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Published by New York Daily News We’re always hungering for more Viola Davis. The Oscar winner, 57, is joining the “Hunger Games” prequel as the villainous head game-maker Dr. Volumnia Gaul in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” based on the novel by the original trilogy’s scribe, Suzanne Collins, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “The ‘Hunger Games’ films have always been elevated by their exceptional casting, and we are thrilled to be continuing that tradition with Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul. Her formidable and powerful presence will add layers of complexity and menace to this story,” said Nathan Kahane, Lionsgate mo… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a $430 billion bill that is seen as the biggest climate package in U.S. history, designed to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions as well as lower prescription drug prices. At a White House event, Biden was joined by Democratic leaders including Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, whose support was crucial to passage of the Inflation Reduction Act along party lines after he had initially opposed a similar measure. “Joe, we never had a doubt,” Biden said of Manchin. Biden used the event to criticize Republicans as he sought to use a string of Democratic-led legislative victories to help boost Democrats in congressional midterm elections in November. “In this historic moment, Democrats sided with the American people and every single Republican sided with the special interests,” said Biden. “Every single Republican in Congress voted against this bill.” The legislation to fight climate change and lower prescription drug prices aims to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions. It will also allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for the elderly and ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay the taxes they owe. Democrats say it will help combat inflation by reducing the federal deficit. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the new law will have an opposite impact. “Democrats robbed Americans last year by spending our economy into record inflation. This year, their solution is to do it a second time. The partisan bill President Biden signed into law today means higher taxes, higher energy bills, and aggressive IRS audits,” he said, referring to the Internal Revenue Service. (Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by The Spun By Daniel Bates After spending the first two years of his career in Cleveland, Carl Nassib made his name as a member of the Bucs before signing on with the Las Vegas Raiders. On Tuesday, Nassib signed a one-year deal to rejoin the team (and coach) that he once thrived with. The NFL world reacted to the Nassib’s signing news. “No brainer signing. I love it, especially with Gill missing time,” a Bucs fan commented. “Wasn’t he also a captain in 2019? So, he brings leadership too.” “How important is the signing of Carl Nassib by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?” asked Cyd Ziegler. “It could be one of the… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Rachel Brosnahan in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel". The show's season 4 song "Maybe Monica" is among this year's Emmy-nominated songs. -/Amazon Prime/dpa The songs nominated for the 2022 Emmy for original music and lyrics are each haunted by something. Some are lively, even wacky homages that resurrect sounds of the past – the grand, old “Oklahoma!”-type musical; a calypso wedding toast delivered by (a fictional version of) Harry Belafonte. One song spiritually guides a young woman off the knife’s edge she has been treading. Another brings its entire series full circle, built on a wisp of a melody that has lingered in the atmosphere for six seasons. And one has roots in both the story’s betrayal in love and a poignant, real-life revelation. ‘The Forever Now’ From “This Is Us”; music by Siddhartha Kosla, lyrics by Taylor Goldsmith An elderly woman sits at a keyboard at her daughter’s wedding to play a song she wrote. She struggles to remember. She’s suffering from Alzheimer’s. When her fingers do find the notes pulled from deep in her memory, the audience – the millions of fans who’ve watched “This Is Us” for six seasons – suddenly have a similar feeling of realization, of recognition. “The melodic concept of ‘The Forever Now‘ is something that we’ve been sort of teasing along for a while,” says series composer Siddhartha Khosla. “It’s one of the main themes for six seasons. [Series creator] Dan Fogelman had this plan that the melody we’ve been hearing would end up becoming Rebecca’s [Mandy Moore’s] song at Kate’s wedding. Dan’s mandate was ‘Go and write the best song you guys have ever written.’ No pressure.” Fortunately, Khosla says, his co-writer, Taylor Goldsmith, “has a window into Rebecca in a way that none of us do, because his wife is Mandy Moore.” Goldsmith, frontman of the band Dawes, has watched the actor-singer work on the character for years, from the earliest stages of receiving scripts, to hashing out moments with her acting coach, to the finished product on the air. (“Also, I’m a massive fan of the show,” he says.) He says Rebecca is, “for lack of a better phrase, a failed songwriter. She didn’t get to live that dream. So we couldn’t put on our Leonard Cohen hat or something. How do you do it through someone else’s voice” – an admittedly limited songwriter, but perhaps having her finest moment even as she struggles through the gathering fog of dementia? “How do you speak to these themes that the show’s been touching on this whole time that she’s not realizing she’s touching on? It’s a Friday crossword instead of a Monday crossword,” says Goldsmith, and both men laugh. Goldsmith says the title idea of “The Forever Now” came right away – an expression of perhaps the essence of “This Is Us”: the past’s constant presence, reinforced by the show’s time-jumping narrative. It was the rest that took some time. He and Khosla went back and forth, looking for the first verse. Then he found the opening line: “They say time will tell, but I think it likes to keep secrets.” “I don’t know where that line came from, but once it showed up, then it was just like cooking with gas,” Goldsmith says. They were soon ready to record a polished version with Moore at the top of her vocal powers. It went to No. 1 on iTunes. Then, for the performance in the show in which the 38-year-old Moore is in character as the 70-something Rebecca, they dropped the key a half-step at the singer’s urging. “We created an alternate version where the piano chords were simpler, for someone who’s not too skilled on piano. At first she’s fumbling trying to remember it, but once she does, she’s locked in,” says Khosla. “She’s able to transcend her predicament and be a force of strength. It’s what makes Rebecca this superhero for the family.” Goldsmith, having just returned from touring with Moore (they had to cut the tour short due to her pregnancy), says the singer made the song her final encore in the concerts. “We would play it every night and the fans treated it like one of the biggest songs she’s ever had. The eyes would go wide and they’d cheer at the first line. They sang along to every word.” ‘Maybe Monica’ From “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”; music and lyrics by Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” songwriting team of Curtis Moore and Thomas Mizer is used to getting requests from showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino to tailor songs to a particular late ’50s/early ’60s genre. She managed to throw them for a loop, however, with her marching orders for “Maybe Monica.” “Amy will call up and be like, ‘Uh, Harry Belafonte’s gonna sing at Shy’s wedding. Go!’ And then she’ll hang up,” says Mizer, laughing. Legendary entertainer and civil rights icon Belafonte is, in the world of “Mrs. Maisel,” a friend of supporting character Shy Baldwin (a closeted crooner who has a complicated relationship with protagonist Midge). Moore’s first reaction: “Are we being punked? He’s got a thousand amazing songs already. Why wouldn’t he be singing” one of those? The two say they were stymied by the thought of writing a new song for the fictional Belafonte instead of simply using one of his many real hits until Sherman-Palladino gave them a key note: It was to be a wedding toast. “Ah! Story!” exclaims Mizer. “Suddenly that was the reason for us to be writing this.” “Now we could have fun with it on two levels,” Moore says. “One, Harry’s writing this jab, this fun little joke song to Shy about, ‘How’d you get that great girl to marry you?’ Because I don’t think Harry necessarily knows the entire backstory of Shy Baldwin. But we as writers know, and you as the audience know, so that allows us another level to write that into the song. This is a sham wedding! This is a publicity stunt.” Lyricist Mizer says, “At the same time, it’s the question we should be asking the whole episode. ‘Why is Monica [marrying him]?’ “My favorite thing in it is just that I made the singer have to do ‘Baby made a Maybe a Yes’ over and over again: ‘Baby made a Maybe a Yes / Baby made a Maybe a Yes.’ Everybody on set was trying to say it three times fast.” Curtis says, “It all ends up a fun play on this moment, but also, ‘What is this farce that’s happening in front of us?’ And of course, we’re trying to show that while still having a joyous, fun, Harry Belafonte calypso number.” ‘I’m Tired’ From “Euphoria”; music and lyrics by Labrinth; lyrics by Sam Levinson and Zendaya “Euphoria” protagonist Rue (Zendaya) goes through hell on the show. She plummets in a spiral of addiction and betrayal until realizing she has to stop her descent. “When you get to that place where you’ve gone around in circles so many times, there’s this tiredness in your soul. It’s not just tiredness physically,” says series composer Labrinth of the gospel-inflected “I’m Tired.” “I just started singing it and then [series creator Sam Levinson] started writing lyrics to some of my melodies and Zendaya would say something; it was like us playing tennis in the studio.” The simple, repeated lines feel like a mantra (“Hey, Lord, you know I’m tired” and “Hey, Lord, you know I’m trying”) that bends toward darkness (“I’m sure this world is done with me”). But in its naked plea, it comes around to “Hey, Lord, I wanna stay.” The vocalist for most of it is male, though the words could come directly from Rue’s heart. “It could sound suicidal if a person listened to it very little, but for me, the end of the old you is the beginning of a new you. What we’re saying is we wanna renew ourselves.” One might expect some hints of Kirk Franklin in Labrinth’s inspiration for a gospel song, or Prince, and he says both were in the mix. He also cites Kanye West, Queen and Nat “King” Cole as resonating in his head as he wrote. “They all have this ethereal, kind of spiritual energy. When I was listening to Queen, those big harmonies take you somewhere. Nat “King” Cole, his ballads can have harmonies that feel like they morph into other universes and then return.” In the show, Rue staggers into a church, where we realize the song is coming from a familiar-looking gospel singer who embraces the spiritually battered girl. “I was a bit nervous because I hadn’t performed for a while,” Labrinth says of finally fulfilling Levinson’s request that he cameo on the show. “Then the whole church, everyone was crying. Me and Zendaya cried. We were all in tears together.” ‘CornPuddin’ ‘ From “Schmigadoon!”; music and lyrics by Cinco Paul In “Schmigadoon!,” a couple on the rocks (played by Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong) find themselves in a suspiciously quaint hamlet whose denizens have a habit of launching into well-coordinated musical numbers. The two haven’t realized they’re trapped in a bizarre musical-theater limbo when Strong’s character says she has never tried the place’s famous corn pudding and the whole gosh darn town turns up to sing and dance its praises. There’s a side helping of smiley innuendo with this “Corn Puddin’ “: “If he wants my puddin’,” brightly sing the ladies, “he’ll have to marry me.” And several of the female dancers end in inverted splits, held up by male dancers. It’s a regular horny-on-the-down-low hootenanny, a subtle foreshadowing of the repression beneath the shiny surface. “Ken and I would sing that song to whoever we were pitching the show,” says co-creator and series composer Cinco Paul, known for his work with writing partner Ken Daurio on big-screen Dr. Seuss animated films and the “Despicable Me” franchise. “It’s a big part of why Apple decided to buy it in the first place. “The point was twofold — to parody those songs in musicals that have no purpose. ‘Why are you singing a song about this now?’ ‘A Real Nice Clambake‘ from ‘Carousel’ is a good example. ‘Shipoopi‘ from ‘Music Man’ is another one. They stop the story dead: ‘Let’s sing about food!’ “It was also finding the song that would be most annoying to Keegan’s character. So ironically, it moves the story forward because it gets him to the point of ‘We have to leave right now. I can’t take another song like this.’ “ There’s an undeniable earworm in this “Corn”: “You put the corn in the puddin’ and the puddin’ in the bowl/ You put the bowl in your belly ’cause it’s good for the soul.” “I think that was the big breakthrough [in writing it], as silly as it sounds,” says Paul. “I recently saw a T-shirt with that line in emojis. They used a corn emoji and a bowl emoji; a halo emoji for ‘good for the soul.’ That was really fun. Also, you know you have something when you hear the crew on the set singing along.” Delighted as he is with the Emmy laurels, Paul wants to make sure everybody knows “I’m in a rivalry now with Zendaya.” Tongue firmly in cheek, he said of his fellow nominee, “It’s getting pretty heated.” ‘Elliot’s Song’ From “Euphoria”; music and lyrics by Labrinth; lyrics by Muzhda Zemar-McKenzie and Zendaya “Elliot’s Song,” this year’s second original music and lyrics nominee from “Euphoria,” is like a radio signal from space that recedes again into darkness. Its source, however, is from a hauntingly real place. “Elliot’s saying, ‘I’m sorry [for betraying you], but I wanted to save you. I’m in hell, but I don’t want you in hell with me,'” says series composer Labrinth, who shares the nomination with star Zendaya (again) and with his frequent collaborator (and wife), Muzhda Zemar-McKenzie. Zendaya explained to Labrinth her character, Rue, and Elliot (Dominic Fike) were thick as drugged-out thieves in the show’s second season. But along the way, Elliot betrays her twice: He sleeps with her girlfriend, Jules, and rats her out for resuming her addictive ways. Labrinth sums up Elliot’s thinking on the latter, expressed in the song he writes for Rue: “‘If I’m going to lose you, I’d rather keep you alive than lose you by my side.’ Once Zendaya spoke to me about what he’d done, I heard in my head, ‘I’ve got no place/ Buildin’ you a rocket up to outer space.'” The lyric continues, “I watch you fade/ Keepin’ the lights on in this forsaken place” and finishes each pair of stanzas with “I hope that it was worth it in the end.” When Labrinth had only the first verse, he talked the song over with Zemar-McKenzie. She said it made her think of a very dear friend who died in an accident when she was 17. “They were like peas in a pod,” said her husband. “They would get in trouble together. He always said to her, ‘I think I’m gonna go early.’ He would say it as a joke. And then he did end up going.” Years later, “She had a dream about him saying, ‘Have you read my letter?’ After she had the dream, she learned from a mutual friend that he had left her a letter that she hadn’t previously known of. “The letter was basically him saying, ‘I want you to have the best life. Don’t stay here; go and win.’ It was deep. It kind of makes me emotional speaking about it. “He wasn’t planning on going, but in the letter it felt like him going was for her to become what she needed to become. We started writing in that perspective: ‘I know I may have upset you by abandoning you, but I hope you see that this becomes worth it in the end, to see you become what you need to become.'” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kenya Barris is to direct a ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake. The ‘Black-ish’ creator has been tapped to write and helm the Warner Bros. reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s book ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. The story has been retold on both the big and small screens several times, most famously in the classic 1939 movie that starred Judy Garland in the role of Dorothy. The plot follows Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl who is swept away by a tornado and finds herself – as well as her dog Toto – in the colourful Land of Oz The movie will be a modern reimagining of the classic musical and Kenya’s Khalabo Ink Society are producing the flick. Barris is currently completing work on his debut feature film ‘You People’ for Netflix. He wrote the comedy film together with Jonah Hill and the ensemble cast includes stars such as Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny. Kenya is also writing a remake of the 1992 sports comedy movie ‘White Men Can’t Jump’, with rapper Jack Harlow set to play the role that was portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original film. The movie is completely separate from New Line’s previously announced remake. That version will be directed by Nicole Kassell and is described as a “fresh take” on Dorothy and the Land of Oz. In a statement, Kassell said: “While the 1939 musical is part of my DNA, I am exhilarated and humbled by the responsibility of re-imagining such a legendary tale. “The opportunity to examine the original themes — the quest for courage, love, wisdom, and home — feels more timely and urgent than ever. “These are profoundly iconic shoes to fill, and I am eager to dance alongside these heroes of my childhood as we pave a newly-minted yellow brick road!” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richa Naidu and Ross Kerber LONDON/BOSTON (Reuters) – Ben & Jerry’s legal battle with Unilever sheds light on an issue affecting a growing number of purpose-led brands: how to maintain their identity after being bought by a major consumer company. Multinational consumer groups have raced to snap up socially conscious brands in recent years, seeking to tap into a surge in demand among customers for ethical products, usually sold at a premium. Under Chief Executive Alan Jope, Unilever has added to a portfolio of “purposeful” brands – from Paula’s Choice skincare products that shun animal testing to sustainably-made supplements from SmartyPants and Nutrafol. In 2000, the company scooped up Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million with an unusual caveat: the Vermont-based ice cream maker would retain its independent board of directors, responsible for guiding its social and political identity. Ben & Jerry’s now believes that commitment to have been breached, following a furore over its plan to stop selling ice creams in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that eventually led Unilever to strike a deal to sell the brand’s Israeli business. The maker of Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia ice creams sued its parent company on July 5 to try to stop the sale. A ruling is expected in the coming weeks. “It’s a wake-up call for the folks who do deals to be more vigilant and ensure not only do the financials support a deal, but the underlying potential future conflicts are free and clear,” said Mark Cohen, a professor at Columbia University Business School. Unilever declined to comment for this story. Ben & Jerry’s had no immediate comment. Ben & Jerry’s, now worth over 1 billion euros ($1 billion), says the Israeli sale is against its values by allowing its products to remain available in the West Bank. The ice cream brand should have been aware that “Unilever might see fit to put the Ben and Jerry’s brand anywhere and everywhere in the world,” Cohen said. On the other hand, Unilever should have understood Ben & Jerry’s founders “have taken a political stance on a variety of issues, not the least of which being their objection to the actions of the State of Israel,” he added. Unilever may have already learned the lesson. Home products brand Seventh Generation, which it bought in 2016, created a “social mission” board meant to keep the business focused on causes such as diversity and generating less packaging waste. But the messaging on the brand’s website and Twitter feed covers a narrower range of issues than that of Ben & Jerry’s. “Seventh Generation has a broad mission for environmental, racial and social justice. Ben & Jerry’s mission may be broader,” said Mindy Lubber, CEO of climate advocacy group Ceres and a member of the Seventh Generation board until this year. ‘CONSIDER WHAT YOU’RE GIVING UP’ Organic food company investor Gary Hirshberg, who co-founded yogurt brand Stonyfield, now part of French dairy group Lactalis, said entrepreneurs cannot rely on a publicly-traded buyer to continue a social mission because the new owner’s executives will come and go. He called the Ben & Jerry’s dispute with Unilever “a classic difference in the cultures.” But he added a good way to protect a brand’s mission was to build it around a legal standard like having organic ingredients, hard for a buyer to change. Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read, who oversees state pension fund investments worth about $100 billion including Unilever shares, said the Ben & Jerry’s dispute shows how socially-minded businesses can have contrasting obligations once they become part of a publicly-listed company. “If you’re a founder and you’re considering being acquired, you might want to consider what you’re giving up,” Read said. Family-owned outdoor apparel and gear maker Patagonia values having oversight over decision making. “Many of our boldest moves have been enabled by our independence,” said Matthijs Visch, its general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Today, the argument ‘We can’t do that because we have shareholders’ simply doesn’t hold water.” Concerns that ethical principles could be compromised after a buyout have held some companies back from agreeing deals. British beauty brand Lush markets its bath ‘bombs’ and soaps as vegetarian, cruelty free and handmade. The firm’s staff hold 10% of its shares and have a say in how the business is run. That independence will not be given up, no matter how attractive an offer might be, said ethics director Hilary Jones. “External capital would not find us an attractive partner, and we would not relish having financial returns being the main goal and restricting our choices, so we have deliberately resisted taking outside investment,” she said. “We love what we do and we love to do it our way.” ($1 = 0.9823 euros) (Reporting by Richa Naidu and Ross Kerber; Additional reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo and Jessica DiNapoli; Editing by Matt Scuffham and Mark Potter) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Doja Cat says people who don’t like her buzzcut can “go f***” themselves. The ‘Say So’ hitmaker took to Instagram Live to explain she feels she was “never supposed to have hair” earlier this month and is continuing to clap back at the critics to her new look. On Monday (15.08.22), Doja took to Twitter to take aim at those who continue to come for her shaved head. She wrote to her followers: “I won a grammy and traveled the f****** globe i’ve had a #1 and i went platinum. I make hit after hit after hit and you all want me to look f******* for you so that you can go home and jerk your c**** all day long while you live in your mothers basement. Go f*** yourselves.” At the time, the 26-year-old rapper explained: “I don’t like having hair. I cannot tell you one time since the beginning of my life that I’ve ever been like, ‘This is cool.’ “There was a moment where it was natural, and I don’t even wear it natural because I don’t feel like it and it’s just a f****** nightmare, dude.” Doja explained she was “over” sporting wigs as they make lots of things – like swimming, sweating and exercising a lot harder – and thinks there is little point to have “hair if you’re not going to f****** wearing it out. The ‘Woman’ admitted she never been “so f****** happy” with her new do after sharing a bathroom selfie of her new look over the weekend. Doja said: “I’ve never felt so fucking happy. It’s very funny how much of an effect taking my hair off my head has positively influenced me.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Anne Heche wanted Miley Cyrus to play her if a movie was ever made about her life. The late actress – who died on Sunday (14.08.22) aged 53 – recorded an episode of the ‘Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef’ podcast back in January seven months before her fatal car crash and she named Miley and Kristen Bell as the two actresses she’d pick to star in a biopic. When asked who would portray her on screen, Anne said: “I’ve already thought about it. Miley Cyrus or Kristen Bell … The two of them share a personality ability to face the world the way that I would want, that I feel like I have and would want portrayed.” According to New York Post gossip column PageSix, she added the two stars would be able to “pull off the humour that I have” and do justice to “the journey that I’ve gone through”. When asked what appealed to her about Miley, Anne praised her for breaking away from her Disney child star roots to forge a successful music and acting career. She said: “The ability for her to be able to pull off … I’ve seen her in ‘Hannah Montana’ To be able to do that, to be able to express that, to be able to be as bold as she’s been – going from Disney into, you know, ‘Wrecking Ball’ … “The way she moves, the way she sings, her voice, her compassion, (the way) she f****** loves everyone, her ability to get out on stage and sing a cappella … And I think she’s a f****** great actress.” She previously worked with Kristen in a 2004 TV movie called ‘Gracie’s Choice’ and Anne said she saw a lot of herself in the younger actress. Anne said: “Kristen Bell gave me my second Emmy nomination. She and I played a mother and daughter in a Lifetime movie years ago … I see myself a lot in her. I don’t think it was any mistake that I played her mom, and I want her to play me.” The podcast was recorded in January but was not released until Tuesday (16.08.22). Anne died on Sunday (14.08.22) nine days after she was critically injured in a car crash. The ‘Donnie Brasco’ star was declared “legally dead according to California law” on Friday (12.08.22) after suffering a severe anoxic brain injury but her family wanted to wait until organ donor matches had been found before turning off her life support. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Diana, Princess of Wales confronted her husband’s lover Camilla Parker Bowles face-to-face at a party in 1989, and the resulting bust up sealed the end of her marriage to Prince Charles. The astonishing insight into the fiery exchange is revealed in the latest episode of the hit podcast “The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession,” released on Tuesday, August 16, and is told by a man who witnessed the confrontation first hand. Former bodyguard to Diana Ken Wharfe tells the host of the podcast that the royal clash came at a party to celebrate the 40th birthday of Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot — a bash that Camilla assumed Diana would not even attend. “I was surprised that Diana would go to such an event knowing that Camilla would be there,” he said. “But nevertheless, she did, and I think this was a surprise to the Prince as well.” mega When the Prince and Princess arrived, it soon became clear that none of the other guests expected Diana to come either – and that, most humiliatingly of all, Charles and Camilla’s affair was apparently public knowledge among the aristocracy. “When we arrived at the house, everyone was dressed in their finery,” he said. “And once the door opened you could see this gasp of ‘hey, how?’ It was like freeze framing a slide of a movie.” He then describes what happened next – and Diana’s extraordinary decision to have it out with the woman seemingly intent on ruining her marriage. “And then about an hour later I heard my name being called from outside, and it was Diana’s voice,” he said. “She said, ‘I can’t find the Prince and I can’t see Camilla either. I want to go and find them.’ And my answer was, ‘Do you think this is a good idea?’ She said, “Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I still want to see where they are and I want you to come with me.'” Diana and Wharfe found the adulterous couple huddled together in what he describes as a “basement area” of the house – where Diana confronted Camilla. “And Diana, very confidently, went across and, without any anger, it was very polite, she said, ‘Look, please don’t treat me like an idiot. I know exactly what is going on,’ expecting some sort of reply from Camilla or at least the Prince,” he explained. Camilla’s defense of her adultery remains astonishing to Wharfe, even 33 years later. “But Camilla then said something which was very strange to me,” he continued. “She said, ‘Well it’s all right for you. You’ve got two wonderful boys,’ as if that might end the conversation and we’d all go back to normal, but, of course, it didn’t. And if there was ever a chance of a reconciliation, now that opportunity had gone.” mega The marriage was to last just three more turbulent years before British Prime Minister John Major announced their legal separation, and in August 1996, Charles and Diana’s divorce was finalized. Tragically, Diana would only live another year before her shocking death in August 1997. And, as also revealed by the podcast, even as the world mourned her passing, senior members of “The Firm” – the shadowy fixers and enablers who manage the royal family’s brand and public image – began to plot how to rehabilitate Camilla’s public image and eventual marriage to Charles. “After Diana’s tragic death, Charles had to rehabilitate Camilla who was non-negotiable in his life, so they intended to marry,” explained royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams. “It was a concerted ruthless campaign with a specific purpose and it was launched by the Prince of Wales.” According to Fitzwilliams, the “campaign” took a softly-softly approach, gradually releasing positive pictures and stories of Camilla with members of Charles’ family including the Queen and Princes William and Harry to the press over a number of years. “It had to be handled in a way that people would find acceptable bit by bit,” he said. “The fact that Camilla took tea with William, the fact that the Queen happened to meet Camilla at a certain function, the fact that Charles and Camilla were seen together, and so forth. These certain things were released with specific intent to the newspapers, step-by-step. And it was done brilliantly.” mega So brilliantly, in fact, that just eight years after Diana’s death, and 16 years after her fiery exchange with a humiliated Princess of Wales, Charles and Camilla were married. And as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations this spring, the Queen even let it be known that when Charles becomes King, she would like Camilla to be known as Queen Consort. For Fitzwilliams, such a turnaround remains astonishing. “If you’d said after Diana’s death, that Charles and Camilla would be married by 2005, I don’t think you’d have found many people who believed it,” he said. “The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession” continues to dominate podcast charts around the world, with further episodes promising revelations about Harry and Meghan’s split from the royal family, as well as new insight into the fractured relationships between Princes William and Harry. Click on the link below to listen. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The federal judge overseeing the search warrant on President Donald Trump’s Florida home scheduled a in-person hearing for Thursday on motions to unseal search warrant materials, court records showed on Tuesday. (Reporting by Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Tim Ahmann) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Dr. Mehmet Oz is losing upwards of $5 million in campaign money from the National Republican Senatorial Committee as the TV star-turned-politician’s poll numbers continue to drop dramatically in Pennsylvania, Radar has confirmed. The shocking development comes as Dr. Oz is currently losing to Pennsylvania Democratic nominee Lt. Governor John Fetterman by a whopping 10 percentage points. Mega Although the 62-year-old retired cardiothoracic surgeon successfully won the state’s Republican primary against David McCormick on June 8, he has experienced a steady drop in the polls as he continues to campaign for Pennsylvania’s Senate seat, which is set to be decided on November 8. Even more shocking is the fact that Dr. Oz is not the only Republican Senate candidate losing campaign money from the NRSC with the election less than three months away, according to Rolling Stone. On Monday, the NRSC revealed they were cutting a total of $10 million “in fall advertising reservations” in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Arizona – three key states in the GOP’s plan to steal back the Senate come November. While Dr. Oz is set to lose $5 million in advertising, both Arizona’s Republican candidate – Blake Masters – and Wisconsin’s candidate – Sen. Ron Johnson – are set to each lose $2 million in fall advertising. Mega But despite the dramatic cuts in the Republican Senate candidates’ funding, NRSC Communication Director Chris Hartline recently reassured the states’ voters the committee is “still invested” in all three races. “Nothing has changed about our commitment to winning in all of our target states,” Hartline said after revealing the $10 million cut in fall advertising funding. As RadarOnline.com exclusively reported on Monday, Dr. Oz’s multi-million-dollar cut in campaign funding is just the latest of the medicine man’s money problems. Nazlim Oz, Dr. Oz’s sister who still lives in Turkey, recently accused the former TV doctor of owing her upwards of $10 million connected to two high-class properties the hopeful politician owns in Manhattan. Mega “Nazlim is furious and that’s why she started legal action,” a well-placed source told us. “She relies on the money, which she has been receiving for a long time.” The source also revealed “there are communication issues between” Dr. Oz and his 53-year-old sister. Additionally, according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the siblings are still fighting it out in New York court with a hearing scheduled for October – just before Dr. Oz’s Pennsylvania Senate election. View the full article

