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Published by AlterNet By David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) may be headed to a recount, after her lead against Democrat Adam Frisch was cut in half to under 600 votes on Thursday, more than a week after Election Day. House elections expert Dave Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report explains, “we’re headed to an automatic recount in #CO03, where Adam Frisch (D) more than halved Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R) lead from 1,122 votes to 557 votes.” The Associated Press offered a slightly different take, reporting, “Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert’s lead has decreased again… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Alex Henderson Republican leadership will remember the 2022 midterms for, among other things, the tensions between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rick Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Scott took offense when McConnell, over the summer, commented on the “quality” of U.S. Senate candidates who were being promoted by the NRSC and former President Donald Trump. Scott’s allies were hoping that he would replace McConnell as GOP leader in the Senate, which didn’t happen. McConnell will still be Senate minority leader in 2023 no matter how much… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Germany goalkeeper captain Manuel Neuer wears the captain's armband with the inscription "One Love" during the International friendly soccer match between Oman and Germany at the Sultan Qabus Sports Center, in the Germany's preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Christian Charisius/dpa German football federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf said he is “prepared” to accept a possible fine when keeper Manuel Neuer wears the multi-coloured One Love armband during the World Cup in Qatar. “Personally, I would be quite prepared to accept a fine,” Neuendorf said on Friday. “This is not a political statement, but a statement for human rights.” Goalkeeper Neuer and several other European team captains plan to wear a multi-coloured One Love armband at the tournament to support diversity. It’s still unclear whether football governing body FIFA will issue fines for the action. Neuendorf said the action stands “against racism, against anti-Semitism, for women’s rights and human rights in general.” Since it was awarded the right to host a World Cup, Qatar has been widely criticized due to the human rights conditions in the country and its handling of the LGBTQ community. Recently, former Qatar international Khalid Salman, one of several ambassadors of the tournament starting on Sunday, had in a documentary by public German broadcasters ZDF named being gay “damage in the mind.” Neuendorf didn’t rule out further socio-political actions from the German players during the tournament. On the pitch, he’s “firmly convinced” Germany can win their opening match against Japan on November 23. “We have the best prerequisites,” he said. View the full article

People gather to celebrate LGBTQ pride week in Washington, D.C. in June 2021. Paul Morigi/Getty Images Tim Lindberg, University of Minnesota While public opinion and different state laws on abortion rights are sharply dividing the country, there’s growing indication that most people agree on another once-controversial topic – protecting same-sex marriage. The U.S. Senate voted on Nov. 16, 2022, to initiate debate on legislation that would protect same-sex and interracial marriage, making it legal regardless of where these couples live and what state laws determine. Senators voted 62-37 to move forward on a final vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats in their support for the bill. The legislation would also repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that defines marriage as the legal union between a man and a woman. The U.S. House of Representatives already voted on July 19, 2022, to enshrine same-sex marriage into law with a bipartisan vote – all 220 Democratic representatives voted in favor, joined by 47 Republican colleagues. I am a scholar of political behavior and history in the U.S. I believe that it’s important to understand that the bipartisan support for this bill marks a significant political transformation on same-sex marriage, which was used as a contentious point separating Democrats and Republicans roughly 15 to 20 years ago. But over the past several years, same-sex marriage has become less politically divisive and gained more public approval, driven in part by former President Donald Trump’s general acceptance of the practice. This environment made it politically safe for nearly a quarter of Republican House members to vote to protect this right under federal law. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is one of the 12 Republican lawmakers who voted to advance the same-sex marriage bill on Nov. 16, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images What makes opinions change? Seventy-one percent of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage, according to a July 2022 Gallup poll. In 1996, when Gallup first polled about same-sex marriage, 27% supported legalization of same-sex marriage. This shift in public opinion has happened despite increasing polarization in the U.S. about gun control, racial justice and climate change. What becomes, remains or ceases to be a divisive political issue in the U.S. over time depends on many factors. Changes to laws, shifting cultural norms and technological progress can all shape political controversies. My research, for example, explores how Mormons in Utah territory – what would later become Utah state – were denied statehood by Congress until they gave up their religious belief in polygamy. Polygamy was outlawed under U.S. law, and known polygamists were excluded from voting and holding office. In the 1880s, an estimated 20% to 30% of Mormons practiced polygamy. Yet, political pressure led the Mormon Church president in 1890 to announce that polygamy would no longer be sanctioned. In 2011, 86% of Mormon adults reported that they consider polygamy morally wrong, nearly in line with general public opinion. Many political leaders, both on the left and right, were also largely hostile to same-sex marriage until the early 2010s. A rising controversy In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the