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Published by DPA A general view of the Crimean Bridge between Kerch on the Crimean peninsula and mainland Russia. An explosion that sparked a fire on the bridge on Saturday caused massive damage to the train tracks and the roadway, sparking an official investigation in Russia and jubilation among Ukrainian officials. Ulf Mauder/dpa An explosion that sparked a fire on a bridge to Crimea caused massive damage to the structure’s train tracks and roadway, prompting a shake-up of security by Russia and jubilation among Ukrainian officials. The blast sent smoke and flames into the air as one of the key supply routes for Moscow’s floundering military campaign in Ukraine was torn asunder. It was also a major symbolic blow as the bridge connecting mainland Russia to the occupied Crimean peninsula was opened by President Vladimir Putin himself to much pomp and fanfare in 2018. The exact cause of the early Saturday blast remains unknown. Russia so far has said a truck exploded, without attributing responsibility. Many Ukrainian officials have gloated over the incident, but have yet to directly claim it as their attack. In his nightly remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky only hinted at the drama that had unfolded. He noted it had been a sunny day across Ukraine, but “in Crimea, unfortunately, cloudy, although warm there too.” He said the advance of Ukrainian troops continues in the south and east of the country, but did not give any details about new conquests. At least three people were killed on the bridge, Russia’s national investigation committee said citing preliminary findings, adding that the bodies were recovered from the water. Images show a destroyed lane and car parts floating in the water underneath and several burned-out wagons of a freighter train said to have transported diesel fuel. The fire was eventually extinguished and traffic was partially reinstated linking Ukraine’s annexed Crimean peninsula with Russia. However, the 19-kilometre-long structure, built by the Kremlin and a critical supply route, remains closed to lorries for now. Russia’s national investigation committee said that a truck had exploded on the road part of the bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train headed to the peninsula to catch fire. As a result, parts of the roadway collapsed. Alongside the truck driver, the other two people who died were driving in a car next to the vehicle when it exploded. Preliminary findings suggest the truck was headed from the Russian mainland to the coastal town of Kerch. Putin responded by reorganizing the prized bridge’s security, with the FSB secret service told to tighten controls over the bridge. “The FSB will be given powers to organize and coordinate protective measures for the transport route across the Kerch Strait, for the Russian Federation’s power bridge to the Crimean peninsula and the gas pipeline from the Krasnodar Territory Crimea,” a decree said. Up to now, security was overseen by the Defence Ministry, the Rosgvardiya National Guard and the Ministry of Transport. In Russia, leading foreign policy expert Leonid Sluzki called the blast a “terrorist attack.” He said “consequences will be inevitable” if it was planned by Ukraine. Sluzki said many statements made by Ukrainian lawmakers suggested Kiev had organized the attack, after Ukrainian media reported that the SBU secret service had carried out the operation. Kiev has vowed to retake Crimea, as well as the other four regions illegally annexed by Russia during the course of the war which began in February. Crimea was annexed in 2014. The incident brought a jubilant reaction from Ukrainians on social media. “Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor in the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted. Meanwhile, the power supply to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, was cut off again, the operator said. The external electricity supply is needed in order to cool the fuel rods of the plant that has been occupied by Russian forces since March but staffed by its Ukrainian employees. The Ukrainian nuclear operator Enerhoatom said the last remaining main power line had been damaged “due to renewed shelling by Russian troops.” Once the plant lost power, diesel generators kicked in automatically. The diesel supplies available are sufficient to run the plant for 10 days in an emergency, the operator said, noting the lines will have to be repaired. The sprawling complex in south-eastern Ukraine has been the site of fierce fighting for months. Its last operating reactor was shut down in September but the risk of disaster remains as the atomic material still needs the external power for cooling operations to avoid a meltdown. Zaporizhya is one of the four areas recently annexed by Moscow although Russian forces do not completely control them. In Kherson, another annexed region, the Russian occupying authorities were preparing to evacuate tens of thousands of civilians, under pressure from swiftly advancing Ukrainian troops. Russia’s southern Krasnodar and Stavropol regions are ready to receive Ukrainian children and adults, Kherson’s Russian-installed leader Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram. Another occupation official in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, acknowledged on Russian state television that his administration was preparing for “a difficult time.” Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine on February 24. Some seven months after the war began, the Ukrainian army’s counteroffensive is retaking terrain in the eastern regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk. The Ukrainians also recently reported the successful recapture of several villages in Kherson. As progress falters, Moscow appeared to bow to critics in Saturday by appointing 55-year-old army general Sergei Surovikin to lead Russia’s faltering “special military operation” in Ukraine, according to Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Surovikin after critics demanded a redeployment of troops in Ukraine given the defeats faced by Russian forces of late. View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Louisa Off and Sarah Marsh MUNICH (Reuters) – Anselm Bilgri, a former monk and prior at one of Germany’s most famous monasteries, had to leave the Roman Catholic Church to wed his long-term male partner. Now he hopes their wedding within a breakaway church will normalise such unions. Bilgri, 68, and his partner Markus Achter, 41, were wed in a Munich church on Saturday by a priest of the Old Catholic Church, which emerged in the Netherlands in the 19th century and lets priests marry and allows same-sex relationships. “I immediately thought: now I have actually received all seven sacraments,… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Billy Eichner believes homophobia was a factor in the flop of his gay romcom ‘Bros’. Although Billy deleted tweets in which he referenced homophobia as a reason for ‘Bros’ low box-office takings on its opening weekend, he insisted that it was one of the factors for the surprise flop. Speaking at the New Yorker Festival, Billy said: “Homophobia is a bigger problem than as it pertains to this silly rom-com we made, you know what I mean? But do I think it’s a factor? Yes. I think in certain parts of the country, it probably was a factor.” However, he admitted that there were other issues too, including the wide theatrical release and the marketing of the movie. He said: “There’s a lot of factors to it. To open this movie, in this many theatres, a rom-com in 2022 — there are rom-coms with mega-stars, which struggle at the box office, and a lot of the biggest comedy stars are taking their movies to streaming. And for good reason. That seems to be where people want to watch these movies. I still love seeing these movies in the theatre. I grew up going to see all these romantic comedies at the movies with my parents. “It was a bold swing to open this movie in this many movie theatres without big movie stars.” He added about the marketing: “I think what we were doing is trying to find every which way to try to motivate people because the odds were so stacked against us for so many reasons. “It’s just funny, you know, life is absurd. It’s just a rom-com. We wanted to make a Nora Ephron movie about horny gay guys, and it’s inspired a lot of thinkpieces and op-eds. I didn’t know people were so interested in me. “I love the movie, and I just hope more and more people keep discovering it.” View the full article

Published by Al-Araby The severed head and decapitated torso of a 25-year-old Palestinian were discovered on the side of a road in the occupied West Bank, police said Friday, confirming gruesome details of a killing that shocked Palestinian society. But accounts that the victim, Ahmad Abu Murkhiyeh, was a gay man who feared persecution for his sexuality and had sought asylum in Israel two years ago turned the terrible crime into a socially and politically explosive case. It was unclear how Abu Murkhiyeh wound up in Hebron, the conservative West Bank city that he had reportedly fled. Palestinian police officials tol… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matthew Chapman On Friday, WBLT News reported that a Mississippi reverend’s letter to two new parents has gone viral on social media after he unexpectedly refused to perform a baptism of their infant, due to their being unmarried. “Kamri Mclendon lives with her boyfriend of two years, Tristan Mcphail, in Sumrall. In May, the 18-year-old gave birth to a girl, Presleigh. She said the pregnancy was not planned, but her daughter has become the couple’s ‘greatest blessing,'” reported Josh Carter and Andrew McMunn. “Mclendon said she grew up in the church, and thus wanted to have an infant baptis… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Harry Styles is reportedly “gutted” he will not be attending the European premiere of his new film ‘My Policeman’. The former One Direction singer, 28, is said to be unable to join his co-stars, who include Emma Corrin, 26, of ‘The Crown’, at the BFI London Film Festival next week due to a tour clash that has tied him into performing in Chicago. Mail Online said on Friday (07.10.22) a source close to Harry said: “He’s gutted – but he doesn’t want to let down his fans in Chicago. “Starring in ‘My Policeman’ means the world to Harry and attending the London film premiere would have been very special. “Music will always be his priority though and he’s committed to fulfilling every one of his ‘Love On Tour’ dates.” Based on the novel by Bethan Roberts, ‘My Policeman’ sees Harry star as gay policeman Tom in Brighton in the 1950s, when homosexuality was outlawed. His character becomes embroiled in a love triangle with schoolteacher Marion, played by Emma, and their friend Patrick, portrayed by David Dawson, with Tom’s gay relationship pushing their relationships to breaking point. Harry told Rolling Stone magazine about the film: “It’s not like,’This is a gay story about these guys being gay’. It’s about love and about wasted time to me.” The LGBT+ community have said it feels the singer’s remarks attempted to play down the film’s queer plot. Harry will reportedly miss the ‘My Policeman’ premiere amid ongoing rumours about ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, in which he starred alongside Florence Pugh and its director, his girlfriend Olivia Wilde. Florence, 26, is said to have clashed with film boss Olivia, 38, over relationship with Harry, which begun on set, and was reported to have been unhappy with the focus on her sex scenes with Harry in the movie’s marketing. She told Harper’s Bazaar: “When it’s reduced to your sex scenes… to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone… it’s not why we do it. It’s not why I’m in this industry.” View the full article

