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Published by XXL Mag Eminem‘s mother, Debbie Mathers, has resurfaced in a rare video to congratulate Em on his recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Mathers matriarch shared the heartfelt video on Sunday (Nov. 6). In the clip, she is sporting a purple Shady Records t-shirt. “Marshall, I want to say, I could not let this day go by without congratulating you on your induction into the Hall of Fame,” she said in the video. “I love you very much. I knew you’d get there. It’s been a long ride. I’m very, very proud of you.” She continued: “And also I’m very proud of [Eminem’s daughter] Hailie Jade, my … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rihanna hasn’t decided whether or not she’ll have any special guests for her Super Bowl performance. The ‘Diamonds’ hitmaker is set to take to the stage for the Super Bowl LVII halftime show at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona in February 2023, and she’s still figuring out the logistics for the gig. Speaking to E! News, she said: “Twelve minutes? You could actually do that by yourself, but it’s one of those things where you can decorate it however you want. “So whether I choose to do it for myself or whether I choose to bring some of my peers on, it’s… I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet. “It’s gonna be great either way.” If RiRi, 34, does go solo, she’ll be the first female artist to do so since Lady Gaga’s performance in 2017. Earlier this year, Dr. Dre brought along a whole host of special guests in an epic tribute to rap and hip hop. He was joined by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar for the star studded show. Rihanna – who gave birth to her first child with partner ASAP Rocky in May – recently admitted that motherhood played a big role inher accepting the invitation to perform at the huge sporting event. She explained: “I feel like it was now or never, really. “There’s this weird s*** that happens when you become a mom, that you just unleash or unlock other parts of your superpower, you feel like you can take on or you could do anything. “I wanted to take on the challenge and I wanted to do something that would force me to get back onstage.” Meanwhile, Rihanna has also been hard at work on her Savage x Fenty show over recent months. And the chart-topping star – who founded the lingerie brand in 2018 – is determined to make Savage x Fenty as inclusive as possible. She previously said: “That’s important because I want to feel sexy and I want to feel represented. I want to feel included. “I want to feel like I don’t want to feel intimidated by what’s on the rack or what’s the score … I want to know that there’s something for me, something for my body.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cher is the new face of Balmain. The ‘Believe’ hitmaker – who walked the French fashion house’s runway in September – is now the face of their new Blaze bag after connecting with the creative director Olivier Rousteing and his “exciting” collection, comparing to the experience to the 1939 Judy Garland movie, ‘The Wizard of Oz’. The 76-year-old entertainer told Vogue magazine: “I just connected with him. And that night when I saw the clothes I felt like, oh my God. I was really poor when I was young—going into a dime store was like heaven for me. Anyway, I thought the clothes were so exciting, and we had such a good time. Olivier was beautiful, and I loved what he was wearing—I wanted it for my son, because my son dresses like that. So many models in other shows were good models…but these models had life to them! They were walking with power, they were magnificent and the clothes—it felt like ‘the Wizard of Oz to me.” Cher – who made a video as part of the campaign – revealed the iconic costume designer and long-time collaborator Bob Mackie “never” dressed her in anything as constricting as the suit for the shoot. She said: I felt like my skin was on top of that outfit, it was that tight! Bob never made me anything that tight. I did feel like I was a superhero when I walked out. You walk around a green screen. You’re in the suit and the screen is behind you, it’s some futuristic thing—but you’re really just in a chair, imagining you are a princess or a dominatrix or someplace between the two.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Captain America is the incredible hunk. The Marvel actor is People’s selection for the 2022 sexiest man alive, a title he’s humbly embracing. “It’s something that as I become old and saggy I can look back on and say ‘I remember then … ’” Evans told the magazine. “I’m lucky to be in the discussion in any capacity.” The honor was unveiled on Monday night’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” with the host joking that the finalists were Evans and “Last Week Tonight” star John Oliver. “Stop the steal!” Oliver yelled from the CBS show’s audience after Colbert announced Evans won. The B… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tan France thinks the new season of ‘Queer Eye’ was the “hardest” one to film. The 39-year-old designer has starred on the hit reality series