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Published by Euronews (English) The Vatican has defended Pope Francis' decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples after receiving backlash from more conservative bishops who called the move heretical. In a five-page statement on Thursday, the Holy See's office to safeguard doctrinal orthodoxy – called the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith – insisted that blessing same-sex couples is not heresy, though it said it understood that some bishops needed more time to adjust to the change. But while the office recognised the need for these bishops for “pastoral reflection”, it added that “there is no room to distance our… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Former Harvard President Claudine Gay said she received emailed death threats and was called the “N-word” countless times prior to resigning after her congressional testimony on antisemitism and plagiarism allegations. Gay made the comments in a New York Times opinion piece on Wednesday, a day after she yielded to pressure from Harvard's Jewish community and members of Congress to step down over the Dec. 5 congressional hearing and allegations about her academic work. “My character and intelligence have been impugned. My commitment to fighting antisemitism has been questioned. My i… Read More View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star The last time Kimberly Dragoo of St. Joseph made major headlines was last summer when she and her husband pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing inside the U.S. Capitol as part of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Part of the evidence against her: a photo her husband shot of her stepping through a broken window at the Capitol. Now, photographed wearing her Donald Trump socks, alongside a note beginning “Okay Patriots,” Dragoo announced on social media that she is running for St. Joseph school board. “I only decided to run for the school board on the 26th of December,” Dragoo text… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story America is coming up on the three-year anniversary of the day former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol. The attack upended the orderly and peaceful transfer of presidential power to Joe Biden during Congress' certification of the 2020 election and ultimately resulted in the loss of seven lives and dozens of injuries to law enforcement officers. The FBI has arrested more than 1,200 people on federal charges related to the siege of the Capitol. The leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — two far-right extremist groups — are already serving long prison sentences for… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Madonna's 2023 might have been filled with a few ups and downs, but she certainly ended the year on a high note. On Monday, January 1, the Queen of Pop took to Instagram to wish her 19.2 million followers a happy new year while sharing a glimpse inside her end-of-year celebrations with all six of her children. Madonna's upload featured separate snaps of the mom-of-six posing with her kids: Lourdes Leon, 27, Rocco Ritchie, 23, David Banda, 18, Mercy James, 17, and 11-year-old twins Estere and Stella Ciccone. “Let Me Take You to a Place I know you want to Go — It's A Good Life……….Happy 2024 !! … Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Sam Smith is getting too good at saying goodbyes. The 31-year-old singer — who identifies as non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns — has ended their relationship with U.K. fashion designer Christian Cowan and is already looking for love again on the exclusive dating app Raya, RadarOnline.com has learned. Smith and Cowan were last photographed together on December 14 — and did not ring in the new year as a couple, and that's because they had split by then, according to Daily Mail. However, there are no hard feelings between the exes. “Sam and Christian decided to end their relationship befo… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Expelled congressman George Santos has disclosed his New Year's resolution: It's that he wants Donald Trump to be elected so he can make him I.C.E. director. Santos, who was booted from his position as a lawmaker after being charged with crimes and accused of lying about his biography, has not slowed down his Trump support now that he's a private citizen. On Tuesday, Santos used the recent holiday to make a point about his immigration agenda. POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office? READ MORE: Five unresolved questions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack “My new year resolution is that Presi… Read More View the full article

Published by Celebrity Tidbit Beyoncé brought in the New Year with a Clueless corset vibe while infusing her look with the silver aesthetic she has been sporting for the last year. The music star posted snaps posing in an outfit resembling Cher Horowitz's iconic style from the 1995 chick flick Clueless. It famously starred Alicia Silverstone and the late Brittany Murphy. She also gave the Beyhive a glimpse at how she spent Christmas with her husband, Jay-Z, and their three children, Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir Carter. Beyoncé's Clueless corset look pays homage to movie star In the pictures posted to her Instagram, the … Read More View the full article

Published by The Seattle Times A new year brings cause for contemplation, resolutions, optimism … and a whole new slate of movies. In the spirit of that optimism, here are a handful of upcoming releases that sound intriguing; here's hoping all of them bring happy diversion. (Note that all dates are tentative and entirely changeable, depending on the whims of movie studios and the universe at large.) “Argylle” A spy thriller that involves an introverted novelist, a tabby cat and Catherine O'Hara? Sign me up. Matthew Vaughn (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”) directs; Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston and Samue… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Former Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, the pentecostal evangelical Christian who made international headlines in 2015, has now been ordered to pay a total of more than $360,000 after refusing to issue a marriage license to a local same-sex couple that year, ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in support of marriage equality. Davis, who once told supporters she is a “soldier for Christ,” was ordered by U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning on Tuesday to pay attorneys of the couple $260,104 in fees and expenses, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. She previously was ordered by a jur… Read More View the full article

