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Published by BANG Showbiz English Jimmy Kimmel has lost “half [his] fanbase” over his jibes at Donald Trump. The 54-year-old star threatened to quit his ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ talk show when ABC executives expressed concern his jokes could alienate Republican viewers, and he’s admitted they were right to be worried because viewing figures having taken a hit. Asked if ABC ever expressed concerns about his attacks on the former president, he said: “There was one time, right around the beginning of this whole Trump thing… maybe not quite [eight years ago]. “I said listen, I get it, you’re right. I have lost half of my fanbase, maybe more. Ten years ago, among Republicans I was the most popular talk show. At least according to the research they did. “I get it if [blocking Trump jokes is] what they want to do. I said, ‘If that’s what you want to do I don’t begrudge you for it, but I’m not going to do that. If you want someone else to host the show, that’s fine with me. I’m just not going to do it like that.’” “I was serious. I couldn’t live with myself [if I didn’t grill Trump].” Fortunately, executives backed down and Jimmy – who recently agreed a deal to continue hosting the show for another three seasons – hopes he’ll still be in his seat if Trump ever gets his comeuppance. Speaking on the ‘Naked Lunch’ podcast, he said: “I want to be on the air when Donald Trump goes to jail. “I still believe, even after living through the O.J. [Simpson] trial, that justice triumphs in America and I know there are a billion different examples to the contrary. [But] how can you commit this many crimes and be this unethical and be this terrible and get away with it?” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Winston Duke credits the original ‘Black Panther’ film for changing the “landscape” of the film and TV industry. The 35-year-old actor is reprising his role as the warrior M’Baku in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sequel ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ and claims that the original 2018 flick – the first Marvel blockbuster with a predominantly black cast – has had a profound effect for representation on screen. Speaking at the film’s European premiere in London on Thursday (03.11.22), Winston said: “It’s only been four years and I would say that the landscape of film and TV looks and feels radically different at the moment. “I think what’s happened as a result of the ‘Black Panther’ effect is that it was very permissive. It gave everyone the chance to see what is possible when you centre people that aren’t part of the mainstream lens. “As a result you save movies like ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and tons of other movies that took off like wildfire. That’s the thing about equity, equity trickles upwards.” The movie was made following the death of the original’s lead star Chadwick Boseman and Winston has promised that fans should be excited about the future of ‘Black Panther’. The ‘Us’ actor said of the film: “Incredibly, incredibly proud. Profoundly proud. Excited for where it’s come from, what it is today and also where it’s going. “I think by the end of this movie, you will not know what is possible for the franchise. You don’t what’s going to happen next and I think that’s an exciting place to be.” Duke added that it was important to include a joyful element to the film despite production being overshadowed by Boseman’s passing. He said: “At the end of the day it is a movie about superheroes and about people with superpowers.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John has launched the ‘Elton John Presents: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ experience on Roblox. The music legend has created his own metaverse with interactive challenges, scavenger hunts and trivia quizzes. What’s more, fans can also try on some of the ‘Tiny Dancer’ hitmaker’s outlandish outfits. Elton has recorded a mini virtual set of his greatest hits, which will premiere on November 17 until November 20. The ‘I’m Still Standing’ singer revealed his sons, Elijah, nine, and Zachary, 11, are massive fans of the creative gaming platform. He said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be launching ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ on Roblox. I’ve seen the joy that Roblox has brought to my boys. I’ve always been myself and used my image, eyewear, and music to express myself, and Roblox really encourages that self-expression. Now my fans can do the same, and that’s really exciting.” He added: “At every step of my career, I’ve always wanted to push forward and look to the future, and ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ is the next step on that journey as I prepare to step away from live touring after 50 years on the road. It’s genuinely thrilling, and I can’t wait to see the response from my fans and the Roblox community.” Elton will retire from the road once he wraps his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. To coincide with his final performance at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 20, Elton will release ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years that Made His Legend’, featuring never-before-seen archival footage and new interviews. Elton’s spouse and manager, David Furnish, CEO of Rocket Entertainment, added: “Elton is a visionary creative with a life full of major music and fashion moments significant to the culture of then and now and lived his life like an avatar. ‘Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’ is an extraordinary collection of some of these moments that we have had a lot of fun recreating with the Roblox community. As Elton says farewell to touring at Dodger Stadium, we’re excited for the opportunities that spaces like Roblox offer to ensure Elton’s music and legacy may continue to bring joy to the world.” View the full article

Published by DPA Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin speaks to the media as she arrives to attend the second day of the EU Summit at the European Council. Alexandros Michailidis/EU Council/dpa Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin did not neglect the duties of her office during parties she attended in the summer, the country’s chancellor of justice has concluded. There was no reason to believe that the Social Democratic head of government had neglected her official duties or violated the law, Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Pöysti in a review of complaints about the 36-year-old’s recreational behaviour. Marin made headlines in August because of videos from a private party showing her dancing and singing with friends. One of the videos fuelled rumours that drugs may have been consumed. The prime minister denied all allegations and submitted to a drug test, which came back negative. In Finland, the independent chancellor of justice checks the legality of the activities of the government, president and authorities. Citizens can file complaints with him if they suspect unlawful behaviour. After Marin’s celebrations became public, several such complaints were submitted to Pöysti. Marin was accused of being unfit for her duties because of her alcohol consumption. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Britney Spears has shared the joys of drinking coffee and visiting spas after being freed from her conservatorship. The singer spent more than a decade under the protective order which controlled almost every aspect of her life and was run by her dad Jamie Spears before it was dissolved last year – now she’s sent him a “f*** you” message boasting about doing all the things he’d previously banned. In a post on Instagram, Britney wrote: “It’s been a while since I talked to my pops !!! Brit Brit’s got some good special news … this year I’ve been able to get cash for the first time with my ATM card !!! Damn I must say … not being a part of your slave treatment program has changed my life !!! Guess what ??? I can go to spas now too.” Britney then went on to reveal she’s also able to indulge in her favourite hot drinks now too. She added: “But MORE GOOD NEWS … I know I couldn’t go to spas because you were scared I would drink coffee !!! I’m an equal person now!!! I can drink coffee … and I’m so HAPPY !!! Anyways I just wanted to give you a beautiful SPECIAL HAPPY f*** you.” Britney previously accused her dad of mistreating while he was in charge of the conservatorship in bombshell testimony at a court in Los Angeles last year as she fought to be released from the protective order which had been in place since 2008. The singer said at the time: “In California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking, making anyone work against their will, taking all their possessions away credit card, cash, phone, passport.” She claimed the conservatorship restricted her visitors, monitored her phone calls and her movements and even forced her to have a contraceptive IUD implanted to stop her having another baby, The conservatorship was dissolved in November 2021. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Joe Exotic.MEGA “Tiger King” star Joe Exotic didn’t mince his words when describing what his prison experience is like, Radar has learned. Exotic posted to Instagram that he is living in “the bottom of hell” as he is incarcerated in federal prison in Atlanta. The post is accompanied by a photo of Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, of him kissing a tiger cub. “I have officially landed at the bottom of hell, at the Federal Prison in Atlanta GA,” the reality-star-turned-inmate wrote. “Senator Ossoff [sic], Warnock and Walker are all lying to you Black Voters of Georgia because the Animals at the Atlanta Zoo are living better then [sic] your loved ones are in here I promise,” Exotic’s post reads. Exotic, 59, is in the midst of a 21-year prison sentence for a murder-for-hire scheme that was intended to kill fellow Tiger King star Caroline Baskin, who many accuse of killing her own husband by feeding him to tigers. Exotic’s feud with Baskin played a prominent role in the Tiger King Netflix docu-series that came out in 2020 and was wildly popular. Exotic attempted to hire two different men to kill Baskin, who accused him of being an animal abuser during the show. Exotic, whose wild antics played a big role in the docu-series, has repeatedly claimed innocense, stating that he was only joking about the murder-for-hire plot. Though Exotic has been known for dramatics, his criticism of the federal prison may have some merit. According to The New York Times, investigators found evidence of drug abuse, subpar medical and mental health care for inmates, a bevy of violence and unsanitary conditions there. Exotic isn’t the only Tiger King star who has legal problems. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, who owns Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, has been charged with animal trafficking and money laundering. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English King Charles is related to the real life royal who inspired the character of Dracula. The revelation came from actor Luke Evans who met the royal after finishing work on 2014 film ‘Dracula Untold’ and revealed Charles told him he’d traced his ancestry back to blood-thirsty Romanian ruler Vlad the Impaler – also known as Vlad III, Vlad Tepes and Vlad Dracula – who is said to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s fictional vampire. Speaking on ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’, Luke explained how the bizarre conversation came about, saying: “I remember the first time I spoke to Charles. I was super nervous. “He came up to me and said, ‘What are you working on?’ and I said, ‘I’ve just finished a movie about Vlad, who turns into Dracula.’ And he went ‘Funnily enough, I’m related to Vlad Tepes’. “I thought he was joking, but went through his lineage to Vlad.” In ‘Dracula Untold’, Luke played 15th century Romanian ruler Vlad III with Dracula being his monstrous alter-ego. The real Vlad ruled the region of Wallachia in what is now Romania and was said to have been a fearsome ruler who killed thousands and executed many of his enemies using impalement which earned him his gruesome nickname. Bram Stoker’s book ‘Dracula’ was published in 1897 and many believe he used the Vlad mythology to help create his most famous character. King Charles is believed to be Vlad’s great grandson 16 times removed through King George V’s consort Queen Mary. Since discovering the historical link, Charles has visited the region numerous times, bought property in Transylvania and even carried out charity work there through his Prince of Wales Foundation. ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ airs on Saturday at 10.10pm on ITV. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega John Fetterman and his team privately courted Oprah for an endorsement for months before the media mogul agreed, RadarOnline.com has learned. Sources close to the situation reveal Fetterman had been desperate for the television icon’s support given her longtime pal Dr. Oz is his opponent in the Pennsylvania Senate race. mega An insider told Politico that Fetterman’s team reached out for a meeting with Oprah and had been communicating with her for some time. A source said other celebrities had asked Oprah to put her name behind Fetterman in the extremely close race. “John isn’t one to ask for endorsements,” said his friend Neil Makhija, “But if there was one that is really meaningful, for many reasons — it’s Oprah.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, on Thursday, Oprah held A Virtual Voting Conversation where she talked about the importance of voting. On the call, Oprah said,“If we do not show up to vote, if we do not get fired up at this moment, the people who will be in power will begin making decisions for us.” mega She added, “Decisions about how we care for our bodies, how we care for our kids, what books your children can read, who gets protected by the police and who gets targeted.” Oprah end the call by endorsing Fetterman. She told the people on the call that there were “many reasons” for her decision. Fetterman responded on Twitter writing, “She is a leader on so many issues — fighting for our democracy, passing common-sense gun reform, and ensuring racial justice.” The mogul’s decision to lend her support to Fetterman comes months after Oz pleaded with Oprah not to talk about the race. In December, he told supporters during a private event that he talked to Oprah asking her to “stay out.” “I asked her to stay out. ‘Don’t support me because, if you get involved in any way, you’ll get hurt. And I don’t want my friends hurt,'” he said. Oz’s spokesperson Brittany Yanick responded to Oprah’s endorsement. She said, “Doctor Oz loves Oprah and respects the fact that they have different politics. He believes we need more balance and less extremism in Washington.” mega As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Oz appears to be taking a slight lead in the polls after questions continue to be raised about Fetterman’s health after he suffered a stroke. View the full article

Published by DPA Picasso’s “Woman with a Book” is among the works on display California’s Norton Simon Museum. Norton Simon Museum/National Gallery London/dpa Los Angeles (tca/dpa) — It’s Picasso season in Los Angeles. Two terrific new exhibitions, one small and the other large, both unprecedented, answer the question: Is Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) overexposed in American museums? In a word, no. Hugh Eakins’ recent book, “Picasso’s War: How Modern Art Came to America,” reminds us that the reigning titan of the Paris avant-garde wasn’t exactly embraced in the United States before World War II. Since then, he’s never been off the institutional radar screen. Yet if the curatorial framing is savvy enough, there is much to gain from looking again. The exhibitions at Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum and the UCLA Hammer Museum in Westwood are both firsts, which is fairly remarkable for an artist so abundantly studied. The small show is “Picasso Ingres: Face to Face” at the Simon — just two paintings, roughly the same size, both killer. The pairing was organized by Christopher Riopelle, curator of London’s National Gallery, where it was seen during the summer, and Simon chief curator Emily Talbot. For the first time, Picasso’s riveting 1932 “Woman With a Book,” acquired by the late Norton Simon in 1960, hangs next to the extraordinary picture whose composition the Spaniard adapted for his own — in a manner both affectionate and brash. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ 1856 “Madame Moitessier” is one of two portraits the artist did of Marie-Clotilde-Inès Moitessier, a woman he called “la belle et bonne” — the beautiful and good. The Ingres, an incomparable National Gallery treasure never before seen in California, is a sumptuous extravaganza, a portrait of a wealthy merchant’s wife dressed in silk marked by an opulent floral pattern, a hair ornament of intricate white lace and a cascade of pink satin, plus chunky, eye-popping jewelry. A painted fan is tucked beneath her left hand, and she is surrounded with furnishings that signify her upper-class bourgeois affluence, about which her slight, soft, “Mona Lisa” smile suggests she is mighty pleased. The Picasso is one of an extraordinary group of 1932 portraits of Marie-Thérèse Walter, the artist’s much younger lover. (She was 23, he was 51.) Like Moitessier, Walter wears a floral dress and is seated in an upholstered chair. Likewise, her head is shown in three-quarter view, not exactly resting on a raised right hand. Its index figure taps at her temple to evoke the Classical pose of the goddess of Arcadia in a famous Roman fresco from Herculaneum. Fingers on both women’s raised hands are without skeletal structure, languorous and at ease. Behind Walter, a framed picture of a profile head echoes the mirrored head behind Moitessier in Ingres’ portrait. There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night. Beyond these general similarities in composition, the tenor of the paintings couldn’t be more different. Moitessier is majestic, Walter humbler. Moitessier is swathed in luxe floral fabric with fashionable bare shoulders, Walter in a folkish blouse with puffy sleeves, provocatively slipping to her sides. Moitessier is elegantly proper, Walter is disheveled, breasts popping out of a see-through bustier. Most tellingly, Moitessier’s closed fan is now an open book, which Picasso moved from the side into a central position in Walter’s lap. The V-shaped pages flutter in her similarly splayed fingers, creating a startling double image suggesting masturbation. (The act goes unmentioned in the otherwise fulsome exhibition catalog, which is as chaste as Mme. Moitissier.) It takes its place with other rapturous 1932 Walter paintings, including the fellatio underway — complete with a hint of castration in her dagger-like tongue — in “The Dream” and the delirious bondage scene in “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust.” The Picasso is a sex painting, the virtuous Ingres’ emphatically is not. Which raises the question: What did the Spaniard see in the Frenchman’s masterpiece, which he had encountered