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Published by Raw Story By Jordan Green, Staff Reporter https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/the-proud-boys-whipped-up-vitriol-against-a-drag-brunch-in-a-small-town-in-north-carolina-on-sunday/More than a dozen Proud Boys in tactical gear and gang colors harassed patrons attending a drag show in Sanford, NC on Sunday by calling them “groomers” and “pedophiles” as they filed into a local brewpub for the brunch event. The 16 Proud Boys, mainly from the Cape Fear chapter and almost entirely wearing masked, massed outside the front entrance of Hugger Mugger Brewing in downtown Sanford at around 11:30 a.m. The group … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andy Sullivan and Jacqueline Thomsen WASHINGTON (Reuters) -In the months leading up to the U.S. midterm elections, lawyers for Democrats and Republicans are already squaring off in a wave of lawsuits challenging state rules on how to vote and the counting of ballots. Here is a summary of significant cases filed ahead of the Nov. 8 election and where they stand. POLL WATCHERS The Republican National Committee in November reached a settlement in a lawsuit against officials in Clark County, Nevada, that requires election officials to release poll workers’ partisan affiliations. The party filed a similar lawsuit this month seeking information on poll workers in Maricopa County, Arizona. The RNC also successfully sued authorities in North Carolina and Michigan to roll back new restrictions on partisan poll watchers. Meanwhile in Arizona, voting rights groups have sued over “drop box watchers” in Maricopa County, claiming their actions, including allegedly carrying weapons and tactical gear, are intimidating voters who visit the boxes to deposit their ballots. That case is pending. COUNTING VOTES, QUESTIONING VOTERS The American Civil Liberties Union sued to challenge the counting of votes by hand in Nevada’s rural Nye County, arguing that the process violates federal and state law. County election officials halted the hand count in response to a ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court late Thursday, the ACLU said. Also this month, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to take up a Republican National Committee lawsuit seeking to throw out undated mail-in ballots on a fast-tracked schedule. A Phoenix judge in August blocked a bid by Republican Arizona governor candidate Kari Lake to stop the use of electronic vote tabulators. Lake claimed the machines created “unjustified new risks” of fraud. The decision is on appeal. In Colorado, the state chapter of the NAACP and other voting-rights groups lost a bid in April to stop a conservative group called the U.S. Election Integrity Plan from canvassing individuals about their voting activity in the 2020 election. The group claims the effort is an attempt to root out voter fraud, and the case is ongoing. MAIL BALLOT BATTLES Rules that concern voting by mail have been a particular flash point this year. After many states expanded mail voting in the 2020 election in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Republicans and conservative groups have sought to roll it back, arguing that it leads to fraud. They have had success in some states, including Delaware, where the state Supreme Court this month overturned a law that allowed people to vote by mail for any reason. In July, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a challenge to ban drop boxes in the state. Other Republican efforts have faltered. Earlier this month, a judge rejected a bid by America First Legal, a group founded by former Trump aides, to require that drop boxes in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County be physically monitored to ensure that voters are only delivering their own ballots. The group has appealed. In Arizona, where mail-in ballots have been widely used for decades, a state court in June dismissed a lawsuit by the state Republican party seeking to ban the practice. The party has appealed. And in North Carolina, Republicans lost a bid to shorten the deadline for election officials to receive mail ballots from Nov. 14 to Nov. 11. Another lawsuit in Illinois, challenging the counting of mail ballots up to two weeks after election day, is pending. VOTER OUTREACH Civil rights groups and, in some cases, the Biden administration are challenging new Republican-backed state laws that seek to limit voter registration and outreach. Civil-rights groups in Florida won a ruling that struck down most of a new law restricting voter-registration activity and limiting the use of drop boxes, but the provisions remain in effect while the state appeals. In Arizona, a judge in September temporarily blocked a 2022 law allowing the cancellation of voter registrations of people suspected to be registered to vote in another county, following a challenge by a civil rights group. The U.S. Justice Department and several Hispanic groups have separately challenged the state’s proof of citizenship requirement. In Texas, the Justice Department and civil-rights groups are challenging a wide-ranging 2021 state law that criminalizes many voter outreach efforts. That litigation is ongoing. The Justice Department and civil-rights groups have also sued Georgia to overturn a state law that criminalizes efforts to help people who are waiting in line to vote, among other restrictions. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan and Jacqueline Thomsen; Editing by David Bario, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis and Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge has rejected a request for a temporary restraining order against a group accused of alleged voter intimidation, according to a ruling released on Friday. Judge Michael Liburdi, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to the federal court in Arizona, rejected the request against Clean Elections USA and its founder, Melody Jennings. The lawsuit was filed on Monday by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans (AARA) and Voto Latino, an organization that educates Latinos on voting, alleging that Clean Elections USA is purposely trying to intimidate voters with its campaign for “dropbox watches,” which encourages individuals to monitor drop boxes for alleged suspicious behavior. A lawyer who represented Clean Elections USA and Jennings in a hearing earlier this week did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The suit was filed after two individuals were seen wearing tactical military gear and allegedly carrying weapons while monitoring a drop box in Maricopa County, Arizona. Jennings called the pair “our people” in a now-deleted post on Truth Social, the social media platform launched by Trump. Liburdi said in his ruling Voto Latino and the AARA did not present evidence that Clean Elections USA represented “a true threat,” adding that he could not “craft an injunction without violating the First Amendment” rights of the defendants. He also dismissed Voto Latino from the case, stating he did not think the organization proved it would be harmed financially by Clean Election USA’s actions. “Today’s decision is truly disappointing for our members and all older Arizonans,” Saundra Cole, president of the AARA, said in a statement. “We continue to believe that Clean Elections USA’s intimidation and harassment is unlawful.” A notice of appeal has been filed, with a request for emergency relief. (Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Josie Kao) View the full article

Published by AFP The Supreme Court is to hear oral arguments about race-conscious admissions to US universities Washington (AFP) – After abortion and guns, the US Supreme Court tackles another controversial and sensitive issue on Monday — the use of race in deciding who gets admitted to some of America’s top universities. And the conservative-dominated court may be poised to make another historic U-turn, like it did in June when it overturned the landmark 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to abortion. The court is to hear two hours of oral arguments on the use of race in admissions to Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) — respectively the oldest private and public institutions of higher education in the country. Harvard and UNC, like a number of other competitive schools, use race as a factor in trying to ensure representation of minorities, historically African Americans, in the student body. The policy known as “affirmative action” emerged from the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s to “help address our country’s long history of discrimination and systemic inequality in higher education,” said Yasmin Cader, deputy legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). It has been controversial from the start, drawing fire mostly from the right, and a number of white students have mounted legal challenges over the years, claiming “reverse discrimination.” Nine states have banned affirmative action at public universities including California, where voters did so in a ballot proposition in 1996 and rebuffed an attempt to revive the policy in 2020. Students for Fair Admissions The Supreme Court has previously upheld affirmative action, most recently in 2016 by a single vote, but its opponents believe the current right-leaning bench will lend a more sympathetic ear to their arguments. “If they overturned Roe, I think they are equally likely to overturn Bakke,” said Ilya Shapiro, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think-tank. In a landmark ruling in 1978 — Regents of the University of California v. Bakke — the Supreme Court banned the use of quotas in admissions as unconstitutional. But the court said race or ethnic origin can be considered as one factor among others in admitting students to ensure a diverse student body. With six justices — three of whom were nominated by former president Donald Trump, a Republican — conservatives wield a solid majority on the nine-seat high court. And those in favor of “color-blind” admissions policies believe they may have an ally in Chief Justice John Roberts. “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race,” Roberts wrote in a ruling in a 2007 school integration case. A group known as Students for Fair Admissions, which claims more than 20,000 members and was founded by Edward Blum, a long-time conservative opponent of affirmative action, is behind the latest attack on the policy. In 2014, the group filed suits against Harvard and UNC claiming that their race-conscious admissions policies discriminate against equally qualified applicants of Asian-American origin. Asian-American students are underrepresented at the schools considering their record of superior academic achievement, according to the complaints. “In a multi-racial, multi-ethnic nation like ours, the college admissions bar cannot be raised for some races and ethnic groups but lowered for others,” according to Blum. “Our nation cannot remedy past discrimination and racial preferences with new discrimination and different racial preferences.” ‘Diverse leaders’ After losing in lower courts, the group is seeking a ruling from the Supreme Court that the Constitution prohibits any form of discrimination — a decision that could also impact hiring, for example, or government contracting, where preference is sometimes given to minority-owned businesses. The Supreme Court will hear one hour of argument in each case with Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s first African-American woman, sitting out the Harvard case because she has served previously on the Board of Overseers of the school. The administration of Democratic President Joe Biden and a number of major American companies have weighed in on the side of the universities. “Our Nation’s future depends on having diverse leaders who are prepared to lead in an increasingly diverse society,” the Department of Justice said. Apple, General Motors and Starbucks joined a brief arguing that “diverse workforces” improve business performance “and thus strengthen the American and global economies.” The ACLU’s Cader warned that a decision by the court overturning its previous support for affirmative action policies would have wide-ranging and long-lasting repercussions. “We face the threat of the generations behind us having less rights than we had ourselves,” Cader said. “And I can say that as an African American woman who went to law school under that precedent.” View the full article

