RadioRob

Published by BANG Showbiz English Brad Pitt has made a surprise debut as an artist. The 58-year-old actor unveiled a number of sculptures at the Sara Hildén Art Museum in Tampere, Finland over the weekend as part of a larger exhibition by British artist Thomas Houseago, who also features a ceramic series by singer Nick Cave. Brad told Finnish broadcaster Yle: “For Nick and I this is a new world and our first entry. It just feels right.” The ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ actor explained the nine works he has in the exhibition – including a series of house-shaped silicone sculptures that have each been shot with different ammunition and a moulded plaster panel “depicting a gunfight” – are about “self-reflection” and “taking account” of the wrong decisions he’s made in his life. He said: “To me it’s about self-reflection. It’s about where I have gotten it wrong in my relationships, where have I misstepped, where am I complicit. “For me, it was born out of ownership of what I call a radical inventory of self, getting really brutally honest with me and taking account of those I may have hurt, moments I have just gotten wrong.” Meanwhile, Australian singer Nick’s exhibition was titled ‘The Devil: A Live’ and the 17 individual pieces depict “the life of Satan in 17 stations, from innocence through experience into confrontation of our mortality.” The glazed ceramic figurines stand between six and 19.5 inches high and were hand-crafted, painted and glazed by the musician in England between 2020 and 2022. Both stars created their works in dialogue with Houseago, who has showcased a number of paintings alongside new sculptures made from redwood and plaster in the exhibition. Speaking of his decision to team up with Brad and Nick, the artist said in a statement: “I am not an I. I’m a WE!” View the full article

Published by DPA A general view of a vessel found during excavations at Tel Yehud, where Israeli researchers discovered 3,500 year-old traces of opium inside ceramic vessels at an ancient burial site. Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority/dpa Israeli researchers have found traces of opium in ceramic vessels in an ancient burial site dating back some 3,500 years. It is the earliest known evidence of human opium use, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Tel Aviv University, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Canaanites used the psychoactive drug as an “offering for the dead,” researchers believe, according to the statement. The ceramic vessels containing opium were found during excavations at Tel Yehud, near Tel Aviv, where Canaanite tombs dating back to the 14th century BC are located. “This exciting discovery confirms historical writings and archaeological hypotheses according to which opium and its trade played a central role in the cultures of the Near East,” the joint statement said. The vessels, some of which were made in Cyprus and some locally, resembled an opium poppy capsule in shape, according to the statement. A general view of vessels found during excavations at Tel Yehud, where Israeli researchers discovered 3,500 year-old traces of opium inside ceramic vessels at an ancient burial site. Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority/dpa View the full article

Published by DPA The average face mask is limited to preventing the spread of viruses, but scientists believe high-tech versions will let you know when they have detected a nearby virus. Marijan Murat/dpa Scientists in China say they have developed a sensor to be worn on face masks that can detect small amounts of coronavirus and other flu viruses in the air and alert the wearer on their smartphone. With a “real-time detection platform for various respiratory infectious diseases,” the device could serve as an early warning system to prevent viral outbreaks, according to research published in the scientific journal Matter00477-5). The postage stamp-sized sensor, which can be attached to common face masks, can transmit a warning to a smartphone within 10 minutes to alert the user to the danger, say the device’s six developers at Shanghai’s Tongji University. “Wearable sensor platforms for analysing airborne media remain underexplored,” say the researchers, who note that their sensor has the potential to identify viruses such as H1N1, H5N1 and SARS-CoV-2. The cost of the device was not mentioned. View the full article

Published by DPA After Sanghya started showing coronavirus symptoms at the height of the pandemic, many ailments failed to disappear, while health returned to many infected people around her. Too often, the response from doctors was: “We just don’t know anything yet.” Sina Schuldt/dpa I go to the Strand at California’s Hermosa Beach each week and take in the fresh air. Most weeks, I get there and the sun is setting, the sky is an orangish-purple-pink Creamsicle colour and the clouds are fluffy. The predictability of this place calms me: the salty air, the sounds of rushing waves, the pitter-patter of the runners, seagulls chirping and the wind dancing on the sand. My visits allow me to have a clear slate for the week and reflect on the progress I’ve made mentally and physically. About 2½ years ago, I started showing symptoms of Covid-19. But unlike my friends and family members who bounced back from the infection, some of my symptoms continued. It would take dozens of doctor’s and medical appointments to confirm that I had long Covid. I am a data journalist at the Los Angeles Times and have a deep appreciation for spreadsheets, so my inclination was to track my symptoms. My planner became a living document in which I detail the good days and the bad using colour-coded dots to denote how I am feeling. I used to take an even more comprehensive approach, tracking in a spreadsheet every time I had shortness of breath, my blood pressure dropped or I lost my voice. The reality is, although the note-taking was helpful for taking to doctor’s appointments, the daily data collection for a year wore on me. I wanted to