state must have a compelling reason to ban same-sex marriage, after a gay male couple and two lesbian couples filed a suit that a state ban on same-sex marriage violated their privacy and equal protection rights. Concern among conservatives that this legal reasoning would lead the Supreme Court to acknowledge a right to same-sex marriage led to a Republican Senator and Congressman introducing the Defense of Marriage Act. President Bill Clinton signed the bill in 1996 after 342 – or 78% – of House members and 85 senators voted for it. Polling at the time showed support among the general population for same-sex marriage was 27% overall, including just 33% among Democrats. Seven years later, in 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Court struck down a state ban on same-sex marriage. With a strong majority nationally of Republicans and independents opposed to same-sex marriage, former President George W. Bush used conservative reactions to that decision to encourage voter turnout in 2004. Bush’s campaign highlighted state amendments to ban same-sex marriage, all of which easily passed. Although voters prioritized other issues in the 2004 elections, the opposition to same-sex marriage helped Bush win reelection, while Republicans picked up seats in both the House and Senate. A political change The legal and political landscape on same-sex marriage became much more liberal in the years following 2004. In 2008, state courts in California and Connecticut struck down bans on same-sex marriage. Vermont became the first state in 2009 to pass legislation and legalize same-sex marriage. A major national shift occurred in 2012 when then-Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama openly supported same-sex marriage. This was a major change for both men. Biden had voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Actin 1996. Obama publicly supported marriage as being between a man and a woman in his 2004 senatorial campaign. In 2015, the Supreme Court struck down all national and state restrictions on same-sex marriage, making same-sex marriage the law of the land. Rainbow-colored lights shine on the White House after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in June 2015. Mark Wilson/Getty Images The Trump effect The lack of attention Trump paid to same-sex marriage is one factor that contributed to it becoming a less divisive issue. While Trump’s actual record on LBGTQ rights generally aligns with conservative Christian values, Trump had said in 2016 that he was “fine” with legalizing same-sex marriage. Still, despite the legality of same-sex marriage, many conservative Midwestern and Southern states deny other legal protections to LBGTQ persons. Twenty-nine states still allow licensed professionals to conduct youth gay-conversion therapy, a discredited process to convert LGBTQ people into no longer being queer. More than 20 states allow discrimination in both housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation. A woman participates in a protest in Washington after the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage in 2015. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Respect for marriage Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski, representing Alaska, are among the 12 moderate Republican politicians who voted to advance the same-sex marriage bill. “I have long supported marriage equality and believe all lawful marriages deserve respect,” Murkowski said in a statement on Nov. 16, 2022. “All Americans deserve dignity, respect and equal protection under the law.” Some Republican leaders, though, have grown bolder in their opposition to same-sex marriage since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. These Republicans have said that codifying federal law same-sex marriage is not necessary since they don’t believe the Supreme Court is likely to overturn federal protections for same-sex marriage. Democrats first moved to protect same-sex marriage in federal law because Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion in the Dobbs case that the court should reconsider, “all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” the latter being the case that legalized same-sex marriage. But despite public opinion polls showing that most people favor legalizing same-sex marriage – including nearly half of Republicans – the issue could still be a liability for Republican politicians. Should the Senate approve the bill – it is to hold a final vote by the end of November 2022 – Republicans will then have to answer to their core conservative constituents who largely oppose the practice. This could mean that Senate Republicans may have to consider splitting from their own base, or stepping away from moderate voters. This is an updated version of an article originally published on Aug. 2, 2022. Tim Lindberg, Assistant professor, political science , University of Minnesota This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Achieving equity in global health requires addressing the root sources of inequity. Sabrina Bracher/iStock via Getty Images Plus Reya Farber, William & Mary While transgender people might be more culturally recognized in the U.S. than ever, visibility is not the same as justice. Transgender is an umbrella category that emerged in the U.S. in the 1990s to encompass diverse gender identities that don’t fully correspond with an individual’s assigned sex at birth. Although local communities worldwide have adopted this term, it can also erase and collapse other diverse gender identities people have used across time, location and culture. People who are today called trans, nonbinary and intersex have existed for centuries throughout the world. The rights of trans people have not always been up for debate in mainstream society, and nonnormative sex and gender categories appear in ancient Buddhist texts, as well as Jewish rabbinic literature. Yet colonial conquests have violently stamped out sexual and gender diversity globally. Trans people’s right to exist has been challenged throughout time and across the world in multiple ways. Worldwide, trans people face disparities across many areas, including access to health care, legal support and economic security. Governments, global organizations and the legacies of colonialism also enact high levels of violence and stigma against them. At the same time, 95% of global health-related organizations do