Published by AFP Former US president Barack Obama casts his vote at an early voting venue on October 17, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois Washington (AFP) – Former US president Barack Obama said Friday that democracy is at stake in next month’s midterm elections in the United States, as he hit his first stop on the campaign trail. The Democratic power player, who remains a hugely popular figure in his party, told a boisterous rally in Georgia that everyone had to get out and vote to prevent election conspiracy theorists getting their hands on the levers of power. “It’s not enough to elect Democrats at the top of the ticket,” a fired-up Obama told the crowd in the suburbs of Atlanta. “We need to elect good people up and down the ballot. Across the country, some of the folks who tried to undermine our democracy are running for offices that will oversee the next election. “And if they win, there’s no telling what might happen.” Obama, who has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office in 2017, was guest of honor at the rally in Georgia, where two extremely close contests, fueled by tens of millions of dollars, are captivating America. Democrat Raphael Warnock, the first Black US senator elected in the southern state with a long history of segregation, is seeking re-election against Herschel Walker, a former American football star backed by Donald Trump. The contest could well decide which party gets control of the US Senate — and the ability to advance or frustrate President Joe Biden’s agenda. There is also a fierce battle for the governor’s office, where Republican Brian Kemp is up against influential Democratic figure Stacey Abrams. As well as hammering the Republican Party on electoral integrity and the Trump-driven false claims that the 2020 presidential ballot was rigged, Obama also touched on abortion rights, which have been threatened since the Supreme Court overturned the long-standing Roe vs. Wade. “Women everywhere should be able to control have a say in what happens with their own bodies,” he said. “It shouldn’t be controversial to say that the most personal of healthcare choices should be made by a woman and her doctor. Not by a bunch of mostly male politicians.” Americans have already begun voting in elections that will decide control of both houses of Congress, as well as who gets the governors’ mansions in dozens of states. Hundreds of other positions at county and state level will also be decided in the November 8 polls. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adele admits it’s unlikely she’ll achieve EGOT status because she’s not keen on Broadway. The 34-year-old singer is just a Tony award away from the full set (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) after she added an Emmy to her Grammys and Oscar in September. Adele took home the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) gong for her CBS special ‘Adele One Night Only’ at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. And while she admits she’s happy to settle with an EGO as Broadway has never interested her and she’s too “lazy” to do two shows a day, there is one role she wouldn’t mind taking on, Rose from ‘Gypsy’. She told fans at an event to launch her new music video for ‘I Drink Wine’: “I saw [Gypsy] in London and I did love the role of the mum in it. She has a song [Rose’s Turn] when she was like, ‘I wanted to do all of this’ and she’s jealous of her own daughter and she’s really caught up about it. At one bit, she was just a b**** in it which I could nail.” The ‘Hello’ hitmaker joked she could move her delayed Las Vegas residency to Broadway and cheat. She continued: “I don’t think I’ve seen enough [Broadway] as a grownup to know if I would want to do it. I was wondering, do I just move the show from Vegas to Broadway and win the Tony? I actually prefer the sound of an EGO than an EGOT. EGO is fun. But never say never. If I move to New York, I get bored, I’ll be on that stage in a hot second.” Name-dropping musical legend Bette Midler, she added: “I actually know Bette Midler which is a big flex, right? Because she’s one of my idols. She was like, ‘You would never be able to keep up with the schedule on Broadway.’ Because I’m so lazy. I’m so notoriously lazy … I would not be able to do matinees and all that. I don’t have the stamina for that.” Adele quipped that she “officially has an EGO” after being honoured with her Emmy. View the full article

Published by AFP Elon Musk fired some of Twitter's senior executives shortly after taking over San Francisco (AFP) – Twitter formally became the private property of Elon Musk on Friday, steering the social media giant down an uncertain path under the stewardship of one of its most vocal critics. Scrutiny quickly turned to how the platform will operate under a self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist who some users fear will turn Twitter into a global stage for hate speech and disinformation. In a nod to such concerns, Musk’s first policy act was to tweet that he will form a “content moderation council” embracing “widely diverse viewpoints.” “No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes,” he said. Musk’s sealing of the on-again, off-again $44 billion deal ended a months-long soap opera of corporate chicanery, involving insults, threats and lawsuits. “The bird is free,” tweeted the billionaire Tesla founder and space pioneer in reference to the company’s logo. “Let the good times roll.” The deal drew contrasting reactions, with former US president Donald Trump cheering the change of leadership on a platform that had banned him, while activists warned of a surge in harassment and misinformation. European politicians were quick to signal to Musk that the continent had regulations for social media companies. “In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules,” tweeted Thierry Breton, the EU internal market commissioner. Musk had vowed to dial back content moderation and was expected to clear the way for Trump to return to the platform. The then-president was blocked over concerns he would ignite more violence like the 2021 deadly attack on the US Capitol to overturn his election loss. Taking to his own Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands” — but gave no commitment to rejoin if allowed. Far-right users were quick to rejoice at Musk’s ownership, posting comments such as “masks don’t work” and other taunts, under the belief that moderation rules would now be