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Published by AFP The satirical website The Onion has filed a brief with the US Supreme Court in support of an Ohio man who created a parody page of his local police department Washington (AFP) – It’s not often that the justices of the US Supreme Court receive a legal brief that is laugh-out-loud funny. But they haven’t received one from The Onion before. The popular satirical website filed an amicus brief on Monday in support of an Ohio man who was arrested for creating a parody page on Facebook of his hometown police department. “Americans can be put in jail for poking fun at the government?” the Onion asked in the filing in support of Anthony Novak of Parma, Ohio. “This was a surprise to America’s Finest News Source and an uncomfortable learning experience for its editorial team.” The 18-page filing is a mix of serious legal argument, jokes, hyperbole and a defense of the art of parody. Claiming a daily readership of “4.3 trillion,” the Onion described itself as the “single most powerful and influential organization in human history.” It said the facts of Novak’s case “managed to eclipse what The Onion’s staff could make up.” Novak was arrested after creating a spoof Facebook page in 2016 mocking the police department in Parma. Accused of disrupting public services and interfering with police functions, Novak was acquitted in a jury trial. He went on to sue the police department charging that his free speech rights had been violated. An appeals court backed the police, however, and Novak is now seeking to have the Supreme Court hear his case. That’s where the Onion entered the fray, filing what is known as a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Novak. “As the globe’s premier parodists, The Onion’s writers also have a self-serving interest in preventing political authorities from imprisoning humorists,” it said. “The Onion cannot stand idly by in the face of a ruling that threatens to disembowel a form of rhetoric that has existed for millennia, that is particularly potent in the realm of political debate, and that, purely incidentally, forms the basis of The Onion’s writers’ paychecks.” View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Sarah K. Burris The media industry’s Editor and Publisher magazine released its cover story Monday about the Fox News empire and their efforts to “deliver cheap, expedient, viscerally-agitating content instead of the journalism its viewers need and deserve.” The report began with Jim Small, an Arizona political reporter who has been on the beat for 20 years. Until recently he covered rallies at the Capitol and political events, but now he has to put his safety first. Someone decked out in extremist insignias came after one of his colleagues. “I know who you are, and I’m keeping my eye on yo… Read More View the full article

Published by Ultimate Classic Rock Singer Sinead O’Connor sparked outrage on Oct. 3, 1992, when she tore up a picture of the Pope during her musical performance on Saturday Night Live. In the lead-up to the episode, show creator Lorne Michaels had all of his attention on outspoken host Tim Robbins. The politically active actor had pitched a searing broadside against NBC parent company and infamous polluters General Electric, which Michaels had rejected for the show, claiming the piece to be more pointed than funny. (Robbins, perhaps anticipating that outcome, included a scene in his sly 1992 political satire Bob Roberts, in whi… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online RIP. Country star Loretta Lynn died at 90 years old on Tuesday, October 4. The singer was surrounded by family when she passed away at her Tennessee ranch and died from natural causes, RadarOnline.com has learned. As this outlet exclusively reported, Lynn had all the arrangements planned prior to her death. “Loretta wants to turn most of her physical holdings into cash so she doesn’t burden her kids and grandkids with having to sell off stuff when she’s gone,” a family friend spilled last week. “But even more, she wants to plan her own memorial service so the day will go EXACTLY as she wants!” Lynn wanted to be laid to rest next to her late husband, Mooney, in addition to her children, Jack Benny and Betty Sue, at the family cemetery. “And that’s where Loretta wants her memorial service to be,” the insider noted. “She wants all of her fans to be able to attend, and there’s plenty of room at the ranch. Loretta has already asked her performing children and grandchildren to take the stage at her farewell event. She also wants lifelong friends such as Dolly Parton to help send her off in style.” The Coal Miner’s Daughter songstress had previous health issues, as she suffered a stroke in 2017 and broke her hip one year later. TMZ was the first to report the news about Lynn’s death. View the full article