not recognize or mention the needs of gender-diverse people in their work, resulting in the “near-universal exclusion” of trans people from health practices and policies. There is also a lack of holistic trans-inclusive research around the world. For instance, searching for the word “transgender” on the website for the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the global health metrics giant of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that collaborates with the World Health Organization to improve global health data, currently returns zero results. As a sociologist, I study how health outcomes are affected by various social conditions, including global economic policies, institutions and cultural values. In particular, I analyzed how government-endorsed medical tourism, or health-related travel, has affected Thai transgender women. Broadly, I seek to understand how the body acts as what French philosopher Michel Foucault calls an “inscribed surface of events,” imprinted upon by an ever-changing social context that can afford or withhold resources, rights, recognition and power. With their health and well-being shaped by the social context worldwide, the bodies of transgender people are no exception. History of gender-affirming care Medical institutions and authorities are a major pathway to health and how one lives in one’s body. They define, classify and pathologize a range of human conditions, from male pattern baldness to fatness. The German physician Magnus Hirschfeld coined the now antiquated term “transvestite” in 1910 to define those who desired to express themselves in opposition to their sex assigned at birth. At his Institute for Sexual Science, Hirschfeld offered people hormone therapy and performed the first documented genital transformation surgery. Adolf Hitler deemed Hirschfeld “the most dangerous Jew in Germany,” and the Nazis burned his research center after he fled for his life. Despite this violence toward trans medicine, endocrinology in the U.S. and Europe advanced in the 1930s with the use of synthetic testosterone and estrogen for medical transitioning. Estrogen was first purified in 1923 and used for hot flashes, bone loss prevention and other reproductive health issues. Testosterone was isolated and synthesized in 1935 and first used to treat hypogonadism in men as well as tumor growth in women. Puberty blockers, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, were first approved by the U.S. FDA in 1993 for children undergoing puberty too early. For trans adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria, or distress from a mismatch between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth, these medications can be critically important for their well-being. Far from being experimental, the medications have strong evidence for their overall beneficial effects for trans youths. [This post contains video, click to play] There is debate about whether trans youths are able to determine whether they are ready for gender-affirming care.Christine Jorgensen was the first American to undergo what was then called “sex change” surgery, in Denmark in 1952, making headline news. Doctors in other parts of the world also started to gain clinical expertise in vaginoplasty, sparking global networks of transgender health care. For instance, surgeons in Thailand developed their own techniques in the 1970s for Thai trans women. Soon, trans people from other countries learned of Thai surgical techniques and began to travel to Thailand for care. With strong government support, Thailand has become a global hub for gender-affirming services. Subsequently, foreign travelers “crowded out” some Thai trans people from quality care as the market shifted to accommodate medical tourists. For some health travelers, services are more affordable in Thailand than in their home country. Traveling for health services can also provide greater anonymity. For those in the U.K. seeking gender-affirming care, traveling abroad is an alternative to long wait times. Medical tourism is more dire for those living in countries where trans people face criminalization, such as Brunei, Lebanon and Malawi, or where gender-affirming surgeries are religiously prohibited, such as Saudi Arabia. What does global health equity mean? Globally, trans people experience issues accessing culturally competent and equitable health care services, both generally and for gender-affirming services. Trans and gender-diverse people experience greater mental distress and everyday violence and discrimination than their cisgender peers. A 2019 report of nearly 200 health organizations around the world found that 93% do not recognize trans people in their work on gender equality, and 92% do not mention trans health in their programmatic services. Decolonizing global health means including marginalized people in decisions and knowledge production around global health. It also includes and addresses the needs of trans and gender-diverse people worldwide. Including trans people in health care policies and practices can help reduce disparities. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images Global trans health equity means providing resources to target the root causes of gender-based health disparities. This involves legal gender recognition, government support and anti-discrimination laws. While medical and public health support is necessary for trans women, who are disproportionately affected by HIV worldwide, global trans health equity also means addressing other areas that contribute to this disparity, such as poverty, economic exclusion and workplace discrimination. For countries with universal health coverage, medical and public health researchers recommend that gender-affirming services be included as essential services. They are not cosmetic, but are necessary for those who want them. Better alternatives for all Amid everyday injustices, violence and vulnerabilities are countless forms of trans resilience and resistance, activism, collective care and knowledge sharing. There are even some “bubble[s] of utopia,” or clinics and health care settings where trans people can access services with reduced delay. These alternatives open the possibility for transgender bliss, or liberation from restrictive colonial gender constructs, and transgender joy, or improving one’s quality of life and forming meaningful connections by embracing a marginalized