relaxed. ‘A huge responsibility’ Yale University philosophy professor Jason Stanley, who has characterized Trump’s rise as a sign of mounting fascism in the United States, said he would alter his approach to posting. “For the moment I am staying on Twitter. But I am going to try to be much more careful about what I say now that Elon Musk is in charge. Cascading hate speech targeting can destroy your week,” he said. Right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro said he gained 40,000 Twitter followers Friday, while the actor Mark Hamill, a liberal, said he had lost almost 6,000 followers over the last three days. Musk reportedly fired Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal and other senior officials — though the company did not reply to a request for comment and Agrawal still listed himself as CEO on his Twitter profile. But Ned Segal, Twitter’s chief financial officer since 2017, announced his departure. “At its best, (Twitter) democratizes communication and knowledge, ensuring accountability and equal distribution of info,” Segal said. “It’s a huge responsibility for everyone that shares in the work. I wish them strength, wisdom and foresight.” On Friday, employees filled the San Francisco headquarters. “There were more people in the office today than I’ve ever seen since Covid,” said an employee who asked to remain anonymous. “Elon brought in teams of engineers from Tesla to do some evaluations. “I would be very surprised if there were not some reductions of the workforce soon.” Musk, who is using a combination of his own money, funds from wealthy investors and bank loans to finance the deal, has conceded he is overpaying for a company that has regularly posted eye-watering losses. How to monetize? Twitter says it has 238 million daily users — dwarfed by the likes of Facebook’s nearly two billion — and has not been able to monetize in the same way as its rivals. But it holds an outsized influence on public debate because it is the favored platform for many companies, politicians, journalists and other public figures. Though he has vowed that Twitter will not become a “free-for-all hellscape,” Musk reportedly plans deep staff cuts that would gut teams that oversee content. Despite Musk posting a letter to advertisers saying he wants Twitter to be a forum where rival viewpoints can be debated in a “healthy manner”, US auto giant General Motors said Friday it has “temporarily paused” paid ads on the platform. “We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership,” said a GM spokesman. Media watchdog Media Matters for America sounded the alarm over the future of a Musk-led Twitter, particularly the impact on imminent US midterm elections. The platform “is now on a glide path to becoming a supercharged engine of radicalization” and a “fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery, and operationalized harassment,” the organization’s head Angelo Carusone said. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Shelley Duvall is returning to acting after 20 years. The 73-year-old ‘The Shining’ star has landed a starring role in Scott Goldberg’s upcoming indie horror, ‘The Forest Hills’, alongside Edward Furlong, Chiko Mendez and Dee Wallace. It follows “a disturbed man who is tormented by nightmarish visions, after enduring head trauma while camping in the Catskill Mountains.” Duvall will play the mother of Chiko’s mentally ill character Rico. Goldberg told Deadline: “We are huge fans of ‘The Shining’ and it’s honestly one of my favourite horror movies of all time, up there with John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ and George A. Romero’s ‘Day of the Dead’ with the dark tones they delivered in their movies, along with perfect scores and elements that make them my personal favorites. “Shelley contributed to ‘The Shining’ being an absolute masterpiece by giving her all, and performing in a way that really showcased the fear and horror of a mother in isolation.” Duvall’s last movie was the 2002 comedy ‘Manna from Heaven’, in which she played Detective Dubrinski. The Hollywood star retreated from the spotlight in the 1990s. She’d later appear on a controversial episode of ‘Dr. Phil’ in 2016, where she opened up on her mental health issues. Last year, she opened up about her hard time filming ‘The Shining’ and claimed director Stanley Kubrick had a cruel “streak”. Although she insisted the filmmaker was always “very warm and friendly” to her and co-star Jack Nicholson, she also understood why he could be difficult. Asked if she thought Kubrick had been unusually cruel or abusive towards her to drive her performance, she told The Hollywood Reporter: “He’s got that streak in him. He definitely has that. But I think mostly because people have been that way to him at some time in the past. “His first two films were ‘Killer’s Kiss’ and ‘The Killing’… “He was very warm and friendly to me. He spent a lot of time with Jack and me. He just wanted to sit down and talk for hours while the crew waited. And the crew would say, ‘Stanley, we have about 60 people waiting.’ But it was very important work.” Duvall admitted making the 1980 horror classic was hard because the director insisted on multiple takes every time, and she eventually reached a point where she broke down in tears just at the thought of the day ahead. She said: “[Kubrick] doesn’t print anything until at least the 35th take. Thirty-five takes, running and crying and carrying a little boy, it gets hard. And full performance from the first rehearsal. That’s difficult.. “[Before a take I would] listen to sad songs. Or you just think about something very sad in your life or how much you miss your family or friends. “But after a while, your body rebels. It says: ‘Stop doing this to me. I don’t want to cry every day.’ And sometimes just that thought alone would make me cry. “To wake up on a Monday morning, so early, and realise that you had to cry all day because it was scheduled — I would just start crying. I’d be like, ‘Oh no, I can’t, I can’t.’ And yet I did it. I don’t know how I did it. Jack said that to me, too. He said, ‘I don’t know how you do it.’ “ View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English James Corden quit ‘The Late Late Show’ in order to spend more time with his kids. The 44-year-old TV star has Max, 11, Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four, with his wife Julia Carey, and James admits that his kids were one of the big factors behind his decision to return to the UK. He told The Times newspaper: “We had to cancel last year’s summer holiday [because of work clashes] and when I told Max, he looked so sad, and I had this sudden revelation of the maths: we’ve only got six more summers with the kids, before they start wanting to go off with their mates, six if we’re lucky. “I knew I just couldn’t do that again. So that’s why I quit.” James announced his decision to walk away from the show earlier this year. The TV star – who will leave the programme in 2023 – explained the decision during a monologue on ‘The Late Late Show’. He said at the time: “When I started this journey, it was always going to be just that. It was going to be a journey, an adventure. I never saw it as my final destination. “I never want this show to overstay its welcome in any way. I always want to love making it. And I really think in a year from now, that will be a good time to move on and see what else might be out there.” James also insisted that he wanted to “go out with a bang”. Meanwhile, George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS, hailed James’ time on the show. He said: “Seven years ago, James Corden came to the US and took television by storm, with huge creative and comedic swings that resonated in a big way with viewers on-air and online.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Heather Timmons WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The frequent targeting of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by online extremists and political opponents likely contributed to the violent attack on her husband Paul, terrorism and extremism experts said. The intruder at the Pelosis’ home yelled “Where’s Nancy?” before assaulting Paul Pelosi with a hammer, according to a person briefed on the incident. An internet user with the same name as the man arrested at the scene, David Depape, expressed support for former President Donald Trump and embraced the cult-like conspiracy theory QAnon in online posts that referenced “satanic paedophilia.” Police have yet to comment on a motive in the attack. But terrorism and extremism experts believe it could be an example of the growing threat of so-called stochastic terrorism, in which sometimes unstable individuals are inspired to violence by hate speech and scenarios they see online and hear echoed by public figures. “This was clearly a targeted attack. The purpose was to locate and potentially harm the speaker of the house,” said John Cohen, a former counterterrorism coordinator and head of intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, who is currently working with state and local law enforcement across the country on the issue. “This is a continuation of a trend that we have been experiencing over the past several years. It is a threat dynamic that has law enforcement extraordinarily concerned.” Pelosi has been demonized online and in public by both far right and far left-leaning political websites and figures. Graphics depicting her being beheaded, and a call to send immigrants to her home, with her address, circulated online this summer, according to Site Intelligence Group, which researches online extremism. Rita Katz, executive director of Site, said the Speaker was a hate figure for much of the political right, and is the “face of the Democratic establishment and, as such, at the center of many QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories.” Those theories and people who espouse them are sometimes promoted by more mainstream public figures, amplifying the threats, experts say. “While the intent may be to mobilize one’s political base or generate ratings it also adds to the volatility of the threat environment,” said Cohen. Individual attackers, sometimes known as “lone wolves” frequently combine personal with political grievances and are reinforced and radicalized by things they read online, the DOJ’s research arm The National Institute of Justice reports. Attacks on political figures, places of worship and races or ethnicities have occurred in the United States for decades, but law enforcement professionals say the current environment is particularly dangerous. “Today’s radical extremism threat has this powerful digital component that can really accelerate recruitment and activate violence across a broader threat landscape,” Aisha Qureshi, a social science analyst at the National Institute, said in an agency podcast before the Pelosi attack. “Just the sheer volume and speed of misinformation spread through social media really exacerbates this problem,” she said. Threats against political leaders are rising in the United States. Cases related to “concerning statements and threats” against members of Congress jumped from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. “Look at the FBI attack in Ohio,” said Todd Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at security research firm Rand Corp., referring to an August incident when an armed man tried to break into the Cincinnati FBI headquarters. Helmus linked that incident to rhetoric surrounding the FBI’s removal of classified documents from Trump’s Florida estate. Site said the Pelosi attack was being celebrated online by far-right supporters. “We’re just waiting for more of these things to occur,” said Helmus. (Reporting by Heather Timmons; Editing by Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prince Jackson still thinks about his dad Michael “every day”. The pop icon died in June 2009, aged 50, and Prince admits that his dad is never far from his thoughts. Prince explained: “I think about him every day. “There are a lot of complexities in life that I feel parents teach their children [about], so without that, there’s some confusion there. And also, it’s a big legacy to uphold, you know? It would be great if I knew how he would like it to be upheld. So, in that way, I think about him every day.” Prince, 25, still loves listening to his dad’s music. And he thinks that Michael’s personality shines through in his tunes. Prince told PEOPLE: “So much of his personality, so much of him, is in his music. And what I miss probably the most about him, I was talking to somebody about it, are his hands. He had really strong, really big hands. Firm, but they were gentle. It’s tough to explain.” The Jackson family are celebrating 40 years since the release of Michael’s best-selling album, ‘Thriller’. And Prince still has fond memories of watching the iconic ‘Thriller’ video for the first time. He said: “The first time that I watched it, my dad told me it was real, and then he started to transform. So that was very traumatic, but afterward – when I was able to watch it and not be scared – he would walk me through it, and I got to see the making of ‘Thriller’ from his perspective, you know? And that’s just amazing.” Prince is now working towards catapulting ‘Thriller’ to the top of the charts. He explained: “The single, never made it to number one. So our goal, we’re trying to do the ‘Thriller’ challenge right now, which is between Oct. 28 and I believe November 1st or 2nd.” View the full article