Published by uInterview.com The iconic and transgressive indie filmmaker John Waters is making his return to directing after nearly 20 years since his last film A Dirty Shame released in 2004. Waters, known for films like Hairspray and Pink Flamingos, has been working in many areas including acting, writing, commentary and even touring some live shows. He will write and direct the adaptation of Liarmouth: A Feel Bad Romance, which is set in his hometown of Baltimore and stars a woman Marhsa Sprinkle who is described like this in the book’s retail description: “Suitcase thief. Scammer. Master of disguise. Dogs and childre… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Tiffany Terrell In Oklahoma, the OU Health hospital is counting on federal pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. However, Republicans in that state have given OU an ultimatum: if they want to receive $108 million in Rescue Plan funds, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital will have to stop providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Kevin J. Stitt signed this into law on Tuesday. Watch below to hear what Governor Stitt had to say about the new law Wednesday in his appearance on the conservative podcast by Clay Travis and Buck Sexto… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com Judy Tenuta, the comedian and musician also known by her onstage persona “The Love Goddess,” passed away at the age of 72. She reportedly died from ovarian cancer according to her publicist Roger Neal. She was surrounded by family and loved ones in her Los Angeles home when she passed on Thursday afternoon. Tenuta had a wholly unique act blending brash insult comedy inspired by the Borscht Belt greats as well as vaudeville acts, and had some incredible joke writing skills to back it all up. Early on in her career she began incorporating an accordion in the act as well, which gave her performan… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Alvise Armellini ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s outgoing government has adopted a new plan for LGBT rights just before handing over the reins to a right-wing administration that promises to be far more socially conservative. “We weren’t very ideological, we were very concrete,” Equal Opportunities Minister Elena Bonetti told Reuters on Friday, saying the contents of the document were not controversial. Nevertheless, they immediately jarred with prime-minister-in-waiting Giorgia Meloni and her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, which won a Sept. 25 election partly on pledges to defend the “trad… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tan France’s team nearly rejected George at Asda’s offer for him to design a line for the supermarket chain’s clothing department. The ‘Queer Eye’ star has launched his 37-piece range for men and women, but he admitted he had to explain how big Asda is in the UK to his colleagues because they had no idea. He told Stylist: “Asda came along, and I had to explain to my team what it was and how big it was in the UK. They were about to reject the offer.” The 39-year-old designer and television personality insisted he would wear the pieces he’s designed for the affordable brand. He said: “I swear to God – and I don’t swear to God often because I’m a religious person – but the pieces in my collection are wicked.” Tan was one of the first out Muslim gay men to appear on western television, and found it hard growing up in Doncaster, England, as a “queer Asian”. He said: “I found it really difficult in the UK, fitting in and being myself – I was Asian, I was queer in the 80s and 90s. “That really wasn’t easy, especially in the north.” The co-host of ‘Next In Fashion’ – which he fronts with supermodel pal Gigi Hadid – previously said he feels like an outsider in the fashion industry. Tan believes people in the style world disapprove of him because he doesn’t “live by trends” or worry about his outfits being “last season”- but he doesn’t care. He said: “Believe me, just because I have fame and I have wealth, I still feel sometimes like the fashion industry thinks there are certain people who aren’t right for it. “I’m positive they would say that about me because I don’t deck myself in designer clothing, I don’t care that much about the hottest new trend. “If a trend works for me, I will embrace it. But do I live by trends? Do I change my clothes every three months and not wear things anymore because they were ‘last season’? Absolutely not. “I’m positive that I’m excluded from the fashion industry because of that, but I don’t care. “I care so much more about style for myself, making myself feel good, and pushing that agenda forward onto other people who feel like they’re excluded from the fashion industry.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kevin Spacey’s lawyer has claimed he was a victim of the MeToo movement. The former ‘House of Cards’ star appeared in court in Manhattan on Thursday (06.10.22) in relation to allegations from Anthony Rapp, who has accused the disgraced actor of assaulting him at a party in 1986 when he was just 14 years old and Spacey was more than a decade older. But the 63-year-old actor’s lawyer has claimed his accuser made the allegations “for attention, for sympathy and to raise his own profile” because he was jealous of the success the ‘American Beauty’ star enjoyed while his own acting career floundered. Jennifer Keller said in opening arguments: “One of the cardinal rules of the so-called MeToo movement (is) that you have to believe the victim. You’ll see that Mr Spacey said ‘This didn’t happen, I don’t remember it’. “They told him to apologise. It was cleverly set up by Mr Rapp… “He’s been telling this story to raise his own profile. He never became the international star Kevin Spacey did. He has been simmering with resentment. It’s not easy to defend this, after 30 years. “As Mr Spacey’s star rose, Mr Rapp grew resentful. ‘Rent’ (the musical) was the apex of his career. He peaked in 2000 and grew bitter. So he became an out gay actor. I don’t know if he would have been a leading man anyway. “‘(The allegations made in 2017) was right after the Harvey Weinstein allegations. All sorts of people are worried about being cancelled.” Rapp filed a civil suit against Spacey after a 2020 criminal charge of sexual assault was dismissed by a judge and is seeking compensation for mental and emotional suffering, medical expenses and loss of work. According to court documents, Rapp claimed that during a party in Manhattan, Spacey lifted him up and his hand “grazed” his buttocks as he did so. He then alleged the actor placed him back down on a bad and “briefly placed his own clothed body partially beside and partially across” his. He said the alleged incident lasted no more than two minutes and there had been “no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes, and no sexualised statements or innuendo.” Spacey has previously offered his “sincerest apology” to the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ actor for any “deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour” but said he did not recall the incident. The ‘Baby Driver’ star faces having to pay significant damages if the jury find in favour of his accuser. The case is being overseen by Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the civil suit filed against Prince Andrew earlier this year, which was ultimately settled out of court. Spacey has previously pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting three men between March 2005 and April 2013 in the UK, while in 2019, charges of indecent assault and sexual assault were dropped in Massachusetts. View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matt Laslo “What do you make of the administration’s request on funding for monkeypox?” Raw Story asked Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) at the U.S. Capitol just days before lawmakers left Washington until after the midterm elections. “For what?” he replied. “The monkeypox virus. The outbreak.” “Well, I’m embarrassed to tell you, I don’t even know that,” Inhofe, who’s retiring, admitted. Inhofe’s likely not alone. The word ‘monkeypox’ itself, terrible as it may be, has been said just seven times in Senate floor debates throughout the entire 117th Congress, according tothe Congressional Record (with a… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English JoJo Siwa’s “gay awakening” started with Demi Lovato’s 2015 hit ‘Cool for the Summer’ – when she was 12. The former ‘Dance Moms’ star – who recently broke up again with her on-off girlfriend Kylie Prew – has revealed she started to discover she was a lesbian when she heard the song about same-sex experimentation. She said on TikTok: “I really, really liked it and listened to it all the time. “I did not know what it meant back then but now that I’m much older and I understand, I know what it means.” Later, the 19-year-old YouTuber’s head was turned by 41-year-old actress Jenna Dewan, after she saw her perform a song from her now-ex-husband Channing Tatum’s stripper movie ‘Magic Mike’ on ‘Lip Sync Battle’. She recalled: “Then a few years later, Jenna Dewan went on ‘Lip Sync Battle’. She did a really great ‘Magic Mike’ number. I pretty much watched it every day. Little me, she didn’t know she was gay, until.” JoJo knew for sure that she was attracted to women only when she got “grossed out” by a man’s request for sex. She added: “A couple of years later, a man was my first date and he wanted to have sex with me and I did not want to – never wanted to, grossed out by the thought of it. Immediately knew men are not my thing. Women are my gig. Gotta go.” JoJo came out to the world in January 2021, and while celebrating the one-year anniversary earlier this year, she admitted that while she was nervous she had “no fear” letting the world know her sexuality. She wrote: “In the last 365 days, I’ve felt more love than ever. “A year ago today I posted this picture and shared with the world that I was gay. “I get asked a lot, ‘Was coming out scary for you?’… and the answer is, ‘Yes of course!’ Anything that’s different about you is scary, however… it’s what makes me… me. “So I had no fear with sharing it with the world.” The ‘Dancing with the Stars’ star hopes she inspires young kids to be their authentic selves. She said: “Truthfully I feel like I was put on this earth to be a role model for kids, and letting all the kids of the world know that loving everyone for who they are no matter what is something that I will always believe in and always share.” She wrapped the post: “Thank you for showing me the most love throughout this year and throughout my entire life. I love you all.” View the full article

Published by uInterview.com One of the most recognizable characters in cartoons has become officially recognized as a lesbian in a canon franchise film with the recent release of Trick Or Treat Scooby-Doo! in which the character Velma Dinkley develops a crush on a woman. The subject of Velma’s affections is an original character named Coco Diablo, who is also bespectacled with a turtleneck like Velma’s, and is also apparently the leader of a crime syndicate the Mystery Gang is pitted against. While some fans have always contended that the character was gay in her previous iterations, it had never been confirmed by her or… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Mick Jagger has been branded bisexual in a new book that alleges he had flings with two members of The Rolling Stones. Writer Lesley-Ann Jones says in her new book ‘The Stone Age’ he had affairs with Keith Richards in the early days of the band, as well as its former guitarist Mick Taylor. The Daily Mail reported the book’s claims on Thursday night (06.10.22), and said it calls for Sir Mick, 79, to be reassessed as a “bisexual icon”. Keith, 78, and Mick, 73, who was a guitarist with the