identity. How can policies, institutions and society cultivate trans bliss and joy worldwide? All human bodies are “sociocultural artifacts.” How they are expressed and lived in is determined by social contexts and shaped by available resources. Sex and gender are points in a vast “multi-dimensional space” of anatomy, hormones, chromosomes, environment and culture. Global health equity for trans people holds accountable the institutions and decision-makers responsible for the health and safety of all human beings. It is oriented toward the freedom to flourish in a world that celebrates sex and gender diversity as a natural fact of life. Reya Farber, Assistant Professor of Sociology, William & Mary This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ramona Agruma found it “scary” having so much attention on her relationship with Rebel Wilson. The clothing brand founder and ‘Pitch Perfect’ star – who welcomed daughter Royce Lillian together in November via surrogate – has opened up about having to get used to their romance being in the spotlight. Appearing on ‘The Morning Show’, she said: “It was shocking at the beginning and hard because I’m not used to so much attention. “I’m more private, more homebody… So, it was a little bit scary in the beginning, but we still try to keep our lives private.” The couple made their relationship Instagram official in June, and Ramona noted they have been “photographed wherever you go”, which she tries not to take any notice of at this point. She added: “Sometimes it happens moon the hiking trail, sometimes looking horrible and going to grocery store or grabbing protein shake. “I guess I’m just not paying attention to that anymore.” There have been rumours about their romance, including speculation they had got engaged, which Rebel denied earlier this month as she jokingly thanked fans “for the well wishes”. Ramona said: “Personally, I don’t go and read it. But then some of your friends would call and [say] ‘Oh congratulations,’ and I’m like ‘wait a second, for what? Did something happen that I don’t even know?’ “ Rebel’s partner also reflected on the “life-changing” experience of parenthood, and admitted her priorities have shifted since becoming a mother. She explained: “You start thinking about someone else instead of yourself. Priorities change, when you think like, ‘Oh I wish I would go have a massage or something’. “Like no, I just want to spend time with her and be at home.” Meanwhile, Rebel herself recently opened up on the impact of motherhood. She wrote on Instagram: “One week of motherhood is done. It’s been a total life change.” She added of Royce: “She’s a little tiny thing, but she’s doing so amazing and is healthy and awesome and such a chill baby, actually. So, it’s actually been cool to get to know her … “My love for her is just overflowing. She is gorgeous and perfect. I felt like, ‘Wow, this is such a precious miracle.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By William James and Katy Daigle SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) -The U.N. climate agency published a first draft on Thursday of a hoped-for final agreement from the COP27 climate summit, repeating many of last year’s goals while leaving contentious issues still to be resolved. The 20-page document is labelled a “non-paper”, indicating it is far from a final version and there are still hours if not days left in the negotiations between delegates from nearly 200 countries. The draft repeats the goal from last year’s Glasgow Climate Pact “to accelerate measures towards the phase down of unabated coal power and phase out and rationalize inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.” It does not call for a phase down of all fossil fuels, as India and the European Union had requested. Delegates have worried that the key sticking point around launching a “loss and damage” fund for financing for countries being ravaged by climate impacts would stymie agreement at the COP27 summit in Egypt. The text does not include details for launching such a fund – a key demand from the most climate vulnerable countries, such as island nations. Rather, it “welcomes” the fact that the topic was taken up as part of this year’s official agenda. ‘UNDERWHELMED’ One negotiator from an island nation who asked not to be named said he was underwhelmed by the draft text and its “silence on the critical issue of loss and damage”. It gives no timeline for deciding on whether a separate fund should be created or what it should look like, giving time for negotiators to continue to work on the contentious topic. On limiting the global temperature rise, the document mirrors language included in last year’s COP26 agreement, stressing “the importance of exerting all efforts at all levels to achieve the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” Other unresolved issues include calls for boosting a global goal for finance to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of a warmer world, and plans for ratcheting up targets for cutting climate-warming emissions. At the Glasgow COP26, countries agreed to develop a plan to “urgently scale up” emission-reduction efforts in recognition that the world would need to slash emissions 45% by 2030 to keep warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the threshold beyond which scientists say climate change risks spinning out of control. Temperatures have already increased by 1.1C. Climate policy experts said there was deep concern about the talks reaching consensus on many key issues. “I think the problem is that there’s a lot in here, and lots of it will be shot down by parties on all sides”, said Tom Evans, a climate policy analyst at the E3G nonprofit think-tank. The document is based on requests that delegates from nearly 200 countries have sought to be included in the final deal. It will provide a basis for negotiations over the coming days that are likely to substantially flesh out and rework the text. (Additional reporting by Kate Abnett and Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Janet Lawwrence) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to step down from her leadership role after her fellow Democrats lost their majority in last week’s midterm elections positions Hakeem Jeffries – a liberal congressman from New York – as a likely top contender to lead the party for the next two years. Jeffries, 52, would be the first Black House Democratic