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Published by AFP Emanuele Crialese's (L) new film 'L'Immensita' stars Penelope Cruz (R) Venice (AFP) – Transgender issues have taken centre stage at the Venice Film Festival this year, with Italian director Emanuele Crialese, there to present his new film starring Penelope Cruz, even using the platform to reveal he was born a woman. The revelation by Crialese came at a press conference for his new film, “L’Immensita”, which is inspired by his difficult adolescence. “I am never going to be like any other man… I was born biologically a woman,” Crialese said. He added that, despite his transition, there was still a “huge part of my character that is female”. In the film, Cruz’s character attempts to protect her teenage daughter, who identifies as a boy, in a bourgeois household dominated by an abusive, unfaithful husband. It is not alone at this year’s festival in embracing artists who reject traditional gender roles or tackle issues around sexual identity. Another film in the main competition, “Monica” by Italian director Andrea Pallaoro, stars a transgender actress in the leading role — a first in 79 editions of the festival. Trace Lysette, known for her role in Amazon Prime series “Transparent”, plays a transgender woman who returns to Ohio after a long absence to care for her dying mother. “It’s very rare that you see a script where there’s a trans character at the centre and the movie is told through her lens,” Lysette told reporters. “Usually trans characters are more a sidebar vehicle for someone else’s story.” Besides exploring the title character’s emotional and psychological world, the movie reflects on “the precarious nature of each of our identities when faced with the need to survive and transform”, said Pallaoro. Struggling for decades Themes of gender identity are also the subject of various documentaries in the festival. In “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”, director Laura Poitras centres on the art and activism of US photographer Nan Goldin, whose early work focused on gay culture and volatile male-female relationships. Meanwhile, a documentary by French director Sebastien Lifshitz, “Casa Susanna”, recounts the story of a clandestine community of cross-dressers in the conservative America of the 1950s and 1960s, relying on archival footage and surviving members of this “pre-queer” history. “It’s been a struggle for decades to try to break out of the archetypes,” Lifshitz told AFP. Prejudice against homosexuals in 1960s Italy is the premise of Gianni Amelio’s film, based on true events and set to premiere on Tuesday. “Il Signore delle Formiche” (The Lord of the Ants) tells the story of Aldo Braibanti, a playwright and poet convicted of submitting his student and lover to his will, a crime under the Fascist penal code that had never been invoked before and was later revoked. In “Three Nights a Week,” French director Florent Gouelou offers up “a declaration of love” to the art form of drag, with his protagonist Baptiste discovering the Parisian world of drag queens and falling in love with one of them, Cookie. “Through the character of Baptiste you see my own fascination and through the character of Cookie you see my own experience as a drag queen,” said Gouelou. View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Crispian Balmer VENICE (Reuters) – U.S. actor Brendan Fraser, returning to the big screen as a leading man after a nine-year absence, said on Sunday playing the obese hero of “The Whale” was the biggest challenge of his career. The movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is receiving its premiere at the Venice Film Venice, with Fraser already being touted as an Oscar contender for his portrayal of Charlie, a gay, 600-pound (270-kg) man, desperately trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter. The role required Fraser to don prosthetics and makeup that could take up to six hours to apply, l… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic leadership in the U.S. Senate could add language protecting gay marriage rights to a stopgap bill to keep the federal government funded in a bid to increase pressure on Republicans to support it, a Democratic source said on Tuesday. Such a move could up the pressure in the evenly divided chamber, as it faces a Sept. 30 deadline to avoid partial federal agency shutdowns when money runs out at the end of this month. Congress has less than four weeks to pass the measure before returning to the campaign trail for the Nov. 8 midterm elections, in which President Joe Biden’s Democrats are expected to lose their thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Control of the Senate is also up for grabs. Republican cooperation will be necessary in the Senate to pass the temporary funding bill that may last until December, which is needed because the two parties have yet to agree on a dozen regular funding bills. Democrats control the 50-50 Senate thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, has vowed to hold a vote on a House-passed bill codifying the right to same-sex marriage. It is not clear that bill will have the 10 Republican votes needed to pass. In recent days, senior Democrats have considered the possibility of adding it to the must-pass funding measure in hopes of ensuring approval, the Democratic source said. During the August recess both parties worked on revisions to the measure, which could help its prospects, according to a source familiar with the discussions. UKRAINE AID, DISASTER FUNDING ON THE TABLE Plenty of controversial issues could roil Congress as it grapples with a massive spending bill. On Friday, Biden requested $47.1 billion in new spending, including $11.7 billion in emergency funds to help Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces and $22.4 billion in COVID-19 aid. With many areas of the United States suffering from climate change-related flooding, Western wildfires and other natural disasters, Biden has requested $6.5 billion in aid, along with $4.5 billion to help deal with an outbreak of monkeypox. A special House committee might hold at least one more hearing as part of its investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. A separate probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents has dominated headlines for months, worrying some Republican candidates about election fallout. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin may ramp up his push for a bill reforming the way permits are approved for energy infrastructure projects ranging from pipelines to export facilities. It is a measure that some Democrats could have concerns with because of climate change worries. DEMOCRATS SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC Heading into the final two months of the campaign, congressional Democrats were feeling somewhat more optimistic about avoiding massive losses to Republican challengers. Gasoline prices have fallen off of highs and there are signs of a public backlash against the conservative-majority Supreme Court’s overturning abortion rights, which was a Republican Party goal for decades. Democrats have scored victories this year on popular initiatives, such as gun control, placing a cap on some prescription drug prices and moving toward carbon emissions reductions blamed for climate change. Nevertheless, Biden’s popularity has suffered because of Americans’ economic worries and COVID-19 pandemic fatigue. Republican lawmakers undoubtedly will spend this upcoming work session hammering away on such issues. “These are challenging times for a lot of folks,” Republican Senator Mitt Romney said in a statement last week. “With record inflation, we’re seeing higher prices for food, electricity, gasoline, and more.” (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone, Josie Kao and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Yungblud felt “voiceless” at the age of 18. The chart-topping star has recalled feeling “furious at the world” during his younger years, but his attitude and approach to life has changed thanks to his fans. Yungblud – whose real name is Dominic Harrison – explained: “When I was 18, I was so furious at the world. I was so furious at the government, at Brexit. I felt so voiceless. “But how can I be angry when I live in this community? I’ve realised the protection we have within each other.” The 25-year-old star enjoyed huge success with his 2020 album ‘Weird!’, which featured collaborations with the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker. The success opened a lot of doors for Yungblud, but it wasn’t an entirely positive experience. He said: “I had access to every studio I wanted, and every songwriter wanted to work with me. But I’d have all these American producers going, ‘Oh, you’re doing the rock thing? I could get in on that.’ “I’m like, ‘Clear off. What do you mean, I’m doing the ‘rock thing’, like it’s in inverted commas’?” Yungblud has also rubbished accusations of insincerity. He explained to the BBC: “Everyone was questioning my authenticity and it hurt me. People were harsher to me than they were in high school. It made my world turn inside out.” Last year, Yungblud admitted to admiring musicians who “followed their own path”. The singer has admiration for the likes of Blondie and Lady Gaga, admitting that he’s been inspired by how they’ve approached their careers. He said: “The bands I love, like The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division, Blondie, Madonna, Lady Gaga, they did their own thing, they followed their own path. They followed it relentlessly, they followed it without excuse, they followed it without apology. “That’s what I want to do.” View the full article

Published by Al-Araby A court in Iran has sentenced to death two gay rights activists on charges of promoting homosexuality, campaigners said Monday, urging pressure from the international community to stop the implementation of the verdicts. The two women, Zahra Sedighi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Chubdar, 24, were sentenced to death by the court in the northwestern town of Urmia, the Hengaw Kurdish rights organisation said. Just for being the voice for lbtq+, the Iran government ordered in a few days, that two lgbt_activist be hanged their name is Zahra Siddiqui and Ilham chubdar . Be a voice for them.#الهام_چوبدار #… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Britney Spears didn’t hold back her feelings when responding to her 15-year-old son Jayden’s recent interview, Radar has learned. On Monday, the 40-year-old pop star released a 2-minute recording where she explained how she felt about Jayden defending Britney’s father, Jamie. Instagram/@britneyspears Britney has accused her father of abusive behavior during her 13-year-old conservatorship. Her legal team has continued to investigate Jamie’s management of her finances. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and claimed he only had Britney’s best interest at heart. In an interview with 60 Minutes in Australia, Jayden said about Jamie, “He was trying to be like any father, like pursue his daughter’s dream of being a superstar, working and doing all these concerts and performing.” He added, “But I think some people are just, like, ceasing to realize how much he cares about her.” Jayden defended Britney’s relatives including her brother Bryan and mom Lynne when he said, “They are not bad people! They know what we are going through now. They want our future to be what we want it to be. They just want to watch over us.” MEGA Britney was not pleased with the interview. “I can totally understand why my family would have a problem with my doing my own thing … maybe because I never have,” she started off. She accused Jayden of “undermining” her behavior “as my family always has.” Britney said she was tired of the “I hope she gets better” and “ I will pray for her” remarks from her son and family members. “Pray for what?” she asked. “So I can keep working so I can pay off mom’s legal fees or her house?” “Do you want me to get better so I can give your dad 40,000 a month?” she asked which referenced the amount of child support she pays Kevin Federline. “Or the reason behind you guys deciding to be painful is because it’s over in 2 years and you don’t get anything?” she added still speaking about the child support. MEGA She said over the years she has asked her sons to see them more but it always backfired. She recalled a specific incident where she asked one of them for more time during the week and they immediately called Federline. Britney said her when her sons did come over to her home they didn’t spent time with her and left hours early. “I didn’t do anything and I know I’m not perfect… but the love I have given you.” “It saddens me not one of you has valued me as a person,” she added. “Honestly, my dad needs to be in jail for the rest of his life.” “Like I said, God would not have let this happened to me. I don’t believe in god anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me. There is nothing to believe in anymore. I’m an atheist y’all.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Colin Farrell believes the world is “quick to pull the trigger of judgement”. The 46-year-old actor stars in the new Martin McDonagh-directed movie ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, and Colin believes that the film could serve as a counter to the “information age” that “takes us away from the intimacy that’s required and interests that are needed to exist”. Reflecting on the themes of the movie, Colin explained to the Guardian newspaper: “When push comes to shove we will always return to good chats. It’s like the people who don’t believe in God until they’ve overdosed on a drug. “Conversation, sharing thoughts and feelings with each other. It’s a world that is so quick to pull the trigger of judgement on each other, we’re so quick to cancel now with cancel culture and all these things. But to actually have discourse, to have conversation and exchange ideas in a way that is as open to your opinion being changed as it is to being shared is a gorgeous thing. “I don’t think that’ll ever die even if it’s been supplanted by a little technology.” The new comedy-drama film centres on a conflict between two friends. And Brendan Gleeson – who stars in the movie – has described the film as an exploration of male relationships, and he feels the theme is particularly “pertinent right now”. Brendan, 67 – who previously starred alongside Colin in the comedy crime film ‘In Bruges’ – said: “I’m glad to see male friendship as something valuable at the moment when the readjustment of everyone’s relationships with everybody is under reconsideration. “The valuing of male friendship against a bromance to me is very deep and pertinent right now.