much earlier in a celebrated 1921 Paris exhibition, that drew him to use it for a very different painting? For me, one answer is in the optics. Ingres spent 12 excruciating years getting every exquisite detail down in his portrait. Some think he employed a camera lucida’s lens to render sitters as accurately as possible, which makes two details surprising. Those boneless fingers by her face serve multiple functions, implying her erudition in the Arcadian reference and her accustomed leisure in their languorous droop. And the mirror reflection is optically wrong, recording Inès Moitissier in profile — which is impossible. That’s probably what got Picasso interested. He’d paid attention to Ingres since his youth, and the older painter’s intensely observed naturalism was always convincingly manipulated to achieve expressive ends. If the mirror reflection didn’t line up with visual reality, that was secondary to his desire to frame and flatter his subject as if she were an empress on an ancient Roman coin. Picasso turned that mirror profile into a painting that hangs on the wall behind Walter. It too is a Roman style head, but it fuses his and his lover’s profiles, now hovering over her together as she pleasures herself. The erotic psychological probing in Surrealist painting meets the visual intimacy inherent in Picasso’s Cubist invention, in which multiple sides of an object are seen at once, just as they would be if held close to a viewer’s eyes. Try it yourself: Next time you passionately kiss someone, keep your eyes wide open; your lover’s features will shatter into multiple, fragmentary perspectives, seen all together. Now look at Walter’s face, seen frontally and from the side at once. What the eye sees was as important to Picasso as it was to Ingres. Picasso finished his brash painting in just a few days. It’s almost an abrupt, indelicate retort to Ingres’ laborious refinement. (The surface of the latter’s is even highly finished and smooth, while the former’s is rough and coarse.) Through imitation Picasso registers profound admiration for Ingres, all while taking possession and making the portrait his own. Across town at the large Hammer show, a smashing survey of an unexpected body of work unfolds — literally. For the first time, “Picasso: Cut Papers” assembles about 100 examples of works on — and in — paper incised with scissors. Think of it as a pop-up show with three-dimensional objects, most modestly scaled and made from folded paper. The earliest — charming silhouettes of a dog and a dove — date from about 1890, when the precocious artist was 9. The observational inventiveness is riveting, especially in the dove, the curved contour of its closed wing made through a simple, narrow cut from his Aunt Eloisa’s petite embroidery scissors. The latest are 1962 collaborations with photographer André Villers, made when Picasso was in his 80s. (He died at 91.) Cutouts and fabrics were laid on camera-free photographic paper exposed to light, yielding a layered, alchemical vision of ethereal landscapes, musicians and portraits. The show opens chronologically, lining up 15 works made through the 1910s, which lay out most of the variety of approaches he would take in the next seven decades. After that, the cut papers are installed in revealing ways that reverberate with one another. We associate cut paper with Matisse, whose scissors made astonishing forms from vivid color. By contrast, the 15 introductory Picasso works culminate in a dazzling little brown-paper construction of a guitar resting on a table before a window. It’s less than 7 inches high. Negative space and positive materiality interpenetrate in an extraordinary formal condensation of Cubist technique. It evokes Picasso’s nearly life-size sculpture study, “Guitar” (1912) , not in the show but a pivotal moment in the Cubist revolution. Speaking of the installation design, it’s exceptionally beautiful. Paris-based Agence NC Nathalie Crinière has centered a dark blue-gray square room inside the mostly white square gallery, with cutouts piercing all four corners to layer views into inside and outside spaces. Some objects are in shadowboxes, while many flat sheets are placed on tilted shelves, which reach out to make for easy viewing. The elegant design is articulate and generous. Curators Cynthia Burlingham, director of the UCLA Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, and Allegra Pesenti, former associate director there and now independent, have grouped works in loose categories, most based on fabrication techniques: silhouettes, torn and perforated papers, pinned and pasted, etc. (Their catalog is excellent, an essential addition to voluminous Picasso scholarship — no mean feat.) Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the artist’s grandson, and his wife, gallerist Almine Rech, and the Picasso museums in Paris and Barcelona are principal lenders. Most of the works have been tucked in flat files for years, which kept them pristine and makes for a rare and surprising opportunity now. (The show will not travel.) A small number of the sculptures are made from folded sheet metal — a toy horse, a chair, a mother and child — which recalls the construction of many monumental Picasso sculptures. A sense of obsessive, curious, voracious playfulness runs throughout the exhibition. It’s a spirit that is certainly related to, yet distinctly different from, the bawdy bandying that unfolds in Pasadena. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ 1856 “Madame Moitessier” is one of two portraits the artist did of Marie-Clotilde-Inès Moitessier, a woman he called “la belle et bonne” — the beautiful and good. Norton Simon Museum/National Gallery London/dpa View the full article

Published by AFP A voter fills out their ballot ahead of November 8 midterm elections Washington (AFP) – Shared among relatives and people they trust — that is how misinformation often moves among the estimated 34.5 million Americans of Hispanic origin eligible to vote in US midterm elections on November 8, experts say, with the specter of communism a common narrative. Those contributing to the spread regularly appeal to the emotions of a community in which authority and familiarity play a fundamental role, with politicians looking to garner support with messaging that tugs at the heartstrings. Misinformation evoking painful memories — such as the communist or socialist regimes which the families of many Hispanic Americans left behind to come to the United States — can quickly proliferate among a group that makes up around 14 percent of the US electorate. Maria Corina Vegas, a Venezuelan living in Miami, Florida, says she receives numerous text messages associating the Democratic Party of Joe Biden with the “Chavista radical Left,” a reference to former socialist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Constant streams of polarized content cause family friction, according to Vegas. “It has led me to avoid discussions,” she said, noting that some family members cannot stop themselves from arguing about the messages they’ve seen. Vanessa Cardenas of America’s Voice, an immigrants’ rights organization, told AFP that purveyors of misinformation know false and misleading content can discourage electoral participation. Yet the very same information “is more credible when it comes from people you trust.” This explains how Hispanics in the US are vulnerable to misinformation on WhatsApp, an encrypted messaging app used by 20 percent of the community, according to a survey by Equis Institute. WhatsApp “is where family and people you trust are,” said Julio Rivera, head of campaigns for the NALEO Educational Fund, which promotes the participation of Latinos in US elections. Cynthia Perez of Cubanos Pa’lante, an organization that encourages “progressive Cuban-Americans” to vote in Florida, agreed. “The first generations of Latinos (to arrive in the US) have a lot of respect for authority,” she said. “When they listen to the president, the governor, or a police officer, they don’t automatically think that person is telling lies. And they believe them because they are people they trust.” Fear of communism Although many misinformation narratives circulating ahead of the midterms are translated from English, others are created or adapted to exacerbate feelings in Hispanic communities, analysts say. For example, many Cuban and Venezuelan emigres fleeing communism and socialism are the targets of campaigns spreading fear that what happened in their countries could happen in the US if they vote for certain candidates, Rivera said. Evelyn Perez-Verdia, head of strategy at the consulting firm We Are Mas, echoed the same concern. “The actors who create misinformation, domestic or foreign, understand the pain that word — communism — causes the Latin American or Caribbean community,” she said. “In 2018, they started accusing anyone who was a Democrat, even right-wing centrists, of being socialist-communist because it immediately created fear in the community.” As of that year, there were 1.3 million Cubans in the US, according to official data. There were more than 540,000 Venezuelans as of 2021, according to R4V, a platform for refugees and migrants from Venezuela co-led by the UN. The evocation of communism has been visible in midterms campaigning, with Republicans such as US Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar of Florida characterizing Biden as a far-left politician. Other posts circulating on WhatsApp make false claims about voting and abortion rights, particularly following the US Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, raising fears that vulnerable people will not seek medical attention when they need it. Part of the problem, Rivera said, is that more resources and controls are needed to stop the flow of misinformation in Spanish in the US since such content “stays up longer” online compared to claims in English. A report by Avaaz, an activist group that studies disinformation, indicates 70 percent of inaccurate content in Spanish on Facebook did not receive warning labels, compared to 29 percent in English. On WhatsApp, news organizations such as AFP have established tip lines to fight disinformation by answering users with reliable information and facts. View the full article