leader, representing both the party’s diverse voter base and bringing a new generation of leadership. Pelosi, the first woman to hold the job of speaker, is 82, and two other members of the party’s leadership are in their 80s. House Democrats are scheduled to vote on their leaders on Nov. 30. Jeffries, who has held the leadership post of House Democratic Caucus chairman since 2019, also would represent a stylistic contrast to Pelosi, who made her announcement on Thursday. She has proven in two stints as speaker to be hard-charging whereas he is generally considered more reserved. “It’s Jeffries’ to lose,” said one House Democratic aide keeping close watch of leadership jostling, who asked not to be identified. Pelosi and other senior Democrats have been under pressure to give way to a younger generation of Democrats in the 435-seat House. Some other top Democrats may also covet becoming the top House Democrat. Current House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer, 83, said he would not seek a leadership position in the next Congress and backed Jeffries. Also in the mix for the top leadership job might be the current No. 3 House Democrat, 82-year-old James Clyburn of South Carolina. Clyburn has been an important voice in the Congressional Black Caucus and played a major role in energizing President Joe Biden’s 2020 primary election campaign. Clyburn told reporters ahead of Pelosi’s announcement that he intends to remain in the House Democratic leadership regardless of the path she takes. “I plan to stay in leadership. I’ve been saying that all year,” Clyburn said, adding that he has “no idea” which leadership post he would fill in the next Congress. “It’s up to the caucus,” Clyburn said. Representative Katherine Clark, 59, of Massachusetts is likely to run for the No. 2 Democratic leadership job, a post known as “whip.” Clark has served in leadership positions and, like Jeffries, is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Moderate Californian Pete Aguilar could move up from vice chairman of the caucus to become chairman, the job Jeffries now holds. THE MINORITY PARTY The next House Democratic leader will be expected to work closely with others in party leadership on legislation, strategy and messaging. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, 62, has also risen in prominence over the past few years thanks to his leading role in the impeachment of Donald Trump and the subsequent investigation into the Republican former president’s role in the attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Schiff does not have his eyes on a House leadership position and instead is considering a run for the U.S. Senate, a source familiar with his thinking said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The post of minority leader wields far less clout that the speaker. The Democratic leadership team’s duty in the minority will be deciding if and when to help Republicans get essential legislation passed such as government funding bills, amid potential revolts from far-right Republicans. Republican Kevin McCarthy, positioning himself to become speaker, will preside over a very narrow majority in the chamber, with no more than seven votes to play with, depending on the outcome of the few remaining House races still up in the air, with votes still being counted. Top Democrats also will be responsible for promoting Biden’s agenda in the final two years of his term. And it would defend him during any Republican-led House investigations of his administration or his family. The party leader also plays a key role in raising campaign funds for House Democratic candidates – a task at which Pelosi excelled, having raked in hundreds of millions of dollars in her two-decade run. (Reporting by Moira Warburton and Richard Cowan; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott Malone) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold that powerful post, said on Thursday she will step down as the chamber’s Democratic leader as her allies prepared a passing of the torch to Representative Hakeem Jeffries. Pelosi, an 82-year-old liberal from California who has served two stints as speaker, said she will remain in Congress, representing San Francisco as she has done for 35 years. She made the announcement a day after Republicans secured a slim majority in the chamber following last week’s midterm elections. Jeffries, of New York, would be the first Black lawmaker to lead one of the major parties’ caucuses in Congress. The current No. 2 House Democrat, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, endorsed Jeffries for the party’s leadership post and said he also would not seek a leadership job in the next Congress. In a statement, President Joe Biden called Pelosi “the most consequential speaker of the House of Representatives in our history.” Pelosi received cheers from her fellow Democrats as she took her place in the chamber to make the announcement and throughout her remarks. Calling the House chamber “sacred ground,” Pelosi recalled visiting the Capitol for the first time as a child when her father was sworn in as a House member. She recounted working with three American presidents – Republican George W. Bush and Democrats Barack Obama and Biden – but did not mention Republican President Donald Trump, who was impeached twice by the House under her leadership. But she alluded to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by Trump’s supporters. “American democracy is majestic, but it is fragile. Many of us here have witnessed our fragility firsthand, tragically in this chamber. And so democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm,” Pelosi said. Pelosi also noted the increase in women and minority lawmakers since she joined the House in 1987. Republicans on Wednesday were projected to win control of the House following last week’s congressional elections, giving them a narrow majority in the chamber that will enable them to impede Democratic President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. Democrats retained control of the Senate. Pelosi has played a central role in getting Democratic Biden’s legislative agenda through Congress, as she did previously for Obama. She helped pass Obama’s signature 2010 healthcare law as well as major expansions of infrastructure and climate spending under Biden. She has been a regular target of criticism from U.S. conservatives. Pelosi has been under