Published by AFP Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney is lagging behind Harriet Hageman in polling for the Wyoming primary Jackson (United States) (AFP) – Republican dissident Liz Cheney looks set to lose her US Congress seat Tuesday to an election-denying conspiracy theorist, in the latest signal of her party’s disavowal of traditional conservatism in favor of Donald Trump’s hardline “America First” movement. Once considered Republican royalty, the lawmaker from Wyoming has become a pariah in the party over her role on the congressional panel pursuing Trump over the plot to overthrow the last election that culminated in the 2021 assault on the US Capitol. All eyes are on the Wyoming Republican primary, where defeat for the 56-year-old elder daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney would mark the end of the family’s four-decade political association with one of America’s most conservative states. Even her loyal backers have privately accepted that Cheney will likely lose to 59-year-old lawyer Harriet Hageman — Trump’s hand-picked candidate who has amplified his false claims of a “rigged” 2020 election. The latest survey from the local Casper Star-Tribune has Cheney with just 30 percent support compared with 52 percent for Hageman, reflecting all recent polling. ‘We will win’ Yet there is already speculation that Cheney may challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 — or even run as an independent — and insiders are expecting her to deliver a concession speech that will double up as the launchpad for her political future. “No matter how long we must fight, this is a battle we will win,” she said in a video message posted before the weekend. “Millions of Americans across our nation — Republicans, Democrats, independents — stand united in the cause of freedom.” Cheney has framed her campaign as a battle for the soul of a party she is trying to save from the anticonstitutional forces of Trumpism. She is the last of 10 Republicans in the lower House of Representatives who backed Trump’s second impeachment to be facing primary voters. Four retired rather than seek reelection, three lost to Trump-backed opponents, and only two — California’s David Valadao and Dan Newhouse of Washington state — have made it through to November’s midterm elections. Cheney, a tax-cutting, gun-loving right-winger, voted in line with Trump’s positions 93 percent of the time when he was president but that hasn’t blunted his retaliation for her role in the House committee probe. Trump has made Cheney his bete noire, calling her “disloyal” and a “warmonger,” prompting death threats that have forced her to travel with a police escort. Palin comeback bid The blonde, bespectacled former attorney has also been made persona non grata by the Wyoming Republican Party, whose chairman himself participated in the protests on the day of the US Capitol assault. “Liz is representing the constituents that are in her mind, and they aren’t the constituents of Wyoming,” said Mary Martin, chairwoman of the Republican Party in Teton County — Cheney’s Wyoming base. Leaning on his red motorcycle, Bill Gonzales, 59, is one of the few voters who spoke to AFP in Cheyenne to defend Cheney’s record, saying she “has stood up for what is proper within the country.” There are also elections in Alaska, where 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s comeback battle — to complete the term of a congressman who died in office — is dividing locals. Fourteen years after rising to international fame on the losing Republican presidential ticket headed by John McCain, Palin remains popular among women as the “soccer mom” who pioneered the ultra-conservative “Tea Party” movement that paved the way for Trumpism. But many voters blame her for abandoning her single term as govenor halfway through, amid ethics complaints, and a recent poll showed her to be viewed unfavorably by 60 percent of Alaskans. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cheered by a decisive win for abortion rights in a Kansas vote and eyeing November midterm elections, the White House is launching a push for abortion access that aims to influence men as well as women, sources with direct knowledge told Reuters. The Biden administration’s three-prong playbook leans on two specific federal statutes to target states that limit abortion, communicates to voters the impact on women, and accentuates how forced pregnancies negatively affect both women and men. Senior White House officials, advisers and abortion rights advocates have held multiple strategy and engagement calls in recent days, including an Aug. 4 call with nearly 2,000 participants, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private meetings. Abortion rights advocates have accused U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration in the past of being slow to act around a Supreme Court ruling in June that ended the constitutional right to abortion. Two Biden executive orders and engagement with key stakeholders led by Vice President Kamala Harris have assuaged some concerns, several told Reuters. The White House is “really going all the way in trying to promote their message on the issue of abortion in the midterms,” said Lawrence Gostin, faculty director of Georgetown University’s Institute for National and Global Health Law, who has been working with the White House. “They are hoping this will play well among suburban women and that was Biden’s edge in the presidential election.” A senior White House official said that the administration thinks the issue could win Democrats’ support from many Republican voters during the midterms. NEW LITIGATION STRATEGY The Biden administration plans to lean on two specific federal statutes, which predated the abortion ruling, to fight its legal challenges – the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) and FDA preemption under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the sources said. EMTALA requires hospitals that accept Medicare funds to provide medical treatment to people that arrive with an emergency medical condition. That includes providing a woman an abortion if her life is in danger https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/hhs-says-federal-law-preempts-state-abortion-bans-emergency-situations-2022-07-11. This law is the backbone of the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit against the state of Idaho, but may be hard to enforce, some legal experts say https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/federal-guidance-life-saving-abortions-puts-doctors-bind-2022-07-20. The FDA preemption argues states cannot ban an approved abortion drug because federal law preempts or overrides state law. More than 30 states have enacted legislation that restricts access to medication. Mini Timmaraju, president, NARAL Pro-Choice America, who also is working with the White House on the issue, said the litigation strategy is key. “It’s not just executive orders and policies, it’s (legal)enforcement,” she said. VOTING, RESEARCH AND MESSAGING The White House plans to replicate the success in Kansas, said the sources. It is closely tracking similar ballot initiatives in California, Kentucky, Michigan, and Vermont and gubernatorial races like Michigan’s, where abortion has become a central issue, sources said. In Kansas, a team of the Democratic National Committee made about 30,000 phone calls and sent over 130,000 text messages to help turn out the vote. The White House is compiling research on the physical and mental harms women face if they’re denied access to abortion, as well as the economic impact that forced pregnancies can have on men, women and families; and plans to communicate that to voters with a consistent messaging plan, sources said. It will target men in its messaging, asking them to consider how their sisters, nieces, cousins could be affected if abortions were unavailable, and to think about the costs related to supporting an unplanned pregnancy, the sources said. In 2020, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that women who are forced to have an unwanted baby face medical costs associated with prenatal care, birth, postpartum recovery in addition to costs associated with raising a child that exceed $9,000 a year. Another message will be aimed at religious Americans, telling them they don’t have to change their faith to support abortion rights, they just need to resist government overreach, they said. “The idea is to be much more disciplined and consistent in messaging to break through to the everyday American,” said one of the sources. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Stephen King has branded Donald Trump a “horrible president” and a “horrible person”. The acclaimed horror writer took aim at the former US President, who is facing an FBI investigation into allegations that he illegally removed classified documents from the White House, and is convinced that he took part in criminal activity while also blasting Trump’s response to his election loss to Joe Biden. Stephen told The Times newspaper: “I happen to think that Trump was a horrible president and is a horrible person. “I think he actually engaged in criminal behaviour, I felt that he was a sociopath who tried to overturn the American democracy not out of any political wish of his own but because he could not admit that he had lost.” The ‘Carrie’ author is puzzled that some continue to support Trump but thinks “most people” are well-intentioned, regardless of their political views. Stephen said: “So, I don’t really understand the people who continue to support him, but I do understand that a guy driving a pickup covered with Trump and NRA stickers – you know, ‘take my rifle when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers’- would stop and pick up a stranger if he was in a rainstorm and say, ‘Where are you going, buddy?'” King also claimed that is “easy to overestimate” the rise of fascism in the United States. The 74-year-old ‘It’ author said: “There is a strong right wing, a political right wing in America, and they have a megaphone in some of the media. They’re not fascists but they’re hard right-wingers. “They’re certainly climate change deniers, so that is a real problem. But, again, it’s the stuff that’s crazy like QAnon that gets the press. You have to remember that Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by three million votes (in the popular vote) and that Biden beat Trump by seven million votes.” View the full article

Published by AFP At present, a pair of hearing aids costs in the region of $5,000 per pair in the United States — far more than many other advanced countries Washington (AFP) – Over-the-counter hearing aids will for the first time be available to tens of millions of Americans, officials said Tuesday, in an effort to cut prices from $5,000 a pair. “For many Americans who suffer from hearing loss, safe and effective and high quality hearing aids have been unaffordable,” health secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters in a briefing. The action, which should take effect in October, would reduce the cost of hearing aids by an estimated $2,800 per pair, by removing the requirement to see a doctor or audiologist, added Brian Deese, director of the White House’s National Economic Council. This, he said, amounted to what economists call a “barrier to entry” — regulation that prevents more companies from entering the market. At present, hearing aids cost in the region of $5,000 per pair in the United States. Though a small portion of the cost may be offset by health insurance, it still stands in contrast to other advanced countries such as Britain, where the devices are free at the point of delivery. Children, as well as people with severe hearing loss, would still need a prescription. While hearing loss in adults is generally caused by noise exposure and aging, the reasons among children can be more concerning and require closer medical evaluation. President Joe Biden, who had called for the move in an executive order issued last year, said in a statement the rule “makes good on my commitment to lower costs for American families… giving people more choices to improve their health and wellbeing.” One in eight people in the United States aged 12 years or older — around 30 million people — has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The new rule applies to hearing aids that work through air conduction, bringing amplified sound into the ear canal where it moves through the eardrum and the middle ear to reach the inner ear, where the processed signal is sent to the brain. People with more severe hearing loss may require bone conduction hearing aids that bypass the outer and middle ear. View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Emma Farge and Jennifer Rigby GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) – Poxy McPoxface, TRUMP-22 or Mpox: these some of the ideas sent in by the public to the World Health Organization as it seeks a new name for monkeypox. Often disease names are chosen behind closed doors by a technical committee, but the WHO has this time decided to open up the process to the public. After a slow start, dozens of submissions have now been made from a range of contributors including academics, doctors, and a gay community activist. They range from the technical (OPOXID-22, submitted by Harvard Medical School emergency phy… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Meaghan Ellis Fox News host Laura Ingraham, a substantial supporter of former President Donald Trump, recently suggested that Americans might be prepared to move on as she argued a fresh Republican presidential candidate may fair better in 2024. The television anchor made her remarks during a recent discussion with podcaster Lisa Boothe. When she appeared on Boothe’s show, she admitted that she believes it may be time “to turn the page.” “People conflate Trump with people’s overall sense of happiness in the country. Donald Trump’s been a friend of mine for 25 years, and I’m always very open… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega In her corner. James Tupper and Emily Bergl are coming to Anne Heche‘s defense following her tragic death. Bergl, who worked alongside Tupper and Heche on the ABC series Men In Trees, recently slammed haters calling the late actress “crazy,” making clear the Psycho actress was anything but. mega “’You worked with crazy Anne Heche?’ ‘So how crazy was she?’” the 47-year-old began her Instagram post alongside a throwback photo of the star, who was taken off life support Sunday, August 14, after her fiery car crash. DRUG ACCUSATIONS, A FIERY CAR CRASH & MORE: INSIDE ANNE HECHE’S BIGGEST SCANDALS Dubbing Heche a “genius” performer who “elicited more curiosity than any other famous person,” Bergl noted she is “one of the most astoundingly focused and prepared actors I’ve ever worked with.” “I don’t think I ever saw her miss her mark,” Bergl suggested, going on to detail her experiences working with Heche, who died at 53 years old. “The only joke I did make about Anne was that it’s likely she didn’t have a psychotic break, but really was an alien, because her strength seemed super human.” Recalling how “her smiling face” was “luminous without a lick of makeup,” and that she would give flawless performances day in and day out, Bergl praised Heche for always keeping herself together despite all she had been though. mega “She was raped by her father, her brother killed himself, and her mother told her she would burn in Hell for loving a woman,” continued Bergl. “But despite a sometimes harrowing life, she was so much fun to be around. She was insouciant, joyous, insightful.” Regarding those who called Heche crazy, Bergl offered, “It’s no wonder Anne titled her brilliant memoir Call Me Crazy, she beat everyone to the punch,” before concluding: “I would tell you to read Call Me Crazy, but it’s now $200 on Amazon. I paid it because I want to read it again. She was a true genius, and I miss her. #ripanneheche.” Shortly after the Shameless actress’ post, Tupper — who dated Heche for years — took to the comments section to applaud her message, writing: “Oh god thank you for writing this. Is all completely accurate and true. love you e.” FRIEND CLAIMS ELLEN DEGENERES NEVER GAVE ANNE HECHE THE ‘CREDIT SHE DESERVED’ FOR ‘CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY’ FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY The former flames, who share sonAtlas Heche Tupper, split in 2017 after 10 years together. Heche also famously dated Ellen DeGeneres from 1997 to 2000. mega As OK! reported, Heche crashed her car into a two-story Los Angeles home on Friday, August 5, resulting in the vehicle bursting into flames. She was declared dead the following Friday after suffering severe burns and head trauma. View the full article