Published by PopCrush Lena Dunham is once again facing backlash on the internet. On Sunday (Oct. 2), she tweeted, “When I go, I want my casket to be driven through the NYC pride parade with a plaque that reads ‘she wasn’t for everyone, but she *was* for us’- who can arrange?” The reaction to the cringe tweet was probably not exactly what she expected. One person replied, “‘She died as she lived: in a ploy for attention that was as puzzling as it was desperate.’” Another person tweeted, “gonna start living my life with whatever amount of confidence lena dunham has that makes her think she’s an lgbtq+ icon.” As the p… Read More View the full article

Published by Loudwire An (oddly specific) study on why heterosexual male guitarists play extreme metal music points to these guys wanting to impress other heterosexual men. This American Psychological Association (APA) study was referenced by the twitter account of British TV show QI, or Quite Interesting, yesterday (Oct. 2.) “Research shows that heterosexual men who learn to play extreme metal guitar are mostly motivated to do so in order to impress other heterosexual men,” the show tweeted, sparking some 66 or so replies (at the time of this writing) that were mostly in good fun. The study, itself, called “Extrem… Read More View the full article

Published by PopCrush During Lil Nas X‘s trek across North America on his Long Live Montero Tour, he recently pleaded with his fans to refrain from doing poppers at his concerts. “Stop doing poppers at my concert!” he tweeted on Sept. 28. “U do not need ur a–hole relaxed to see me perform industry baby!” the tweet continued. The rapper’s fans flooded his Twitter replies with snarky comments following the tweet. “But what if we decide to get freaky after the concert?” one person asked, while another wrote, “You can’t stop me.” Popular in the LGBTQ+ community, “poppers are often packaged in small bottles similar to e… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane co-star in Universal Pictures's Los Angeles (AFP) – “Bros,” billed as the first gay rom-com from a major Hollywood studio, flopped at the box office because straight people “just didn’t show up,” its creator Billy Eichner said. Heavily marketed by Universal Pictures and costing $22 million to produce, the movie received mostly glowing reviews but took less than $5 million at North American theaters on its opening weekend. Despite opening in more than 3,000 theaters, it ranked only in fourth place at the domestic box office overall, behind Paramount’s mid-budget horror “Smile,” and two other films which debuted earlier last month. “That’s just the world we live in, unfortunately. Even with glowing reviews… straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros,” Eichner, who co-wrote and stars in the film, tweeted Sunday. “And that’s disappointing but it is what it is.” The movie follows Bobby, a successful New York-based podcaster who insists he is content being single even as his friends couple up, before his life is changed by an encounter with an equally commitment-phobic lawyer. Made with an entire cast of openly LGBTQ actors, it features several sex scenes, including one with four men engaged in group sex, and is rated R for “restricted.” At its world premiere at the Toronto film festival last month, Eichner told AFP it was “absurd and infuriating” that it had taken so long for a major Hollywood studio to release a film like “Bros.” “There should be tons of these movies by now. But still, I’m very grateful that Universal finally decided that it was time,” he said. Director Nicholas Stoller said he hoped the film would prevail at the box office in order to show “the studios that there is a big audience for this kind of story, and not just an LGBTQ audience, but a straight audience.” That now seems less certain, although box office analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research noted that the film’s first weekend figures represented “a fair opening by mainstream romantic comedy standards,” as the once wildly popular genre has been “under pressure for a number of years.” “There are no norms for gay film stories because there have been so few of them. Those few that came before generally featured funny gay shtick,” he wrote. In a series of tweets, Eichner said he had attended a “Bros” screening in liberal Los Angeles where the audience response was “truly magical,” but said an unnamed theater chain had threatened to not show the film’s trailer “because of the gay content.” “Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast!” he added. “And it is special and uniquely powerful to see this particular story on a big screen, esp for queer folks who don’t get this opportunity often.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Krisztina Than and Gabriela Baczynska BUDAPEST/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Hungary’s parliament passed the first of a series of anti-corruption bills on Monday as Budapest seeks to avoid a loss of European Union funds at a time when its economy is headed into recession and the forint has plunged to record lows. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party passed an amendment to the criminal code to set up a procedure concerning criminal offences related to the management of public property, allowing a judicial review in case an investigation is closed without indictment or a crime report is dismissed. Parliament passed the bill with 136 members voting yes, while seven voted against it and 14 abstained. The legislation is one of 17 commitments Orban’s government made to the European Commission to stave off a suspension of billions of euros of EU money over breaches of democratic checks and balances including weak anti-corruption safeguards. For a full list of Budapest’s commitments, please see: Facing surging energy costs and inflation, a record weak forint and a slowing economy, Orban, long at odds with the EU, now looks willing to fulfil demands to create institutions that would cut corruption risks. The EU will have until Nov. 19 to assess Hungary’s actions and whether they curb the risk of misspending EU money. Otherwise, the bloc would be expected to approve cutting 7.5 billion euros ($7.36 billion) earmarked for Hungary, some 5% of its 2022 GDP estimate. EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn told European lawmakers on Monday evening that the 17 steps would reassure the bloc if they were correctly legislated and put in place. “As simple as it sounds – money talks,” Hahn said. “Now it’s our role to take Hungary at its word and help the authorities implement this. Important dates for the implementation of these proposals are still to be determined.” DEMOCRACY? Several EU lawmakers called on Hahn not to let Orban off the hook but scrutinise closely the reforms in Hungary, which the chamber has recently declared is no longer a full democracy but a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy.” Orban denies that Hungary – an ex-communist country of some 10 million people – is any more corrupt than others in the EU. Hungary had irregularities in nearly 4% of EU funds spending in 2015-2019, according to the bloc’s anti-fraud body OLAF, by far the worst result among all the 27 EU countries. Reuters documented in 2018 how Orban channels EU development funds to his friends and family, a practice human rights organisations say has immensely enriched his inner circle and allowed the 59-year-old to entrench himself in power. In more than a decade in power, Orban tightened state control over media, courts, NGOs and academia, restricted the rights of women, gay people and migrants, and clashed increasingly with liberal Western Europe which sponsors EU handouts. A favourable decision on the funds later this year could ease pressure on the forint and Hungarian assets, which have sold off in past weeks as emerging markets were hammered due to the U.S. dollar’s surge, with Hungary’s vulnerabilities making its assets especially exposed to risk aversion. “We expect that by mid- to end-November Hungary will make progress towards … a deal for the recovery funds,” Bank of America said in a note on Monday. “The cash-strapped administration has no choice but to compromise with the EU.” ($1 = 1.0185 euro) (Reporting by Krisztina Than in Budapest and Gabriela Baczynska in BrusselsEditing by Susan Fenton and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Al-Araby Pakistan’s minorities are facing yet another attack from the right who have managed to rally up quite a number of people in support of their discriminatory politics. This time, it’s the transgender community that is being called into question and the resulting controversy can jeopardise years of progress. The historic Transgender Rights Act was passed in the national assembly in 2018 with both the opposition and ruling party unanimously voting in favour. This moment was marked as a monumental win for the transgender community, often indigenously referred to as Khwaja Siras. However, the bill i… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matthew Chapman On MSNBC Monday, former Republican strategist Tara Setmayer uncorked a furious rant against Republican officials who sit by and take abuse from former President Donald Trump. She had particular venom for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), whom Trump attacked with an apparent death threat coupled with a racist attack on his wife days before — but who has not spoken up in any way to defend himself or his family. “Donald Trump also went after Mitch McConnell’s wife in an insane tweet over the weekend, with an ethnic slur that is completely unacceptable,” said Setmay… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By David Badash,The New Civil Rights Movement Christian Walker, the son of the Republican Party of Georgia’s nominee to be a U.S. Senator is out with a new video Tuesday morning blasting his father, Herschel Walker, and Republicans who he says knew about his philandering father’s past and suggesting they even called him telling him it’s important for the party that he win, despite the latest bombshell news. Monday evening The Daily Beast reported Herschel Walker, the former NFL star running for Senate as a “pro-life” candidate who supports zero exceptions for abortion, paid for an abortion for… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The FBI had a 270-page file on the late Aretha Franklin after spying on her for 40 years. The Queen of Soul – who died of cancer in August 2018, aged 76 – was reportedly the target of surveillance, subjected to false phone calls and had her inner-circle infiltrated by spies, according to documents obtained by Rolling Stone from the organisation. According to the outlet, the lengthy file – which is heavily redacted – is filled with phrases such as “Black extremists,” “pro-communist,” “hate America,” “radical,” “racial violence,” and “militant Black power” and was filled with suspicion about the singer, her work, and the activists and entertainers she spent time with. The FBI regularly tracked the ‘Respect’ singer’s addresses and phone numbers and seemed to be particularly interested in her civil rights work and association with the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis. Among the documents obtained by the publication – some of which are newly-declassified – is a 1968 report on the funeral plans for Martin Luther King Jr., which described it as a “racial situation”. It further noted: “Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin…of this group, some have supported militant Black power concept…[performance at MLK memorial by these prominent entertainers] would provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance in this area.” The agency failed in attempts to connect the ‘Think’ hitmaker to the Black Liberation Army and other so-called “radical” groups, with one document detailing Aretha’s recording contract with Atlantic Records “just in case” her business dealings could be connected with the Black Panther Party. In addition to the surveillance reports, the file also contains letters and reports of death threats made against Aretha, though information about the suspects in a number of incidents – including a threat from a man to kill her and her family and a separate extortion attempt – was redacted. Aretha’s son, Kecalf Franklin, is unsure whether the singer knew she was under surveillance but thinks it was a “waste of time” to spent so many years following her “every move” after the bureau failed to link his mother to any type of extremist activity. He said: “I’m not really sure if my mother was aware that she was being targeted by the FBI and followed. I do know that she had absolutely nothing to hide though… “It does make me feel a certain way knowing the FBI had her targeted and wanted to know her every move. “But at the same time knowing my mother and the way she ran her business I know she had nothing to hide so they wouldn’t have found anything and were wasting their time. As you see…they found nothing at all.” Some documents indicated there may be additional materials in the FBI’s possession and Rolling Stone have asked them to make available any and all additional records. The FBI have yet to comment on the report. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sacheen Littlefeather has died aged 75. The actress passed away at her home in Novato, California on Sunday (02.10.22) just weeks after accepting an apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for abuse she suffered in the aftermath of her 1973 Oscars speech which she gave on behalf of Marlon Brando – making her the first Native American woman to step foot on stage at the glitzy event. News of her death was announced by the Academy in a post on Twitter, which read: “Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American civil rights activist who famously declined Marlon Brando’s 1973 Best Actor Academy Award, dies at 75.” No more details about her death have been released but Sacheen had previously revealed she was battling breast cancer which had metastasized. Brando won the Best Actor award for his role as Don Corleone in ‘ The Godfather’ but boycotted the awards show and Sacheen took to the stage to decline the statuette on his behalf. It was a protest over how Native Americans had been portrayed onscreen and the occupation of the South Dakota town of Wounded Knee by followers of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and Sacheen gave a moving speech explaining why Brando was turning down the prize. She told the audience: “[Brando] very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award … And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry … and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.” She was booed by some members of the crowd and faced a fierce backlash afterwards, with Academy bosses issuing an apology for her treatment earlier this year. In a letter penned back in June, then-AMPAS president David Rubin wrote: “The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.” A celebration was later held in her honour in late September. Speaking during the ‘An Evening with Sacheen Littlefeather’ event at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, she said: “I am here accepting this apology. Not only for me alone, but as acknowledgement, knowing that it was not only for me but for all our nations that also need