pressure during the past few years from younger House Democrats to yield power. She was the highest-ranking and most powerful elected woman in U.S. history until Kamala Harris became vice president in January 2021. House speaker is second in the line of succession to the presidency. Pelosi in recent days had said the Oct. 28 assault on her husband Paul by a politically motivated hammer-wielding intruder in their San Francisco home, as well as other factors, would impact her decision on whether to keep her leadership role. House Democrats are set to vote on their leaders on Nov. 30. On Wednesday, House Republicans offered initial support for Kevin McCarthy to serve as speaker when the next Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. Jeffries, 52, would herald a new generation of leadership for the Democrats. Democratic Whip James Clyburn, 82, said he planned to stay in leadership but did not know what position he would fill. Biden turns 80 on Sunday. The aging leadership of the Democratic Party has raised questions about the its next generation even as Americans are living longer. Pelosi was first elected to the House in a special election and steadily moved up the ranks, securing leadership positions before winning her first term as speaker in 2007. She first served as speaker from 2007 to 2011 as Democrats rode opposition to the Iraq War to control of the House. She became speaker again in 2019 when Democrats rode a wave of opposition to Trump to win control of the House and was re-elected as speaker in November 2021. Republican control of the House, projected on Wednesday, gives that party not only the ability to rein in Biden’s agenda but to launch potentially politically damaging probes of his administration and family. McCarthy, also from California, currently serves as House Republican leader and will face election by the entire House at the start of the new year. It was not yet clear if he will win enough backing of fellow Republicans to win the speakership, (Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub and Susan Heavey; writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Will Dunham, Scott Malone and Mark Heinrich) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – Negotiations on new rules for dealing with pandemics are underway at the World Health Organization (WHO), with a target date of May 2024 for a legally binding agreement to be adopted by the U.N. health agency’s 194 member countries. A new pact is a priority for WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as his second five-year term at the head of the global health agency gets underway. It seeks to shore up the world’s defences against new pathogens following the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 6.5 million people, according to the WHO. The global health agency itself is facing calls for reform after an independent panel described it as “underpowered” when COVID-19 struck, with limited ability to investigate outbreaks and coordinate containment measures. WHAT IS THE SO-CALLED PANDEMIC TREATY? The WHO already has binding rules known as the International Health Regulations (2005) which set out countries’ obligations where public health events have the potential to cross borders. These include advising the WHO immediately of a health emergency and measures on trade and travel. Adopted after the 2002/3 SARS outbreak, these regulations are still seen as functional for regional epidemics like Ebola but inadequate for a global pandemic. Suggested proposals for the pact include the sharing of data and genome sequences of emerging viruses and rules on equitable vaccine distribution. Member states agreed in July that the new agreement should be legally binding. Another key meeting is scheduled for December. It would be only the second such health accord after the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a treaty which aims to reduce smoking via taxation and rules on labelling and advertising. HOW DO COUNTRIES VIEW THE PACT? The EU proposed the accord and is seen as its biggest backer. Developing countries are keen to use the negotiations as an opportunity to secure better access to vaccines, following allegations of “vaccine apartheid” from the WHO’s Director-General Tedros. Members are due to give their initial feedback to the draft in a public meeting between Dec. 5-7. With so many member countries involved, securing agreement is likely to be tricky. HOW WOULD IT WORK? It is not yet clear how the 2005 regulations and the new pandemic accord might fit together. One suggestion is that they should be complementary, so that existing rules apply to local outbreaks with the new rules kicking in if the WHO declares a pandemic — something it does not currently have a mandate to do. It remains to be determined whether negotiators will include measures such as sanctions to ensure compliance. WHAT OTHER REFORMS ARE IN THE WORKS? Separate talks on an initiative to overhaul the 2005 rules are taking place, with proposals submitted by the United States, the European Union and at least a dozen others, diplomats say. Washington’s proposals aim to boost transparency and grant the WHO quicker access to outbreak sites. Several diplomats said they are likely to prove too ambitious, with opposition from China and others expected on national sovereignty grounds. China did allow WHO-led expert teams to visit the COVID-19 epicentre in Wuhan, but the WHO says it is still withholding clinical data from early cases that may hold clues about the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Mike Scarcella (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked key provisions of a Florida state law that curbs professors from endorsing particular viewpoints in public university classrooms, calling the measure “positively dystopian” in the latest blow to the Republican-enacted measure. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee said in a 139-page ruling that Florida’s Individual Freedom Act, also known as the Stop WOKE Act, would have unlawfully required public university professors to self-censor. His ruling came in consolidated lawsuits filed by professors and students challenging the Individual Freedom Act, which Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis championed and signed into law in April. Critics said it amounted to a ban on Florida educators from endorsing certain race and gender concepts. A professor, for instance, under the law would no longer be able to “express approval of affirmative action as an idea worthy of merit” during class instruction, the court said. “The First Amendment does not permit the State of Florida to muzzle its university professors, impose its own orthodoxy of viewpoints, and cast us all into the dark,” Walker wrote. Walker also said that rather “than combat ‘woke’ ideas with countervailing views in the ‘marketplace of ideas,’ the state has chosen to eliminate one side of the debate.” A spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment, nor did the Florida attorney general’s office, which defended the law in court. Attorneys for Florida had argued that the state had full power to restrict what public university professors, as state employees, could say in their classrooms. A lawyer for plaintiffs in the case, Adam Steinbaugh of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told Reuters the ruling was “an important victory for faculty members of all political viewpoints.” In a related legal challenge to the law, Walker, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2012, in August blocked other provisions that prohibited employers from promoting certain progressive ideas as part of workplace anti-bias training. Florida’s challenge to the court’s order is pending in the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; editing by Leigh Jones and Richard Chang) View the full article

Published by AFP Brendan Fraser was one of the biggest names in Hollywood in the 1990s Los Angeles (AFP) – Oscar-tipped actor Brendan Fraser will not attend next year’s Golden Globes ceremony, he said in an interview published Wednesday, four years after he publicly accused the former head of the awarding body of sexual assault. In a startling comeback, the 1990s star has raked in plaudits for his role in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” But even if his performance as a 600-pound (250-kilogram) English professor trying to reconnect with his daughter does score him a Globes nod, he will not attend the January event. “No, I will not participate,” Fraser told GQ in an interview when asked if he would attend the awards, organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), were he invited. “It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite,” he added. In 2018, the actor accused former HFPA president Philip Berk of groping him at an event in 2003. Berk denied the allegation, but acknowledged making a written apology at the time. The HFPA, after an investigation sparked by Fraser’s allegation, concluded that Berk’s touching was “intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.” One of the biggest names in Hollywood in the 1990s, Fraser starred in a string of family-friendly blockbusters as a muscle-bound hunk in films such as “George of the Jungle” and “The Mummy,” before his cinema career fell off in the late 2000s. View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted final environmental approval for construction of a new $4.2 billion terminal at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, the state said on Thursday. New York state Governor Kathy Hochul said construction will begin early next year on a 1.2 million-square foot (111,480-square-meter), 10-gate terminal at JFK. The new Terminal 6 will be built in two phases, with the first new gates opening in 2026. The new terminal will be used by JetBlue and Lufthansa Group. JetBlue Chief Executive Robin Hayes said the announcement would help “modernize JFK and bring our unique brand and culture to even more New Yorkers in a brand-new terminal.” Hochul also said financial arrangements for the public-private partnership to build the new terminal had been finalized. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will commit $130 million in capital funding to build enabling infrastructure for the new Terminal 6, including airside improvements and utility enhancements. The United States is in the middle of a massive overhaul and rebuilding of many airport terminals. A $1 trillion infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 includes $15 billion for airport project grants. The FAA is expected to soon issue a similar environmental approval to a massive $8.5 billion project at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport that includes a new Terminal 2. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be at O’Hare for an event on Monday. In June, New York celebrated the six-year $8 billion reconstruction of the city’s long-derided LaGuardia airport with a brand new Delta Air Lines terminal. Delta’s glittering 1.3 million-square foot, $4 billion Terminal C began flights this summer. New York and airlines spent $8 billion to reconstruct the airport that then-Vice President Biden in 2014 dubbed “some third-world country.” (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Julia Fox wants to date women and explore her “gay bone”. The ‘Uncut Gems’ actress – who had a whirlwind romance with rapper Kanye West earlier this year – has revealed she isn’t dating anyone and the moment, and she’s thinking about trying some same-sex romances. Asked about dating, she told Ziwe: “Why would I wanna waste my time?” On the subject of dating women, she added: “I, like, have been thinking about it a lot recently. “Because I do think I have, you know, a gay bone and I need to explore that a little bit more. “Like maybe my ex-boyfriends weren’t wrong when they were calling me a lesbian and complaining that I never wanted to have sex with them.” The 32-year-old star explained she is open to “all race” when it comes to a potential partner, but she insisted all men are “equally horrible”. She said: “I can find love in all places, and all races! “Not white, first of all. I don’t know, honestly. They all, like, are equally horrible to be honest – all men. I can’t, it’s just a man thing.” Meanwhile, Julia – who didn’t name any former flames in the preview for the new interview – recently admitted her relationship with Kanye had a negative impact on her acting career. She noted being in the headlines as much as she was during her whirlwind romance with the 45-year-old rapper earlier this year resulted in a “shift” in the offers she’s getting for roles. Speaking to Emily Ratajkowski on the ‘High Low with EmRata’ podcast, she said: “After the big relationship, I definitely noticed a shift in the acting way, not in a good way. “I’m not getting as many offers as I was before, weirdly. There’s been a lot of weird drawbacks with reaching that level of notoriety.” View the full article