Published by AFP The Artemis-1 rocket is rolled out from the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Kennedy Space Center (United States) (AFP) – NASA rolled out its largest-ever rocket to a launch pad in Florida on Friday and will try again 10 days from now to blast off on a much-delayed uncrewed mission to the Moon. After two launch attempts were scrubbed this summer because of technical problems, the rocket returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building to protect it from Hurricane Ian. The US space agency used the time to carry out minor repairs and to recharge the batteries that power systems on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The SLS rocket’s four-mile (six-kilometer) journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B took nearly nine hours, NASA said. The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket was rolled out slowly on a giant platform known as the crawler-transporter designed to minimize vibrations. The next launch attempt is scheduled for 12:07 am Eastern Time (0407 GMT) on November 14 with backup dates on November 16 at 1:04 am and November 19 at 1:45 am. “We’re comfortable launching at night,” NASA associate administrator Jim Free said at a briefing on Thursday. Free said radar and infrared camera imaging will provide the necessary data to track the rocket’s performance. If the rocket blasts off on November 16, the mission would last a little more than 25 days with the crew capsule splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on December 9. The highly anticipated uncrewed mission, dubbed Artemis 1, will bring the United States a step closer to returning astronauts to the Moon five decades after humans last walked on the lunar surface. The goal of Artemis 1, named after the twin sister of Apollo, is to test the SLS rocket and Orion crew capsule that sits on top. Mannequins equipped with sensors are standing in for astronauts on the mission and will record acceleration, vibration and radiation levels. The Orion capsule is to orbit the Moon to see if the vessel is safe for people in the near future. At some point, Artemis aims to put a woman and a person of color on the Moon for the first time. And since humans have already visited the Moon, Artemis has its sights set on another lofty goal: a crewed mission to Mars. During the trip, Orion will follow an elliptical course around the Moon, coming within 60 miles (100 kilometers) at its closest approach and 40,000 miles at its farthest — the deepest into space ever by a craft designed to carry humans. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jarrett Renshaw and Heather Timmons WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday will do much more than shape the next two years of Joe Biden’s presidency, they’ll help determine whether he will run in 2024 as well, political analysts and advisers believe. While a new president’s party historically suffers losses in Congress during the midterm election, Biden, 79, faces extra scrutiny. He and advisers have said as recently as Nov. 2 that he plans to run again, and that they’re already making plans. White House officials expect him to run as well. But a wide margin of Democratic losses would be viewed as a rebuke of Biden’s presidency, and increase pressure on him to cede the role to someone else, some Democrats say. “I think we’re due for a generational shift,” said Thomas Alan Schwartz, a presidential historian at Vanderbilt University. “I think the midterms could be decisive on that level. If the Democrats lose badly, I think you may see a fairly strong push for Biden to take himself out of 2024.” Biden choosing to step aside, however, raises its own thorny issues: SO WHO’S THE CANDIDATE? Vice President Kamala Harris is currently the Democrat’s top alternate candidate, Democratic officials tell Reuters, with most polls showing her second after Biden, and well ahead of most other oft-mentioned names. Michelle Obama, a voter favorite, has shown no intention of jumping into the race, and Vice Presidents who seek presidential nominations historically win them. But Harris’s approval ratings, once well over 50%, have languished at or below 40% in most polls. Her poor showing in the 2020 presidential race and lack of standout policy success as vice president have raised doubts she can defeat a Republican opponent. Harris’s office had no comment. A trio of governors from deeply blue states – California’s Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker and New Jersey’s Phil Murphy – have already contacted potential donors and staff in the case that Biden stands down, according to two sources familiar with those efforts. None of the three would run against Biden in a primary, and they may defer to Harris, too, sources say. A senior Democrat said Newsom “has told people he won’t run against Biden” or Harris. The Democrat said Newsom could change his mind about running against the vice president. Newsom, Pritzker and Murphy’s offices didn’t respond to requests for comment. Multiple failed 2020 Democratic presidential candidates could pop up too, a scenario so unsettling for Democrats it was skewered as a horror movie by comedy television show Saturday Night Live last month. Already, about 20 politicians rumored to have 2024 ambitions have raised over $591 million since January 2021 through their aligned political operations, the nonprofit Open Secrets reported in September, including Newsom, Pritzker, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Spending in the 2020 presidential election surpassed $5.7 billion, campaign finance research site Open Secrets found, more than double the amount spent in any of the last three presidential elections, thanks to small dollar donors. Any Democratic primary contest would weaken the party’s financial firepower in 2024, which could seen spending jump again, campaign finance experts believe. PRIMARY CALENDAR CHANGES The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is close to making the biggest change to its presidential primary calendar in decades, which might affect who the party chooses for 2024. Iowa and New Hampshire have long opened the presidential nominating process, but with populations at about 90% and 93% white, respectively, don’t reflect the likely Democratic party electorate, estimated at 40% non-white by Pew Research. . South Carolina, Nevada or Michigan, may host the Democratic primary instead. The changes would may have little impact on an uncontested Biden reelection bid – after all the President won the Democratic nomination with South Carolina’s help. But it could be seismic if he steps aside, forcing candidates to address the concerns of black and Latino voters early, shifting momentum of the race. “It will have a dramatic impact. Having a more diverse early primary, including geography, will help ensure candidates address a broader range of issues and will ultimately produce a better candidate,” said Karen Finney, a Democratic political consultant. The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is expected to meet in early December on the issue, with a final decision by early January. LESSONS FROM LBJ AND THE 1860s Biden would not be the first U.S. president to decide against running for reelection. Lyndon B. Johnson, challenged by fellow Democrats who opposed the Vietnam War, shocked the country by announcing in March of 1968, a presidential election year, not to run again. And multiple consecutive Republican presidents, beginning in the 1860s, served only one term. The results were markedly different for the two parties, historians note. Johnson stepped down in a speech pleading for peace in South Vietnam and action from Congress on cutting the deficit, saying he couldn’t devote time to “personal partisan causes” while Americans were dying overseas. The chaotic Democratic convention and campaign ended in Republican Richard Nixon taking office. “It was a mess, largely because it was so late in the game,” said Jeremi Suri, professor in the University of Texas Department of History. Republicans in the late 1800s, however, held the White House through a time of national division, widespread anger after the Civil War and razor thin voting margins for several terms in a row, by putting up new candidates again and again. “I think the Democratic party and the White House should not presume you need to run the same presidential candidate again to hold the White House,” Suri said. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Heather Timmons; Editing by Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega It seems pop legend Cher really does believe in life after love! On Wednesday, November 2, the “I Got You Babe” icon was spotted looking loved up with her alleged new flame, much-younger music producer Alexander Edwards, during a night out at West Hollywood hotspot, Craig’s, where they were later joined by rapper Tyga. Waking hand-in-hand amid their mid-week outing to the star-studded SoCal locale, the pair kept it chic and sleek in matching monochrome outfits. mega The 76-year-old star stepped out in her signature shade, pairing a black, strappy corset top with a pair of matching flowy pants. The Sonny & Cher alum completed the elegant getup with a black trenchcoat, a pair of chunky heels and a matching sparkly bag, her signature long black tresses flowing down her back. ‘CHER IS NIT-PICKING EVERY DETAIL’: ‘BELIEVE’ SINGER COMPLETELY IN CONTROL OF HER UPCOMING BIOPIC, DISHES SOURCE Meanwhile, Alexander, 36, seemingly took a nod from his lover’s look, rocking a long-sleeved leather shirt and similar slacks, accessorizing his look with a black peacoat, and a pair of red and black boots. The music producer, who once famously dated Amber Rose,added a bit of sparkle with a pair of stud earrings, a chain and a ring. mega Prior to her reported romance with Alexander, the “Believe” artist was married to performer-turned-politician Sonny Bono from 1965 to 1975. They had one child together, their son, Chaz Bono. ‘WE KNEW THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE A STAR’: HOW CHER WENT FROM SHY YOUNG GIRL TO GLOBAL SUPERSTAR — WATCH Though the former U.S. Representative passed away in 1998 at age 62 following a skiing accident, it seems his formerSonny & Cher Comedy Hour co-host is still grappling with some legal elements of his estate. mega Last fall,OK! reported that Cher sued her former flame’s widow, Mary Bono, alleging that she withheld royalties from several of their hit songs, including “I Got You Babe”, “The Beat Goes On”, “Baby Don’t Go”, “Little Man” and “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” Daily Mail reported on Cher and Alexander’s recent night out. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Madonna seemed to have dressed up as The Queen of Hearts for Halloween. The ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker took to Instagram on Monday (31.02.22) where she showed off her poses in the regal outfit, which appeared to have been inspired by the main antagonist from the classic 1856 novel ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll as well as its multiple adaptations. Alongside the social media post, she wrote: “A Haunting Fairytale………” and emblazoned the caption with a series of emojis inspired by the spooky season. Other photos included a close-up of her buxom cleavage in the sprawling dress, as well as some more poses with her son David Banda, 17, and her twin daughters Stelle and Estere, 10. Several famous faces flooded the comments section of the post to send their admiration to the Queen of Pop, including reality star Paris Hilton, 41, who posted a heart eyes emoji as well as actress and long-term friend Debi Mazar who wrote: “Verified Wow! Fantastic ” followed by a series of heart emojis. The ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ songstress could also be seen waving a sceptre around in a nod to the regal nature of the costume as she welcomed the spooky holiday and asked her 118 million followers when they would recognise her as a “person.” She said: “When will you understand that I’m a person and not a thing? You came for the treat… but I’ve got the trick!” In another video, Madonna quoted late French queen Marie Antoinette with a Haloween twist, by stating: “No candy? Let them eat cake!” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega The royal family didn’t appreciate former President Donald Trump‘s previous remarks. According to a new royal biography, King Charles was not a fan of the TV star, as he thought he was “detached from reality.” Charles was “disappointed” after Trump called him the “Prince of Whales,” spelled like the sea mammal, rather than the correct way: Prince of Wales, author Christopher Andersen writes The King: The Life of Charles III. mega Charles was also turned off when Trump said Princess Diana could have been his lady. “It didn’t help that Trump had aggressively pursued Princess Diana after her divorce — overtures that were rebuffed — and claimed later on a radio program that he could have ‘nailed her if I wanted to,’ but only if she passed an HIV test,” Andersen writes. Trump also commented on Kate Middleton‘s topless sunbathing photos, which were published in a magazine in 2012, saying, “Kate Middleton is great – but she shouldn’t be sunbathing in the nude – only herself to blame. Who wouldn’t take Kate’s picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!” Trump’s words did not sit well with Charles and Prince William. “Trump’s criticism of Kate resulted in what one Clarence House butler referred to as ‘torrents of profanity’ from both Prince Charles and his sons,” Andersen writes. mega When Trump tried to visit Britain in 2017, the royals were adamantly against it. Charles, William and Harry “burned up the phone lines between Clarence House and Kensington Palace, with all three princes agreeing to work behind the scenes to discourage Trump’s visit,” according to Andersen. “Throughout 2017 and into 2018, Britons seemed nearly as fascinated with the tweet-storming Trump as their American cousins. The royal family was no exception,” Andersen wrote. “At every opportunity, including Prince Harry’s wedding reception, Charles took his wealthy and influential American friends aside and gently prodded them for information. “It was important that he not push too hard or too far; some of the donors to his charities, including those with the deepest pockets, were Trump supporters,” he continued. “Still, when lent a receptive ear, Charles asked on several occasions how likely it was that President Trump would be impeached. ‘Trump seems to be detached from reality, doesn’t he?’ he asked a former Washington official who now headed up a major US conglomerate. ‘What a ghastly, awful man.'” mega Of course, in 2018, Trump shared why he didn’t head over to the U.K. “Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for ‘peanuts,’ only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!” he wrote at the time. Newsweek reported on Trump and Charles’ relationship. For more on the royal family, tune into the new podcast “The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession.” Listen below! View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega It sounds like King Charles can be a real royal pain for his staff. Ahead of the Tuesday, November 8, release of Christopher Andersen‘s new book, The King: The Life of Charles III, the biographer is sharing a few reasons as to why he believes the father-of-two will be “one of the most eccentric sovereigns Great Britain has ever had.” To start, the author claimed he can be extremely finicky and high maintenance, revealing he “travels with a custom-made toilet seat” so he doesn’t have to sit on one used by others. And though Charles, 73, has denied it, Andersen alleged that when the royal “goes to dinner parties at other people’s homes, he often brings his own chef so they can prepare a meal for him that he’ll eat separately at the table.” “He wants what he wants when he wants it,” he noted, adding the newly appointed monarch “has a volcanic temper.” mega On the other hand, Andersen acknowledged the heir also has a soft side to him. “He still travels with a childhood teddy bear. He’s had it since he was a very small child,” he disclosed. “The only person who’s been allowed to mend King Charles’ teddy bear is his childhood nanny, Mabel Anderson, who he remains very close to.” PRINCE HARRY & MEGHAN MARKLE’S PRESENCE AT KING CHARLES’ CORONATION ‘COULD CAUSE A LOT OF TURMOIL,’ CLAIMS EXPERT Charles will need to have complete control of his emotions now that he’s taken the throne, but the writer believes the king is well prepared. mega “He’s been waiting for 70 years to take this job. That’s longer than any previous monarch. He’s already taken some moves to slim down the monarchy a bit,” he shared. “He just sold 15 of his mother’s cherished race horses… There will be other cutbacks. They will be looking and touring some of the palaces and museums.” Regardless of what changes he makes, the author pointed out, “If the monarchy survives and flourishes, it will be because of Charles. If it doesn’t, it will be because of Charles. Everything hinges on what King Charles III becomes.” Entertainment Tonight chatted with Andersen. For more on the royal family, tune into the critically acclaimed podcast, “The Firm: Blood Lies and Royal Succession.” Listen below. View the full article