Published by AFP A voter places a ballot in a drop box outside of the Maricopa County Elections Department on August 02, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona Washington (AFP) – The people spending nights staking out and filming ballot drop boxes in Arizona say their task is to save democracy from the “mules” that countless Americans believe rigged the 2020 election against Donald Trump. But to poll officials, voting rights advocates and many citizens in a state where early voting is common, the self-appointed ballot watchers are a physical representation of how a disinformation-laden documentary is making its mark on next month’s US midterm elections. Described by some as a vigilante parade, the watchers stand accused of intimidating voters at drop boxes — secure bins used in many states to submit a ballot. The film energizing them is far-right commentator Dinesh D’Souza’s “2000 Mules.” It advanced the conspiracy theory that ballot-trafficking “mules” smuggled fraudulent votes into the boxes to swing the presidency to Joe Biden. Reached by AFP, D’Souza defended his production and its sticking power — and said those surveilling ballot boxes are “patriots, who are worried about fraud this time around.” Legal challenges to organizations spearheading the ballot watching arose after Arizona’s secretary of state referred several voter intimidation complaints to law enforcement, including one from a voter claiming they were accused of “being a mule.” “The last two years have been a wild goose chase for those seeking to prove that elections are rigged,” said Jared Holt, senior research manager at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue. “What has differentiated the mules claims from other conspiracy theories is that the solution activists have taken away from them is to take matters into their own hands.” Real-world impact “2000 Mules” followed debunked stories of fraud about everything from permanent marker pens allegedly used to spoil ballots to machines switching votes, and court rejections of dozens of lawsuits seeking to overturn the election. Experts panned the film for leaps in logic, circumstantial evidence and a flawed analysis of cell phone data. Trump’s own attorney general called it “indefensible.” One voter the film framed as a “mule” was found by investigators to have legally deposited ballots for his family — and is now suing D’Souza. Signature verification, voter registration lists and other checks prevent voter fraud, including in states where it is legal for others to return someone’s ballot. “Those measures are why we didn’t have any evidence from 2020 of fraud at ballot drop boxes, despite the effort to create the impression,” said Lorraine Minnite, a political scientist at Rutgers University. “You could make out a ballot for Mickey Mouse, but if Mickey Mouse isn’t registered to vote, they’re not going to count the ballot.” Still, “2000 Mules” ignited Trump’s base with its May release. Screenings took place across the country, including at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence. “Ballot mules” were mentioned more than 324,000 times on Twitter between the first reference to “2000 Mules” in January and October — and the movie over 2.3 million times — according to Zignal Labs, a media intelligence company. The discourse included plans for the stakeouts now under way. Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for governor in Arizona, tweeted in July: “Potential Mules beware: we are watching drop boxes throughout the state.” Days later, a Telegram post viewed 72,000 times called for “all night patriot tailgate parties for EVERY DROP BOX IN AMERICA.” Clean Elections USA, one group behind the Arizona efforts, says on its website its mission is to prevent the fraud imagined in D’Souza’s film. “Just your presence alone & the mule knowing they will be caught on ur multiple cameras is enough deterrent to make them shrink back into the darkness,” said founder Melody Jennings, who has embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory, in August on Truth Social, Trump’s platform. But photos and rumors spread about voters could inspire more misinformation, said Minnite, who authored a book on voter fraud. “People will be guided into seeing it as evidence of fraud if they already believe it’s happening,” she said. “It’s impossible to put that genie back in the bottle.” Jennings did not respond to AFP’s enquiries. Politicians noticing Some politicians have boosted the activity, including Republican Mark Finchem, who is running to control Arizona’s elections as secretary of state, and Trump. After Jennings posted on Truth Social that drop boxes were overrun with “mules getting there and doing their thing,” Trump amplified it to his 4.38 million followers. He later shared Jennings’ posts featuring photos of people using drop boxes. “Republicans from top to bottom bear responsibility,” said Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, whose organization is backing the lawsuits in Arizona. “It’s not just the Kari Lake… It is from top to bottom a party that has abandoned democracy.