believe that my meticulous data keeping would result in answers from my doctors, a precious “aha” moment that every person with a rare disorder longs for. But by the late summer of 2021, I felt completely overwhelmed with test results, research I came across in my long Covid support group and the reality that no one doctor has a perfect solution for dealing with my symptoms. There were days when I had to make calls to get the earliest available appointments, do interviews, go to one or two doctor’s appointments and analyze data, as well as manage my day-to-day life. The doctors kept saying, “We just don’t know anything yet” and “Let’s try this new medicine, but we’ll have to monitor you for two to three months.” That, on top of the news I was covering every day, made me feel as though I was wading deeper and deeper into the dark ocean. My doctors told me if I didn’t schedule a break, my body would take one for me. So I took a step back from work and said “yes” to taking care of myself. I am very fortunate to have a supportive employer and family and friends and the financial means to go on leave. Rest is crucial after Covid, but unfortunately the systems in this country don’t support mental health well or the physical health needs of folks who need it the most. My leave allowed me to focus on my health and only my health, instead of trying to juggle five things at once. I realized that, as much as I enjoy data collection, it was time to ditch the spreadsheet of my personal symptoms and shift my focus and energy and just be kinder to myself. I swapped my spreadsheet for an Apple Watch and spent more time outside, focusing on the gains I could make during walks — each day a little bit longer and more challenging. It freed up my brain space to think about what I really enjoy doing. I started to paint during my leave to still use my creative side, especially since I was not writing much. At first, it offered an escape on my worst days, but over the last few months, it has developed into much more. Painting allows me to express myself in a way that reporting, writing and data analysis doesn’t. It is the one space in my life where I don’t have a deadline, a colour palette I must abide by, or a set routine I need to follow. Often my paintings are of the cotton candy clouds I see at the beach at 7 p.m. In a space of uncertainty, painting sunsets allows me to have a feeling of normality and calmness. These moments let me leave my body just for a minute and focus on the wet paint, bright pink hues and take me back to sitting in the sand, watching the horizon and ocean melt into one another. Painting also allows me to find balance and the resilience to keep helping others. Along with shifting my personal data tracking, I’ve also shifted from tracking daily coronavirus cases to doing longer interviews with other Long Covid patients. I’m able to empathize with a whole pool of younger people, like myself, who are faced with learning to live with a chronic illness much earlier than they imagined. Although I enjoy doing the interviews, some of them remind me of my early days of trying to get the care I needed and leave me wanting to do something more to help these people. On these days, painting gives me a place to release the medical trauma that people share with me and keep going. And though my symptoms are tapering off, I’m still pacing myself and allowing time to paint, even if I’m not at my worst. There’s nothing quite like peeling the plastic off a new canvas, squirting a little glob of acrylic paint onto my palette and letting the brush glide across, capturing another sunset. Specialist clinics, like this one in Germany, have been set up around the world to help treat the millions of patients suffering from Long Covid. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kelly Clarkson felt “freaked out” to be “cemented in history” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 40-year-old pop star shot to fame back in 2002 when she won the inaugural series of ‘American Idol’ and has been given the prestigious honour of a spot on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles located outside the Dolby Theater where the reality singing competition was filmed. Asked what it felt like to be “cemented in history”, she told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Wow, how you just said it kind of freaked me out, that’s crazy. I didn’t really think about it like, that but it’s incredible. I mean, you know, you’ve seen these pictures since you were a kid, with all these major people that influenced you artistically in your life, and it’s cool to be a part of that.” The ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ hitmaker is the 2,733rd person to be honoured with the star on the landmark tourist destination, joining the likes of screen legends Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland as well as fellow pop icons Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera but thinks it is “awesome” to have been cemented in between ‘Harry Potter’ actor Daniel Radcliffe and ‘Deadpool’ star Ryan Reynolds. The ‘Because of You’ songstress – who has sold more than 25 million records since her victory on the ABC show – was reunited with original ‘American Idol’ judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson for the ceremony on Monday (19.09.22) and gave a speech where she thanked the three music moguls for being “honest” with her as they guided her to stardom. She said: “From the beginning, with ‘Idol, all three of you were very honest with me…I just wanted to say thank you, to be surrounded — even my band on the road, my family, like last night, we’re listening to my new album and telling me what they love, what they don’t love — and I have people like that, and I think it’s important to have not just ‘yes’ people, but people that actually love you, and care about you and give their honest advice, and I’ve always welcomed. “And I think that is why I’m here today. Not just because of myself, but because of having constantly teams of people that love you and support you, and really want to make your dreams come true while making their dreams come true.