to hear and deserve this apology tonight.” She continued: “Now, I would like all the Indian people in this audience to stand. Look at our people, look at each other and be proud that we stand as survivors, all of us. “Please, when I’m gone, always be reminded that wherever you stand for your truth, you will be keeping my voice and the voices of our nations and our people alive. “I remain Sacheen Littlefeather. Thank you.” Sacheen was born in California and studied acting at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater before going on to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She landed some TV and radio advert work, but previously insisted her looks worked against her, saying: “Americans liked the blonde Sandra Dee look … I got speaking parts in Italian films because they liked the exotic.” Sacheen met Brando several years before the Oscars and after the much-publicised speech, the actor appeared on ‘The Dick Cavett Show’ to express his dismay that few had listened to her message. He said: “[I] was embarrassed for Sacheen. She wasn’t able to say what she intended to say, and I was distressed that people booed and whistled and stomped even though perhaps it was directed at myself. They should have at least had the courtesy to listen to her.” In later years, she spoke openly about her experiences and participated in 2018 documentary ‘Sacheen: Breaking the Silence’. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English H.E.R. is “so excited” to play Belle in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. The 25-year-old singer will portray the beloved Disney princess in ABC’s forthcoming live action/ animated special ‘Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration’ and though she teased the programme will “stay true” to the original movie, she’s also keen to add a “fresh twist” to the character. She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! I’ve been in the studio, playing with the arrangements, of course staying true to the original but giving it a new fresh twist. It’s gonna be like H.E.R. but also Belle, you know? And I’m really excited.” The ‘Fight For You’ hitmaker is keen to show Belle’s “strength” in her performance. She added: “I think the world has never seen a Black and Filipino Belle and there’s a strength in Belle that I think we forget about sometimes, and I think people are gonna see that, musically, and just in the way that she is.” H.E.R.’s casting in the project – which will be directed by Hamish Hamilton and executive produced by Jon M. Chu – was first announced in July. ABC said she would be taking part “never-before-seen musical performances celebrating and paying homage to the beloved tale” in the two-hour special, which will be recorded in front of a live audience at Disney Studios and broadcast on 15 December. H.E.R. – who will serve as executive producer on the special – recently landed her first movie role in Blitz Bazawule’s adaptation of ‘The Color Purple’ Broadway musical, which itself was based on Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated 1985 film. H.E.R. will join Corey Hawkins in the project and will play the part of Squeak, who goes from a juke joint waitress to an aspiring singer in the musical, and was portrayed by Rae Dawn Chong in the original film. Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey – who made her feature acting debut in the original flick – will serve as producer on the movie, which is set to be released in 2023. The star has previously expressed her dream to become both a top musician and leading actress. She said: “There is so much I want to do. People don’t really get to see my comedic and fun side, except for when I’m impersonating my aunt. “But I definitely want to do a lot more voice-overs, and comedy, but also some serious roles. “I’m trying to do it all, I know. Whatever is it, one thing at a time. I’m gonna get there.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Natalie Grover, Niklas Pollard and Johan Ahlander STOCKHOLM/LONDON (Reuters) -Swedish geneticist Svante Paabo won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for discoveries that underpin our understanding of how modern day people evolved from extinct ancestors at the dawn of human history. Paabo’s work demonstrated practical implications during the COVID-19 pandemic when he found that people infected with the virus who carry a gene variant inherited from Neanderthals are more at risk of severe illness than whose who do not. Paabo, director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, won the prize for “discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution,” the Award committee said. “The thing that’s amazing to me is that you now have some ability to go back in time and actually follow genetic history and genetic changes over time,” Paabo told a news conference at the Max Planck Institute. “It’s a possibility to begin to actually look on evolution in real time, if you like.” Paabo, 67, said he thought the call from Sweden was a prank or something to do with his summer house