Stones from 1969 to 1974, are reportedly both listed in a long appendix to the book that details lovers taken by the Stones over the years. The long-running allegation Mick had a tryst with David Bowie is said to be mentioned, along with the frontman’s alleged affair with Austrian actor Helmut Berger, who introduced Mick to his first wife Bianca. The Mail says Lesley-Ann quotes Keith’s ex Anita Pallenberg and Mick’s former lover Marianne Faithfull saying they were apparently attracted to each other. Anita, who died in 2017 aged 75, is quoted as saying: “From when I first met them, I saw Mick was in love with Keith.” Marianne says in the book about the rockers: “I had an inkling that there was a sexual undercurrent between them. I knew in some part of my head that Mick was bisexual.” She has previously said: “Of all Mick’s relationships, the only one that really means anything to him is with Keith.” Paul Levett, who is said to have sat beside Mick’s ex- wife Rose at a party is said to be quoted in the book saying: “She told me that she found her husband in bed with Mick Jagger. Why would she say such a thing to me, if she had not seen it with her own eyes?” Stories of Mick and Mick’s alleged romance have been around for years, and are also mentioned in the 2012 book by Christopher Andersen, who said members of the band caught the pair “dozing in bed together”. Keith is said to have caused a rift with Mick by saying in 2010 Mick had a “tiny todger”. But he said about them being firm friends: “Mick and I live off the fire between us. We were made for each other. It’s like putting on an old glove, man, you know.” The Mail said spokespeople for Mick, Keith and Mick did not respond to requests for comment. View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Brad Reed A local library in the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas could soon be defunded after a local group called Craighead Citizens Taxed Enough filed paperwork for ballot initiative to slash its funds. Arkansas Times reports that the group filed paperwork with the state Ethics Commission that would slash the library’s tax revenue in half, which would likely force it to close down completely. According to Arkansas Times, the group is going after the library’s funding because of “a gay pride display in the Jonesboro library more than a year ago.” Right-wing activists in recent months have targ… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega; @ChristianWalker/Twitter Herschel Walker said he loves his son “unconditionally” despite the 22-year-old disowning him for allegedly “lying” about recent allegations he paid for an ex-girlfriend to receive an abortion, RadarOnline.com has learned. The GOP Senate candidate expressed his love for his son, Christian Walker, during an interview Wednesday morning that focused on both the current abortion allegations and the intense criticism he’s receiving as a result of the accusations. Mega “Well, I love my son unconditionally,” the NFL football player-turned-wannabe politician told Fox News. “And that’s the way I’ve always been, I always love him unconditionally.” “I always will be for any of my kids,” the Georgia GOP Senate candidate added, in reference to Christian and his three other children. “And I love them.” Herschel’s love for Christian is apparently not reciprocated. The social media fanatic has published a series of videos criticizing his father and condemning the 60-year-old Senate candidate for allegedly not being truthful about accusations he paid $700 for his ex-girlfriend to receive an abortion in 2009. “I stayed silent as the atrocities committed against my mom were downplayed. I stayed silent when it came out that my father, Herschel Walker, had all these random kids across the country – none of whom he raised,” Christian fumed in one video. @ChristianWalker/Twitter “I was silent lie after lie after lie,” Christian continued. “The abortion card drops yesterday. It’s literally his handwriting in the card. They say they have receipts, whatever. He gets on Twitter, he lies about it. Okay, I’m done.” During his interview Wednesday morning, Herschel continued to deny the abortion allegations against him. He also commented on the “damage” Christian is “doing” by recording and publishing the videos. “The damage he’s doing…he’s letting people know that the left will do whatever they can to win this seat,” Herschel said. “And I told you when I got in this race, I’m gonna win this seat.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Herschel was accused of paying for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion in 2009 despite his current and outspoken pro-life stance. Mega The 60-year-old Senate candidate’s accuser, who has not been named, claims Herschel paid her a $700 personal check five days after she received the abortion on September 12, 2009. Besides the check, the former NFL football player also reportedly gifted her a “get well” card containing Herschel’s distinctive signature. His accuser produced all of the alleged evidence, including a $575 receipt from the abortion clinic, when she made the allegations on Monday. But despite the allegations made by his accuser, and the apparent evidence to back her claims up, Herschel has called the allegations a “flat-out lie” and denies the accusations in the “strongest possible terms.” Herschel has also since been defended by some of his strongest endorsers – including former President Donald Trump. “Herschel Walker is being slandered and maligned by the Fake News Media and obviously, the Democrats,” Trump said in a statement posted to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday. “Herschel has properly denied the charges against him, and I have no doubt he is correct.