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nate Raymond (Reuters) – A federal law prohibiting people under felony indictment from buying firearms is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Texas has concluded, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly expanded gun rights. U.S. District Judge David Counts, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, reached that conclusion on Monday in dismissing a federal indictment against Jose Gomez Quiroz, who had been charged under the decades-old ban. Counts cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June declaring for the first time that the right to “keep and bear arms” under the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment protects a person’s right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. Counts said that while the U.S. Supreme Court decision did not erase societal and public safety concerns about guns, it had “changed the legal landscape.” “The Second Amendment is not a ‘second class right,'” Counts wrote. “No longer can courts balance away a constitutional right.” Quiroz’s attorney and representatives for U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff, whose office prosecuted the case, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Quiroz had been indicted in a Texas state court for burglary and later for bail jumping when he attempted in late 2021 to buy a 22-caliber semiautomatic handgun, leading to his federal indictment. A federal jury on June 23 found him guilty of one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment and one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. That same day, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority handed down its ruling, which struck down New York’s concealed carry law. Quiroz then moved to have the case dismissed, citing that decision. Counts granted the request, saying a historical survey found “little evidence” that the federal ban “aligns with this Nation’s historical tradition.” (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Karen Freifeld and Sarah N. Lynch NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers resisted revealing whether he declassified materials seized in an August FBI search of his Florida home as the U.S. judge appointed to review the documents planned his first conference on the matter on Tuesday. Judge Raymond Dearie on Monday circulated a draft plan to both sides that sought details on documents Trump allegedly declassified, as he claimed publicly and without evidence, though his lawyers have not asserted that in court filings. In a letter filed ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Trump’s lawyers argued it is not time and would force him to reveal a defense to any subsequent indictment – an acknowledgement that the investigation could lead to criminal charges. Dearie, a senior federal judge in Brooklyn, was selected as an independent arbiter known as a special master. He will help decide which of the more than 11,000 documents seized in the Aug. 8 search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home should be kept from the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the alleged mishandling of the documents. Dearie will recommend to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon which documents may fall under attorney-client privilege or an assertion of executive privilege, which allows a president to withhold certain documents or information. It is unclear whether the review would go forward as instructed by Cannon, the Florida judge appointed to the bench by Trump in 2020 who ordered the review. Trump is under investigation for retaining government records, some marked as highly classified, at the resort in Palm Beach, his home after leaving office in January 2021. He has denied wrongdoing, and said without providing evidence that he believes the investigation is a partisan attack. The Justice Department on Friday appealed a portion of Cannon’s ruling, seeking to stay the review of roughly 100 documents with classified markings and the judge’s restricting FBI access to them. Federal prosecutors said the special master review ordered by the judge would hinder the government from addressing national security risks and force the disclosure of “highly sensitive materials.” On Tuesday, Trump’s legal team filed its response to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, opposing the government’s request and calling the Justice Department’s investigation “unprecedented and misguided.” In their 40-page filing, Trump’s attorneys said the court should not take the Justice Department at its word that the roughly 100 documents in question are in fact still classified, and said the special master should be permitted to review them as a step towards “restoring order from chaos.” In Cannon’s order appointing Dearie as special master, she asked him to conclude his review by the end of November. She instructed him to prioritize the documents marked classified, though her process calls for Trump’s counsel to review the documents, and Trump’s lawyers may not have the necessary security clearance. The Justice Department has described the special master process as unnecessary, as it has already conducted its own attorney-client privilege review and set aside about 500 pages that could qualify. It opposes an executive privilege review, saying any such assertion over the records would fail. The August FBI search came after Trump left office with documents that belong to the government and did not return them, despite numerous requests by the government and a subpoena. It is still unclear whether the government has all the records. The Justice Department has said some classified material still could be missing after the FBI recovered empty folders with classification markings from Mar-a-Lago. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld, additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone, Will Dunham, David Gregorio and Chizu Nomiyama) View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Brad Reed Former President Donald Trump has been explicitly promoting QAnon content on both his Truth Social platform and his campaign rallies — and even some of his allies are reportedly scratching their heads. Rolling Stone reports that some Trump allies are expressing “abject confusion” about his new QAnon kick, with one telling the publication that “f*ck if I know” why he’s been promoting it. Another person close to Trump offered a simple explanation for why Trump likes QAnon content: He really likes that they believe he’s the savior of humankind who will rescue the world from a shado… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Sarah K. Burris Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is running for reelection in Florida, but he’s been spending a lot of time at national GOP events around the country instead of campaigning in his home state. Over the weekend, DeSantis was supposed to be one of the speakers at a Family Research Council conference called “Prayer Vote Stand” in Atlanta. But according to Religion Dispatches, he was a “no-show.” Former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback told the anti-LGBTQ activists that they must form their own groups that promote so-called “religious freedom” and organize around different faith communi… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Mia Brett Another week, another totally bonkers ruling out of a federal court in Texas. Earlier this month, Judge Reed O’Connor (the same judge who tried overturning the entire Affordable Care Act in 2018 before we being overruled by the US Supreme Court) decided that employers do not have to offer insurance plans that cover PrEP (drugs that prevent the spread of HIV) if they have religious objections. Apparently providing healthcare to the poor, the sick and the vulnerable can be anti-Christian. Who knew? Kidding – those of us who need reproductive healthcare have known for a while. Republ… Read More View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago has increased security and moved a transgender youth support group from in-person meetings to virtual ones after it became the latest children’s hospital to face criticism online over its gender development program. An account called Libs of TikTok posted a number of tweets late last month criticizing Lurie’s program, which aims to support “the physical, mental and social health of patients and their families as youth progress through gender identity development,” according to Lurie’s website. Many of the program’s patients are gender-nonconforming children… Read More View the full article

Published by Kaiser Health News DALLAS — J.R. Chester got pregnant the summer before her senior year of high school. A bright student with good grades, she gave birth, graduated, and was pregnant again when she arrived at college that fall. She was a teen mom — like her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother. Her school did not teach sexual health education, and preventing pregnancy was a foreign concept. Her sons are now teenagers. “If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any,” said Chester, now a program director for Healthy Futures of Texas, a nonprofit sexual health advocacy and education organization…. Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Philip Pullella and Charlotte Van Campenhout VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Flemish Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday issued a document effectively allowing the blessing of same-sex unions, in direct defiance of a ruling against such practices by the Vatican’s doctrinal office. The document published on the website of the Bishops’ Conference of Belgium suggested a ritual that included a prayer and a benediction for stable same-sex unions. But it stressed that it was not “what the Church understands by a sacramental marriage”. It said the Church wanted to be “pastorally close to homosexual persons” and be a “welcoming Church that excludes no one.” The ritual would start with prayers and includes a commitment by the two people in front of family and friends to be faithful to each other. It would end with more prayer and what the document called a “benediction”. A Vatican spokesman had no immediate comment. In March 2021, in response to formal questions from a number of Roman Catholic dioceses on whether the practice of blessing same-sex unions was allowed, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), ruled that it was not. At the time, the CDF said its ruling was “not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite” of the sacrament of marriage and the blessing associated with it. In response to that ruling, Bishop John Bonny of Antwerp said he felt “shame for my Church” and apologised to those he said had been hurt by the “painful and incomprehensible” decision. POPE SUPPORTS CIVIL UNIONS BUT NOT MARRIAGE Pope Francis has said he is opposed to same-sex marriage in the Church but supports civil union legislation to give same-sex couples legal protection and rights such as inheritance and shared health care. A spokesman for the bishops, Geert De Kerpel, said their intention was not to defy the Vatican ruling. “This is first and foremost a positive message,” he told Reuters, adding that it conformed with the pope’s calls for a more inclusive Church. The Flemish bishops document said that some Catholic gays remained celibate and that the Church appreciated it. The Church teaches that while homosexual orientation is not sinful, homosexual acts are. But the document added that “some prefer to live as a couple, in lasting and faithful union with a partner” and that such a relationship “can also be a source of peace and shared happiness”. The bishops denounced “homophobic violence,” and said they wanted to “structurally anchor their pastoral commitment to homosexual persons”. They announced the appointment of Willy Bombeek, a gay Catholic, as an additional staff member to their department for pastoral care of families to oversee care of gay Catholics. One with similar duties would be appointed to each diocese in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. “I’m proud to belong to the Flemish Church,” Bombeek told Reuters. “I hope that religious people in other countries will also get to experience this, and hopefully, this is only the beginning”. Francis DeBernardo, executive director of U.S.