there. “So I was just gulping down the last cup of tea to go and pick up my daughter at her nanny where she has had an overnight stay,” Paabo said in a recording posted on the Nobel website. “And then I got this call from Sweden and I of course thought it had something to do with our little summer house … I thought the lawn mower had broken down or something.” Asked if he thought he would get the award, he said: “No, I have received a couple of prizes before but I somehow did not think that this really would qualify for a Nobel Prize.” Paabo, son of a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, has been credited with transforming the study of human origins after developing ways to allow for the examination of DNA sequences from archaeological and paleontological remains. Not only did he help uncover the existence of a previously unknown human species called the Denisovans, from a 40,000-year-old fragment of a finger bone discovered in Siberia, his crowning achievement is considered to be the methods developed to allow for the sequencing of an entire Neanderthal genome. ‘GENETIC DIFFERENCES’ This research, which showed that certain genes of Neanderthal origin are preserved in the genomes of people today, was once considered impossible, given that Neanderthal DNA on bones has shrivelled up over thousands of years into short fragments that have to be assembled like a gigantic puzzle, and are also heavily contaminated with microbial DNA. “This ancient flow of genes to present-day humans has physiological relevance today, for example affecting how our immune system reacts to infections,” the Nobel Committee said. The prize, among the most prestigious in the scientific world, is awarded by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and is worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($900,357). It is the first of this year’s batch of prizes. Born in Stockholm, Paabo studied medicine and biochemistry at Uppsala University before creating a scientific discipline called “paleogenomics”, which helped show genetic differences that distinguish living humans from extinct hominins. “His discoveries provide the basis for exploring what makes us uniquely human,” the Committee said. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed medical research centre stage, with many expecting that the development of the vaccines that have allowed the world to regain some sense of normality may eventually be rewarded. Still, it typically takes many years for any given research to be honoured, with the committees charged with picking the winners looking to determine its full value with some certainty amongst what is always a packed field of contenders. PANDEMIC When asked why the prize did not go to advances in combating COVID, Thomas Perlmann, secretary for the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, said the committee would only talk about prize winners, not those who had not won, or had not yet won. However, Paabo’s ancient forensics work did offer insight on why some people are at higher risk of severe COVID. In 2020, a report from Paabo and colleagues found that a gene variant inherited by modern humans from Neanderthals when they interbred some 60,000 years ago made those that carry the variant more likely to require artificial ventilation if infected by the COVID-causing virus. “We can make an average gauge of the number of the extra deaths we have had in the pandemic due to the contribution from the Neanderthals. It is quite substantial, it’s more than one million extra individuals who have died due to this Neanderthal variant that they carry,” Paabo said in 2022 lecture. Paabo’s most cited paper in the Web of Science was published in 1989, with 4,077 citations, said David Pendlebury, from UK-based scientific data analytics provider Clarivate. “Only some 2,000 papers out of 55 million published since 1970 have been cited this many times,” he said. “It is, however, not an award for a discovery relevant to clinical medicine, which many anticipated this year after a Nobel Prize focusing on physiology last year.” Past winners in the field include a string of famous researchers, notably Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 prize for the discovery of penicillin, and Robert Koch, who won already in 1905 for his investigations of tuberculosis. ($1 = 11.1067 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Niklas Pollard, Johan Ahlander, Simon Johnson in Stockholm and Natalie Grover in London; additional reporting by Terje Solsvik in Oslo, Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm, Marie Mannes in Gdansk and Kristi Knolle and Riham Alkousaa in Berlin; Editing by William Maclean) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch and Chris Gallagher WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Prosecutors urged members of a jury to convict Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four others for their roles in storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, saying they formed an “armed rebellion” to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. “They concocted a plan for an armed rebellion to shatter a bedrock of American democracy,” prosecutor Jeff Nestler said in an opening statement at their trial. Rhodes told his followers during the planning stage that “it will be torches and pitchforks time if they (Congress) don’t do the right thing,” according to a text message shown to the jury by prosecutors. Rhodes and his co-defendants Kelly Meggs, Thomas Caldwell, Jessica Watkins and Kenneth Harrelson are accused of plotting to forcefully prevent Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in a failed bid to keep then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, in power. Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol after Trump falsely claimed the election had been stolen from him through widespread fraud. Five people died during and shortly after the riot, and about 140 police were injured. The five on trial face numerous felony charges, including seditious conspiracy – a Civil War-era statute that is rarely prosecuted and carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have said the five defendants trained and planned for Jan. 6 and stockpiled weapons at a northern Virginia hotel outside the capital for a so-called “quick reaction force” that would be ready if called upon to transport arms into Washington. As lawmakers met on Jan. 6 to certify Biden’s election victory, some Oath Keepers charged into the Capitol building, clad in paramilitary gear. They are not accused of carrying firearms onto Capitol grounds. “On that day, as required, Congress met inside the Capitol building … These defendants seized upon that opportunity to disrupt Congress from meeting inside the Capitol building. That was their goal: to stop by whatever means necessary to stop the transfer of power including by taking up arms,” Nestler told a jury of 12 members and four alternates. ‘WILLING TO DIE?’ Watkins told members of her local Ohio chapter that “I need you fighting fit by (inauguration),” while Meggs told followers from the Florida Oath Keepers that “the time for talk is over. The real question is who’s willing to DIE?” according to text messages shown by the prosecution. On the day of the assault, Nestler said Watkins led a group of seven Oath Keepers toward the Senate side of the Capitol. As she stormed down the hallway with the “power of the mob with her,” Nestler said she yelled “Push, push, push!” He said that Watkins added: “They can’t hold us.” Meggs and Harrelson, meanwhile, led a group of seven Oath Keepers toward the House of Representatives side of the Capitol where Nestler said they looked specifically for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress. Nestler said that on Election Day, Meggs had told his wife Connie, who is criminally charged in a separate case, “I’m gonna go on a killing spree. Pelosi first.” The government has characterized the Oath Keepers as a far-right anti-government group, some of whose members have ties to militias. Some of the members include current and former military and law enforcement personnel. Rhodes, a Yale-educated attorney and former U.S. Army paratrooper, has disputed that government’s characterization, saying it’s a non-partisan group whose members have pledged to defend the U.S. Constitution. Although Trump’s shadow will loom large over the trial, he is not expected to be a central figure in the case. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who is presiding over the trial, previously restricted the defendants from using a “public authority” defense, meaning they cannot claim they stormed the Capitol at Trump’s direction. However, attorneys for some of the defendants are expected to argue that their clients believed they could be called to action if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act, a law that empowers the president to deploy troops to suppress civil disorder. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Chris Gallagher, editing by Ross Colvin and Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Beyonce has called her sister Solange Knowles a “visionary” after she became the first African American woman to compose music for the New York City Ballet. The pop star took to her Instagram page to share a picture of her sibling holding a large bunch of flowers – and Beyonce revealed she is celebrating Solange’s historic accomplishment after she was brought on board to collaboration with the dance company for its 10th annual Fall Fashion Gala. Beyonce called her sister’s work ” phenomenal” and added: “I love you deep”. In the message posted online, she wrote: “My beloved sister, there are no words to express the pride and admiration I have for you. You are a visionary and one of one. Congratulations on being the first African American woman to compose for the New York City Ballet. The piece you composed is phenomenal. I love you deep.” The ‘Crazy In Love’ singer then added: “Might I suggest you don’t f*** with my sis.” Along with a picture of Solange holding flowers, Beyonce also sharedf a snap which showed the singer