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A federal judge on Monday agreed to appoint a special master to review records seized by the FBI during its unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, a move that is likely to delay the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation. In her ruling https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.64.0.pdf, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in West Palm Beach, Florida granted Trump’s request for a special master, whom she said will be tasked with reviewing documents that as well as being potentially covered by attorney-client privilege could also be covered by executive privilege. She also ordered the Justice Department to stop reviewing the records as part of its criminal investigation, a move that will likely at least temporarily hinder its ability to continue investigating. However, Cannon said she would permit U.S. intelligence officials to continue conducting a classification review, as well as a national security damage assessment review. Cannon’s decision to allow a special master to review documents that could be covered by executive privilege, a legal doctrine that can shield some White House records from disclosure, has never been done before. If the special master decides some of the material is covered by Trump’s executive privilege claims, it could hamper the government’s investigation. Cannon rejected the government’s argument against appointing a special master to review materials potentially covered by executive privilege. The Justice Department had said the records belong to the government and that Trump is no longer president. “The government asserts that executive privilege has no role to play here because plaintiff—a former head of the executive branch—is entirely foreclosed from successfully asserting executive privilege against the current executive branch,” wrote Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020 just months before he left office. “In the court’s estimation, this position arguably overstates the law,” she said. Cannon gave Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department until Friday to file a proposed list of special master candidates. “The United States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the ongoing litigation,” Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said. It is unclear whether the Justice Department will appeal Cannon’s ruling, or even if it has the ability to do so under the law. In its prior legal filings, the Justice Department has also said that the federal court for the Southern District of Florida does not have the jurisdiction to adjudicate Trump’s claims. Representatives for Trump did not respond to a request for comment. However, in a post on his Truth Social platform following Cannon’s ruling, Trump wrote: “Remember, it takes courage and ‘guts’ to fight a totally corrupt Department of ‘Justice’ and the FBI.” Trump, without evidence, has accused the Justice Department of launching a partisan witch-hunt against him, and his lawyers argued that the appointment of an independent third-party to review the materials would be an important check on the government. Trump is under investigation for removing government records, some of which were marked as highly classified, from the White House after he departed in January 2021, and storing them in his home at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. The Justice Department has said it is also investigating possible obstruction, after the FBI uncovered evidence that Trump’s team may have deliberately concealed classified documents when agents tried to recover them in June. At that same meeting on June 3, Trump’s representatives falsely certified they had conducted a diligent search and returned all classified materials to the government – a claim that was later disproved after the FBI recovered about 33 boxes containing more than 11,000 government records and photos and more than 100 records marked as classified. Trump’s legal team waited until two weeks after the FBI’s Aug. 8 search before asking the court to appoint a special master – an independent third party who is sometimes assigned in sensitive cases to review materials that could be covered by attorney-client privilege. A special master was used, for instance, to review materials seized in the searches of the homes and offices of two of Trump’s former attorneys – Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen. In addition to arguing against appointing a special master to review material potentially covered by executive privilege, the Justice Department argued that it made no sense to appoint a special master because its filter team – a group of agents who are not part of the investigation – had completed its work. The agents located and set aside about 520 pages that could be subject to attorney-client privilege, prosecutors said at a Sept. 1 hearing. The rest of the records have already been reviewed by the investigative team for the ongoing criminal probe. In her ruling on Monday, Cannon said she has lingering concerns about how the Justice Department has conducted its privilege review, saying she was aware of at least two instances in which members of the investigative team were exposed to materials which were later designated as potentially privileged. “Those instances alone, even if entirely inadvertent, yield questions about the adequacy of the filter review process,” she wrote. Many former Justice Department attorneys, both Democrats and Republicans, have criticized Trump’s call for a special master. In a brief phone interview on Monday, former Attorney General Bill Barr, whom Trump appointed, spoke out against using a special master to review materials potentially covered by executive privilege. “I don’t think a special master makes sense in connection with executive privilege material,” Barr told Reuters. “If the documents are subject to executive privilege,” he said, “they involve official deliberations about executive actions, and by definition, those documents belong to the government.” (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Olivia Wilde had to cut sex scenes from the trailer for her new film ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ as she believes we live in a “puritanical society”. The 38-year-old actress told the Associated Press how the Motion Picture Association required her to cut some of the scenes out to approve it. She said: “There’s a lot that had to be taken out of the trailer. The MPA came down hard on me and the trailer at the last second and I had to cut some shots, which I was upset about because I thought they it took it up another notch. “But of course we still live in a really puritanical society. I do think the lack of eroticism in American film is kind of new. Then when it comes to female pleasure, it’s something that we just don’t see very often unless you’re talking about queer cinema “You know, it’s interesting because in a lot of queer films, the female characters are allowed to have more pleasure. Audiences aren’t as puritanical as corporations think they are.” Olivia went on: “And yet people get upset. I mean, people are upset with me already over this. I think it’s a testament to the film. We want to be provocative. The idea is not to make you feel safe.” Olivia, who is dating the star of her new film Harry Styles, 28, recently found herself in a public war of words with Shia LaBeouf, who was initially set to play the male lead. She said Shia’s “process” was “not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions” after the role was recast, with her boyfriend Harry Styles taking the part. Harry plays the character Jack alongside main star Florence Pugh, who is said to have had “tension” with Shia on the set of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’. Shia, 36, has supplied alleged evidence refuting Olivia’s claims, including an email he sent to the director and a video she apparently sent to him, which he says proves he walked away from the film rather than being fired. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Chris Rock has branded Will Smith’s online apology for slapping him at the Oscars a “hostage video”. The comic, 57, made the statement during another of his stand-up sets alongside Dave Chappelle, 49, at London’s 02 Arena on Saturday (03.09.22) as part of the pair’s new joint comedy tour. Referring to 53-year-old Will’s apology video released in July, Chris said: “F*** your hostage video.” The comic also used the set to refer to Will as “Suge Smith”, in reference to the thuggish and imprisoned Death Row Records executive Suge Knight. On Thursday night (01.09.22) Chris told fans who attended his and Dave’s performance at Liverpool’s M and S Arena Will had managed to do an impersonation of a “perfect man for 30 years” before showing he is “just as ugly as the rest of us”. It marked the first time the comic had extensively shared his feelings about being slapped by Will at this year’s Oscars. Dave asked Chris in front of the crowd: “Did that s*** hurt?” prompting Chris to exclaim: “Goddam right… the mother***** hit me over a bulls*** joke – the nicest joke I ever told. “Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us. “Whatever the consequences are… I hope he doesn’t put his mask back on again, and lets his real face breathe. I see myself in both men.” Will stormed the stage at the Academy Awards in March and whacked Chris after the comic compared his wife’s shaven head to actress Demi Moore’s buzzcut in the 1997 film G.I. Jane – before Will twice howled from his seat in front of stunned A-listers and while watched by millions of film fans around the world: “Keep my wife’s name out your f****** mouth.” It was later highlighted Will’s wife of 25 years Jada Pinkett Smith, 50, had shaved it as she suffers hair loss-causing alopecia. While issuing a grovelling apology in his online video in July, Will admitted Chris has not responded to his attempts to reach out. He said: “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologise to you. My behaviour was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.” There was widespread outrage when Will went on to cry while picking up his best actor trophy for best actor for his role in ‘King Richard’ after the assault, with many saying he should have immediately been kicked out of the ceremony, not allowed to pick up his award and questioned by police. Chris is scheduled to perform with Dave Chappelle in London, Copenhagen and Amsterdam before they return to America later this month for more shows. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Mariah Carey says she meant labelling Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, a diva in the most “fabulous, gorgeous, and empowering” sense of the word. The singer, 53, left the mum-of-two in a “sweat” and “stopped in her tracks” when she used the term on the second episode of the Duchess’ new podcast. In a voiceover at the end of the 41-year-old’s latest ‘Archetypes’ instalment, released by Spotify on Tuesday (30.08.22), she added the remark left her worried about “nonsense” Mariah might have read about her life. On Friday (02.09.22), Mariah – regularly dubbed a “diva” – broke her silence on her use of the word, and posted a link to the podcast. She said: “Really enjoyed talking to Duchess and Diva Meghan Markle about ‘The Duality of Diva.’ Yes! I called her a diva, in the most fabulous, gorgeous, and empowering meaning of the word!!! #Archetypes.” The show was billed as an exploration of the “complexities surrounding the ‘diva’” and the negative connotations associated with the word. Duchess Meghan used it to mention Mariah’s infamous reported diva demands, including rumoured requests for 20 white kittens and 100 white doves when she turned on the Christmas lights in London. During the 46-minute episode, Mariah told former actress Meghan, who shares two children with her 37-year-old husband Prince Harry: “You give us diva moments sometimes, Meghan. Don’t even act like…”, with the Duchess responding: “What kind of diva moments do I give you?” The Duchess added at the end of the show: “It was all going swimmingly, I mean really well, until that moment happened, which I don’t know about you but it stopped me in my tracks when she called me a diva. “You couldn’t see me, obviously, but I started to sweat a little bit. I started squirming in my chair in this quiet revolt. Like, ‘Wait’. ‘What? No. What? How could you? That’s not true. Why would you say that?’ “My mind genuinely was just spinning with what nonsense she must have read or clicked on to make her say that.” The duchess said Mariah had quickly reassured her she meant the term as “chic” and “aspirational”. View the full article

Published by Reuters OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) – Photographs, to-do lists, airplane tickets and quirky drawings by children are part of thousands of lost and forgotten items in library books carefully collected for years by a librarian in California. The items are now part of a collection called “Found in a Library Book” at the Oakland Public Library, whose main downtown branch display cases feature post-it notes, cards, drawings and bookmarks. Among the items are a ticket to an Oakland Athletics baseball game on April 25, 2013 and a ticket to a Heineken beer-related event dated Nov. 19, 2002. Any item found in a returned book throughout the library system gets sent to librarian Sharon McKellar, who began collecting the items 10 years ago. A few days ago, she opened envelopes containing polaroid photos, two post-it notes stuck to each other with a list of ingredients on one and a list of bible verses on another and a single square sheet of toilet paper. “I like imagining where these came from,” said McKellar, who has been with the library since 2003. “It just feels like a really interesting archive of our community, of the city and the people who use our libraries and the diversity within those, and just kind of a glimpse at humanity and who we all are and how we’re all connected.” (Reporting by Nathan Frandino; Writing by Deepa Babington; Editing by Sandra Maler) View the full article