-based Catholic LGBTQ group New Ways Ministry, said the move would be a blessing for both the couple and for the Church. “These prelates recognise that love is love. Love is more important than sexual behaviour, and love is something that the Church should always bless,” he said in a statement. (Charlotte Van Campenhout reported from Amsterdam; Editing by Catherine Evans, Mark Heinrich, Mark Porter, Angus MacSwan and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Radar Online The Royal Family is worth roughly $23 billion dollars — and the money continues to roll in. A new report estimated the value of their assets from their many sprawling properties to the Firm’s claim on priceless art and mineral rights. mega The most valuable institutions are the Duchies of Lancaster and the Crown Estate. Their worth has doubled in only ten years, with the latter now worth a staggering $18 billion. The Crown Estate owns lavish properties all over the U.K., including shops, upscale clubs and plots of land in Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Despite the immense wealth in the massive estate, neither King Charles III nor any other members of the family are allowed to sell the Crown Estate’s assets or receive any direct income from the businesses. All profit goes back into the Treasury, then a small amount is given to the monarch under the Sovereign Grant Act which acts as payment to fund official duties. mega As for most wealth members of the Royal family, Charles and Prince William are both estimated to be worth around $1 billion following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty’s daughter, Princess Anne, is believed to have a net worth of $52 million, and Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, are worth $12 million. Disgraced royal Prince Andrew is said to have less than $8 million to his name after being stripped of his military pension. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who abandoned their royal duties to pursue a new life and new business opportunities in the United States, are estimated to be worth $22 million, with a majority being saved from funds the Duke of Sussex inherited following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. However, between their bombshell Netflix deal and Harry’s upcoming $20 million memoir, it is likely their wealth could grow by the tens of millions in the coming year. mega As Radar previously reported, Harry is refusing to scrap his bombshell tell-all book, despite pressure from the King. “The book is the key to Harry’s future in the family. If the book goes away, Harry will be back in with the family,” a source spilled. “However, if the book is published, trust will be permanently damaged, and he will never again be welcomed into the new Kings inner circle.” The Sunday Times was first to publish the report on the Royal Family’s estimated wealth. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Woody Allen is planning to retire from filmmaking. The 86-year-old director – who has directed 49 and won four Academy Awards since starting his career back in the 1960s – is set to take a step back from movie making after he completes the shooting of ‘Wasp 22’ in Paris so he can concentrate on writing novels. He said: “I don’t know if I will write more memoirs, I don’t think so. My next film will be number 50, I think it’s a good time to stop. My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing, these stories and, well, now I’m thinking more of a novel, which would be my first novel.” The acclaimed actor-turned-director – who is known for directing classics such as ‘Annie Hall’ and ‘Manhattan’ – went on to explain that his potential novel will be “humorous” because that is what comes most “naturally” to him but acknowledged that the industry of moviemaking has “changed” because many cinemas in the US have closed. He told La Vanguardia: “But film business has changed, human stories are no longer so interesting. In the US, many cinemas have closed. I imagine it will have a lot of humour because that’s what comes naturally to me. But, if I had a very serious idea, I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing I did in some of my films, the serious calls. [My 50th movie] will be similar to [his 2005 thriller] ‘Match Point’, exciting, dramatic, and also sinister.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Prince Harry dutifully stood guard by Queen Elizabeth II‘s coffin at Westminster Hall on Saturday, September 17, but there was something missing from his attire. The Duke of Sussex has been heartbroken since the passing of his grandmother and the Royal Family seemingly added insult to injury by ordering the removal of Her Majesty’s “ER” initials from his military uniform. However, disgraced Prince Andrew was allowed to keep the special letters. mega The royal cypher is worn by those presently “in service” of the reigning monarch. The removal of the initials is believed to be a fairly typical uniform regulation, however, Harry was said to be “devastated” when he found out about the change. The Duke of Sussex is a military veteran who served in the British Army for 10 years, including deploying on two tours to Afghanistan. While he is no longer in the military and has since left his royal duties to seek a new life in the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, and his children, Archie and Lilibet, he continues to work directly with charity efforts for servicemen and women. Shortly before leaving the military, Harry launched the Invictus games in 2014, which supports wounded, injured and sick active duty servicemembers as well as veterans. “He is heartbroken,” a friend revealed in a recent interview. “To remove his grandmother’s initials feels very intentional.” mega The snub appeared especially pointed as Andrew was allowed to keep his mother’s letters on his own uniform, despite losing his military titles and royal patronages amid the Virginia Giuffre scandal. The Duke of York, who was known to have a close affiliation with both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with Giuffre when she was only 17-years-old. He reached a settlement in the case earlier this year. Although the sum was not disclosed, it is believed to be around $10 million. Following being stripped of his titles, Andrew also lost his annual Navy pension of over $20,000. mega The friend spoke to The Sunday Times. View the full article

