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Published by AFP Kanye West's partnership with Adidas helped him become a billionaire Berlin (AFP) – German sportswear giant Adidas said Tuesday it was ending its partnership with Kanye West after a series of anti-Semitic outbursts by the controversial rapper. Recent comments by West — now known formally as Ye — were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous”, Adidas said in a statement. “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately”. Adidas said it would “end production” of the highly successful “Yeezy” line designed together with West and “stop all payments to Ye and his companies”. The abrupt end to the collaboration between the sports outfitter and rapper would slash Adidas’s net income in 2022 by “up to 250 million euros ($246 million)”, the company estimated. Adidas’s decision to dump the artist was “overdue”, said Josef Schuster of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. “For weeks, West has caused worldwide furore with his anti-Semitic remarks,” Schuster said, adding that the rapper’s comments had become “intolerable”. T-shirt statement Adidas began a review of its relationship with West earlier this month after he appeared at a Paris fashion show wearing a shirt emblazoned with “White Lives Matter”, a slogan created as a backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement. Days later he was locked out of Twitter and Instagram for threatening to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”, using a reference to US military readiness. Comments made by West “violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness”, Adidas said Tuesday. The artist was associated with rival sportswear company Nike for years but broke away in 2013, lending his name to Adidas as they launched their first Yeezy shoe together in 2015 — a partnership that went on to make him a billionaire. Along with Beyonce, Stella McCartney and Pharrell Williams, West’s has been one of the top names used by Adidas to boost sales, especially online. Adidas’s announcement was followed later Tuesday by US company Gap, which said it was taking “immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap product from our stores” in addition to shutting down YeezyGap.com. West and Gap had announced in September that they planned to end their partnership, although Gap said at the time it planned to release several co-branded products already in development. Paris-based fashion house Balenciaga also ended ties with the rapper last week, saying it “no longer (has) any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist”. One of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies, CAA, said on Monday it was dropping West, while film and TV producer MRC said it was shelving an already-finished documentary about the artist. Inflammatory remarks Adidas’s decision would stop West from “using the company’s immense platform to amplify his hateful ideology about Jews”, the World Jewish Congress said in a statement. The German group’s “delayed move” in response to the anti-Semitic comments had come after “massive public outcry”, the WJC said. Rights campaigners and entertainment world figures had heaped pressure on Adidas to stop working with the rapper. “Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience”, wrote Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel in the Financial Times. “There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism.” West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian also appeared to join the pile-on, without mentioning the father of her children by name. “Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” she wrote Monday on Twitter and Instagram. “I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.” Adidas fell on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange following its announcement, finishing 3.2 percent lower. View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Swifties rejoice! Taylor Swift’s latest album ‘Midnights’ has already surpassed 1 million units in the US, making it the top-selling album of 2022 so far. Hardly surprising considering that it’s Taylor Swift we’re talking about, a national treasure who must be protected at all costs and who just seems to be getting better and better with every record she graces us with. These are just facts. But it’s also worth noting that ‘Midnights’ broke the Spotify record for the highest number of streams on the first day of a release and has the largest sales week for any album since 2017, setting a moder… Read More View the full article

Published by The Boot Actor and comedian Leslie Jordan wasn’t done with country music yet, and a new interview makes it clear country music hadn’t had enough of him, either. Jordan — who died on Monday (Oct. 24) at age 67 — sat down CBS News‘ Anthony Mason two weeks ago in Nashville for a piece scheduled to air in November. However, the tragic news accelerated what might end up being his final television interview. Watch the full career-encompassing interview below. Portions were filmed at Nashville’s Eastside Bowl, where Jordan was filming a new music video with country duo LoCash and “The Git Up” singer Blanco Br… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dolly Parton enjoyed a “special bond” with Leslie Jordan. The actor was killed in a car crash in Los Angeles on Monday morning (24.10.22), and Dolly has now paid a glowing tribute to the TV star. Dolly, 76, said in a statement: “Well, I am as hurt and shocked as if I have lost a family member. Leslie and I had a special bond, I