Published by AFP Former US President Donald Trump faces a Justice Department investigation over his keeping scores of top secret documents in his Florida home. Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump’s former attorney general said Friday the US government appeared justified in raiding the former president’s home to recover classified materials — and that he suspected they have “good” evidence of obstruction. Legal pressure on Trump has ratcheted up since the FBI’s August 8 raid, with details emerging of documents labeled secret improperly stored at his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Florida, his team delaying authorities’ access to the material, and then falsely claiming they had turned over all classified papers. “For them to have taken things to the current point, they probably have good evidence,” Bill Barr, who led the Justice Department in the latter half of the Trump administration, said on Fox News. “If they clearly have the president moving stuff around, hiding stuff in his desk, and telling people to dissemble with the government, they may be inclined to bring that case,” he said. Barr spoke after a Florida court filing by the Justice Department detailed what the Federal Bureau of Investigation retrieved in its raid on the former president’s estate, which is also an exclusive club for dues-paying members. The filing showed highly classified government documents, including some marked “Top Secret,” were discovered in his personal office, two months after Trump attorneys told Justice officials in a sworn certification that there were no more classified materials on the premises. The detailed list of what was seized August 8 also showed Trump held on to more than 11,000 unclassified government records that he claims are his to keep — but legally are owned by the National Archives. “People say this was unprecedented,” Barr said of the raid. “Well, it’s also unprecedented for a president to take all this classified information and put them in a country club.” The list appeared to provide support for the Justice Department’s probe. In their warrant for the raid, they cited the Espionage Act which forbids the retention and sharing of highly sensitive documents pertaining to national defense; the law against obstructing investigation; and a law against destruction of government documents. Among the papers seized were 18 documents labelled “top secret”, 53 labelled “secret” and another 31 marked “confidential.” Of those, seven top secret files, 17 secret files and three confidential files were retrieved from Trump’s private office. Agents also found several dozen empty folders labelled “classified” in the office, raising speculation that sensitive documents may have been lost, destroyed or moved. Much of what agents found there and in a separate storeroom was intermixed in boxes with Trump’s personal legal files, clothing, gifts and books gathered in his final days in the White House in January 2021. ‘Smash and grab’ Trump has sued to have the documents turned over to a neutral “special master,” a move which could slow the government’s investigation and possibly allow him to regain control of files he does not want made public or used in other probes. The August action came after 15 months of haggling between Trump, the National Archives and FBI over the records he took with him to Florida. In January he gave back 15 boxes of material to the Archives which, after discovering top secret documents mixed in with them, informed the Justice Department. Using a subpoena, top Justice officials visited the estate in June and collected another batch of classified files. But it discovered that more remained there, and obtained a court warrant to return in August. Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich said on Twitter that the inventory of seized items, including personal affects, “was not some surgical, confined search and retrieval that the Biden administration claims, it was a smash and grab,” a reference to jewellery store thefts. Barr, who as attorney general supported Trump strongly in 2019 and 2020 but is now a critic, called Trump’s actions with the documents “foolish” and “inexplicable.” But he also said he hopes the Justice Department will not charge Trump. “Given the fact that this is a former president, given the state of the nation, and given the fact that the government has gotten its documents back, does it really make sense to bring a case?” The Florida judge, Aileen Cannon, still has not ruled on Trump’s request for a special master to take control of the documents for a review. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kevin Hart suggested Mark Wahlberg’s character should be naked for his first scene in their new movie ‘Me Time’. Writer and director John Hamburg revealed the nude scene was not in the initial draft but Kevin – who plays stay-at-home dad Sonny alongside Mark’s carefree party pal Huck in the movie – suggested adding it in. John told The Hollywood Reporter: “What was funny was, that wasn’t in the first draft that Mark read. I remember talking with Kevin, and he was like, ‘I feel like when I meet Mark for the first time face-to-face as guys in their mid-40s, it’s gotta be a bigger moment.’ So I rewrote their meeting and had the idea that Mark is skinny-dipping with all of these twentysomethings who he goes on these parties with – they’re the only people he can muster up to go with him for a few days because they have fewer responsibilities than people his age. I remember sending it to Mark, and obviously, I was nervous that he would respond and maybe not want to do it. But once I described how it would be done and that this wasn’t ‘Boogie Nights’ – it was going to be tasteful – he was on board, and it ended up being a really fun introduction. “Of course, we’d made sure it was a closed set, and everything was done right. But I think he was a little nervous. That was actually his first day of filming, so we definitely threw him into the deep end, but he was an awesome sport about it.” And John thinks Kevin and Mark were the perfect people to play Sonny and Huck. He said: “First, we went to Kevin. He just felt like the perfect person for it. Thankfully, he was interested in doing it, and he had a lot of thoughts because, at the time, it was not a ‘Kevin Hart movie’. He has such a specific and strong voice, and we would just have all these conversations, and he’s riffing and being hilarious and talking about certain situations. Then I did a pretty significant rewrite to make it more in Kevin’s voice. “Once I did that, and Kevin officially joined, we were thinking about who could play Huck, and Mark was really our one and only choice. We just loved that combination. He and Kevin had wanted to do something but hadn’t been in a movie together. I had seen Mark in so many movies, but I hadn’t seen him play this specific character. Mark has this bravado and can have a larger-than-life personality, but he can be very grounded and sweet. That was important to me in this Huck character.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Campbell and Diane Keaton are among the stars sending love to Jane Fonda after her cancer diagnosis. Jane, 84, has been secretly battling non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the past six months and after she took to Instagram to share the news, her famous friends rushed to send their best wishes. Reese wrote: “Sending you all my strength! Love you Jane,” and Naomi said: “GRACEFUL QUEEN. @janefonda thank you, even at this difficult time you are sharing with [us]. It’s so important to have a positive mindset!! And you do, GOD BLESS [you]!! My thoughts and prayers are with you.” Diane added: “We love you, Jane. You are my hero. You are a warrior. All of my life I have been in awe of all that you do. I will continue to admire the crusader you have always been and always will be.” Debra Messing commented: “Sending you healing light, love and strength,” and Chelsea Handler wrote: “Love you, Jane. Thinking of you, always.” This is Jane’s third time being diagnosed with cancer. In 2010, she discovered she had breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy to have it removed. Then in January 2018 she had a cancerous growth removed from her lower lip and pre-melanoma growths taken from her skin. Jane wrote on Instagram: “Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don’t have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right. “Cancer is a teacher and I’m paying attention to the lessons it holds for me. “One thing it’s shown me already is the importance of community. Of growing and deepening one’s community so that we are not alone. “And the cancer, along with my age – almost 85 – definitely teaches the importance of adapting to new realities.