since 2018 – but he found shooting in New Orleans to be a particularly challenging experience. Tan said: “I’ve never said this in an interview, legitimately. But New Orleans was the hardest place we ever shot.” Tan appears alongside Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and Bobby Berk on the show. But he found himself feeling much more emotional than ever during the new series. He told E! News: “I cried more this season than I’ve ever cried on ‘Queer Eye’ ever. I’ve only ever cried twice on ‘Queer Eye’ in the full seven seasons – the six seasons, and then the mini season in Japan. But I cried most episodes with this.” Tan explained that his emotion was triggered by the lingering impact of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the city in 2005. Tan – who was born and raised in the UK – said: “I didn’t live in America when Katrina happened. “Seeing the devastation, seeing what it did to families, seeing how much poverty it created, that’s what got me. Some of our heroes have just never been able to recover. And so that’s why the transformations were so special, because it’s as if many of them have stood still in time.” Tan also revealed that he and his co-stars have been forced to become more creative over the years. He explained: “We were all talking about it – how hard that was the first couple of episodes – and then we realised it’s actually pushing us to work harder and try something new that’s gonna shock ’em, or say something that they wouldn’t expect to say, or share some information about something we’ve never shared before.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega A New York City gang has raised fears among the LGBTQ+ community following the deaths of two men, RadarOnline.com has learned. A group of two to three men is at the center of attacks that are targeting the community. The gang is suspected of luring victims from nightclubs and bars in the Hell’s Kitchen district, drugging them, and then robbing them — even using victims’ own cellphones as means to drain their bank accounts. However, no arrests or charges have been brought against the suspects. mega 33-Year-old John Umberger, a political consultant from Washington D.C., and Julio Ramirez, 25, both went missing under eerily similar circumstances in May and April 2022, respectively. Both men were last seen enjoying the city’s gay scene. When their bodies were discovered both were without cellphones and each had thousands stolen from their bank accounts. While the circumstances of their deaths cause great concern among New York City’s LGBTQ+ community, no warning has been issued from police or city authorities. The lack of urgency has caused some, including a victim’s mother, to allege Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of “impeding” the investigation efforts. mega “I can’t be quiet anymore,” said Linda Clary, the mother of Umberger, told the New York Post. “Word needs to get out, especially in the gay community, that they are targeting gay men. This same group of killers have drugged, robbed and murdered countless young gay men in New York,” Clary added. Clary went on to speak of the city’s rising crime and the gay community remains under threat of the gang who killed her son. “New York is unnecessarily unsafe, and it breaks my heart because John was so excited to be in Manhattan. He loved being there. He was a little ray of sunshine,” the grieving mother continued, “We need to stop this.” Clary claims that DA Bragg is “refusing to prosecute my son’s killers,” after police diligently worked to identify two suspects from the gang, however, DA Bragg has not allowed charges or arrests to be made. mega Video footage captured both victims’ final hours and helped police trace their steps from restaurants to bars. Toxicology reports revealed both men died of an overdose after their drinks were spiked with a date rape drug. View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Rugby Union’s first out bisexual player has gone missing. Levi Davis has been missing for over a week, according to his old team Bath Rugby. The team posted a Twitter update asking for any information as to his whereabouts. The English 24-year-old, who plays for Worthing Raiders in the National League 2 South, was last seen at the Old Irish Pub in central Barcelona on 29 October. Former England player, Tom Vardnell, has appealed on Twitter asking “if there is anyone else that may have had contact or seen him in Barcelona in the last 5 days please message here or contact the West Midlands polic… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘League of Legends’ developer Riot Games has admitted censorship in anti-LGBTQ+ countries, following the release of its first gay black hero. The game developer was celebrating the release by promoting its character K’Sante in trailers alongside the rapper Lil Nas X. However, it has had to remove queer references in some markets around the globe where homosexuality is illegal and even punishable by death. Speaking at the game’s world championship tournament Worlds 2022 event in San Francisco, the game’s executive producer Jeremy Lee told Sky News that words like “lover” would be replaced with “partner” in countries less tolerant to the LGBTQ+ community. Jeremy went on to say that he was “very proud” of the character because he wants “everyone who plays League Of Legends to find a champion that resonates with them”. He added: “Each region may publish certain aspects of the game a little bit differently to fit into the local culture.