think the world felt they had a special bond with him. “I know people always say ‘Oh, they will be missed,’ but in this case that could not be more true. He will be missed by everyone who knew him personally and by everyone who was entertained by him. Rest in peace lil’ brother.” Jordan was starring on the FOX sitcom, ‘Call Me Kat’, at the time of his death. And FOX Entertainment has also paid tribute to the late actor, describing Jordan as the “kindest person you could ever imagine” and the “truest of Southern gentlemen”. FOX said in a statement: “We are shocked and devastated by today’s tragic passing of Leslie Jordan. Leslie was far more than an Emmy Award-winning comedic talent with whom we’ve laughed alongside for all these years. “He was the kindest person you could ever imagine who simply lit up a room and brought pure joy and huge smiles to millions of people around the world. The truest of Southern gentlemen, Leslie carried an infectious exuberance, indelible sense of humour and, throughout, gifted us with countless fond memories that will last forever. “As we grieve this sad news, we also wish to extend our most profound sympathies to Leslie’s family, friends and fans, whom he held so dear.” View the full article

Published by DPA Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, speaks during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, following their meeting in Doha. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Qatar’s emir on Tuesday lashed out at the extent of criticim on the country’s hosting of the upcoming football World Cup, speaking of an “unprecedented campaign.” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said in Doha that Qatar had initially believed that “some criticism could be positive and helpful” for the country’s development. But he said that that there is too much criticism on the staging of the November 20-December 18 tournament. “Ever since we have had the honour to stage the World Cup Qatar has been the subject of an unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced,” he said. The emir spoke of fabrications and double standards and that many people were questioning the real reasons and motives for the criticism, without giving details. Qatar has been criticised for many years over the treatment of migrant workers in the country. Reforms have been carried out but rights groups have said that more has to be done. The country has lately also come under attack in connection with the LGBTIQ+ community and the criminalisation of homosexuality. View the full article

Published by The Street By Danni Button Tori didn’t set out to be a financial influencer, but with great knowledge comes great responsibility. It’s not easy to find truly effective financial advice. Sure, there are more than enough voices online and on bookshelves that can give you standard tips for how to sort out your money. But will it actually work for you? After all, everyone’s relationship with money is different based on their diverse lived experiences. This is the gospel according to Tori Dunlop, the blogger and finance influencer who founded finance website HerFirst100K. She’s made it her mission to make fin… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By David Badash,The New Civil Rights Movement Governor Ron DeSantis twitched and appeared stunned when his Democratic opponent, former U.S. Congressman and former governor Charlie Crist asked if the Florida Republican would commit to serving the full four years if re-elected. “Ron, you talk about Joe Biden a lot. I understand, you think you’re going to be running against him, I can see how you might get confused, but you’re running for governor. You’re running for governor. And I have a question for you,” Crist said, hammering his points home. “Why don’t you look in the eyes of the people of t… Read More View the full article

Published by Global Voices A Klinika Bernardo nurse waiting for patients at the Philippines’ first Sundown Clinic (Raymund Villanueva/Kodao) This article by Raymund B. Villanueva was originally published on Kodao, an independent news site in the Philippines. An edited version is republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement. This story was made possible through a grant by the Philippine Press Institute under the auspices of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. “MM” [name changed for anonymity purposes] became a commercial sex worker soon after he became sexually active. He had earned a college degree and w… Read More View the full article

Published by Taste of Country Country stars are among the many who turned to social media to pay tribute to actor and singer Leslie Jordan after his untimely death on Monday (Oct. 24) at the age of 67. Jimmie Allen, Ty Herndon, Dolly Parton and more shared their tributes to Jordan, who died in Los Angeles on Monday after his car veered off the road and struck a building. Local law enforcement initially told TMZ that they suspect Jordan might have suffered a medical emergency that led to the crash. “LJ Rest In Love brother,” Allen writes. “Thanks for the talks and the 6am texts. You brought a smile to so many people.” Parto… Read More View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star The weekend after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids spoke to a gathering of volunteers prepared to knock on doors ahead of Kansas’ August vote on abortion rights. At the time, campaigners and observers alike believed the vote — the first on abortion rights in the country — would be close. Davids, who was running unopposed in the Democratic