Published by Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) – The longtime financial chief of former President Donald Trump’s namesake real estate company is nearing a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors over tax fraud charges, the New York Times reported on Monday. Former Trump Organization CFO will not cooperate with a broader investigation into Trump, the Times said, citing two sources. The report did not address whether he would cooperate in the case against the former president’s family company. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney declined to comment. A lawyer for Weisselberg did not respond to a request for comment. Court records show Weisselberg also made an unexpected appearance in Manhattan state court on Monday and has another hearing scheduled for Thursday. Weisselberg and the Trump Organization were charged last July with more than a dozen counts of tax fraud and falsifying business records for awarding “off the books” benefits to company executives. Weisselberg, 75, had initially pleaded not guilty. Neither a lawyer nor a spokeswoman for the company immediately responded to requests for comment. At a hearing on Friday the judge in the case said jury selection would start on Oct. 24. Trump, a Republican, has called the probe by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, as well as a parallel civil investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James, politically-motivated “witch hunts.” James and Bragg are both Democrats. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York; Writing by Luc Cohen; Editing by Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Apple is reportedly planning to add more ads to the iPhone. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Maps, Apple Books and Apple Podcasts apps could also see more advertising. In his recent newsletter, the tech expert said the tech giant has tested having more ads in the Maps app. Currently, the Stocks app and Apple News have ads, as does the App Store and Search bar. Ads first appeared on the App Store in 2016. Last year, Apple asked users if they’d like to see more Personalised Ads. It all comes after the firm’s advertising revenue increased by a whopping 238 per cent to $3.7 billion in 2021. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Rose Horowitch (Reuters) – University of Oklahoma medical student Ian Peake spent four years shadowing doctors at a Tulsa abortion clinic because his school didn’t offer courses on abortion or provide any training. But the Tulsa Women’s Clinic stopped abortion services in May when Oklahoma enacted a near-total ban, and the provider closed for good after the U.S. Supreme Court ended constitutional abortion protections in June. Peake, 33, now had no local options to learn about abortion. “It’s basically impossible to get abortion education in the state,” said Peake, who is now applying to residency programs outside of Oklahoma. “We’re going to have whole swaths of the country where medical students aren’t going to really know how these procedures work.” In interviews, a dozen doctors, activists and medical students said they worried that the next generation of physicians trained in states with severe abortion restrictions would lack crucial skills to treat women. Even before the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, some conservative states restricted institutions from teaching how to provide abortions. The June ruling, which allowed states to decide the legality of abortion, has left more medical schools and residency programs unable to offer comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology training. Ninety-two percent of obstetrics and gynecology residents reported having access to some level of abortion training in 2020, according to a study published in April by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ journal. The researchers predicted that number would drop to 56% at best following Roe’s overturn. Already, seven states, including Texas and Alabama, no longer have any clinics providing abortion services, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research group. The procedure used to perform elective abortions, known as dilation and curettage, is needed for emergencies such as if a pregnant woman has a heart attack, stroke or begins hemorrhaging. It is also necessary to clear tissue from the uterus after an incomplete miscarriage to prevent infection and sepsis. “It goes beyond just what people refer to as abortion,” said Maya Hammoud, an obstetrics and gynecology professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. “It’s how it’s going to affect everything else in women’s healthcare.” ‘VERY CONCERNED’ Medical schools are not required to provide abortion training. But the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which assesses and certifies residency programs, requires that all residents learn how to perform abortion procedures before graduating. The council has proposed revisions to its obstetrics and gynecology guidelines after Roe’s overturn, saying programs in states that restrict abortion access must help budding doctors travel to another state to receive training. If a resident is unable to travel, programs must still train the resident using classroom lessons and simulation. Several doctors and an activist raised concerns about whether simulation – which is often performed on a dragonfruit or papaya – could adequately prepare residents for real-world treatment. “I’m very concerned that at some point very well-respected med schools are going to graduate students who have not received a modern medical education,” said Pamela Merritt, executive director of Medical Students for Choice, an abortion rights advocacy group. “Even if they get the green light to intervene to save the life of a pregnant person, they won’t actually be able to do it.” Anti-abortion advocates say medical schools and residency programs will continue to teach emergency procedures to save a woman’s life even if they do not teach how to perform voluntary abortions. “We have seen abortion activists employing misinformation and scare tactics aimed at women who do not deserve that stress,” said Kristi Hamrick, spokesperson for Students for Life of America, an anti-abortion group. Louito Edje, associate dean of graduate medical education at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and an ACGME member, said she expects most institutions will help their residents travel to receive real-world training. But training could still suffer, she said, if more students are crowded into fewer institutions and there isn’t enough patient flow to provide everyone with hands-on practice. The University of Michigan has established a task force to prepare for an influx of residents coming to Ann Arbor for training, said Lisa Harris, an obstetrics and gynecology professor who is co-chair of the task force. Given the ever-changing legal landscape around abortions in the state, however, Harris said the task force is also planning ways to help residents travel for out-of-state training if Michigan implements a ban. (Reporting by Rose Horowitch; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by DPA Scientists have been trying to figure out how dangerous the Omicron variant really is, but the true picture is still "not clear," some say. Hannah A Bullock/Azaibi Tamin/CDC/dpa For more than two years, Cathy Baron and Sara Alicia Costa managed to duck the coronavirus. But despite their being fully vaccinated and boosted, the omicron variant finally caught them. Baron is an actress and dance instructor who lives in Santa Monica, California. Costa is an architect in Austin, Texas. Both are 40 and healthy. But the two friends saw two very different sides of the variant they expected to be gentler on its victims than earlier strains. For Costa, the omicron variant lived up to its reputation for mildness, causing headaches and “something like a crummy cold” for a couple of days. She was visiting Baron and surfing in Santa Monica a week after testing positive. Baron’s illness was deeply chastening. She was flattened for several days with a high fever and debilitating muscle aches and was too exhausted to teach her pole dancing class for three weeks. Two months later, she’s still coping with fatigue, brain fog and episodic coughing fits. She hopes never to repeat the experience. Baron and Costa are what scientists would dismiss as an “n of 2.” If their experience were a study, the sample size would be far too small to draw any conclusions, especially one as important as whether the omicron variant really is less virulent than the SARS-CoV-2 variants that came before it. And yet, their contrasting experiences are as telling as many of the research studies conducted to date that have tried to determine how dangerous omicron really is. “It’s an excellent question,” said Dr. Stanley Perlman, a University of Iowa virologist and a leading expert on coronaviruses. Many researchers think they know the answer, and “I think it’s true” that the omicron variant is causing milder illnesses, he said. But the true picture is “not clear,” he cautioned. Omicron arrived in the United States at a time when 60% of Americans had the protection of Covid-19 vaccines and roughly a third of Americans (including some who’d been vaccinated) had a past infection. Not only was there a high level of population immunity, those who did become ill had access to treatments that weren’t available to people sickened by the initial strain from Wuhan, China, or the alpha and delta variants that followed. Perhaps these are the reasons why those infected with omicron have tended to experience milder