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Nancy Pelosi ripped Elon Musk for using his newly acquired Twitter platform to spread “destructive” conspiracy theories connected to the attack on her husband, RadarOnline.com has learned. The surprising development came this week after Musk took to his new social media platform to retweet a “fake and defamatory” story suggesting the House Speaker’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked on the morning of October 28 after meeting his future attacker, David DePape, at a San Francisco gay bar earlier in the night. Mega “There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye,” the billionaire Tesla founder wrote in a now-deleted post alongside a link to the also now-deleted story by the Santa Monica Observer. During an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday, House Speaker Pelosi said it is “really sad for the country” that individuals like Musk, with their powerful platforms like Twitter, can “separate themselves from the facts and the truth in such a blatant way.” The 82-year-old politician further called Musk’s behavior “destructive” and acknowledged the fact there is “no common ground” between her and the eccentric billionaire Twitter CEO. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Musk was just the latest high-profile person forced to delete a post suggesting “there might be more” to the attack on Paul “than meets the eye.” Mega Last week, Newsmax host Greg Kelly was also forced to delete a tweet claiming the House Speaker staged the violent early morning assault on her husband. “Just ‘wondering’ if Nancy Pelosi tried to STAGE her own mini January 6th. Complete with leaving the doors and windows OPEN for ‘insurrectionists’ and this [DePape] fellow,” Kelly wrote in his tweet. “THAT or she can’t secure her home or office!” the Newsmax host added. Despite the conspiracy theories surrounding the incident, and claims made by the likes of Musk and Kelly, authorities have confirmed Paul was attacked by suspected assailant David DePape, who broke into the couple’s Pacific Heights, San Francisco, home looking for the House Speaker. Mega DePape was quickly arrested following the attack, in which he allegedly bludgeoned Paul in the head with a hammer. The 42-year-old suspect has been charged with one federal count of assault of an immediate family member of a United States official and one federal count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official. House Speaker Pelosi’s husband was released from the hospital on Thursday. While Nancy said he has a long road ahead of him, he is expected to make a full recovery. “Paul remains under doctors’ care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence,” she said in a statement late last week. “He is now home surrounded by his family who request privacy.” View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by Taste of Country At her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night (Nov. 5), Dolly Parton rounded up a group of stars from all different genres to perform one of her signature songs, “Jolene.” “Jolene” is a country classic: Released in 1973, it tells the story of a now-infamous, red-haired woman who’s making moves towards another woman’s husband — and shares Parton’s plea to Jolene to let her keep her man. It was a No. 1 hit for Parton upon release, and has since racked up 2x Platinum RIAA certification. Though the song has become a standard of the country genre, Parton tipped her hat to her… Read More View the full article

Published by XXL Mag 50 Cent is again making jokes at Madonna‘s expense. This time, Fif is poking fun at the 64-year-old pop star for lip syncing Kendrick Lamar lyrics. On Nov. 3, the “Like a Virgin” singer shared a video of herself on Instagram. In the clips, Madonna is intensely rapping the chorus to Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar‘s 2021 track “Vent.” “Have you ever been punched in your muthafuckin’ face?/What you say? Oh, you haven’t? Alright, wait, bitch,” the singer lip-syncs. She captioned the strange clip, “Alright, wait, bitch. …………….” Over the weekend, 50 Cent caught wind of the post and decided to poke at … Read More View the full article

Published by Kaiser Health News Birth control options have improved over the decades. Oral contraceptives are now safer, with fewer side effects. Intrauterine devices can prevent pregnancy 99.6% of the time. But no prescription drug or medical device works flawlessly, and people’s use of contraception is inexact. “No one walks into my office and says, ‘I plan on missing a pill,’” said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Mitchell Creinin. “There is no such thing as perfect use, we are all real-life users,” said Creinin, a professor at the University of California-Davis who wrote a widely used textbook that details contraceptive fai… Read More View the full article