primary, threw her political weight behind the vote-no effort. Come Election Day, the effort paid off. Abortion rights won big and Democrats found hope that they could stave off losses in what was expected to be a … Read More View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star In 2018, we said Laura Kelly was the clear choice for Kansas governor, pointing out her “practical yet determined plan” to repair the fiscal damage of her predecessors. She executed that plan. Today, we strongly endorse Kelly, a Democrat and the incumbent governor, for the second term she now seeks. Kansans should not forget the disaster Kelly inherited when she took office in 2019. The state was still reeling from the tax cut “experiment” of former Gov. Sam Brownback, which led to cratering revenues and underfunded schools. Remember endless special sessions? Last-minute budget transfers? Plum… Read More View the full article

Published by The Charlotte Observer CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An untrue rumor that litter boxes are being placed in schools for students who dress up in furry costumes and identify as cats has made its way to two North Carolina school districts — despite the claim being easily debunked. After hearing chatter about litter boxes inside schools, an employee at North Lincoln High School in Lincolnton decided to put the rumor to rest. “There is nobody identifying as a cat at North Lincoln High School and we have no litter boxes!!!” the employee posted in a local Facebook group last month. “Quit spreading this stupidity!” A similar claim from… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com Mary J. Blige visited the White House on Monday and gave an emotional speech about losing family to cancer at the kickoff event for several roundtables with organizations like The American Cancer Society. After the speech, Blige was seen being comforted by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden as the two of them held hands. “I lost aunts, not an aunt, but several family members to breast cancer,” Blige mentioned. “Grandmother to cervical cancer… and it just keeps going on and on.” The singer said she wished that her family had options for screenings to go get before it was too late, and noted the role of … Read More View the full article

Published by Fort Worth Star-Telegram FORT WORTH, Texas — A poll affiliated with the Democratic Policy Institute has Beto O’Rourke tailing Gov. Greg Abbott by 3 points in the race for Texas governor, a margin narrower than other recent polls. The poll was released Sunday, ahead of Monday’s start of early voting. Beacon Research surveyed 1,264 registered Texas voters between Oct. 15 and 19 for the nonprofit, which describes itself as developing “common sense policies that meet the needs and desires of the majority of our citizens.” The organization’s principal officer is Najy A. Metni, according to IRS documents — an O’Rourke donor… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP A Greenpeace USA study found that of 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by US households in 2021, only 2.4 million tons was recycled, around five percent Washington (AFP) – Plastic recycling rates are declining even as production shoots up, according to a Greenpeace USA report out Monday that blasted industry claims of creating an efficient, circular economy as “fiction.” Titled “Circular Claims Fall Flat Again,” the study found that of 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by US households in 2021, only 2.4 million tons were recycled, or around five percent. After peaking in 2014 at 10 percent, the trend has been decreasing, especially since China stopped accepting the West’s plastic waste in 2018. Virgin production — of non-recycled plastic, that is — meanwhile is rapidly rising as the petrochemical industry expands, lowering costs. “Industry groups and big corporations have been pushing for recycling as a solution,” Greenpeace USA campaigner Lisa Ramsden told AFP. “By doing that, they have shirked all responsibility” for ensuring that recycling actually works, she added. She named Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestle as prime offenders. According to Greenpeace USA’s survey, only two types of plastic are widely accepted at the nation’s 375 material recovery facilities. The first is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is commonly used in water and soda bottles; and the second is high density polyethylene (HDPE), seen in milk jugs, shampoo bottles and cleaning product containers. These are numbered “1” and “2” according to a standardized system in which there are seven plastic types. But being recyclable in theory doesn’t mean products are being recycled in practice. The report found that PET and HDPE products had actual reprocessing rates of 20.9 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively — both down slightly from Greenpeace USA’s last survey in 2020. Plastic types “3” through “7” — including children’s toys, plastic bags, produce wrappings, yogurt and margarine tubs, coffee cups and to-go food containers — were reprocessed at rates of less than five percent. Despite often carrying the recycling symbol on their labels, products that use plastic types “3” through “7” fail to meet the Federal Trade Commission classification of recyclable. This is because recycling facilities for these types aren’t available to a “substantial majority” of the population, defined as 60 percent, and because the collected products are not being used in the manufacturing or assembly of new items. According to the