatherings and the marking of two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the DHS said in a bulletin. Wednesday’s bulletin, called the “National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin”, was issued to provide the public with information about the threat landscape facing country and how to stay safe. “Our homeland continues to face a heightened threat environment – as we have seen, tragically, in recent acts of targeted violence – and is driven by violent extremists seeking to further a political or social goal or act on a grievance,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. The threat assessment follows the recent Thanksgiving holiday in a week overshadowed by gun violence with two deadly shootings – one where an attacker opened fire in an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing five people; and the other wherein a Walmart employee gunned down six coworkers and turned the gun on himself in Chesapeake, Virginia. It was the seventh such advisory issued by DHS since January 2021, when officials turned fresh attention to domestic threats after supporters of then-President Donald Trump had attacked the U.S. Capitol. “Targets of potential violence include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, the LGBTQI+ community, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents,” the department said in the bulletin. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Sandra Maler) View the full article

Published by DPA Better late than never: Fantasy fans have been waiting three decades for a sequel to the cult classic "Willow". Disney+ is now bringing back Warwick Davis in the title role for a revival as a series. And yet one key "Willow" star is missing. Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney+/dpa When the fantasy film “Willow” was released in 1988, it was not the box-office hit its makers had hoped to be. This was despite the fact that the story about a small-sized hero who rescues the magical baby Elora from the evil queen and experiences all kinds of adventures along the way was penned by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. It was only in the following years that “Willow”, starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, became a great success on video – as a VHS tape to buy or rent from the video store – and went on to become a cult film. Now, 34 years later, the story is being continued as a TV series. British actor Warwick Davis (52), known from the “Star Wars” films and the “Harry Potter” series, once again takes on the title role. “It’s a dream come true in a sense, not only for me, but obviously for fans who have been shouting at me in the street,” he told dpa. “Not rude things, polite things, saying, ‘all right, when are we going to see a sequel to Willow? We love that movie. I grew up watching it!'” After George Lucas was sceptical about a sequel, there came a lucky coincidence. “Willow” director Ron Howard and Davis, who played a supporting role, worked together again on the film “Solo – A Star Wars Story”. Davis: “I was there kind of playing weasel with long hair, looking very much like an older version of Willow.” Howard introduced him to screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan, who is a big “Willow” fan. “Between the three of us, I just chatted about, you know, making more Willow and I would tell them how popular I felt the film was amongst fans, how many fans there were all over the world,” Davis said. So the three – Howard, Davis and Kasdan, began to put the sequel together. With the support of the influential “Star Wars” producer Kathleen Kennedy, the project finally landed at the streaming service Disney+ – with Kasdan as showrunner, Howard as producer and the good will of Lucas. The eight-part series continues the Willow story some 20 years later. Although all evil should have been defeated with the death of Queen Bavmorda, dark visions plague Willow. One day, a group of youngsters knock on his door in need of his support… Not much more will be divulged here, because the first episode of “Willow” already has a surprise in store. From the cast of the original film, Warwick Davis is joined by Joanne Whalley as Sorsha and Kevin Pollack as Rool. Val Kilmer, who lost his voice after a serious bout with throat cancer, does not take part. “We were extremely sorry not to have him (Val Kilmer) involved physically with the project,” Davis said. Tony Revolori (“Grand Budapest Hotel”), Erin Kellyman (also “Solo – A Star Wars Story”) and Christian Slater (“Mr. Robot”) are the best-known faces of the very diverse cast. The TV series is dark in places and maybe a bit frightening for younger viewers. Visually, it cannot keep up with the charm of the cinema film, while the plot – with its nasty monsters, a dark vision, a planned forced wedding and a secret lesbian love story – can feel confusing and overloaded with so many characters at the beginning. But this is remedied when the aged Willow appears for the first time. “There’s a fundamental emotional feeling of seeing Warwick Davis back in his cloak and costume that’s just so powerfu,” the 43-year-old Kasdan, who grew up in the film industry as the son of Hollywood veteran Lawrence Kasdan (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back”), told dpa. Nostalgia is an important factor, he adds. “It brings you back to something you feel you’ve lost that you can’t help but feel you’ve lost if you’re a grownup. And that is really palpable in the show, in the culture right now. It’s something that you can’t deny.” He’s hoping to thrill the many “Willow” fans from back then, but he’s wary: “There’s also a burden on something like this to move it forward and to be as exciting and interesting as possible in a landscape where there’s a lot of places you can go for fantasy. And we tried to do that.” Whether Kasdan, Davis and Co. have succeeded will be shown in the coming weeks. A new “Willow” episode will be streamed every Wednesday. View the full article