Published by Ultimate Classic Rock The last decade of the 20th century brought with it some broad changes in rock music, most notably the grunge explosion and the evolution of alternative rock ‘n’ roll. But just as when any trend hits, record labels were way too eager to sign up every young band dressed in flannel. Some were ready for the opportunity, but many more faded away after a brief moment in the spotlight. That’s not to say every one-hit wonder of the era was a grunge act. The U.K. imported many Britpop artists who scored only a single hit on U.S. shores, and other rock subgenres delivered their fair share, too. In the … Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Cher doesn’t need to turn back time because she’s happy with her man in the present. The Strong Enough singer, 76, confirmed she’s dating Amber Rose‘s ex Alexander “AE” Edwards, 36, and he’s already met her family, RadarOnline.com has learned. Cher broke their relationship down on social media over the weekend, just days after she was spotted holding hands on a date with the much younger music executive. Despite the four decades age gap, the fashion icon made it clear that “love doesn’t know math” when responding to a fan’s question about her being 40 years his senior. Mega Revealing “AE” treats her “like a queen,” Cher told her followers that the pair met at Paris Fashion Week last month. When it comes to her romance with “AE,” the Believe hitmaker brushed off the negativity. Not only are fans concerned about their massive age gap, but “AE” cheated on his last girlfriend (Rose) with 12 women — and made a mockery of his serial infidelities by laughing about it on the radio. Rose and Cher’s new lover share a three-year-old son, Slash. But the songbird shook off her followers’ concerns. “I’m Not Defending us. Haters are Gonna Hate…Doesn’t Matter That we’re Happy & Not Bothering Anyone,” Cher insisted, adding that “everyone in the family has” met him. When someone brought up his cheating past, she responded, “I’m in love, not blinded by it.” Mega As RadarOnline.com reported, Cher and “AE” made headlines when they were spotted hand in hand during an intimate dinner for two at the paparazzi-plagued restaurant Craig’s in West Hollywood. The two couldn’t get enough of each other, and after dinner came dessert. Rose’s ex was photographed sweetly kissing Cher’s hand as the couple got into their SUV and headed off into the night — but they didn’t go home. Cher and “AE” met up with the music executive’s best friend Tyga at camera flashing central The Nice Guy, where the trio enjoyed a few after-dinner drinks and dancing. Despite the 40-year age gap and all the haters, Cher showed “AE” that she’s got him, babe. View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Jordan Green, Investigative Reporter With the United States entering the final stretch of a tumultuous midterm election campaign, experts are warning that delays in the vote count in closely contested races could provide an opening for weaponized conspiracy theories that undermine confidence in the results and stoke political violence. This election is in many ways tracing a familiar path from two years ago, when Donald Trump preemptively signaled he would refuse to accept any result other than victory, and encouraged weeks of unrest leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Again, the f… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Lynda Edwards, Investigative Reporter Christian music maker and unsuccessful Congressional candidateSean Feucht, who looks like a heavier version of Kenny G, is known to non-Trumpers primarily for his pandemic “Superspreader” outdoor worship services held in several cities in protest of alleged local mask and distancing regulations. He played a guitar signed by ex-president Donald Trump with paramilitary volunteers providing security. Non-Trumpers may not realize that in a Christian Broadcasting interview, he was a calm, intelligent conservative voice amid Trumpian hysteria and election den… Read More View the full article

Published by Prime Time Sports Talk What is basketball to you? It might be history for some, something to watch on a Saturday night for others. For many, though, it’s escapism. It’s a way to get lost in folklore decades in the making. Living within the legacy of the sport, losing yourself in it. The silence in an opposition dagger. It’s the roar of a poster dunk, a constant, a form of unity. It hasn’t always been that. There have been incidents since the inception of the NBA which have raised moral concerns. The consensus, however, remains that the league has usually done well in levying appropriate consequences for vile actions… Read More View the full article