Published by AFP Viola Davis discusses Los Angeles (AFP) – “The Woman King,” an epic about an all-female army of African warriors, easily topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated take of $19 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. The new Sony release, loosely based on a true historical episode, stars Oscar-winner Viola Davis as the fierce general who leads an army known as the Agojie as it protects the 18th-century kingdom of Dahomey. Days earlier, Davis told AFP that she felt “conflicted” because if the Black-led, woman-dominated film fell short, it would unfairly damage the prospects for future such endeavors. Instead, boosted by a favorable critical reception — “Reviews are sensational,” said the FranchiseRe website — it exceeded analysts’ expectations, more than tripling the ticket sales of the next-highest finisher, 20th Century’s “Barbarian.” That horror film tells the story of a woman (Georgina Campbell) who checks into an AirBnB rental in a sketchy Detroit neighborhood only to find it has also been booked by an oh-so-creepy Bill Skarsgard. “Barbarian” took in $6.3 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. In third place was a slasher film, “Pearl,” a new low-budget release from A24, with ticket sales just over $3.1 million. Mia Goth stars in a blood-soaked tale that involves the brutal use of both an axe and a pitchfork, on animals and humans. Enough said. Searchlight’s comic mystery “See How They Run” placed fourth in its opening weekend, at $3.1 million. Sam Rockwell stars as an often-inebriated Scotland Yard detective, Saoirse Ronan as his eager but hapless assistant, and Adrien Brody as a sleazy Hollywood director in London to make a film version of Agatha Christie classic “The Mousetrap” — until fate intervenes. And in fifth place was Sony action thriller “Bullet Train,” starring Brad Pitt, at $2.5 million. Rounding out the top 10 were: “Top Gun: Maverick” ($2.2 million) “DC League of Super-Pets” ($2.2 million) “The Invitation” ($1.7 million) “Minions: The Rise of Gru” ($1.3 million) “Moonage Daydream” ($1.2 million) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview aired on Sunday that his predecessor Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents was “totally irresponsible” but that he is staying out of the investigation. Seeing the classified documents turned up by an Aug. 8 FBI search of Trump’s Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago caused Biden to wonder “how anyone can be that irresponsible,” he said in an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” program. “I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods? And by that, I mean, names of people who help etc., and it’s just totally irresponsible.” The remarks broke with Biden’s pattern of avoiding commenting on the Justice Department’s criminal probe of his onetime political rival for possibly taking ultra-sensitive material to his residence after his term ended in January 2021. Biden, a Democrat, defeated the Republican Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump, who has weighed another run for office, has described the court-approved search as politically motivated. Biden said he had not received a classified briefing on the contents of those documents. “I have not asked for the specifics of those documents because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they can take,” Biden said. “I agreed I would not tell them what to do and not, in fact, engage in telling them how to prosecute or not.” The Justice Department has said it was investigating Trump for removing White House records because it believed he illegally held documents including some involving intelligence-gathering and clandestine human sources – among America’s most closely held secrets. Biden’s intelligence chief is also investigating whether the disclosure of information in those documents presented national security risks. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Bradley Perrett) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview aired on Sunday that “the pandemic is over,” even though the country continues to grapple with coronavirus infections that kill hundreds of Americans daily. “The pandemic is over,” Biden said during an interview conducted with CBS’ “60 Minutes” program on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show, an event which drew thousands of visitors. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing.” The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has diminished significantly since early in Biden’s term when more than 3,000 Americans per day were dying, as enhanced care, medications and vaccinations have become more widely available. But nearly 400 people a day continue to die from COVID-19 in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden spent more than two weeks isolated in the White House after two bouts with COVID-19, starting in July. His wife Jill contracted the virus in August. Biden has said the mild cases were a testament to the improvements in care during his presidency. Biden has asked Congress for $22.4 billion more in funding to prepare for a potential fall case surge. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English A new artificial intelligence recycling technology can sort plastics on its own. The technology – of which little is known – will reportedly use artificial intelligence to help programs to sort plastics in an effort to stop recyclable materials going to landfill sites. Dr. Xu Wang of the University of Technology Sydney School of Electrical and Data Engineering told HydrogenFuelNews.com: “The recycling process is quite complicated. If you go to the supermarket or for the daily recycling you need to know how to properly place all the recyclable (items), like bottles or others, into the right bins. You need to know the labels, know the icons.” The outlet went on to allege that bin uses a spectrum of different forms of recycling technology including robotics, machine vision and artificial intelligence. Wang added: “This machine can classify different (types) of waste including glasses, metal cans and plastics!” View the full article

Published by DPA The conversion of street lamps to LEDs in many European countries has changed the colour spectrum of night-time lighting – with possible consequences for humans and animals. Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa Both humans and animals are at increased risk of adverse health impacts due to loss of sleep from blue light emitted from the growing number of LED street lamps, research on light pollution in European countries has found. Britain-based scientists used photos taken from the International Space Station (ISS) to show that white LEDs have increased the proportion of emissions in the blue part of the light spectrum. Since blue light inhibits the release of the hormone melatonin, which promotes sleep, the widespread switch to LEDs is believed to be undermining the sleep of both animals and humans, the research team from England’s University of Exeter in Penryn wrote in the scientific journal Science Advances. “The benefits that LED technology may provide for public lighting, and particularly street lighting, have been much vaunted, with a focus on greater energy efficiency and associated reductions in energy costs and carbon emissions,” the study says. But from the researchers’ point of view, the negative environmental consequences of using white LEDs in street lighting should not be ignored. At the very least, the colour spectrum of night-time lighting should be measured regularly. “While data on spatial and temporal variation in the intensity of artificial lighting have been available at a regional and global scale, data on variation in its spectral composition have only been collected for a few locations,” the researchers write. The reason for this lies in the satellite sensors used to measure artificial lighting, which only register the intensity of the light but not its colour. Moreover, these sensors are hardly sensitive to the wavelength of blue light. The researchers therefore resorted to photos taken by astronauts from the ISS. Since 2003, about 1.25 million photos have been collected. The scientists selected photos from 2012 and 2013 showing Europe at night and compared them with photos of the same regions in the period of 2014 to 2020. Between these two periods is when LEDs (light-emitting diodes) became ready for use in street lamps. From 2014 onwards, there was an 11.1% increase in light in the green range and, more worryingly, a 24.4% increase in blue light, the researchers found. A shift in the light spectrum towards blue light occurs primarily when so-called sodium vapour lamps with orange-yellow light are replaced by white LED lamps, which emit a significantly larger proportion of blue light. The scientists observed particularly strong changes in light in Italy, Romania, Ireland and Britain, while Germany and Austria were less impacted. With regard to the effects of these changes on the biological environment, the research team names four aspects: Because blue light inhibits the release of melatonin, the biorhythm in animals, but also in humans, can become confused. Previous studies have also shown that night-time lighting has negative consequences for the movement and feeding behaviour of bats. The use of LEDs also causes even fewer stars to be visible in cities and further alters the movement of moths and other insects that approach or avoid light sources. A map of light pollution in Europe based on ISS photos. The conversion of street lamps to LEDs in many European countries has changed the colour spectrum of night-time lighting – with possible consequences for humans and animals. Sánchez de Miguel et al/dpa View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Fran Drescher has always admired Audrey Hepburn’s style. The former ‘The Nanny’ star thinks the late ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ star’s style was “very special and different” from other actresses she saw as a child. The 64-year-old actress told Interview magazine: “Well, I come from a very humble beginning and a small provincial world. But for some reason, I could see that the style of Audrey Hepburn, who I would see in movies on television, was something that I wanted to aspire to. I knew that her look was very special and different from what I was used to. When I was a little girl, my parents didn’t have a lot of money, but I rarely said I wanted anything, so when I did fall in love with something, they tried to get it for me. I saw this beautiful tweed winter coat that had a neck shawl that wrapped over the shoulder. It was very sophisticated for a little girl. It was expensive for them, but they bought it for me because when I wore that coat, I felt like Audrey Hepburn.” Fran detailed her love of learning about fashion history, especially after seeing it take shape in the 90s with brands like Moschino and Chanel. She said: “I always love going to museums that celebrate fashion—fashion exhibitions. In the ’80s, and certainly in the ’90s when The Nanny was on, I was discovering designers like Todd Oldham and Moschino, but also Chanel. Chanel was starting to get younger in its look. Karl Lagerfeld really brought a youthful energy without delineating away from the core of the brand. He didn’t reinvent the wheel, he just made it better, faster, younger, and more contemporary for the time. He was kind of doing the Chanel version of Madonna.” ‘The Beautician and the Beast’ star labelled fashion as “an expression” of our identities and feelings. Fran said: “We don’t walk around in society naked, so clothes become an expression of who we are and how we feel. It’s a reflection of our inner selves, the you you want to project to the outside world. One of power, one of sophistication, one of fun, one of youth. I always consider clothing wearable art.