Published by The Sacramento Bee SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Four years after California began issuing nonbinary IDs, fewer than 16,000 people have asked the state for a little piece of plastic with their gender marked by an X rather than an F or M. The California Department of Motor Vehicles released the number in response to a California Public Records Act request from The Sacramento Bee. According to the DMV, 3,071 people aged 16 to 19 had nonbinary drivers licenses or state IDs this fall; 3,838 people 20 to 24; and 3,431 people 25 to 29. All told, just over 14,000 people under 40 received this designation. Seven people in their … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin can’t help but notice the election denial movement in Arizona is finally coming to an end, at least it is when it comes to the final certification this year’s statewide races. Writing Wednesday, she noted that there is a near-absence of “voter fraud” claims that came out of Republican losers. While the top candidate, Kari Lake, may never fully embrace her loss, the rest of the Republicans have been largely accepting that voters rejected them. As the Associated Press reported this week, Florida, Georgia and Virginia all set up “law enforcement” units tha… Read More View the full article

Published by Go Kompas.com JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Two Indonesian soldiers have been given a seven-month jail term for having gay sex, which is banned by the nation’s military as “inappropriate behavior”. The soldiers, who joined the army last year and were based on the country’s main island of Java, were also booted from the army, according to a military court ruling dated Nov. 9. While gay sex is barred in the military, it is legal for civilians in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, except in conservative province Aceh. But there is widespread discrimination and some gay Indonesians have been arrested for lewd… Read More View the full article

Published by The San Diego Union-Tribune SAN DIEGO — For years, Mary Ann Horton’s work as a transgender advocate has included leading workshops where she advises employers on how to make workplaces more inclusive and accessible. In sharing the story of her own transition, people were always telling her they wanted to hear more. With the release of her debut memoir last month, “Trailblazer: Lighting the Path for Transgender Equality in Corporate America,” they can. “Now that I’m retired, I have time to tell it properly,” she says. “‘Trailblazer’ is the story of my life becoming a trans woman.” The first chapter of her book was selecte… Read More View the full article