Published by PsyPost Though an estimated 1% of people identify as asexual – a sexual orientation most commonly defined as lacking sexual attraction – asexual people remain relatively invisible and are rarely researched. For these reasons, they’re frequently subjected to discrimination and stereotyping. For example, it’s often assumed that all people who are asexual are also “aromantic” – that they aren’t interested in being in romantic relationships or aren’t capable of doing so. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and there is a wide range in how the members of this … Read More View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer When Pennsylvania voters go to the polls Tuesday, the whole country will be watching. The stakes in the state’s races for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House are reflected by the sheer political firepower that swept through the state Saturday. President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, and former President Donald Trump all arrived to rally their supporters, and try to shape the outcome. Democrats are warning that abortion rights, voting laws, and the future of fair, honest elections are at stake across the country, and particularly in Pennsylvania, the fifth most populous state and … Read More View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by Raw Story By Tom Boggioni During an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show,” former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele went on a blistering rant about an ad coming from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign claiming “On the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said: ‘I need a protector.’ So God made a fighter.” By which the campaign means the controversial Florida Republican governor, in the ad tweeted out by the wife of DeSantis. After watching a fragment of the ad served up by host Jonathan Capehart, Steele shook his head before launching into an epic rant. “That is some of the mo… Read More View the full article

Dolly Parton Performs New Original Song at Rock Hall Induction Dolly Parton closed out this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony with a new original song titled “Rockin.’” She came strolling out in a leather outfit, then gave an electric-guitar strum worthy of Pete Townshend. “And you thought I couldn’t rock!” she exclaimed. Parton told Pollstar that she’d written “Rockin’” specifically to sing in Los Angeles: “It’s a fine little song, and it’s real rock-y, so I’ll have something fun to play off of, to ease some of the tension.” The lyrics referenced many of rock’s earliest pioneers, then she proceeded to trade licks on a fiery solo. Brandi … Read More Dolly Parton Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Dolly Parton has joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, arriving as the last of 2022’s inductees. “I want to thank the Hall of Fame and all the people out there through all of these years,” she said. “I’ve been doing it all my life and I do love it. I’m very humbled by this.” Pink introduced Parton, praising her “heartbreaking and soul-stirring songs.” After describing Parton’s hard-scrabble rural Tennessee beginnings, Pink added: “There are few finer songwriters, male or female, that ever lived. … She writes about things that other would prefer to be swept under the rug.” Pink went on to highli… Read More Duran Duran Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Duran Duran has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class. The pioneering new wave group formed in the late ‘70s, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1981. For more than a decade, they remained a dominant force in music, selling more than 100 million records and winning fans across the globe. Their list of hits – including “Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Rio” and “Ordinary World” – are still popular on radio and with new generations of fans. Duran Duran earned entry into the Hall of Fame on their first nomination, though they have been eligible … Read More Pat Benatar Finally Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Duran Duran has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class. The pioneering new wave group formed in the late ‘70s, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1981. For more than a decade, they remained a dominant force in music, selling more than 100 million records and winning fans across the globe. Their list of hits – including “Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Rio” and “Ordinary World” – are still popular on radio and with new generations of fans. Duran Duran earned entry into the Hall of Fame on their first nomination, though they have been eligible …Read More Carly Simon Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Carly Simon was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, joining the small percentage of women that make up the inductees. She recently lost both of her sisters in the same week to cancer, and did not attend the Los Angeles ceremony. Instead, she shared a written message from her home in Martha’s Vineyard: “I am humbled, shocked, proud, over-achieved, under-qualified and singularly grateful to everyone with whom I really couldn’t be here.” The letter was read by Sara Bareilles, who also performed Simon’s James Bond theme, “Nobody Does It Better.” Simon arrived on the scene in the early ’70s… Read More Eurythmics Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Eurythmics