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung and Nate Raymond WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday signaled sympathy toward Alabama in the state’s defense of a Republican-drawn electoral map in a case that could further erode a landmark voting rights law, drawing a skeptical response from its newest member, Ketanji Brown Jackson. The court on the second day of its new nine-month term heard about two hours of arguments in Alabama’s appeal of a ruling by a panel of three federal judges that the map setting the boundaries of the state’s seven U.S. House of Representatives districts unlawfully diluted the clout of Black voters. The case illustrated the ideological divide on a court with a 6-3 conservative majority. Jackson, the first Black woman on the court, and the two other liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, vigorously questioned Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour as he defended the map drawn by his fellow Republicans who control the state legislature. The conservative justices appeared sympathetic to some of LaCour’s arguments. Black voters challenged the legality of the Republican-drawn map. The lower court found that the map concentrated Black voters into a single House district even though Alabama’s population is 27% Black, while spreading the rest of the Black population in other districts at levels too small to form a majority in violation of a 1965 law called the Voting Rights Act that bars racial discrimination in voting. LaCour argued that the map was “race neutral,” that using a key Voting Rights Act provision to boost the power of minority voters may violate the guarantee of equal protection under the law enshrined in the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment and that states should ignore the question of race when devising electoral maps. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito expressed support for raising the burden on plaintiffs to show that an electoral map is unlawfully biased. In “every place in the South … will not the plaintiffs always run the table?” Alito asked U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, representing President Joe Biden’s administration in backing the plaintiffs. The Voting Rights Act was enacted at a time when Southern states including Alabama enforced policies blocking Black people from casting ballots. The case centers on a provision aimed at countering voting laws resulting in racial bias even absent racist intent. A ruling is due by the end of June. A decision siding with Alabama could make it harder to prove state voting laws harm minorities. Jackson, a Biden appointee, emphasized the historical intent of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 after the U.S. Civil War to help protect the rights of newly freed Black enslaved people. It was to ensure equality of all citizens and was not a “race-neutral or race-blind idea,” Jackson said on her second day of arguments as a justice. The Voting Rights Act, Jackson added, “is saying you need to identify people in this community who have less opportunity and less ability to participate and ensure that that’s remedied, right? It’s a race-conscious effort.” ‘GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS’ LaCour said drawing Alabama’s map of House districts “in favor of one racial group” would itself be racially discriminatory, violating the 14th Amendment, because it would be “harming some other group on account of race.” Kagan said endorsing Alabama’s arguments could lead states to draw maps in which minorities “could essentially be foreclosed from electing a candidate of their choice anywhere.” Kagan noted that Supreme Court rulings in 2013 and 2021 already undermined other Voting Rights Act protections. “It’s one of the great achievements of American democracy to achieve equal political opportunities regardless of race, to ensure that African Americans could have as much political power as white Americans could,” Kagan said of the landmark law. Sotomayor questioned LaCour about why the Republican-drawn map split up certain Black communities among House districts but not certain white communities. The lower court ordered Alabama to configure a second House district where Black voters could hold a majority or close to it. But the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision in February powered by its conservatives, let Alabama use the map for the Nov. 8 elections in which Republicans are trying to regain control of Congress. Electoral districts are redrawn each decade to reflect population changes. In most states, such redistricting is done by the party in power, which can lead to map manipulation for partisan gain. Alito said racially polarized voting patterns in Alabama and some other states “may be due to ideology and not have anything to do with race.” “It may be that Black voters and white voters prefer different candidates now because they have different ideas about what the government should do,” Alito said. Other conservative justices seemed skeptical about a second Black-majority district, but signaled there might not be appetite for a sweeping ruling upending the court’s Voting Rights Act precedents. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh focused on whether the proposed districts complied with traditional redistricting principles including that they are geographically compact. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Howard Stern came out of hiding after being locked up in his “apocalypse bunker” since the pandemic started. The shock jock, 68, left his $20 million Southhampton home to mix and mingle with his A-list friends over dinner for the first time in two years, RadarOnline.com has learned. Stern and his wife, Beth, 50, were spotted at Laser Wolf in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Friday with a slew of Hollywood’s most elite, including Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Hamm, and Jason Bateman. After being holed up in their home since 2020, the couple decided to brave the world again following an invite by Kimmel and his wife. Mega Photos showed the famous group of friends at the ritzy dinner date. Stern was seated next to Kimmel and across from Hamm and Aniston’s most recent ex-husband Justin Theroux. The Sirius XM host appeared lost in conversation, leaning over the table to catch up with his old buddies. Stern spoke about his first adventure outside of the house, revealing he was drained from being social. “I really had an exhausting weekend, emotionally, physically,” he said on the Monday episode of his radio show. “For the first time in two years I ventured out of the house. It was too much for me. It was too much. I haven’t been out in two years.” While he agreed to go, Stern told his listeners he almost bailed on the event out of fear. “I said to my wife: ‘I don’t want to go, I’m in a panic, I don’t want to get COVID,'” he recalled. “I know our president has told us the pandemic is over and everyone is walking around without masks…I still just don’t want to get COVID.” Mega Despite being scared of catching Covid-19, photos show that Stern chose not to wear a mask. “Howard was there without even a mask. They all sat at a large table…Stern told restaurant staff this was his first night out since the start of the pandemic,” an eyewitness told Page Six. The outing appeared to go well. Howard has not complained about having any Covid-like symptoms following the Friday dinner exchange. View the full article

Published by AFP John Hinckley with his guitar in Williamsburg, Virginia, on September 14, 2022 Williamsburg (United States) (AFP) – More than four decades after John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan, the man who was acquitted of the crime on an insanity defense and subsequently hospitalized for 34 years is fully free. But the one thing he wants most after decades of treatments and years of conditional release still eludes him: a guitarist and songwriter, Hinckley longs to play a live concert. On June 15, the day he was released from court oversight, Hinckley also learned the Brooklyn venue where he was scheduled to perform had scrapped his set over safety concerns, saying they’d faced “very real and worsening threats.” “It was just a huge disappointment,” says Hinckley, who’s now 67 and wields an acoustic guitar with his name emblazoned across its soundboard. He faced the same disappointment just before other scheduled shows in Chicago, Virginia and Connecticut. Speaking to AFP at a park in Williamsburg, Virginia where he lives in an apartment with his cat Theo, Hinckley insists he’s a changed man, eager to share his music with a world that’s long branded him “violent and unstable.” “They know me from all the negativity that came out about me for 41 years, but I’m a different person now,” he says with a southern twang. Music therapy On March 30, 1981, Hinckley shot Reagan and three others in Washington. All survived, but the former president’s press secretary, James Brady, was left permanently disabled. Hinckley said he committed the crime to impress Jodie Foster; he’d grown obsessed with the actor after watching her in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” He was declared not guilty on grounds of insanity and admitted to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington for more than three decades. But Hinckley’s public image remained firmly in 1981. Stephen Sondheim wrote him as a character in the musical “Assassins,” while the new wave band Devo released one of his poems as a song. He was discharged from the hospital in September 2016 but mandated to live with his elderly mother, who has since passed, in Williamsburg. His movements, electronic devices and online activity were limited and monitored. Those conditions were lifted this summer, and Hinckley passes his days in the sleepy town painting, songwriting and uploading performances online. He’s amassed more than 50,000 Twitter followers, and notches nearly 5,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. But the self-taught musician yearns for the connection of a live audience. “I want them to feel better coming out of the show than going into the show,” Hinckley says. “I have people that write to me and say, ‘I listened to your music and it helps me to get through my day.'” “That’s a great feeling.” ‘I’m sorry’ For years, the Reagan Foundation ardently protested Hinckley’s freedom, conditional or otherwise, accusing him of seeking “to make a profit from his infamy.” If his criminal act had not involved someone as high-profile as Reagan, it’s likely Hinckley would’ve been released from the hospital, at least conditionally, earlier than the court approved it. Even if you are technically acquitted for reasons of insanity, “there is a punitive element to the way the system works,” said Paul Appelbaum, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. “If you commit a heinous act — for example, if you try to kill a president of the United States — you can expect to spend a long time confined, whether or not your mental state continues to require it.” Hinckley holds he has tried apologizing to the Reagan Foundation numerous times. “I’m sorry for what I did,” he says. “I’m not the person I was back then.” “I was totally alienated and depressed and unstable” leading up to the attack, Hinckley says. “I can’t relate to the way I was, because now I kind of have that feeling of, ‘What was I thinking?'” At this point, the barrier to his stage ambitions appears to be a question of morality. “We’re in a society where people have gained fame and notoriety for all kinds of reasons, including not very savory reasons, and in many cases are subsequently able to capitalize on that,” said Appelbaum. “It’s not easy to see why somebody like John Hinckley should be treated differently than everybody else.” ‘Too many guns’ Hinckley offers a folksy brand of acoustic rock with unambiguous lyrics. “Freedom stands next to me / Everybody knows my history,” he croons on “I Sing My Songs.” “True remorse is real / It has been the way I feel.” As his quest for a venue