Published by AFP Poll workers handle ballots for the US midterm elections, in the presence of observers from both Democratic and Republican parties, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center (MCTEC) in Phoenix, Arizona on October 25, 2022 Leesburg (United States) (AFP) – Many are burning out, others fear for their safety: conspiracy theories born in the 2020 election are fueling harassment of poll workers across the United States — complicating their work and stoking fears of violence in the November 8 midterms. Egged on by baseless claims of fraud from former president Donald Trump and others, many voters are taking matters into their own hands, with officials warning of real consequences for the democratic process. “The only problems we have had, honestly, have been dealing with misinformation,” said Richard Keech, deputy registrar in Loudoun County, Virginia, outside Washington. Voters streamed into the county Office of Elections when AFP visited on October 28, casting ballots early in a swing state where Republicans hope to pick up seats in Congress. One asked if the voting machines were connected to the internet, echoing a huge, false narrative that spread online in 2020. Voting machines are not typically online — and thus are not vulnerable to hacking while polls are open. However benign, questions like that can slow election workers down. Others are less innocent, veering into harassment. Since August, Loudoun County has fielded more than 200 freedom of information requests about voting equipment and procedures, the highest number ever received — sapping precious resources. A local group of “digital warriors” circulated a video falsely claiming county officials were storing photos of ballots. “Within 24 hours, we had voters showing up at the front counter insisting to see the picture of their ballot to show that their vote was counted properly,” said Keech, who has worked for the elections office for over a decade. In Arizona, ballot watchers inspired by a popular conspiracy film about the 2020 election have staked out and recorded activity at drop boxes. In other battleground states such as Florida and Michigan, the Republican National Committee has recruited poll workers from groups that deny President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory was legitimate. And in Pennsylvania, poll officials say they are concerned for their safety. “There’s definitely a gravity weighing on us just kind of knowing what’s happening in other counties,” said Dori Sawyer, voter services director in Montgomery County, near Philadelphia. “Kind of, you know, wondering: When is it our turn?” ‘Threats and harassment’ Despite reports about vulnerabilities in electronic voting systems, Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said last month that the agency is “not aware of any specific or credible threats to compromise or disrupt election infrastructure.” That said, “the current election threat environment is more complex than it has ever been,” she told reporters, pointing to potential harassment targeting officials and “insider threats” from poll workers. After Trump’s presidential election loss, local officials became the target of unfounded claims about malfeasance. Some had to go into hiding due to death threats, as they recounted in congressional testimony. The US Department of Justice has pledged to crack down on such threats going into the midterms, but the intimidation has already taken a toll. “It’s kind of exacerbated the tensions around elections in a way that I’ve never seen before — and I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years,” said Tammy Patrick, senior advisor to the elections program at the nonprofit Democracy Fund and a former Arizona election official. “We have seen states where a quarter of their election officials, a third of their election officials have resigned.” According to Keech, about a third of the poll workers in Virginia’s Loudoun County are new this year. Other US states have not replaced those who resigned after 2020, and the job for the top election official in Fulton County, Georgia — which includes Atlanta — remains empty. Experts warn this attrition spells trouble, as mistakes from inexperienced poll workers could be misconstrued as wrongdoing. And in some places, staffing gaps are being filled by members of election denial groups. “Whenever you bring on a lot of temporary workers in the run-up to an election cycle, by the very nature you increase the possibility of that insider threat,” said David Levine, a fellow at the Alliance For Securing Democracy, a national security group, and a former Idaho election official. ‘Safeguarding’ Some voting processes have been changed as a result of harassment. “We’ve made some additional physical security enhancements to our building or locations,” Keech said, including new locks at the Office of Elections. He said Loudoun County also “further strengthened” chain-of-custody procedures for ballots. In Montgomery County, Sawyer said she has had security briefings with local law enforcement and FBI agents. Her staff will also be present at drop boxes to explain how they are secured. When voters call with “really intense concerns” about the election process, Sawyer said she reminds them that “we’re real people.” “I care about democracy,” she said. “We get to choose our leaders. We kind of get to write our own destiny. I think that is worth safeguarding.” View the full article

Published by AFP A family of rhesus macaque huddles together during a rainfall in Mumbai on June 21, 2021. Washington (AFP) – Mother monkeys permanently separated from their newborns sometimes find comfort in plush toys: this recent finding from Harvard experiments has set off intense controversy among scientists and reignited the ethical debate over animal testing. The paper, “Triggers for mother love” was authored by neuroscientist Margaret Livingstone and appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in September to little fanfare or media coverage. But once news of the study began spreading on social media, it provoked a firestorm of criticism and eventually a letter to PNAS signed by over 250 scientists calling for a retraction. Animal rights groups meanwhile recalled Livingstone’s past work, that included temporarily suturing shut the eyelids of infant monkeys in order to study the impact on their cognition. “We cannot ask monkeys for consent, but we can stop using, publishing, and in this case actively promoting cruel methods that knowingly cause extreme distress,” wrote Catherine Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St Andrews, who co-authored the retraction letter. Hobaiter told AFP she was awaiting a response from the journal before further comment, but expected news soon. Harvard and Livingstone, for their part, have strongly defended the research. Livingstone’s observations “can help scientists understand maternal bonding in humans and can inform comforting interventions to help women cope with loss in the immediate aftermath of suffering a miscarriage or experiencing a still birth,” said Harvard Medical School in a statement. Livingstone, in a separate statement, said: “I have joined the ranks of scientists targeted and demonized by opponents of animal research, who seek to abolish lifesaving research in all animals.” Such work routinely attracts the ire of groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which opposes all forms of animal testing. This controversy has notably provoked strong responses in the scientific community, particularly from animal behavior researchers and primatologists, said Alan McElligot of the City University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Animal Health and a co-signer of the PNAS letter. He told AFP that Livingstone appears to have replicated research performed by Harry Harlow, a notorious American psychologist, from the mid-20th century. Harlow’s experiments on maternal deprivation in rhesus macaques were considered groundbreaking, but may have also helped catalyze the early animal liberation movement. “It just ignored all of the literature that we already have on attachment theory,” added Holly Root-Gutteridge, an animal behavior scientist at the University of Lincoln in Britain. Harm reduction – McElligot and Root-Gutteridge argue the case was emblematic of a wider problem in animal research, in which questionable studies and papers continue to pass institutional reviews and are published in high impact journals. McElligot pointed to a much-critiqued 2020 paper extolling the efficiency of foot snares to capture jaguars and cougars for scientific study in Brazil. More recently, experiments on marmosets that included invasive surgeries have attracted controversy. The University of Massachusetts Amherst team behind the work says studying the tiny monkeys, which have 10-year-lifespans and experience cognitive decline in their old age, are essential to better understand Alzheimers in people. Opponents argue results rarely translate across species. When it comes to testing drugs, there is evidence the tide is turning against animal trials. In September, the US Senate passed the bipartisan FDA Modernization Act, which would end a requirement that experimental medicines first be tested on animals before any human trials. The vast majority of drugs that pass animal tests fail in human trials, while new technologies such as tissue cultures, mini organs and AI models are also reducing the need for live animals. Opponents also say the vast sums of money that flow from government grants to universities and other institutes — $15 billion annually, according to watchdog group White Coat Waste — perpetuate a system in which animals are viewed as lab resources. “The animal experimenters are the rainmaker within the institutions, because they’re bringing in more money,” said primatologist Lisa Engel-Jones, who worked as a lab researcher for three decades but now opposes the practice and is a science advisor for PETA. “There’s financial incentive to keep doing what you’ve been doing and just look for any way you can to get more papers published, because that means more funding and more job security,” added Emily Trunnel, a neuroscientist who experimented on rodents and also now works for PETA. Most scientists do not share PETA’s absolutist stance, but instead say they adhere to the “three Rs” framework — refine, replace and reduce animal use. On Livingstone’s experiment, Root-Gutteridge said the underlying questions might have been studied on wild macaques who naturally lost their young, and urged neuroscientists to team up with animal behaviorists to find ways to minimize harm. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Anne Hathaway admits a ‘ The Devil Wears Prada’ sequel is “tempting” – but unlikely. Despite there being another book, ‘Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns’, released in 2013, seven years after the comedy-drama flick’s release, the Hollywood star doesn’t believe a follow-up could be made today. Appearing on ‘The View’ this week, she said: “I don’t know if there can be [a sequel movie]. “I just think that movie was in a different era, you know? Now, everything’s gone so digital, and that movie centered around the concept of producing a physical thing. It’s just very different now.” Anne would love to see where her character Andy and Emily (Emily Blunt) would be now, the assistants to Meryl Streep’s hellish magazine editor alter ego Miranda. She continued: “Although, it is tempting to think about Andy and Emily needing to get Miranda her coffee and she’s somewhere in Europe. And then along the way they pick up Stanley Tucci [Nigel] in Italy, who’s at a restaurant. It’s tempting, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen.” The 39-year-old star could, however, see it being rebooted with a new cast. She suggested: “But they could relaunch it. They could find new people and do it. Do you think they’d let us do that?” View the full article