were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, joining the ranks 15 years after being first eligible. Initially nominated in 2018, the second time was the charm for the duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who were voted in with this year’s class. “Music is in our blood cells, in our hearts and in the deepest parts of our souls,” Lennox said, after the Euryhtmics offered an assertive reunion performance. “We are grateful beyond measure to be part of this extraordinary diaspora.” Stewart, meanwhile, said he was “extremely honored and humbled to be here today, and standing next to … Read More Dave Grohl Joins Lionel Richie During Rock Hall Performance Dave Grohl joined Lionel Richie during the latter star’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction performance, playing guitar and trading vocals on the Commodores’ classic “Easy.” Richie’s first song of the evening was “Hello,” the 1983 hit single off his second solo album, Can’t Slow Down. As the singer moved on to “Easy,” Grohl joined him on stage, much to the delight of the crowd in attendance. Together, the musicians delivered their rendition, staying largely true to the original. Grohl faithfully delivered the song’s iconic solo, and the two legends stood face to face performing the chorus that… Read More Steven Tyler Performs With Eminem During Rock Hall Induction Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler made a surprise appearance during Eminem’s set at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Eminem was one of the night’s honorees, earning induction in his first year of eligibility. The rapper was introduced by his mentor and longtime collaborator, Dr. Dre, before taking the stage for a career-spanning performance. The rapper started his set with a brief snippet of “My Name Is,” the 1999 single that first brought Eminem to a national audience. From there, he rolled into “Rap God,” one of the standout tracks from 2013’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2. The thi… Read More Dr. Dre Inducts Eminem Into Rock Hall of Fame 2022 Over the weekend, Dr. Dre inducted Eminem into the prestigious 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On Saturday (Nov. 5), Eminem was among an illustrious group of musicians who were ushered into the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif. Veteran hip-hop producer Dr. Dre was given the honor to enshrine his longtime friend and collaborator into the Rock Hall. During his speech, Dre recalled the first time Interscope Records honcho Jimmy Iovine called him to let him know that Em was a White guy. “That completely fucked me up,” Dre reportedly said with a laugh, acc… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Brandon Gage Two reporters for the conservative Right Side Broadcasting Network who were covering former President Donald Trump’s “Get Out the Vote Rally” in Miami, Florida on Sunday said that Americans who “disrespect” the flag should either emigrate or be kicked out of the United States. “Just leave the country. You hate the country? Just go ahead and move and, and, and, leave,” declared the gentleman. “I can’t understand having that much hatred in your heart… for the American flag,” added correspondent Vanessa Broussard. “You are absolutely right. You do not belong in this country and … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rebel Wilson has denied reports that she is engaged to Ramona Agruma. The ‘Pitch Perfect’ actor has responded to the claims on social media as she shared a snap of the couple together at Disneyland in California. Rebel wrote on her Instagram Story on Saturday (05.11.22): “Thanks for the well-wishes, but we are NOT engaged.” The New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column had reported that Rebel had been discussing her engagement at George Clooney’s Halloween party. A source said: “They were making out in a corner and telling everyone how excited they are to be engaged!” A separate insider had claimed that Rebel is “wildly happy” to be marrying Ramona and the outlet suggested that the pair had marked the engagement with a pair of matching diamond rings. Rebel, 42, started dating the businesswoman in April and went public with the romance two months later as she revealed her sexuality to the world. She wrote on Instagram: “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess #loveislove.” Rebel previously revealed that they couple had an “old-school” method of courting as they spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting in person and spoke of her happiness at being in a “healthy” relationship. She said: “I think going through the process of finding more self-worth, I think that what you want in a partner is elevated and so it’s great to have someone who feels like an equal partner and be in a healthy relationship. “There were times — I’m not saying with all my exes, they’re great — but there were some times that I was probably putting up with that I shouldn’t have. So it feels different to be in a really healthy relationship.