continues, Hinckley’s got an album set for release on vinyl by year’s end with Asbestos Records, an indie ska and punk label. He says he’s written thousands of songs, with musical influences including Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Beatles. Recalling the assassination of John Lennon, which occurred just months before Hinckley’s own crime, he says, “I’m sure it didn’t help in my psyche to have that happen.” Hinckley applauded increased attention in recent years to mental health research and treatments, but says he thinks “a lot more can be done.” “I think the country is in a really, really volatile spot right now,” he says. “I just wish people would calm down.” And the man who changed his own life forever by wielding a firearm emphasizes a need for gun control. “There’s too many guns in America,” Hinckley reflects, giving his guitar a languid strum. “That’s why all this crime and all this violence keeps happening.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega President Joe Biden was caught on tape accidentally dropping an f-bomb! The flub occurred when the 79-year-old was chatting privately with Florida mayor Ray Murphy while still wearing a live microphone. mega The President is currently in Florida to discuss relief efforts with Gov. Ron DeSantis after the damage caused by Hurricane Ian. 104 people have been confirmed dead from the inclement weather, with the number expected to increase. At least 40 of the deaths were due to drowning. KAMALA HARRIS CLAIMS SHE’LL SUPPORT JOE BIDEN TO LEAD DEMOCRATIC TICKET FOR 2024 DESPITE MONTHS OF SECRET FEUDING “I think the one thing this has finally ended is the discussion about whether or not there’s climate change, and we should do something about it,” Biden told the crowd, referring to the Category 4 storm, as well as other weather changes witnessed in the last six months. mega Following the news conference, Biden and Murphy were heard joking with one another while walking to Fort Myers Beach. “No one f***s with a Biden,” the President was heard joking to Murphy, who replied, “You’re God d*** right!” Moments later, Biden declared, “You can’t argue with your brother outside the house,” prompting the mayor to respond, “That’s exactly right.” The context of their conversation is unclear. 7 OF PRESIDENT BIDEN’S MOST EMBARRASSING GAFFES: TELEPROMPTER BLUNDERS, CONFUSION OVER DEATES & MORE Earlier that day, Biden told reporters that despite their differing “political philosophies” he thought DeSantis had “done a good job” in responding to the the needs of Floridians amid Hurricane Ian. “We worked hand-in-glove,” he continued. “In dealing with this crisis, we’ve been in complete lockstep.” mega AsOK! previously reported, this is only one in a string of public blunders made by the politician. Biden recently shocked onlookers when he asked for deceased state representative Jackie Walorski to identify herself in a crowd, one month after she passed away in a tragic car accident. “I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like Representative __[Jim] McGovern__, Senator __[Mike] Braun__, Senator __[Cory] Booker__, Representative Jackie — are you here? Where’s Jackie?” Biden asked, before adding, “She must not be here.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later said in a statement Walorski had been “on his mind” because he’d been “naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work.” Radar was first to report Biden’s latest gaffe. View the full article

Published by AFP Bear-ly there: by the time hibernation is over, bears will be shadows of their former selves, so gorging on salmon ahead of the winter is crucial to survival Los Angeles (AFP) – Americans are weighing their options this week and deciding where to cast their ballot in the only contest that really matters: Fat Bear Week. The annual poll will see thousands of people glued to webcams watching bears in Alaska stuff themselves with salmon as they ready for hibernation. The creatures in Katmai State Park “could easily be eating 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or more of fish in a day,” former park ranger Mike Fitz, who thought up the vote, told AFP. “It’s common for them to eat 20 or more salmon in a day.” In a series of head-to-head elimination contests, voters are looking for the creature that appears to have piled on the most pounds to help it get through the lean months of winter. A solid reserve of chubbiness is vital to survival. During five months of deep sleep, the bears do not wake to eat, drink or even go to the toilet, emerging famished — and a lot thinner — in the spring. Defending champion Otis, who has four titles to his name, tips the scales at around 1,000 pounds. This year, he faces a hefty challenge for the overall crown from a bear dubbed 747 — named after Boeing’s enormous plane, and himself a former champ. But, says Fitz, another pretender to the crown of Ursa-most-Major could emerge from the park’s population of 2,000 bears. The contest, which takes place online — and of which the bears are probably unaware — began in 2014 with just a few thousand people voting. By last year, it had become a titan in its own right, with more than 800,000 ballots cast. “It’s an event to raise awareness for brown bears in Alaska and in Katmai National Park,” said Fitz, who now works as a naturalist for environmental NGO Explore. “And hopefully through that awareness, people come to care for the animals.” That awareness is crucial to Fitz’s larger aim of helping to prevent environmental damage. “On much of the west coast of North America, salmon runs are just hanging on by a thread,” he said. “We’re doing very poorly in parts of California, in Oregon and Washington due to habitat loss and barriers to their migration like dams. “And climate change is exacerbating those things with drought and heat waves.” Ballots for Fat Bear Week can be cast at www.explore.org, and voting begins on Thursday. View the full article