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Maren Morris has raised $100,000 for transgender charities. The 32-year-old singer has launched a range of T-shirts to benefit trans rights groups Trans Lifeline and GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program and took to social media on Saturday (03.09.22) to alert fans that they had already raised thousands by purchasing the new merchandise. She wrote on Instagram: “ATTN LUNATICS* New shirt in the shop. All proceeds will be split between @translifeline the @glaad Transgender Media Program. “ The ‘Chasing After You’ hitmaker gave an update to fans soon after the launch of the t-shirts – which feature the words “Lunatic Country Music Person” in a nod to the title given to her by Tucker Carlson on his Fox News show when he interviewed Brittany Aldean after her trans-sceptic comments about merely having a “tomboy phase” as a teenager faced backlash. Maren added: “63K in 2 hours. Y’all are insane (or lunatic). We’re at over $100K raised.” Maren and Brittany began a spat on Twitter when Brittany posted a makeup video and detailed in the caption that she was “thankful” to her parents for not allowing her to transition when she was a “tomboy.” She wrote: “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life. Advocating for the genital mutilation of children under the disguise of love and calling it ‘gender-affirming care’ is one of the worst evils.” In response, Maren said: “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie!” View the full article

Published by AFP Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in support of Doug Mastriano for Governor and Mehmet Oz for US Senate at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on September 3, 2022 Wilkes-Barre (United States) (AFP) – Donald Trump branded Joe Biden an “enemy of the state” Saturday as he hit back at the US president’s assertion that the Republican and his supporters are undermining American democracy, and slammed last month’s FBI raid of his Florida home. Making his first public appearance since the August 8 raid, Trump told a rally in Pennsylvania that the search was a “travesty of justice” and warned it would produce “a backlash the likes of which nobody has ever seen.” “There can be no more vivid example of the very real threats from American freedom than just a few weeks ago, you saw, when we witnessed one of the most shocking abuses of power by any administration in American history,” Trump claimed, despite long-standing protocols by which the Justice Department and the FBI act independently of the White House. Trump told cheering supporters at the “Save America” gathering in the city of Wilkes-Barre that the “egregious abuse of the law” was going to produce “a backlash the likes of which nobody has ever seen.” He also hit back at Biden’s speech this week in which the president said his predecessor and Republican supporters “represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” Speaking in Philadelphia, the cradle of US democracy, on Thursday, the president launched an extraordinary assault on those Republicans who embrace Trump’s “Make America Great Again” ideology — and urged his own supporters to fight back in what he billed as a “battle for the Soul of the Nation.” Trump slammed it as the “most vicious, hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president.” “He’s an enemy of the state. You want to know the truth. The enemy of the state is him,” Trump said. “Republicans in the MAGA movement are not the ones trying to undermine our democracy,” continued Trump, who has repeatedly claimed the 2020 presidential election, which he lost, was rigged; and whose party has made unfounded claims of voter fraud a central plank of their platform. “We are the ones trying to save our democracy, very simple. The danger to democracy comes from the radical left, not from the right,” Trump added. He was appearing at the rally ahead of November’s midterm elections, which could see Biden’s Democrats lose control of both houses of Congress. ‘Top secret’ files Even although Trump is not on the ballot, Biden, 79, is seeking to turn the vote into a referendum on his predecessor in a bid to hold on to the Senate and House of Representatives. At the Wilkes-Barre rally — where Trump took to the stage to support his candidate in the Senate race, TV physician Mehmet Oz — Trump supporter Edward Young said he had been “disgusted” by Biden’s speech. “He declared war on me. He declared war on half of America,” Young told AFP. The duelling visits by Biden and Trump to Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, come as the Republican is under increasing legal pressure over the documents found by the FBI at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The Justice Department has said in court filings that highly classified government documents, including some marked “Top Secret,” were discovered in Trump’s personal office during the raid. A detailed list of what was seized also showed Trump held on to more than 11,000 unclassified government records that he claims are his to keep — but legally are owned by the National Archives. Among the papers seized were 18 documents labelled “top secret”, 53 labelled “secret” and another 31 marked “confidential.” Of those, seven top secret files, 17 secret files and three confidential files were retrieved from Trump’s private office. Agents also found several dozen empty folders labelled “classified” in the office, raising speculation that sensitive documents may have been lost, destroyed or moved. Trump, who is keeping supporters and commentators guessing about whether he intends to run for president again 2024, has sued to have the documents turned over to a neutral “special master,” a move that could slow the government’s probe. View the full article

Published by AFP Donald Trump's recent activity on Truth Social shows the nature of the platform and the limits of its reach Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump promised his Truth Social platform would offer a home for free speech, an unfiltered way to reach people. Six months later, the former US president’s amplification of conspiratorial memes and messages after the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago estate indicates that extremist content has flourished. Still, with midterm elections looming, an AFP analysis shows his new bullhorn may be far less politically relevant than his past pronouncements on Twitter and Facebook. “His reach is much smaller,” said Mike Rothschild, the author of a book on the QAnon conspiracy theory. “Truth Social is pretty much MAGA-only territory.” Trump’s August 30 posting spree on Truth Social indicates a lurch toward the darkest corners of conspiracy theory, almost two years after he lost the presidency to Joe Biden. Trump interacted with a meme that was shared in reply to a post highlighting the writings of “Q,” the anonymous persona whose posts on fringe forums gave rise to QAnon and its baseless claims about a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles including Hillary Clinton. “Trump has certainly amplified Q content before. He had retweeted Q believers or memes over 300 times on Twitter,” Rothschild said. “But he had never shared