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Linda So, Peter Eisler and Jason Szep (Reuters) – Election workers in Arizona’s most fiercely contested county faced more than 100 violent threats and intimidating communications in the run-up to Tuesday’s midterms, most of them based on election conspiracy theories promoted by former President Donald Trump and his allies. The harassment in Maricopa County included menacing emails and social media posts, threats to circulate personal information online and photographing employees arriving at work, according to nearly 1,600 pages of documents obtained by Reuters through a public records request for security records and correspondence related to threats and harassments against election workers. Between July 11 and Aug. 22, the county election office documented at least 140 threats and other hostile communications, the records show. “You will all be executed,” said one. “Wire around their limbs and tied & dragged by a car,” wrote another. The documents reveal the consequences of election conspiracy theories as voters nominated candidates in August to compete in the midterms. Many of the threats in Maricopa County, which helped propel President Joe Biden to victory over Trump in 2020, cited debunked claims around fake ballots, rigged voting machines and corrupt election officials. Other jurisdictions nationwide have seen threats and harassment this year by the former president’s supporters and prominent Republican figures who question the legitimacy of the 2020 election, according to interviews with Republican and Democratic election officials in 10 states. The threats come at a time of growing concern over the risk of political violence, highlighted by the Oct. 28 attack on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband by a man who embraced right-wing conspiracy theories. In Maricopa, a county of 4.5 million people that includes Phoenix, the harassment unnerved some election workers, according to previously unreported incidents documented in the emails and interviews with county officials. A number of temporary workers quit after being accosted outside the main ballot-counting center following the Aug. 2 primary, Stephen Richer, the county recorder who helps oversee Maricopa’s elections, said in an interview. One temporary employee broke down in tears after a stranger photographed her, according to an email from Richer to county officials. The unidentified worker left work early and never returned. She wasn’t a political person, she told Richer. She just wanted a job. On Aug. 3, strangers in tactical gear calling themselves “First Amendment Auditors” circled the elections department building, pointing cameras at employees and their vehicle license plates. The people vowed to continue the surveillance through the midterms, according to an Aug. 4 email from Scott Jarrett, Maricopa’s elections director, to county officials. “It feels very much like predatory behavior and that we are being stalked,” wrote Jarrett. ATTACKS PERSISTED Since the 2020 election, Reuters has documented more than 1,000 intimidating messages to election officials across the country, including more than 120 that could warrant prosecution, according to legal experts. Many officials said they had hoped the harassment would wane over time after the 2020 results were confirmed. But the attacks have persisted, fueled in many cases by right-wing media figures and groups that continue without evidence to cast election officials as complicit in a vast conspiracy by China, Democratic officials and voting equipment manufacturers to rob Trump of a second presidential term. In April, local election officials in Arizona participated in a drill simulating violence at a polling site in which several people were killed, according to an April 26 email from Lisa Marra, the president of the Election Officials of Arizona, which represents election administrators from the state’s 15 counties. The drill aimed to help officials prepare for Election Day violence, and left participants “understandably, disturbed” said the email to more than a dozen local election directors. In a statement, Marra said: “This is just one other tool we can use to ensure election safety for all.” Maricopa officials appeared at times overwhelmed by threatening posts on social media and right-wing message boards calling for workers to be executed or hung. Some messages sought officials’ home addresses, including one that promised “late night visits.” Employees were filmed arriving and leaving work, according to emails among county officials. Two days after the Aug. 2 primary election, the county’s information security officer emailed the FBI pleading for help. “I appreciate the limitations of what the FBI can do, but I just want to underline this,” wrote Michael Moore, information security officer for the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. “Our staff is being intimidated and threatened,” he added. “We’re going to continue to find it more and more difficult to get the job done when no one wants to work for elections.” A special agent for the FBI acknowledged the agency’s limitations, according to the emails. “As you put it, we are limited in what we can do – we only investigate violations of federal