report, there were five main reasons why plastic recycling is a “failed concept.” Economically unfeasible First, plastic waste is generated in vast quantities and is extremely difficult to collect — as becomes clear during what the report called ineffective “volunteer cleanup stunts” funded by nonprofits such as “Keep America Beautiful.” Second, even if it were all collected, mixed plastic waste cannot be recycled together, and it would be “functionally impossible to sort the trillions of pieces of consumer plastic waste produced each year,” the report said. Third, the recycling process itself is environmentally harmful, exposing workers to toxic chemicals and itself generating microplastics. Fourth, recycled plastic carries toxicity risks through contamination with other plastic types in collection bins, preventing it from becoming food-grade material again. Fifth and finally, the process of recycling is prohibitively expensive. “New plastic directly competes with recycled plastic, and it’s far cheaper to produce and of higher quality,” said the report. Ramsden called on corporations to support a Global Plastics Treaty, which United Nations members agreed to create in February, and move toward refill and reuse strategies. “This isn’t actually a new concept — it’s how the milkman used to be, it’s how Coca-Cola used to get its beverages to people. They would drink their beverage, give the glass bottle back, and it would be sanitized and reused,” she said. Some countries are leading the way, including India, which recently banned 19 single-use plastic items. Austria has set reuse targets of 25 percent by 2025 and at least 30 percent by 2030 for beverage packaging, while Portugal has also set the 30 percent by 2030 goal. Chile is moving to phase out single-use cutlery and mandating refillable bottles. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Mary Lambert has married Wyatt Paige Hermansen. The 33-year-old singer has been in a relationship with professor Wyatt since 2018 and the pair tied the knot on Saturday (22.10.22) in an outdoor ceremony held at Enchanted Gables in Maine, redubbing themselves as the “bride and broom”. Mary said: “It feels like the perfect mix of, ‘We’re on a farm but we’re also in our nice shoes. We didn’t want it to look like anybody else’s wedding. We really want it to be us. We wanted to be the wedding that people look at and say, ‘I want to do that. “We were trying to find other couples like us in bridal magazines and I just didn’t see it. I know they’re out there, but it has felt a little constricting, a lot of the gender dynamics. Even myself — as a fat bride, to be like, ‘Oh, am I supposed to be losing weight right now?’ when I am very content with my body size. So there’s a lot of things we’ve been pushing against, and one of those was our wedding party.” The ‘She Keeps Me Warm’ songstress also hosts ‘The Manic Episodes’ podcast with her significant other and Wyatt added that the outdoor logistics of the ceremony were “important” because they are both creative people. In the joint interview, Wyatt told PEOPLE: “With both of us being writers, and obviously Mary being an artist and a poet and someone who expresses herself creatively, it was really important for us to have room to say our own vows.” Mary first unveiled the news that the pair were set to marry earlier this year, noting that she had “dreamt” of the happy moment for all of her life. She wrote on Instagram: “I’ve dreamt of this moment my whole life. We’re gonna get married in front of god and everybody!!!!! I love you Wyatt Paige Hermansen.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Challenges to election results are not new in the United States. But former President Donald Trump and his allies took things to an extreme in 2020, falsely alleging widespread voter fraud and claiming the presidential contest was stolen. This year, Trump-aligned candidates such as Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor in Arizona, and Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, refuse to say whether they will accept the results of November’s midterm elections, citing the same conspiracy theories about 2020. That has raised fears among election experts that 2022 will see a wave of baseless rejections of vote tallies. Here’s how challenges to November’s elections could play out: RECOUNTS Vote recounts are relatively common in the United States, particularly in local elections where results can often be close, but they rarely alter the outcome, according to one study. In 22 states and Washington, D.C., a recount is automatically triggered if the margin of victory is sufficiently narrow, often 0.5%, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 41 states and Washington, a candidate or voter can request a recount, though some require the vote totals to be within a certain margin. A handful of states do not allow a recount by law; a candidate’s only remedy is to file a lawsuit asking a court to order one. A study by Fair Vote, a nonpartisan group, in 2019 found there had been 31 statewide recounts between 2000 and 2019 out of nearly 6,000 contests, and that just three had changed the outcome. In 2020, Georgia recounted its votes three separate times, confirming President Joe Biden’s statewide victory each time. In Arizona, a Republican-led audit – criticized by experts as methodologically flawed – confirmed Biden’s victory nearly a year after the election. LITIGATION Post-election lawsuits are a frequent occurrence in the United States, often focusing on procedural issues such as whether mail-in ballots were missing information