Published by AFP Re-enactment of a treatment session for depression using psilocybin in an image from the company COMPASS Pathways, which is developing such a treatment Washington (AFP) – For years, scientists have been looking ever more seriously at the therapeutic effect of psychedelics, which are not legal under US federal law. However, despite this renewed interest, large-scale studies are still lacking. On Wednesday, researchers took an important step to fill this gap. Their work, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the largest clinical trial ever conducted to evaluate the effect of psilocybin, a psychoactive substance found naturally in “magic” mushrooms. A single dose of 25 milligrams reduced symptoms of depression in people for whom several conventional treatments had failed, they showed. An estimated 100 million people worldwide suffer from treatment-resistant depression. Some experts view psychedelics as a possible way to help them. The researchers tested a synthetic version of psilocybin developed by the start-up Compass Pathway, which also funded the trials. A total of 233 people in 10 countries took part in the study, during which they halted ongoing treatment but received psychological support. They were divided into three groups, randomly receiving 1 milligram, 10 milligrams or 25 milligrams of the treatment. The sessions, in a dedicated room, lasted between six and eight hours during which the participants were never left alone. Some described being immersed in “a dream-like state” that could be remembered, study co-author James Rucker told a news conference. One participant required a sedative during the session because of anxiety. But the side effects observed — headaches, nausea, anxiety — were generally moderate and disappeared quickly. Larger trials needed Three weeks later, patients who received 25 mg showed significant improvement compared to lower doses on a baseline measure for depression. Just under 30 percent were in remission. “It is the strongest evidence so far to suggest that further, larger and longer randomized trials of psychedelics are justified, and that psilocybin may (one day) provide a potential alternative to antidepressants that have been prescribed for decades,” said Andrew McIntosh, professor of psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh. McIntosh was not involved in the study. The phase 2 trials were designed to determine the dosage and confirm the existence of an appropriate effect. Phase 3 trials, involving more participants, are scheduled to begin this year and run until 2025. The startup is already in touch with the US Food and Drug Administration and regulators in Europe. Another expert offered caution. “We don’t yet know enough about the potential side effects, particularly whether some people may experience a worsening of some symptoms,” said Anthony Cleare, a professor of psychopharmacology in London, who was not involved in the study. In the trials, three participants showed suicidal behavior among those who received 25 mg, compared with none in the other groups. These events, however, occurred more than 28 days after treatment, noted Guy Goodwin, professor of psychiatry at Oxford and chief medical officer of Compass Pathways. “Our hypothesis is that the differences are by chance… but we can only settle this by doing further experiments,” he said. The matter of long-term impact also remains open, as it faded when the participants were followed up three months later. Repeated doses may be necessary. Two doses will be tested in future trials, Goodwin said. ‘More flexible state’ Taking psilocybin leads to an increase in dopamine (known to regulate mood) and another neurotransmitter that may promote brain plasticity, Rucker said. “When the brain is in a more flexible state, it opens what we consider to be a therapeutic window of opportunity, in which –in the context… of psychotherapy — you may be able to elicit positive changes in the minds of people,” Rucker said. Psilocybin promotes “more communication between brain regions,” added Nadav Liam Modlin, also a co-author of the study. Psilocybin, which is not addictive, is also studied for other pathologies including post-traumatic stress, anorexia, anxiety and addictions. In 2020, the state of Oregon voted in favor of the therapeutic use of psilocybin. Exemptions have also been granted in Canada. But at the US federal level, psilocybin is treated as a dangerous drug in the same category as heroin. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Matthew Perry‘s Friends are there for him. Despite the actor airing out his dirty laundry in his bombshell tell-all, his Friends costars weren’t bothered by his honesty. “[They’re] all very supportive and proud of him to be coming clean and giving himself closure in so many areas,” an insider spilled of his former castmates, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer. “There was a wariness in the build-up to the release for sure, that he may have spilled a lot more embarrassing secrets than he did.” mega As OK! previously reported, Perry had his former costars shaking in their boots ahead of the release of his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. And while he shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes about his time on the beloved ’90s sitcom, most of his pages were filled with his struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. JENNIFER ANISTON LOOKS BACK ON ‘FRIENDS’ DAYS AHEAD OF MATTHEW PERRY’S BOMBSHELL MEMOIR RELEASE And while Perry left it all on the table when it came to sharing his personal battles and failed relationships, being so vulnerable for the world to judge was no easy task. “Despite his upbeat attitude, there’s still a sense of underlying nervousness since he’s thrown his heart and soul into this project,” the source continued of Perry. “Going into so much detail about his darkest days and sharing those secrets he held onto for all these years has been no easy process. But he’s very happy with how it’s all turning out.” Perry revealed in his tell-all that he was only sober for one season of Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. “You can track the trajectory of my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season — when I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I’m skinny, it’s pills,” the 17 Again actor wrote. “When I have a goatee, it’s lots of pills.” mega Before his book hit the shelves, Perry revealed some of his costars already reached out about his project with kind words. MATTHEW PERRY BELIEVED HIS ‘PENIS DIDN’T WORK’ UNTIL SEX WITH TRICIA FISHER WAS ‘SHEER GLORY FOR 2 WHOLE MINUTES’ “I’ve gotten some really nice texts from a few of them already, and the book isn’t even out yet,” Perry told George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America during his Monday, October 31, appearance — while not naming which specific stars reached out. mega “So hopefully, [I get] more,” he continued. “It’s very important to me that I didn’t go after anyone and I wasn’t gossipy [in the book].” Perry also detailed his long-standing crush on Aniston, revealing that before they were even cast in the series, he asked her out knowing she had no interest in him. Despite the hard rejection, Perry and Aniston were “able to sail right past the past” once they landed their roles, “and focus on the fact that we had both gotten the best job Hollywood had to offer.” Us Weekly spoke to an insider about the Friends cast’s reaction to Perry’s memoir. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to the western United States on Thursday as part of his final major campaign swing ahead of midterm elections that the White House seeks to turn into a referendum on Republicans, and Republicans into a vote on Biden. Biden’s three-day campaign swing will take him to New Mexico, California and Illinois and will conclude in Pennsylvania on Saturday. He will appear at a rally in Maryland on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s congressional elections. Biden, whose percentage job approval rating in the low 40s is a drag on Democratic candidates, is fighting to help his party hold off a strong challenge mounted by Republicans for control of the U.S. Congress. Polls show Republicans have the edge among voters, many of whom are worried about the U.S. economy and inflation, and they are widely expected to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and perhaps the Senate as well. Opposition parties historically fare better in midterm elections, providing a balance for new presidents in the second half of their terms. At his first stop, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Biden will tout the benefits of his student loan debt relief plan and then headline a rally for the state’s Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is trying to fend off Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti. He will move on to San Diego, California, to participate in an event for Democratic congressional candidate Mike Levin. On Friday and Saturday he will spend time in Chicago before campaigning for Democrats in Philadelphia with former President Barack Obama. Biden warned on Wednesday night that Republican loyalists to former President Donald Trump are a threat to democracy by refusing to say they will accept the results of elections if they are defeated on Tuesday. (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Marjorie Taylor Greene was spotted with a right-wing reporter despite the man denying the two were ever together, RadarOnline.com has learned. In photos taken exclusively by Daily Mail, the 48-year-old controversial GOP congresswoman was seen spending the day with Republican reporter Brian Glenn. Mega According to the outlet, the photos of the pair “schmoozing” were taken last week while MTG was campaigning in her adopted hometown of Rome, Georgia. Glenn, who serves as program director for the online outlet Right Side Broadcasting Network, was seen in the series of photos climbing into Greene’s SUV before the pair had dinner at a local restaurant and then returned to the Georgia House Representative’s home. The photos of the two together also came just days after Glenn filed for divorce from his wife, although the right-winger denied he and Greene were entangled in a romantic affair. He also denied the two were together on last Thursday in Rome, Georgia. “My divorce has nothing to do with Marjorie Taylor Greene,” he told Daily Mail. “No, I do not have a romantic relationship with Marjorie Taylor Greene.” “We have video stuff we do,” he continued. “She’s in politics, I’m in politics. That’s what’s going on.” Mega The two were previously seen together on a number of separate occasions, including posing for a photo together alongside Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak in September, and as Glenn interviewed Greene outside the United States Supreme Court building in June following the court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. “Oh my God, Brian,” she cried before throwing her arms around his neck. “I’m thrilled. I think it’s a miracle. I’m so thrilled. I’ve cried about this. I’ve prayed.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the sighting of Greene and Glenn together also comes just a few weeks after the congresswoman’s own husband, Perry Greene, filed for divorce in September. According to the court documents filed by Perry, the couple was already separated at the time he filed and he requested their marital assets be divided equally. Mega “Marjorie has been my best friend for the last 29 years and she has been an amazing mom!” he said in a statement following news of the split, although he also requested the divorce records be sealed from public view. “Our family is our most important thing we have done.” “As we go on different paths we will continue to focus on our 3 incredible kids and their future endeavors and our friendship,” he added. MTG also released a statement after the news of the couple’s divorce broke, thanking Perry for providing her with the “best job title you can ever earn: Mom.” “I’ll always be grateful for how great of a dad he is to our children,” she added. View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A push in the U.S. Congress to make daylight-saving time permanent, which was unanimously passed by the Senate earlier this year, has stalled in the House, with a key lawmaker telling Reuters they have been unable to reach consensus. In March, the Senate voted to put a stop next year to the twice-annual changing of clocks, which supporters say will lead to brighter afternoons and more economic activity. U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee that has jurisdiction over the issue, said in a statement to Reuters the House is still trying to figure out how to move forward. “We haven’t been able to find consensus in the House on this yet. There are a broad variety of opinions about whether to keep the status quo, to move to a permanent time, and if so, what time that should be,” Pallone, a Democrat, said, adding that opinions break down by region, not by party. Legislative aides told Reuters they do not expect Congress to reach agreement before the end of the year. Supporters in the Senate would need to reintroduce the bill next year if it is not approved by the end of the year. Daylight-saving time has been in place in nearly all of the United States since the 1960s. Year-round daylight-saving time was used during World War Two and adopted again in 1973 in a bid to reduce energy use because of an oil embargo and repealed a year later. “We don’t want to make a hasty change and then have it reversed several years later after public opinion turns against it — which is exactly what happened in the early 1970s,” Pallone said. On Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT), the United States will resume standard time. Pallone previously said he backs ending the clock-switching but has not decided whether to support daylight or standard time as the permanent choice. Supporters also argue that if approved, the so-called Sunshine Protection Act would allow children to play outdoors later, and reduce seasonal depression. It would also prevent a slight uptick in car crashes that typically occurs around time changes — notably crashes with deer. They also point to studies suggesting a small increase in heart attacks and strokes soon after the time change and argue the measure could help businesses like golf courses draw more customers into the evening. Critics, including the National Association of Convenience Stores, say it will force many children to walk to school in darkness during the winter, since the measure would delay sunrise by an hour in some places. On Sunday, Mexico rolled back its clocks one last time after the passage of a law last week to abolish daylight-saving time. Some northern towns will continue to practice the time change come spring, however, likely due to their ties with U.S. cities across the border. The move, long sought by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, was based on backing by voters as well as negligible energy savings and negative health effects from the time change, officials said. The White House declined to say earlier this year if Biden supports making daylight-saving time permanent. Since 2015, about 30 states have introduced or passed legislation to end the twice-yearly changing of clocks, with some states proposing to do it only if neighboring states do the same. The bill would allow Arizona and Hawaii, which do not observe daylight-saving time, to remain on standard time as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; additional reporting by Kylie Madry in Mexico City; editing by Diane Craft) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Alongside Charles’ alleged affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and other royal drama, it seems sex served as a notably contentious topic amid King Charles III and the late Princess Diana’s “highly combustible” marriage, according to royal biographer, Christopher Andersen. In his new book, The King: The Life of Charles III, the author alleges that the pair once got into a spat surrounding their seemingly non-existent sex life, a fight that one royal valet recalled involving Diana “literally” pursuing the future monarch “down hallways, up staircases and from room to room” at the ruler’s Highgrove House estate in Gloucestershire, England. After allegedly “hurling epithets and mocking her husband’s obsession with the dreary-looking Camilla,” Diana reportedly asked Charles about their waning sex life, which the ruler “for all intents and purposes unilaterally called a halt” after the pair welcomed their youngest son, Prince Harry, in 1984. mega “Why won’t you sleep with me?” the princess reportedly quipped towards Charles, according to the upcoming biography, set to hit shelves on Tuesday, November 8. THE NIGHT A HUMILIATED DIANA CONFRONTED PRINCE CHARLES’ LOVER – AND THE ‘RUTHLESS CAMPAIGN’ TO REHABILITATE CAMILLA’S IMAGE AFTER HER DEATH “I don’t know, dear. I think I might be gay,” the monarch allegedly joked back to his then-wife. mega Yet it seems this incident is far from the only time in which the famous couple exchanged heated words amid their nearly 15-year spanning relationship, the King once reportedly demanding that Diana approach him with the respect “he felt his position warranted.” PRINCE CHARLES WAS SECRETLY QUESTIONED OVER PRINCESS DIANA’S CRYPTIC NOTE: ‘MY HUSBAND IS PLANNING AN ACCIDENT‘ “‘Do you know who I am?’ he allegedly snapped, according to Anderson. It seems his wife was not too thrilled about her husband’s grandiose question. “Diana answered that he was a ‘f**king animal,’” Anderson said, adding that the princess then took aim at the royal succession. mega “You will never be King!” Diana allegedly yelled amid their spat, adding that “William will succeed” Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. “I will see to that,” she reportedly shouted. Considering the nature of these arguments, it seems several royal staffers had worries surrounding the couple’s safety. “The detectives in charge of protecting members of the royal family were deeply concerned that ‘in the heat of anger,’ any one of these could be used to commit suicide, homicide or both,” the author noted, adding that the “sheer firepower” in the vicinity only exacerbated the issue. Page Six previously reported on Andersen’s recent comments. View the full article