something directly connected to a Q drop before.” The meme Trump shared referenced “the storm,” a mass unsealing of indictments promised in QAnon lore that would culminate in his return to the White House. He also re-posted images that put the words “your enemy is not in Russia” over the faces of top Democrats, including Biden. It was a sign of what Truth Social — and Trump’s potential 2024 campaign — could look like as the November 8 midterms approach. “Trump’s most ardent supporters will follow him wherever he goes,” said Caroline Orr Bueno, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Maryland. “So although his messages may be reaching a smaller audience, those who are still following him are likely a more hardcore group of supporters who may be more easily incited to violence.” Echo chamber Truth Social launched in February 2022 as Trump’s response to his ban from Twitter and two-year-suspension from Facebook following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. But Trump has just four million followers on Truth Social — a far cry from the 88.8 million he had on Twitter or the 35.4 million he had on Facebook. “It’s almost entirely Trump supporters,” said David Thiel, a researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory, of Truth Social’s user base. Trump’s Truth Social posts are regularly promoted on other platforms popular with his supporters, such as Telegram and the far-right forum “The Donald,” as well as on mainstream sites. Major Republican Party players also repeat his talking points. But the direct pipeline to the public he had as president is gone. Truth Social had 1.19 million monthly active users on Apple iPhones in July, according to data.ai, a company that tracks app metrics, compared with the 237.8 million daily active users Twitter counted in its latest quarterly report. The app has been downloaded 3.08 million times globally since February, while Twitter and Facebook have logged 97 million and 341 million downloads respectively in the same time frame — and billions more in their existence. “Even though Trump has this megaphone and is able to get attention for whatever new crazy thing he posts on Truth Social, it is several multiples less powerful than Twitter, several multiples less powerful than Facebook,” said Jared Holt, senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a nonprofit London-based think tank focused on extremism. “It is a very closed feedback loop.” A loyal base of Truth Social users who express support for Trump and share misinformation about topics such as the 2020 election remains. “Truth Social has become a refuge of sorts for people and content that have been banned from other platforms,” Orr Bueno said. NewsGuard, a service that tracks online misinformation, found 88 QAnon-promoting accounts with over 10,000 followers on Truth Social, including 32 that were previously booted off Twitter. Forty-seven of those accounts were verified by the Trump platform. At least one app provider seems to have taken note. Google has not approved Truth Social for its store used by Android smartphone users, citing problems with content moderation. “It appears to attract people with extremist views and then provides a safe haven where they can feed off each other without worrying about being reported or banned,” Orr Bueno said. “It’s an environment that can be easily exploited by those seeking to incite violence or radicalize people.” Truth Social did not immediately reply to a request for comment. View the full article

Published by AFP Former US president Barack Obama attends the premiere of the Netflix film Washington (AFP) – Hollywood newcomer Barack Obama was awarded an Emmy for narrating his Netflix documentary series “Our Great National Parks,” the Television Academy announced Saturday. The former two-term US president had already won a pair of Grammy Awards — for audio versions of his memoirs “The Audacity of Hope” and “Dreams from My Father” — so he now only needs an Oscar and a Tony to complete the estimable EGOT. According to an Entertainment Weekly tracker, only 17 people have achieved an EGOT, including Mel Brooks, Whoopie Goldberg, Audrey Hepburn and — most recently — Jennifer Hudson. One other president had already been awarded an Emmy — Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 — although his was an honorary award. After leaving office in 2017, both Obama and his wife Michelle have each written best-selling memoirs, and in addition to their non-profit foundation, have established a production company which has inked a major deal with Netflix, reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars. Their company’s first documentary for the streaming service, “American Factory,” won the Oscar for best documentary feature and an Emmy for directing, though the awards went to the filmmakers and not to the Obamas themselves. Obama’s successor to the presidency, Donald Trump, did not win an Emmy for his reality competition show “The Apprentice,” although he was nominated twice. Other nominees in Obama’s narrator category included former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (“Black Patriots: Heroes Of The Civil War”), Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o (“Serengeti II“) and veteran naturalist David Attenborough (“The Mating Game”). Obama also received the Nobel Peace Prize after his 2008 presidential election win, for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English John Boyega would be ‘”very surprised” to see a black James Bond. The 30-year-old actor was asked if he would ever consider taking on the role of the 007 spy in the legendary movie franchise – which has so far only been played by white men such as the late Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore as well as Daniel Craig throughout its 60-year history – but “doesn’t believe” that producers will ever cast a black man in the part. Speaking on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, he told host Josh Horowitz: “I’m sorry but I’m black – I don’t know how. When you’re black, I don’t know how that goes. You as a white man grew up in a society as a white man and that’s normal. That’s normal to you. Even the mention of a black Bond is like ‘Oh, okay’. I don’t necessarily believe that but if that’s what they’re doing then that is very surprising to me. As an actor you kind of just stay out of that conversation. But if it’s for you then maybe. But if not then you just enjoy it in a movie theatre like everyone else.” Meanwhile, the London-born star – who made his name on the West End stage before shooting to global fame as Finn in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise – explained that he would “love” to do Broadway in New York but teased he has to do a “few more movies” first. He said: “I’d love to do Broadway but I’d love to go back on stage in the UK too. The last time I was on stage was in 2018 was at the Old Vic and I’d done that during the ‘Star Wars’ movies. It was tiring but I needed it. If it’s the right piece I’d love to go back on stage again. I’ve just got to do a few more of these films. Even if I was Off-Broadway, I’d do it.”. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Janelle Monáe says ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ is its own “unique, fun, weird thing”. The 36-year-old star plays tech entrepreneur Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand in Rian Johnson’s upcoming sequel to the 2019 whodunnit, and she’s hailed the director for creating something unlike anything else in the murder-mystery sphere. She told the latest issue of Empire magazine: “We don’t have a lot of murder-mystery films out that innovate in that space. “So that within itself makes it its own unique, fun, weird thing.” Her co-star, Kate Hudson (Birdie Jay), agrees. She said: “Rian does an incredible job in the execution of taking it outside of where the first one was and making the audience feel like they’re in a completely different world.” Daniel Craig is returning as the lead Detective Benoit Blanc. He said of the new movie: “There’s definitely more Blanc, but it’s not very interesting to me, the notion of building out Benoit’s life. “Like with Poirot and Miss Marple, what’s fun is how the elements of Benoit’s character reveal themselves through his act of solving each one of these mysteries.” Having starred as James Bond in five films, Daniel admits that he has no fear about turning ‘Knives Out’ into a successful series. He explained: “I’ve spent the past 15 years of my life trying to do that in a franchise, so I’m not afraid of it. “If you’ve got the right people in the room and the right talent, then you can do it. Rian’s a genius writer and doesn’t want to repeat (himself). Neither do we want to let people down, we want audiences to enjoy the world that we created in the first one and believe in this one.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Britney Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline thinks her estranged father Jamie’s controversial conservatorship “saved her life”. The 44-year-old former backup dancer turned DJ made the claim in a rare interview with 60 Minutes Australia that was shown in the country on Sunday night. (03.09.22) He said the legal move, which lasted 13 years, was best for Britney, now 40, even though it left her without control over her life, career or finances. Asked if Britney’s 70-year-old father Jamie Spears made the right decision in enacting the conservatorship, Kevin said: “One hundred percent I feel like he saved her back then.” But he admitted: “I wasn’t involved in any of it how the conservatorship came about. I don’t know. They were worried about their daughter and trying to do whatever they can to help her. That’s all that I knew.” He also said the sons he shares with Britney – Sean, 16, and 15-year-old Jayden – were “happy” for their mother when her conservatorship ended. Kevin added: “Both of them were so happy for her, you know? Because it’s not always about what’s right. It’s about this is what mum wanted, you know, mum got.” He said he wanted his boys to have a close relationship with their grandparents, Britney’s dad Jamie and mother, Lynne, 67, as well as their uncle. Kevin went on: “They’re my kids’ immediate family, you know? That’s their grandfather and their grandmother and their uncle. “I feel that it’s very important that they have relationships with all of them, regardless of what happens.” In 2019, Kevin was granted 70% custody of his and Britney’s sons while Spears was downgraded to 30%, according to TMZ. He and Britney dated for only three months in 2004 before they got engaged in July and married in September of the same year. Britney had their boy Sean in September 2005, with Jayden following in 2006. But a year later Britney filed for divorce, which was finalised in July 2007. Six months afterwards, the ‘Toxic’ singer she was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold. In November, a Los Angeles judge finally agreed to end her former building contractor dad’s conservatorship that controlled Britney’s life and her $60 million (£52 million) fortune. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Kanishka Singh and Akriti Sharma (Reuters) -Bed Bath & Beyond Inc’s chief financial officer fell to his death from New York’s Tribeca skyscraper known as the “Jenga” tower on Friday afternoon, police said on Sunday, days after the struggling retailer announced it was closing stores and laying off workers. Gustavo Arnal, 52, joined Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020. He previously worked as CFO for cosmetics brand Avon in London and had a 20-year stint with Procter & Gamble, according to his LinkedIn profile. On Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET (1630 GMT), police responded to a 911 call and found a 52-year-old man dead near the building who suffered injuries from a fall. Police identified the man as Gustavo Arnal. The police statement did not provide further details on the circumstances leading to Arnal’s death and said the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office would determine the cause of death. Bed Bath & Beyond confirmed his death in a press statement on Sunday but gave no details. The big-box chain – once considered a so-called “category killer” in home and bath goods – has seen its fortunes falter after an attempt to sell more of its own brand, or private-label goods. Last week, Bed Bath & Beyond said it would close 150 stores, cut jobs and overhaul its merchandising strategy in an attempt to turn around its money-losing business. It forecast a bigger-than-expected 26% slump in same-store sales for the second quarter and said it would retain its buybuy Baby business, which it had put up for sale. Arnal sold 55,013 shares in Bed Bath & Beyond in multiple transactions on Aug. 16-17, Reuters’ calculations showed based on SEC filings. The sales amounted to about $1.4 million, and Arnal still had almost 255,400 shares remaining. On Aug. 23, the company, Arnal and major shareholder Ryan Cohen were sued over accusations of artificially inflating the firm’s stock price in a “pump and dump” scheme, with the lawsuit alleging Arnal sold off his shares at a higher price after the scheme. The class action lawsuit listed Arnal as one of the defendants and was brought by a group of shareholders who claimed they lost around $1.2 billion. The filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleged that Arnal “agreed to regulate all insider sales by BBBY’s officers and directors to ensure that the market would not be inundated with a large number of BBBY shares at a given time.” The lawsuit also alleged that he issued materially misleading statements to investors. The company said it was “in the early stages of evaluating the complaint, but based on current knowledge the company believes the claims are without merit.” Shares in Bed Bath & Beyond have been highly volatile in recent months, being viewed as a so-called “meme” stock, which trade more on social media sentiment than economic fundamentals. Cohen, a billionaire investor, disclosed a stake of nearly 10% in early March. Cohen’s RC Ventures disclosed plans to sell its stake on Aug. 17. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington and Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Deepa Babington) View the full article

Published by Taste of Country The saga continues between Maren Morris and Jason Aldean‘s wife, Brittany: In fact, they’ve now each launched a T-shirt that nods to their feud, and both will benefit charities of their choosing. Morris debuted her tee on her social channels on Friday (Sept. 2): A black shirt that reads “Maren Morris: Lunatic Country Music Person,” along with the phone number for the Peer Support & Crisis Hotline for trans youth, which is 877-565-8860. If you haven’t been following the events that transpired between Morris and Aldean over the past week, the shirt’s message may need some context. The phrase “Lu… Read More View the full article