or arrived on time. But in 2020, Trump allies sought to weaponize the court system even when there was little factual basis undergirding their claims. Dozens of courts rejected Trump’s allegations. But the sheer scope of the effort could encourage Trump-aligned candidates to attempt similar litigation in 2022. “Because this election denialism has been embraced by so many candidates running for these top state positions, I think we can expect to see a similar barrage of baseless claims of fraud and misconduct in 2022,” said Bo Dul, senior counsel at the nonpartisan States United Democracy Center. Election experts all emphasized that the court system held firm in 2020; indeed, some of Trump’s lawyers, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have faced professional punishment for their role in advancing false claims. CERTIFICATION Election results are not formal until election officials have certified them, usually weeks after Election Day. Unlike many other Western countries, U.S. election administration is highly decentralized. The process of certification varies from state to state, but local authorities such as county boards or city officials certify their results first before state officials – typically the secretary of state – certify statewide totals. That decentralization, election experts said, is a two-edged sword. There are multiple points where a rogue official could disrupt the process – by refusing to certify results, for instance. But the lack of a central authority also makes it difficult for any single actor to alter the outcome. Then, too, the court system provides a crucial check on malfeasance, the experts said. Earlier this year, New Mexico offered a preview of what could happen in November. Following the primary election, a Republican-controlled county commission refused to certify the results, citing unfounded conspiracy theories about voting machines. The commission relented only after the state Supreme Court ordered them to certify the election at the request of New Mexico’s secretary of state. In Pennsylvania, three counties would not certify the May primary election when they refused to count undated ballots, despite being told to do so by the department of state. In August, a state court ordered them to certify. But litigation over the issue of undated ballots is pending before the state Supreme Court. THE FUTURE Several election experts said they are more concerned about the 2024 election than 2022, given how many Trump-inspired election deniers are running for key positions this year. A Washington Post analysis found more than half of Republican candidates for Congress and key statewide offices have questioned the 2020 results. “I’m going to be very scared in 2024 if we have a bunch of these election deniers elected to office,” said Rachel Orey, associate director of the elections project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Some Republican lawmakers have sought to increase their control of election administration. The Supreme Court is scheduled in December to hear a case in which Republican legislators in North Carolina have asked the justices to prevent state courts from reviewing any election changes made by lawmakers. While that case will not be resolved in time for the 2022 election, civil rights groups warn that a ruling in North Carolina’s favor could theoretically permit state legislatures to throw out presidential results in 2024. Even if attempts to reverse legitimate election results fail once again, experts said the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and growing distrust among voters demonstrate how damaging claims about voter fraud can be to American democracy. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Ross Colvin and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by DPA EU environment ministers take part in a meeting at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. -/European Council/dpa Mobile phones and other electronic devices in the European Union will need to have standardized charging equipment from 2024 under legislation given final approval on Monday. “It will no longer be necessary to buy a different charger every time you purchase a new mobile phone or similar device,” said a statement from the Council of the EU, representing the 27 EU member states. The final approval from EU environment ministers confirms a recent vote in the European Parliament in favour of a universal charger and is considered a formality. Under the agreement, USB-C is to become the standard charging socket in the EU. Among the other electronic devices included in the agreement are tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, and portable speakers. The regulation also allows consumers to purchase charging equipment and devices separately from one another. Czech Industry Minister Jozef Síkela said having “a charger that fits multiple devices will save money and time and also helps us reduce electronic waste.” The Czech Republic currently has the rotating six-month EU presidency, putting it in charge of directing the bloc’s policy agenda. The new rule comes after pushing for companies to make charging equipment for mobile phones and other portable devices more uniform since 2014 with original proposals dating as far back as 2009. The agreement comes despite industry resistance. Apple in particular, has criticized the regulations as hampering innovation. The US technology giant argued the move could cause many existing products to be needlessly thrown away. The European Commission however estimates disposed chargers generate 11,000 tons of e-waste every year. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joseph Ax (Reuters) – A former Minneapolis police officer charged in connection with the murder of George Floyd pleaded guilty on Monday as his trial was about to begin, a court spokesperson confirmed. J. Alexander Kueng, who pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting manslaughter in state court, was one of three officers who did not intervene while Derek Chauvin, a white policeman, knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020, killing him. Kueng and Thomas Lane helped Chauvin restrain Floyd, an unarmed Black man, while another officer, Tou Thao, kept bystanders from approaching the scene. All three were previously convicted in federal court of depriving Floyd of his civil rights and sentenced in July to between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 years in prison. Chauvin was convicted of murder in a state trial and sentenced to 22-1/2 years; he also pleaded guilty to related federal charges and is serving a federal sentence of 21 years concurrently. Floyd’s death sparked months of nationwide protests over police brutality. Kueng’s plea agreement includes a sentence of 3-1/2 years that will be served concurrently with his federal sentence, according to Matt Lehman, a spokesperson for Hennepin County District Court. Lane accepted a similar plea deal in May. Kueng’s defense attorney and the Minnesota attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting the case, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Thao, who rejected a comparable agreement in August, decided on Monday to waive his right to a jury trial, according to the Star Tribune newspaper. Instead, Thao agreed to have a state judge determine his guilt based on evidence submitted jointly by prosecutors and the defense, the newspaper reported. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by AFP The Trump Organization, run for years by former US president Donald Trump and three of his adult children, is facing multiple New York lawsuits related to its financial reporting New York (AFP) – The trial of Donald Trump’s family business on fraud and tax evasion charges began in New York on Monday, with the former US president immediately dismissing as it as a political stunt. Manhattan prosecutors have charged the Trump Organization, currently run by Trump’s two adult sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, with hiding compensation it paid to top executives between 2005 and 2021. Trump, who is not named in the case, slammed the charges as a “witch hunt” by rivals, weeks ahead of congressional elections on November 8. “The highly partisan Democrat Witch Hunt goes on, this time in New York… right during the important Mid-Term Elections, of course,” he said on social media. The company faces potential fines of over $1.5 million if found guilty. US news outlets said Judge Juan Merchan had made media access to the courtroom difficult and had warned the 130 jury candidates that their selection could take a week, so as to filter out any supporters or open opponents of the divisive former Republican president. The trial could last a month and a half, he said. One of the implicated executives, longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg, has already pleaded guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud, and is expected to testify against his former company as part of a plea bargain. A close friend of the Trump family, the 75-year-old Weisselberg admitted he schemed with the company to receive undeclared benefits such as a rent-free apartment in a posh Manhattan neighborhood, luxury cars for him and his wife and private school tuition for his grandchildren. According to his plea deal, Weisselberg has agreed to pay nearly $2 million in fines and penalties and complete a five-month prison sentence in exchange for testimony during the trial, for which jury selection began Monday. “This plea agreement directly implicates the Trump Organization in a wide range of criminal activity and requires Weisselberg to provide invaluable testimony in the upcoming trial against the corporation,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in August. Weisselberg has so far refused to give testimony directly implicating the former president in the scheme. Multiple legal cases Two subsidiaries of the Trump family’s sprawling real estate, golf and hospitality business are targeted by the suits. While Donald Trump is not named in this case, he is facing charges along with three of his eldest children in a civil investigation led by New York’s attorney general, Leticia James. James, a Democrat, has accused the family of purposefully inflating and deflating the value of their properties to avoid tax liabilities and to get more favorable loan and insurance deals. Her office is seeking $250 million in fines against the former president, and that his family be barred from conducting business in the state. The suit also calls for three of Trump’s children — Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka — to be barred from purchasing real estate in New York for five years. The 76-year-old Trump, who has heavily hinted at but not yet announced a 2024 White House run, is also facing legal action on several other fronts. He is at the center of a Justice Department investigation into the handling of highly classified documents, which the FBI seized from his Florida home in a raid, as well as multiple state and federal probes into his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The congressional committee investigating the Capitol riot has issued a subpoena requiring him to submit documents by November 4 and give sworn testimony by mid-November. Without confirming that Trump had received the subpoena, his lawyer David Warrington has said his team would “review and analyze” the document and “respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action.” Trump’s compliance would mean testifying under oath. If he refuses, the House of Representatives can hold him in criminal contempt in a vote recommending him for prosecution. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung (Reuters) -U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday temporarily blocked a judge’s order requiring Senator Lindsey Graham to testify to a grand jury in Georgia in a criminal investigation into whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies unlawfully tried to overturn 2020 election results in the state. Thomas put the case on hold pending further action either from the justice or the full Supreme Court on a request by Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, to halt the order for testimony. Graham filed the emergency application to the Supreme Court on Friday after a federal appeals court denied his request to block the questioning. Thomas acted in the case because he is designated by the court to handle emergency requests from a region that includes Georgia. Graham has argued that his position as a senator provides him immunity under the U.S. Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause from having to answer questions related to his actions as part of the legislative process. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has subpoenaed Graham to answer questions about phone calls he made to a senior Georgia election official in the weeks after the November 2020 election. Atlanta-based U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May last month narrowed the scope of questions that Graham must answer from the grand jury, ruling that he is protected from having to discuss “investigatory fact-finding” that he was engaged in during his calls to state election officials. However, May said he may be questioned about alleged efforts to encourage officials to throw out ballots or alleged communication with the Trump campaign. May rejected Graham’s bid to avoid testifying altogether. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday declined to block Graham’s testimony pending an appeal. Graham is not a target in the investigation but his testimony could shed further light on coordination among Trump allies to reverse the election results. The senator’s lawyers said in his application that the testimony would “undisputedly center on Senator Graham’s official acts – phone calls he made in the course of his official work, in the leadup to the critical vote under the Electoral Count Act.” Trump continues to appear at rallies repeating his false claims that the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud. The investigation was launched after Trump was recorded in a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state’s election results based on unfounded claims of voter fraud. During the phone call, Trump urged Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to “find” enough votes to overturn his Georgia loss to Biden. The transcript of the call quotes Trump telling Raffensperger: “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” which is the number Trump needed to win Georgia. Trump has denied wrongdoing in the phone call. Legal experts have said Trump’s phone calls may have violated at least three state election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Meghan Trainor’s health “couldn’t keep up” with her rise to stardom. The 28-year-old singer shot to international fame in 2014, following the release of her debut single ‘All About That Bass’ – but Meghan initially struggled to deal with the pressures of being a pop star. She shared: “My health couldn’t keep up. I got bronchitis all the time. I was so sick and didn’t know how to take care of myself.” The single proved to be a global success, selling more than 11 million copies worldwide. However, it also attracted some criticism, amid suggestions that it shamed naturally skinny people. Reflecting on the controversy, Meghan told CNN: “I was so naive of what was happening [with that]. I was so sure of every door will finally open. I finally worked hard enough that now everyone will want to work with me and it would be easy now.” Meanwhile, Meghan recently revealed that she felt “super lost” after giving birth to her baby boy. The chart-topping pop star – who has Riley, 20 months, with her husband Daryl Sabara – admitted to struggling after giving birth to her son via C-section. The singer – whose new album is called ‘Takin’ It Back’ – shared: “The first song I wrote after giving birth … I mean, after having a C-section with my stretch marks, I was feeling extra, like, not loving myself. “I was heavier than I’ve ever been and I was just super lost. The first song I wrote is called ‘Remind Me’ and it’s about how my husband reminds me who I once was and then how beautiful he thinks I am and I see a lot of that in this album.” View the full article