Published by Reuters UK ROME (Reuters) – Same-sex parents have the right not to be called “father” and “mother” in the ID papers of their offspring, a court in Italy has ruled, in a decision that rubs against the country’s new right-wing government. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sees herself as a defender of Christian values and of what she calls the “traditional family,” and her hard-right Brothers of Italy party is particularly hostile to same-sex parenting. Nevertheless, a judge in Rome ruled in favour of a lesbian couple who opposed current rules for the identity cards of minors, which must include a reference to… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Brandon Gage Right-wing podcasters Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh are really upset over the United States Senate’s passage of an amendment that required the federal government to recognize same-sex marriage. On Wednesday’s edition of The Ben Shapiro Show on The Daily Wire, the two men discussed why religion is not the only reason to oppose legal unions between two people of the same gender. But neither of them actually made a case outside of accusing “liberals” of trying to box “conservatives” into a corner over the issue. Instead, the pair bantered about why they believe that marriage is essen… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Gabrielle Union and Eva Longoria are set to star in an LGBTQ+ wedding comedy. The two actresses are working on a new feature film for Amazon Studios which will see them play dueling soon-to-be mothers-in-law trying to take over their sons’ wedding planning. Speaking to Variety, Union said: “Eva and I try to take over their wedding planning and make it the wedding of our dreams versus theirs.” The untitled comedy is being written by Ricardo Gamboa, while Macro Film Studios will produce alongside Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions. Meanwhile, Union has also given an update on road trip movie ‘Get To Be’, which is being directed by Billy Porter and follows three Rhode Island high school students travelling to New York City for their first Pride Parade. The actress – who is serving as producer on the movie – was inspired to make the film by her and Dwyane Wade’s daughter asking to go to Miami Pride when she was 10. On the film, she said: “It’s a group of diverse kids. One is a chubby Asian, another is a Black nonbinary — I don’t want to say a diva or divo, but an extravagant, dynamic larger personality — and then there’s a white bisexual boy. “I believe that it is important to have real representation so we’re not play-acting at what it is to be queer,” she says. Union is also set to star in upcoming Disney animated film ‘Strange World’, which sees her and Jake Gyllenhaal voice the parents of a gay teen called Ethan Clade (Jaboukie Young-White), and she will play the mother of a young gay man Ellis French (Jeremy Pope) in ‘The Inspection’. In the latter, Ellis joins the Marines after his mother abandons him and he’s forced to live on the streets. She has previously been vocal about the importance of having more diverse LGBTQ+ stories shown on screen. She said: “A lot of folks are trying to erase whole chunks of our population and trying to reimagine reality without LGBTQIA folks. “The reality is, we exist everywhere, every part of the globe.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News “Jeopardy!” champ Amy Schneider testified Wednesday against an Ohio bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the state. The Ohio native — who became a household name after winning40 consecutive games on the popular quiz show from November 2021 to January 2022 — opened up about life as a transgender woman, and the relief she felt after transitioning. Schneider, who came out as trans about five years ago, said that “from the moment that I was born, there was this quiet alarm going off at the back of MY head” that only stopped after she began transitioning. “After decade… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English JoJo Siwa has blasted Candace Cameron Bure’s “rude and hurtful” comments about “traditional marriage”. The 19-year-old dancer – who went viral when she labelled the ‘Full House’ star the “rudest celebrity” she’s ever met on TikTok earlier this year – hit out at the 46-year-old actress after she explained she was leaving the Hallmark Channel to work with Great American Family and highlighted the fact the Christian conservative network won’t be featuring same-sex couples in their movies as they want to “keep traditional marriage at the core”. JoJo shared a screenshot of Candace’s comment and wrote on Instagram: “Honestly, I can’t believe after everything that went down just a few months ago, that she would not only create a movie with intention of excluding LGBTQIA+, but then also talk about it in the press. “This is rude and hurtful to a whole community of people.” JoJo – who came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community last year and is currently dating Avery Cyrus – received support from Candace’s ‘Fuller House’ co-star Jodie Sweetin. The actress commented on her friend’s post: “You know I love you [heart emojis] (sic)” Actress Hilarie Burton also blasted Candace for her commends, branding her a “bigot”. She tweeted: “Bigot. I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy. But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank.” And she also hit out at Great American Family, of which Candace is Chief Content Officer and which was founded by former Hallmark CEO Bill Abbott. She wrote: “Now they’re just openly admitting their bigotry. I called this s*** out years ago when Abbott was at Hallmark. Glad they dumped him. Being LGBTQ isn’t a ‘trend.’ That guy and his network are disgusting. You too Candy. There is nothing untraditional about same-sex couples.” During her interview with the Wall Street Journal, Candace was asked if the network would feature same-sex couples in its Christmas movies. She said: “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” CEO Bill added about focusing on same-sex couples: “It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends. There’s no whiteboard that says, ‘Yes, this’ or ‘No, we’ll never go here.’ “ View the full article