law,” the FBI agent responded in an Aug. 4 email. Reporting threats to local law enforcement is ”the only thing I can suggest,” the agent wrote, “even if at this point it has not resulted in any action.” The FBI declined to comment on the agent’s response to Moore. It also declined to confirm or deny the existence of ongoing investigations into the threats. Moore did not respond to requests for comment, but Richer, his boss, said in a statement that he greatly appreciated the FBI’s partnership and vigilance. “This is an inherently emotional topic – communications of the most vile nature have been repeatedly sent to my team,” the statement said. One anonymous sender using the privacy-protective email service ProtonMail sent “harassing emails” for almost a year, Moore, wrote in an Aug. 4 email to the FBI. One message warned Richer that he’d be “hung as a traitor.” “I’d like to have a black and white poster in my office of you hanging from the end of a rope,” the sender wrote. The harassment and threats were affecting the mental health of election workers, Jarrett wrote in his Aug. 4 memo. “If our permanent and temporary staff do not feel safe, we will not be able (to) recruit and retain staff for upcoming elections.” In all, county officials referred at least 100 messages and social media posts to FBI and state counter-terrorism officials. Reuters found no evidence in the correspondence that officials saw any of the messages as breaching the expansive definition of constitutionally protected free speech and crossing into the territory of a prosecutable threat. The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment on specific ongoing investigations but said it has opened dozens of cases nationwide involving threats to election workers. Eight people face federal charges for threats, including two who targeted Maricopa County officials. DOJ spokesperson Joshua Stueve said that while the “overwhelming majority” of complaints the agency receives “do not include a threat of unlawful violence,” he said the messages are “often hostile, harassing, and abusive” towards election officials and their staff. “They deserve better,” Stueve said. ONLINE INSPIRATION Misinformation on right-wing websites and social media fueled much of the hostility towards election staff, according to the internal messages among Maricopa officials. On July 31, the Gateway Pundit, a pro-Trump website with a history of publishing false stories, reported that a Maricopa County election official allowed a staff technician to gain unauthorized access to a computer server room, where he deleted 2020 election data that was set to be audited. The website published the names and photos of the official and the tech; readers responded with threats against both. “Until we start hanging these evil doers nothing will change,” one reader wrote in the Gateway Pundit’s comment section. Another suggested death for the computer tech identified in the story: “hang that crook from (the) closest tree so people can see what happens to traitors.” The tech hadn’t deleted anything, according to a Maricopa spokesperson. The county election director had instructed him to shut down the server for delivery to the Arizona State Senate in response to a subpoena. A review of server records confirmed nothing was deleted, the spokesperson told Reuters, and all data from the 2020 election had been archived and preserved months earlier. Election employees singled out in Gateway Pundit stories “tend to see a surge in being targeted” for threats and harassing messages, Moore, the county’s information security officer, said in a Nov. 18, 2021, email to the FBI. Those stories, he added, are often “flagrantly inaccurate.” A Reuters investigation published last December found the Gateway Pundit cited in more than 100 threatening and hostile communications directed at 25 election workers in the year after the 2020 election. Other right-wing news outlets and commentators elicited similar hostile comments in response to their allegations against Maricopa officials. In August, right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk posted a comment in Telegram accusing Richer, the county recorder, and “his cronies” of making Arizona’s elections “a Third-World circus.” “When do we start hanging these people for treason?” one reader commented. Another simply added, “Kill them.” The Gateway Pundit and Kirk did not respond to requests for comment. After a security assessment by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in late 2021, Maricopa strengthened doors, added shatterproof film on windows and bought more first aid kits, according to the documents. But the harassment has continued. “This goes beyond just onsite security. It is a mental health issue,” Jarrett, the county elections director, wrote in an email to county officials two days after the primary. “I very much respect freedom of speech and welcome public scrutiny,” Jarrett added. “However, allowing this predatory activity to occur is damaging and threatening the viability of the elections department.” (Reporting by Linda So, Peter Eisler and Jason Szep; Editing by Suzanne Goldenberg) View the full article