Published by Kyodo News A Japanese court on Wednesday dismissed damages sought by same-sex couples who claimed the government’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. In the suit at the Tokyo District Court, eight plaintiffs, including same-sex couples, sought 1 million yen ($7,200) per person after submitting marriage registration applications but were rejected in accordance with civil law provisions. It was the third ruling among similar lawsuits brought to district courts, with the previous two also rejecting demands for compensation but arriving at different outcomes over the constitutionality of the ban. … Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Ivanka Trump looked unbothered as ever when she headed off to Miami following her lavish family trip to the Middle East. At the same time that she once again took to the skies, her father, Donald Trump, dealt with criticism over the scandalous choice to dine with Kanye West and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, RadarOnline.com has learned. Ivanka dodged a bullet after deciding to step back from politics and not support her father’s 2024 White House campaign because the ex-president is now under fire for entertaining the rapper and the Holocaust denier. mega Ivanka, 41, was dressed in a chic yet comfortable travel look when she was spotted at the Miami International Airport on Tuesday morning. The businesswoman donned a clean makeup look, blue jeans, combat boots, and a camel-colored sweater as she made her way through the airport. The former first daughter look distressed over her father’s most recent scandal. Over Thanksgiving week, the disgraced ex-prez hosted Ye and Fuentes at his Mar-A-Lago estate for an intimate sit-down dinner. Ye had recently announced that he would also be throwing in his hat for the 2024 White House run. The meeting quickly caused backlash due to the rapper’s recent antisemitic statements, as well as Fuentes’ history of promoting white supremest ideals and openly denying the Holocaust. Attempting to walk back the invite, Trump released a statement days later in response to criticism. mega “This past week, Kanye West called me to have dinner at Mar-A-Lago,” Trump said on November 25 via his social media site Truth Social. “Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about.” Trump said that the dinner included “many members present on the back patio,” adding the meeting “was quick and uneventful.” While Ivanka wasn’t present for her father’s dinner with Ye, the former White House aid was not far from scandals during her Middle East tour. mega Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, were criticized after they were seen fraternizing with the Prime Minister of Qatar at a FIFA World Cup 2022 match. Ivanka and Jared spoke with the Qatar PM at length in the stadium’s exclusive corporate boxes. Qatar has been the subject of human rights violation debates in addition to controversy over the country’s open anti-LGBTQ policies and culture. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega;@SIOHVAUGHNFUNCHESWADE/INSTAGRAM Dwyane Wade is standing by his decision to file a motion to officially change the name and gender of his transgender daughter, RadarOnline.com has confirmed, firing back at his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches‘ concerns in a new court filing. The NBA star declared it is “not about Siohvaughn or Dwyane or their prior marriage; it is about what Zaya wants and what is in her best interest,” according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com. mega Her name would be legally changed from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade if approved. As we previously learned, Funches asked a judge to intervene in a new filing years after Zaya came out as transgender in 2019 at the age of 12. Siohvaughn expressed her fears that Wade is persuading her to proceed with the legal name and gender change for financial gain, noting that she wants Zaya to wait until she is 18 before she does it. mega Wade fired back, as first reported by The Blast on Tuesday, stating the legal change is about empowering “Zaya to live her truth, allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy, and to ensure that those moments are not clouded by the self-doubt that comes from checking a box or signing a name that does not reflect her identity.” The Miami Heat shooting guard said it would not only honor the individual she is but it also would allow Zaya to “live more comfortably and honesty in all aspects of her life-from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver’s license and filling out college applications.” mega Wade highlighted that it’s for Zaya “regardless of whether it generates interest from the public,” adding, “Zaya should not be forced to put her life on hold while she waits for Siohvaughn to acknowledge and accept her truth.” Wade has been very outspoken about his support for his daughter’s gender identity, sharing her coming out story on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2020. RadarOnline.com can confirm both parties will have to wait until December 12 for an update, at which point a judge will decide if the case will proceed in California or be argued in Illinois. View the full article

Published by Tribune News Service In the summer and fall of 2022, “Bros” and “Fire Island” made inroads as high-profile gay rom-coms, queering the familiar genre. Now, arriving just in time for Christmas, we have “Spoiler Alert,” a heart-rending holiday weepie about two men in love, facing cancer together. Based on the memoir by TV journalist Michael Ausiello, “Spoiler Alert” tells the story of Ausiello’s marriage to Kit Cowan: how they fell in love and forged a partnership, with all the attendant struggles of a long-term relationship, and then walked together through Kit’s battle with a rare form of neuroendocrine cancer. “Th… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Xinghui Kok and Chen Lin SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Olivia Chiong and her wife feel like the Singapore government has made clear to them and their two children that they don’t belong in the city-state. So this week’s vote by Singapore’s parliament to decriminalise gay sex changed nothing about the family’s painful decision to leave rather than see their children denied schooling – because their legal status remains the same. Though Indonesia-born Chiong lived in Singapore for decades as a permanent resident, married a Singaporean citizen abroad and gave birth to their first child in Singapore, h… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate bill that would protect federal recognition of same-sex marriage secured enough votes to pass on Tuesday, in a measure taken up in response to worries the Supreme Court could overturn a 2015 decision that legalized it nationwide. (Reporting by Moira Warburton; Editing by Chris Reese) View the full article