outside the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York where the gala took place on Wednesday (28.09.22). Sarah Jessica Parker was set to have been honoured at the event, but the actress had to leave the event just minutes after arriving – putting her exit down to a “sudden devastating family situation”. It was later revealed Sarah’s step-father Paul Giffin Forste – who married her mum, Barbara, in 1969 – died on Wednesday (28.09.22). The family said in a statement: “Our family is sad to announce that after an unexpected and rapid illness, Paul Giffin Forste passed away yesterday at age 76.” The statement also confirmed that various family members, including Sarah, were present when he passed away. They said: “In his last moments he was surrounded with the love and gratitude of his adored wife Barbara of 54 years, and children, including Sarah Jessica Parker.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English AJ McLean is supporting his nine-year-old daughter’s decision to change her name. The Backstreet Boys star’s little girl Ava – who he shares with wife Rochelle Karidis along with a second daughter five-year-old Lyric – has decided she now wants to be known as Elliott and AJ has insisted it’s her right to change her name and the family are totally behind her. He told People.com: “It is her body, it’s her name, it’s her everything. And she’s still Ava. She’ll always be Ava to me.” AJ went on to explain Elliott’s name change is not linked to gender identity – she still identifies as female but she wanted to be called by a different name. He went on: “When my daughter asked to change her name to Elliott, initially, I didn’t know if it was a transgender thing, which it is not, but it is a personal choice. Whatever reasoning it is, that’s hers, and I’m going to support it a million percent, my wife will [too].” The pop star added that her reasoning seemed to be that there are too many girls named Ava in her social circle. AJ said Elliott told him: “Dad, I just feel like my name is not that unique and not that original, and there’s a lot of Avas at dance and a lot of Avas at school.” He also suggested she got the idea for her new name after watching classic kids’ film ‘Pete’s Dragon’ which features a dragon named Eliot. AJ and Rochelle got together in 2009 and married in 2011 before welcoming their first child together – Elliott – in 2012 with her sister Lyric following in 2017. View the full article

Published by Hong Kong Free Press Hongkongers aged 18 to 40 are mostly supportive of LGBTQ+ equality, a recent survey has revealed. However, nearly half of respondents said they have experienced or learned of discriminatory acts against the LGBTQ+ community. Commissioned by the LGBT+ rights group Pink Alliance, the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute interviewed 2,120 residents aged between 18 and 40 in August. The survey’s findings were released on Monday. Eighty-six per cent said they agreed that LGBTQ+ people should be treated fairly and should not be discriminated against. In addition, 63 per cent said Hong Kong sh… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Victor Borges and Gram Slattery BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil’s presidential election is headed for a run-off vote, electoral authorities said on Sunday, after President Jair Bolsonaro’s surprising strength in a first-round vote spoiled rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s hopes of winning outright. With 95% of electronic votes counted, Lula was ahead with 47.6% of votes versus 43.9% for Bolsonaro, the national electoral authority reported. As neither got a majority of support, the race will go to a second-round vote on Oct. 30. Several opinion surveys had shown Lula leading Bolso… Read More View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — A local Republican Party in Southwestern Pennsylvania has a quote attributed to Samuel Adams on its website: “It does not take a majority to prevail … but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” The Fayette County GOP might consider an update. Registered Republicans surpassed Democrats in Fayette this summer, making it the last county in the rapidly reddening region to flip to a GOP voter edge. The inversion reflects and continues yearslong changes to voter registration across the battleground state. And despite close inter… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Tom Boggioni On Monday the Supreme Court will reconvene with the newest addition, Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, taking the seat previously occupied by retired Stephen Breyer and legal experts are warning that the new session will likelybe as tumultuous as the last. As Ed Pilkington of the Guardian wrote, the last term saw a conservative supermajority overturn Roe v. Wade, relax already loose gun laws and hand the religious right huge victories. The slate of new cases to be considered by the court, which features three justices appointed to the court by former president Donald Tru… Read More View the full article