Published by AFP Children play a video game called League of Legends in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; a large new US study published in JAMA Network Open indicates there may be cognitive benefits associated with video gaming Washington (AFP) – Parents often worry about the harmful impacts of video games on their children, from mental health and social problems to missing out on exercise. But a large new US study published in JAMA Network Open on Monday indicates there may also be cognitive benefits associated with the popular pastime. Lead author Bader Chaarani, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont, told AFP he was naturally drawn to the topic as a keen gamer himself with expertise in neuroimagery. Prior research had focused on detrimental effects, linking gaming with depression and increased aggression. These studies were however limited by their relatively small number of participants, particularly those involving brain imaging, said Charaani. For the new research, Chaarani and colleagues analyzed data from the large and ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. They looked at survey answers, cognitive test results, and brain images from around 2,000 nine- and ten-year-olds, who were separated into two groups: those who never played games, and those who played for three hours or more a day. This threshold was chosen as it exceeds the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time guidelines of one or two hours of video games for older children. Impulses and memory Each group was assessed in two tasks. The first involved seeing arrows pointing left or right, with the children asked to press left or right as fast as they could. They were also told to not press anything if they saw a “stop” signal, to measure how well they could control their impulses. In the second task, they were shown people’s faces, and then asked if a subsequent picture shown later on matched or not, in a test of their working memory. After using statistical methods to control for variables that could skew results, such as parental income, IQ, and mental health symptoms, the team found the video gamers performed consistently better on both tasks. As they performed the tasks, the children’s brains were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Video gamers’ brains showed more activity in regions associated with attention and memory. “The results raise the intriguing possibility that video gaming may provide a cognitive training experience with measurable neurocognitive effects,” the authors concluded in their paper. Right now it’s not possible to know whether better cognitive performance drives more gaming, or is its result, said Chaarani. The team hope to get a more clear answer as the study continues and they look again at the same children at older ages. This will also help exclude other potential factors at play such as the children’s home environment, exercise and sleep quality. Future studies could also benefit from knowing what genres of games the children were playing — though at age 10 children tend to favor action games like Fortnite or Assassin’s Creed. “Of course, excessive use of screen time is bad for overall mental health and physical activity,” said Chaarani. But he said the results showed video games might be a better use of screen time than watching videos on YouTube, which has no discernible cognitive effects. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -A Los Angeles prosecutor told jurors on Monday that they will hear from eight women who say Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted them during his time as one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood. The man who became the face of #MeToo allegations five years ago is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for sex crimes in New York. In Los Angeles, Weinstein is on trial on 11 charges of rape and sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty. At the start of opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson offered graphic details and quotes from women who said Weinstein invited them to hotel rooms for purported business meetings between 1991 and 2015. “He was trying to keep his penis in my mouth,” Thompson quoted one as saying. He quoted another as saying Weinstein undressed her and fondled her breast while masturbating. Weinstein, seated in the courtroom in a dark suit and tie, occasionally shook his head while Thompson spoke. Alleged incidents involving four of the women are the basis of the charges against Weinstein. The other four women, who had encounters with Weinstein outside of Los Angeles, will be presented by prosecutors to try to establish a pattern of behavior. One of Weinstein’s accusers is Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker and wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom. She will testify that Weinstein raped her in 2005 when she was trying to build a career as an actor, Thompson said. None of the women spoke publicly at the time, Thompson said, because they worried Weinstein “could crush their careers.” He showed the jury movie posters of “Pulp Fiction,” “Shakespeare in Love” and other Weinstein productions. “At this time, this was the most powerful person in the industry,” Thompson quoted one of the women as saying. Another said: “He was king.” All of the women did tell friends or family members about their experiences, Thompson said. Weinstein, 70, was convicted of sexual misconduct in New York in February 2020. Allegations against him helped fuel the #MeToo movement of women speaking out about harassment and abuse by men in Hollywood and beyond. Weinstein was extradited from New York to a Los Angeles prison in July 2021. In New York, Weinstein is appealing his conviction and 23-year prison sentence. He could face up to 140 years in prison if convicted on all of the charges in Los Angeles. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Sandra Maler) View the full article