illnesses. “It’s widely said that omicron is inherently less pathogenic, but there is no real evidence for that,” said Dr. Christopher Chiu, a Covid-19 researcher at Imperial College London. “Comparisons with delta are like apples and oranges,” he said. “Delta was circulating at a time when many were still not vaccinated or previously infected. In contrast, omicron is largely causing breakthrough infections in people who already have partial protection from immunity conferred by vaccines or infection.” Since its earliest appearance in November, researchers have seen that compared with previous variants, omicron was less likely to send infected people to the hospital or to their graves. First in South Africa and later in communities across America, the new variant bucked expectations spawned by earlier surges. In the two to three weeks after omicron cases spiked, hospitalizations and deaths rose as well — but more slowly, and they’d topped out at lower levels. Still, as Americans have learned from hard experience, the omicron variant is a highly capable killer. Just over 200,000 of the country’s Covid-19 deaths are likely attributable to some version of the omicron variant, which arrived there around Thanksgiving and became dominant in January. And don’t forget, Perlman added: It’s still killing some 400 people a day in the United States. How much of omicron’s supposed mildness should be credited to the protective effect of vaccines is not really known. During June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that Covid-associated hospitalizations among unvaccinated adults were 4.6 times higher than they were among vaccinated people. But the picture is muddier than such data would suggest. Americans’ immune profiles run the gamut, making it hard to slot people into neat categories and compare how they fared when infected by different variants. Those who’ve been vaccinated are experiencing various degrees of waning immunity, even if they’ve been boosted. The same goes for people who’ve recovered from infections. The readiness of their immune systems depends on how long ago they had the infection, what variant infected them, their vaccination status, and factors like age and the medications they take. With so many variables to consider, it’s hard for researchers to draw a clean comparison between omicron and its predecessors. But they’ve tried. In one study published in Nature, scientists showed that omicron was drawn to a wide range of human tissues. When observed in petri dishes, the variant established itself in cells that mimicked the upper airways of the respiratory system, though with less gusto than the delta variant. In addition, omicron was far less adept at infecting lower airway cells, including lung tissue, than either delta or the original SARS-CoV-2 strain that left Wuhan. And in studies that infected animals such as hamsters and genetically engineered mice, the omicron variant caused less weight loss (a proxy of severe disease) and touched off less inflammation in the lungs than either delta or the original strain. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that coronavirus testing was undergoing sweeping changes just as the omicron variant took hold. As at-home testing ramped up and fewer new infections were reported to public health agencies, the relationship between cases on the one hand and hospitalizations and deaths on the other – a previously dependable measure of a variant’s ability to sicken – became less reliable. The omicron variant’s astonishing infectiousness and propensity to spin off new subvariants complicate the picture even more. In a recent meeting convened by the Food and Drug Administration, even experts from the agency shrugged when asked to compare the subvariants. Collectively, those omicron subvariants muscled delta aside so quickly that doctors and researchers didn’t have time to collect groups of similar patients, genetically sequence the viruses that infected them, and compare how their illnesses proceeded. That’s the kind of study that might shed light on the divergent experiences of Cathy Baron and Sara Alicia Costa. They’re a seemingly well-matched pair of healthy 40-year-old women, yet omicron attacked one of them like a lion and treated the other like a lamb. With the experiences of hundreds or thousands of people thrown in, such research might reveal factors that nudge an omicron infection in one direction or the other. There is a more direct way to learn how omicron compares to earlier variants in its ability to sicken and kill. Researchers could deliberately infect volunteers with different versions of the coronavirus and track their physiological responses to infection over the course of an illness. Chiu and his colleagues at Imperial College London have just such an undertaking in mind. They are planning “human challenge” studies involving the delta and omicron variants to mirror one already conducted with the original version of the virus. The resulting data could yield a clearer picture of exactly how omicron behaves in healthy humans, and how a prior infection or different levels of vaccination affect an individual’s illness. Chiu said a new study would seek to enroll people who gained immunity through vaccination, a past infection, or a combination of both. That would give them more insight into whether so-called hybrid immunity is an important bulwark against becoming sick in the omicron era. If research confirms that the omicron variant is indeed milder than its predecessors, and that getting it confers some protection from future illness, some may conclude it’s time to let the virus spread. Baron would take some convincing of that. “When people say, ‘let’s just let it rip’ and allow ourselves to get infected over and over again — that’s scary to me,” she said. “I don’t want to just let it rip. I don’t want to get it again.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Filipp Lebedev MOSCOW (Reuters) -The defence team of Brittney Griner, the U.S. basketball star jailed for nine years in Russia on drugs charges, appealed on Monday against her conviction for narcotics possession and trafficking. Griner was convicted on Aug. 4 in a verdict that U.S. President Joe Biden called “unacceptable”. Washington says she was wrongfully detained and has offered to exchange her for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States. Monday was the deadline for Griner to contest the verdict. Maria Blagovolina, partner at Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin and Partners law firm, told Reuters the appeal had been filed but declined to comment further. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist who had played for a Russian club, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17 after cannabis-infused vape cartridges were found in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to the charges but said she had not meant to break the law. “I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn’t end my life here,” Griner told the court at Khimki, near Moscow, at her sentencing. It was not clear how soon an appeal could be heard. “We demand to overturn the verdict passed by the Khimki court and impose a new sentence,” Alexander Boikov, a lawyer at Moscow Legal Center who represented Griner in court, told Reuters. He said the appeal would be mainly based on alleged violations in the course of the investigation. Griner’s defence team argued in court that some of her case files had been drawn up without being translated for her into English. The athlete was caught up in a geopolitical storm when Russia sent troops into Ukraine a week after her arrest and the United States and its allies responded with unprecedented waves of sanctions against Moscow. Russia denies that the case was politically motivated. It has warned the United States against engaging in “megaphone diplomacy” and warned that any prisoner swap would have to be negotiated in private. In a Telegram post on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took issue with the White House’s public criticism of the Russian court verdict. She contrasted that with its silence over last week’s FBI raid on the property of former president Donald Trump, of which a White House spokeswoman said Biden had not been aware. “Let me remind you, Griner was smuggling cartridges of liquid for smoking, which contained hashish oil. The basketball player herself admitted this, since there was no point in denying it,” Zakharova said. “At the same time, the White House refuses to comment on the investigation around Trump and the seizure of certain documents related to the White House from him. Complete silence, although we are talking about American justice and law enforcement.” (Reporting by Filipp Lebedev, writing by Felix Light, editing by Mark Trevelyan and Hugh Lawson) View the full article