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sarah Ferguson says the Queen’s corgis are the “presents that keep on giving.” The late monarch – who passed away at the age of 96 on September 8 after a record-breaking reign of 70 years – bred 10 generations of the dogs and the Duchess of York took to social media to share an image of herself with the pair she left behind, Sandy and Muick, after she and her ex-husband Prince Andrew were entrusted with their care. Sarah captioned the photo: “The presents that keep on giving.” The Duchess previously described the dogs as “national treasures” and described taking them on as a “big honour.” She said: “It’s a big honour. Sandy and Muick are national treasures and they have been taught well.” The ‘Most Intriguing Lady’ author now has a total of seven dogs living under her roof, but explained that her five terriers “balance out” with the corgis. She added: “They all balance out, the carpet moves as I move but I’ve got used to it now.” Former trainer Dr. Roger Mugford previously explained that the surviving pair will be aware of the Queen’s death as they go into the full-time care of her second son and his ex-wife because they are “very perceptive” of changes within their environment. He said: “Dogs are very perceptive of changes in their owners. I’m sure they knew that Her Majesty was in decline and they will have missed her. doubt there will be serious changes in the grief, because they were so used to being cared for by other members of the household and, of course, by Prince Andrew, who was present at the death and is taking over their care now.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adele tickets are on sale for £38,000. The 34-year-old singer postponed her Las Vegas residency in January just 24 hours before the opening and claimed COVID-19 had rendered her show impossible to put on but is set to eventually take to the stage for the sold-out four-month run of ‘Weekends With Adele’ from November and the price of resale tickets on StubHub has reached almost £40,000 ($46,000), in what has been called the priciest residency to ever hit the Strip. Brodie Cooper, of US PR firm PRrppd, told The Sunday People: “Websites would not charge those fees if people were not willing to pay those sums. Without a doubt, Adele’s ticket prices are by far the highest ever in the history of the Las Vegas strip.” The price of the second-hand tickets marks a record for the ‘Someone Like You’ hitmaker, with the cost of them said to have eclipsed the likes of previous Las Vegas residencies headed up by the likes of fellow industry legends like Celine Dion and Britney Spears. The cheapest price for a seat at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace is £579 ($672), which was the most expensive ticket when the tickets first went on sale through the official channels, while the back row seats were priced at £79 ($91). The news comes just days after the GRAMMY Award-winning songstress was said to have “stripped back” the designs for her residency in an effort to better “connect” with the audience. A source explained: “Adele has revised her plan for the show, has stripped it back. The production will be very classy, the show is centred on her energy and vocals. The January shows had room for a significant orchestra and band along with a 60-piece choir. The feel was big, grand and immensely theatrical. Now she wants it to be more intimate and to connect to the audience by being in with them during the performance. Adele wants to make her mark with this show and be regarded as one of the greatest ever headliners in Sin City.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cher loves high heels that feel like “stilts”. The ‘Believe’ hitmaker adores donning “big, big” heels because they make people – and their derrieres – “look so good”. The 76-year-old pop superstar told BAZAAR.com: “I like the big, big high heels and platforms. When I did Balmain the other night, I was on shoes that I couldn’t believe—I felt like it was on stilts. But you look so good. And your butt looks good.” Cher – whose career across showbiz spans more than six decades – believes nowadays people can “wear anything” and aren’t forced to confine themselves to arbitrary fashion rules. She said: “Now it seems that you can wear anything, and it doesn’t make any difference which look you decide to wear. Before, when I was younger, you know, back in the log cabin days, I remember that there were specific things that women could wear. And it was so boring. And everyone was, like, wearing the same things. I didn’t do this, but, like, women had to have their skirts one inch below their kneecap. And, you know, my best friend and I were wondering when we’re gonna have to cut our hair, when we would be too old to have long hair. Now there’s freedom, and you could do anything, and that’s what I like more than anything else. I just like the freedom.” The ‘Moonstruck’ star recalled loving YSL’s Opium – and buying it for all her pals – but being unable to get it in the US “because of the name”. Cher said: “I remember I walked into Yves Saint Laurent and said, “Oh, my God, what is that?” And the girl said, “Opium.” I went, “No, come on. What is it?” I started getting all the girls Opium and sneaking it in my suitcases, because you weren’t allowed to buy it in the United States because of the name.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Dolly Parton won’t be working “9 to 5″ on the road anymore. The 10-time Grammy-winning country music icon confirmed the end of her touring career in a new interview with Pollstar magazine. “I do not think I will ever tour again, but I do know I’ll do special shows here and there, now and then,” Parton said. “Maybe do a long weekend of shows, or just a few shows at a festival. But I have no intention of going on a full-blown tour anymore.” Parton last hit the road for 60 shows throughout the U.S. and Canada in 2016 to support her “Pure & Simple” album. With a slew of other business pursuits, Pa… Read More View the full article

Published by Kaiser Health News When a case of monkeypox was reported in Nevada’s Humboldt County in August, it was the state’s first detected occurrence of the virus in a rural area. Soon, cases were found in other rural counties — Nye, Lyon, and Elko — posing another hurdle for public health systems that have been worn thin by the covid-19 pandemic. Experts say the response to the monkeypox virus in rural America may be affected by the patchy resources and bitter politics that are a legacy of the pandemic, challenges that some worry could allow sporadic infections to gain a foothold. “Your embers turn into a forest fire re… Read More View the full article