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lady Gaga was forced to cancel her final ‘Chromatica Ball’ concert midway through due to lightning strikes. The ‘Stupid Love’ hitmaker – real name Stefani Germanotta -halted her show mid-gig at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, due to extreme weather conditions. Although she was hoping the pause would only be temporary, it was ultimate decided – with about six songs to go – it could not continue. Gaga said in a teary video posted on Instagram on Sunday (18.09.2022): “We really tried to finish the show tonight in Miami but we couldn’t because even when the rain stopped there was lightning striking right down to the ground so close to us. “I know that for a long time, I’ve always wanted to be like that hardcore bad b**** but what I also want to be is responsible and loving and I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to anyone in the audience, or any member of my crew, my band, or my dancers.” In the caption of another post, she added: “I’m sorry i couldn’t finish the show it was too dangerous the lightening [sic] was being unpredictable and changing moment by moment, I love you. Look, for years some of you have called me ‘mother monster,’ in my heart I knew it was better to keep you safe.” The ‘Poker Face’ hitmaker expressed her gratitude to her 53 million followers “for believing in” her. Gaga said: “Thank you for believing in me. This was the greatest tour of my life and I will cherish this moment forever—it took a long time for me to heal, but I did. Sure, OF COURSE, I wanted to sing rain on me for you in the rain. I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive’—I guess somehow I knew this moment would happen and I am so grateful to you, my dancers, my band the whole crew everyone my family and friends. Safety first. Love you. Thank you for the flowers and the cheers and for understanding. Life matters. #thechromaticaball” The 36-year-old pop megastar told the 65,000 strong crowd in Miami after the decision was made: “I don’t want to put your life in danger.” Gaga continued: “Get home safely, God bless you and thank you for coming to the show,” before concluding the show with a bow. View the full article

Published by Fadeaway World By Orlando Silva Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticized Anthony Edwards’ anti-LGBTQ+ comments, urging the player to do something real to apologize. View the original article to see embedded media. Anthony Edwards raised many eyebrows last week when he posted an Instagram story full of homophobic comments when he spotted a group of men hanging out at night. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ young star was met with a lot of criticism for his comments, which forced him to apologize for his behavior. Even though he already apologized, the backlash hasn’t stopped and while the league is reviewing should they pun… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – Book bans accelerated across the United States during the 2021-2022 school year, largely through the efforts of organized groups that called on public schools to remove more than 1,600 titles, the writers’ group PEN America said on Monday. There were 2,532 instances of individual book bans affecting 1,648 titles at 5,000 schools with 4 million students, according to the report. The research found 1,000 more book bans than were documented in the group’s initial report released in April. PEN America said the rapid rise came as a growing number of groups have targeted books dealing with race or LGBTQ issues. The report identified at least 50 groups active in pushing for book bans, the vast majority of which have formed since 2021. “This rapidly accelerating movement has resulted in more and more students losing access to literature that equips them to meet the challenges and complexities of democratic citizenship,” said Jonathan Friedman, lead author of the report. While proponents of book bans emphasize the importance of parental control, PEN America said the movement has gone beyond the normal give-and-take between parents and educators and morphed into a sophisticated and well-resourced campaign. One group identified by PEN America mobilized against a school district that taught about transgender identities, the report said. Another emphasizes the dangers of critical race theory, an esoteric field of study in law school or graduate school. Opponents have leveraged concerns over CRT to suppress works about the history of slavery, desegregation and the civil rights movement. More than 40% of the banned titles address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer themes or have prominent queer characters. The most frequently banned book was “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, which was banned by 41 school districts. Race also drew the attention of censors, with 40% of the banned titles featuring prominent character of color. The most banned authors include the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, whose works largely deal with race, and other winners of prestigious literary awards. Other banned books touched on sexual content, rights and activism, or stories with religious minorities. Texas accounted for the most bans, with 801 in 22 districts, followed by Florida and Pennsylvania. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; editing by Diane Craft) View the full article