Published by Socialite Life It has been a challenging endeavor, yet we have dedicated an entire week to meticulously exploring the vast expanse of Instagram to present to you with Louis III, our selection for this week's celebrity Instahottie. We are aware that Louis III is one talented singer-songwriter, but let us be a little superficial for a moment and indulge in some of his hottest thirst traps. The out singer revealed to Man About Town, “When I first started putting out music, I was in the closet. I wish I could say that I was always comfortable with my queerness but in all honesty I wasn't and I rejected it for a … Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Sarasota police are expanding their criminal investigation into Christian Ziegler, the embattled chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, to include video voyeurism, a felony that carries a possible five-year prison penalty. Ziegler has been accused of rape by the same woman he and his wife, a Moms for Liberty co-founder and school board member who helped draft Governor Ron DeSantis' “Don't Say Gay” law, admit to having a three-way sexual relationship with. According to a search warrant affidavit, police believe Christian Ziegler unlawfully filmed his alleged rape of the woman, which he cl… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dave Chappelle “loves punching down” amid controversy over his trans jokes in new Netflix special ‘The Dreamer'. The 50-year-old comedian tackled a broad range of topics in his first full-length stand-up special in two years but spent the first 12 minutes taking aim at transgender people. He opened with a story about visiting Jim Carrey while he was filming the 1999 film ‘Man on the Moon;, where Jim stayed in character as comedian Andy Kaufman between takes. Dave explained that he spent the day pretending Carrey was Kaufman and was left feeling “very disappointed,” adding: “That's how trans pe… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA VfB Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle expects active footballers in Germany to come out as gay in the near future because diversity has come a long way. No active footballer has come out in Germany to date. But former German international and Stuttgart player Thomas Hitzlsperger came out after his playing career, 10 years ago in January 2014. Wehrle told dpa that diversity efforts from clubs, federations and fan groups were “clearly visible” as “a lot has been prepared here in recent years for the coming out of an active footballer. “I am convinced that it will happen – maybe not by an individual… Read More View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune “All of Us Strangers” is a lovely way to begin 2024, not because it's especially seasonal — though one key scene takes place around Christmastime — but because it's just so beautifully acted and tenderly observant. Writer-director Andrew Haigh's drama made a lot of Top 10 lists for 2023. I always miss two or three such films around the holiday crunchtime. The upside, with “All of Us Strangers” in limited theatrical release, is the opportunity to start the year on a high note. We meet Adam, played by Andrew Scott, alone in a newly built London high-rise, conspicuously light on residents. He's a… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Last year was a tough one for Hollywood with the dual strikes slowing down production, resulting in fewer shows for viewers in the fall. Now that writers and actors have a new contract, production is back in full force. It’s one of the reasons to be hopeful in 2024. New series and new seasons that were held back are on the horizon, so you can expect lots more television to make its way to your screen. Here, The Times’ television writers weigh in on a sampling of shows that they’re looking forward to watching in the new year and that they recommend you put on your calendar and in your queue. ‘T… Read More View the full article

Published by Front Page Detectives The FBI has an image. The clean-cut, dark-suit, sunglass, earpiece. The ones who are called in to help local police or when there is a serious crime. It’s an image the agency has created from its inception by J. Edgar Hoover. But, whether for Hoover’s political gain or investigative purposes, the agency has gone beyond its initial scope on occasion. Hoover used the FBI to harass and bully any potential threats. The agency has used the newest technology to track, investigate and watch seemingly anyone it chooses. Those in Hollywood are no exception. The FBI targeted magazines that printed gossi… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress aren't just doing all they can to impeach the Biden name – and possibly President Joe Biden himself – they're also going to extraordinary lengths to protect two billionaire GOP megadonors who helped the party remake the Supreme Court in recent years. For one, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) are trying to stymie Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's investigation into Federalist Society co-chairman Leonard Leo. Schwalb is looking into allegations that Leo is illegally profiting of… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story (UK) Rapper “Ye,” formerly known as Kanye West, made a public apology Tuesday about his past anti-Semitic remarks after years of pushing fringe conspiracy theories while also openly praising Adolf Hitler. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen this week spilled some more details about meetings that he had with West back in 2021 that were publicized by the tabloid press. Raw Story spoke to Cohen about his relationship with West, and the former Trump lawyer explained that he did some crisis communications management through his company CrisisX. It was then that West explained to Cohen that he purportedl… Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) From clean energy breakthroughs to weather extremes, 2023 has been a year of highs and lows. At Euronews Green, our most-read stories of the year show a clear desire for solutions to the climate crisis – and the occasional need for escapism. Win-win resolutions came to the forefront, like pollution-busting free public transport and drought-preventing solar canals. Meanwhile, the popularity of green tech explainers reveals the public drive to make more sustainable choices from an informed standpoint. This is something we're committed to continue helping you with in 2024. Here's the full breakdo… Read More View the full article

Published by Mirror By Charlie Duffield Britain's most mispronounced words of 2023 have been revealed. Language-learning platform Babbel has commissioned the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters – the UK's leading organisation for subtitling professionals – to find the top words of 2023. These are the words that newsreaders, public figures, politicians and others have continuously found difficult to pronounce. This annual analysis is now in its eighth year and has been hitting the news headlines since 2016. The UK's 10 most mispronounced words of 2023 come from many subject areas and sources. Entertainment has… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Expelled congressman George Santos asked his fans and followers if he should leave the Republican party, and most of them said yes. Santos, who is also facing criminal charges from the DOJ, posted a poll on social media on Friday, simply asking, “Should I leave the Republican Party?” At the time of writing, the poll has four hours remaining and it stands with 67.6% people voting for his departure from the party. The poll shows 32.4% saying he should stay. The comments are a mixed bag, with some begging Santos to stay to fix a broken party and others condemning Santos as an alleged criminal. PO… Read More View the full article