Published by City AM By Steve Dinneen It’s hard to imagine a better team to assemble a new musical. James Graham: the prolific young playwright behind works including Best of Enemies, Quiz and The Vote. Rupert Goold: the Almeida’s artistic director who’s been involved in some of the best plays of the last decade. Jake Shears: the singer and songwriter behind the Scissor Sisters. And Elton John: no explanation required. The more interesting story would be if they somehow managed to mess up this dramatisation of the life of American televangelist Tammy Faye. But they do not: it’s a brilliant, camp, glitter-ball of a… Read More View the full article

Published by The Boot Hank Williams Jr.‘s son, country singer Sam Williams, has come out as gay in the music video for his new song, “Tilted Crown,” and a subsequent interview. Williams’ new video loosely documents his growing up, and it shows him kissing his boyfriend on camera for the first time. As People reports, Williams spoke to Hunter Kelly on Apple Music’s Proud Radio With Hunter Kelly podcast, where he revealed that he had previously planned to address his sexuality in a video for another song that did not come to pass. The directors of his new video felt strongly that including the kiss would help tell th… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Luke Evans feels “vulnerable” when he sings. The 43-year-old star has revealed that recording his second studio album, ‘A Song for You’, was a totally different challenge to acting. Luke – who has starred in movies such as ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Fast and Furious 6’ – explained: “In a film I’m not playing myself, I’m always playing someone else’s story. “When I sing, there’s no mask to put on. It’s quite a raw, vulnerable place to be.” Luke – who came out as gay at the age of 22 – insists he isn’t worried about being too open and honest with his lyrics. He told The Independent: “You’re influenced by so many things when it comes to writing. People can interpret what they want to.” Luke also confessed to taking inspiration from Adele. He shared: “There are songs she’s written that helped me understand my own feelings and process past relationships. A true artist just opens up their heart, and she’s done that the loudest, digging into the journey she went on. It’s a brave thing.” Despite this, Luke insists that his personal life should remain a personal matter. The Hollywood star said: “I just don’t think it’s anyone’s real business to talk to me about my personal life. “They don’t do it to straight actors, so why should they to gay actors? It shouldn’t be a thing … I don’t talk about it because it’s nobody’s damn business!” Luke also insists that his sexuality hasn’t had a huge impact on his career. The actor – who has been tipped to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond – said: “[My sexuality] hasn’t had any impact on any of the roles I’ve played, my slate is so diverse, so varied in such a brilliant way. I’ve played everything and no one seems to have a problem with that.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has released a report with a series of recommendations to better serve the transgender, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary community in New York City and across the country. The report, described by the DA’s office as a “first-of-its-kind effort” is designed to enhance the work of prosecutors when dealing with community members who are trans or whose gender identity or expression might differ from the more traditional male/female gender roles. Released Friday, the report was the result of a collaboration between current DA staff membe… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — After five hours discussing proposed restrictions on gender-affirming care, members of a key state medical committee cut short a contentious public meeting in Orlando — exiting as many in the crowd chanted, “Their blood is on your hands!” A joint rules panel of the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine met Friday at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport for a workshop on potential guidelines limiting gender-affirming care in Florida. Although the panel did not finalize its proposed rules, members signaled support for prohibiting puber… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Bob Brigham Controversial first-term GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert was the focus of a hard-hitting editorial board by The Denver Post. “We beg voters in western and southern Colorado not to give Rep. Lauren Boebert their vote,” the editorial board wrote. “Boebert has not represented the 3rd Congressional District well. Almost exclusively, she has spent her time and efforts contributing to the toxic political environment in this nation.” The newspaper contrasted the congresswoman with the people she represents. “The good people in this district are not angry and abrasive; they are not hateful and … Read More View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — With the neck-and-neck U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania entering its final days, a determined-sounding Democratic nominee John Fetterman took aim at Republican opponent Mehmet Oz at a campaign rally on the Temple University campus Saturday, and also acknowledged his stroke-related language difficulties. “You know the debate wasn’t easy,” said Fetterman, referring to auditory processing difficulties that affected his recent showdown with Oz. “But I was always committed to showing up,” he continued. “After that stroke, I got knocked down, but I got back up. The core value of our c… Read More View the full article

Published by The Pavlovic Today Kamala Harris took the stage at HRC Dinner wearing an all-white suit and pearl necklace. She was introduced by Human Rights Campaign incoming president, Kelley Robinson. The crowd, composed of close to 2700 guests, welcomed Harris with loud cheers from across the room. The Vice President began by addressing the “vicious attack” on Nancy Pelosi’s husband. “I spoke with Speaker Pelosi yesterday morning,” revealed Harris.”She intended to be here with all of us. Many of you know of her long-standing leadership and allyship, and support of HRC. She is a dear friend, she and Paul both, and so I told… Read More View the full article