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Published by AFP Clean energy is one of the tentpoles of US President Joe Biden's massive climate and health proposal Washington (AFP) – Hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy projects, cheaper prescription drugs and new corporate taxes are a few of the key items in US President Joe Biden’s massive investment plan, which the House of Representatives is expected to pass Friday, after Senate approval. Here’s a closer look at the signature elements of the plan, which could offer the Democratic leader a big political win heading into November’s crucial midterm elections. $370 billion for clean energy, climate If the legislation is passed, it will mark the biggest investment in US history in the fight against climate change. Rather than attempting to punish the biggest polluters in corporate America, the bill put forward by Biden’s party instead proposes a series of financial incentives aimed at steering the world’s biggest economy away from fossil fuels. Tax credits would be given to producers and consumers of wind, solar and nuclear power. If passed, the legislation would allot up to $7,500 in tax credits to every American who buys an electric vehicle. Anyone installing solar panels on their roof would see 30 percent of the cost subsidized. Around $60 billion would be allocated for clean energy manufacturing, from wind turbines to the processing of minerals needed for electric car batteries. The same amount would go towards programs to help drive investment in underprivileged communities, notably through grants for home renovation to improve energy efficiency and access to less polluting modes of transportation. Huge investments would go into making forests less susceptible to wildfires and protect coastal areas from erosion caused by devastating hurricanes. The bill aims to help the United States reduce its carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, as compared with 2005 levels. $64 billion for health care The second major aspect of the legislation is to help reduce the huge disparities in access to health care across the United States, notably by reining in skyrocketing prescription drug prices. If the draft eventually becomes law, Medicare — the nation’s health insurance plan for those aged 65 and older, or with modest incomes — could be permitted to negotiate prices of certain medications directly with Big Pharma for the first time, likely yielding far better deals. The plan would require pharmaceutical companies to offer rebates on certain drugs if the prices rise faster than soaring US inflation. It also would extend benefits under Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act — known colloquially as Obamacare — until 2025. Minimum corporate tax of 15% Alongside these huge investments, the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” would seek to pare down the federal deficit through the adoption of a minimum corporate tax of 15 percent for all companies with profits exceeding one billion dollars. The new tax seeks to prevent certain huge firms from using tax havens to pay far less than what they theoretically owe. According to estimates, the measure could generate more than $258 billion in tax revenue for US government coffers over the next 10 years. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary, has muscled in on the lucrative Trump trash-talking television circuit — and Radar has learned the former first lady’s rage is at fever pitch. “How can she get away with this? She is a traitor,” Melania Trump told a pal, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned. The insider added: “Melania is hurt and offended by Stephanie who she thought would act more ‘professionally’ than to run her mouth at every opportunity.” Grisham is widely panned in republican circles as the White House press secretary who never held a briefing for the media during her nine months in the coveted position for Donald Trump. mega But when Grisham stood down from the role, she moved into the plum gig as her chief of staff — and Melania leapt to her defense. “She has been a mainstay and true leader in the Administration from even before day one, and I know she will excel as Chief of Staff,” the first lady said, at the time. mega Now, Melania is spitting mad at someone whom she believed was her friend. “Stephanie had a long relationship with the Trump family, and she worked as an assistant on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign,” added the source. “That’s what stings the most for Melania. This is someone who she thought was trustworthy and loyal.” Grisham has become a mainstay on CNN. This week, following the FBI raid on the former president, Grisham told Erin Burnett Trump did not handle classified documents properly and wasn’t pressed up on his staff to handle properly. mega Grisham was also forced to deny speculation that she was the source of images showing papers Trump had torn up floating in a toilet. “Whatever the scandal is on any given day, Melania feels Stephanie pops up on television as a pundit and no matter the scenario, has a wild tale of ‘yes, I knew that’ or ‘I saw that, too.’ Melania cannot understand how Stephanie is being given so much credibility,” said the source. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch (Reuters) -FBI agents who searched former President Donald Trump’s Florida home this week removed 11 sets of classified documents including some marked as top secret, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday while also disclosing that prosecutors had probable cause to believe Trump may have violated the Espionage Act. The bombshell disclosures were made in a search warrant and accompanying legal documents released four days after FBI agents carried out the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach based on a warrant approved by a federal magistrate judge. Trump, in a statement on his social media platform, said the records at issue were “all declassified” and placed in “secure storage.” “They didn’t need to ‘seize’ anything. They could have had it anytime they wanted without playing politics and breaking into Mar-a-Lago,” the Republican businessman-turned-politician said. The Justice Department said in the warrant application approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart that it had probable cause to believe that Trump may have violated the Espionage Act, a federal law that prohibits the possession or transmission of national defense information. The department also said it had concerns he may have broken several other statutes related to the mishandling of government records including one that makes it a crime to try to hide or destroy government documents regardless of whether they are classified. FBI agents took more than 30 items including more than 20 boxes, binders of photos, a handwritten note and the executive grant of clemency for Trump’s ally and longtime adviser Roger Stone, a list of items removed from the property showed. Also included in the list was information about the “President of France.” The warrant showed that FBI agents asked to search a room called “the 45 Office” – Trump was the 45th U.S. president – as well as all other rooms, structures of buildings on the estate used by Trump or his staff where boxes or documents could be stored. There are three primary levels of classification for sensitive government materials: Top secret, secret, and confidential. “Top secret” is the highest level of classification, reserved for the country’s most closely held national security information. Such documents usually are kept in special government facilities because disclosure could cause grave damage to national security. FBI agents on Monday collected four sets of top secret documents, three sets of secret documents and three sets of confidential documents, the documents showed. They also showed that agents collected a set of documents labeled “classified/TS/SCI documents” – a reference to top secret and sensitive compartmented material. While a sitting president has authority to declassify materials, there was no indication in any of the documents released on Friday that Trump had done so prior to leaving office in January 2021. AN ESCALATION Monday’s search of Trump’s home marked a significant escalation in one of the many federal and state investigations he is facing from his time in office and in private business, including a separate one by the Justice Department into a failed bid by Trump’s allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election by submitting phony slates of electors. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday announced that the department asked Reinhart to unseal the warrant. This followed Trump’s claim that the search was political retribution and a suggestion by him, without evidence, that the FBI may have planted evidence against him. The investigation into Trump’s removal of records started this year, after the National Archives and Records Administration, an agency charged with safeguarding presidential records that belong to the public, made a referral to the department. On Friday, Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee called on Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray to release the affidavit underpinning the warrant, saying the public needs to know. “Because many other options were available to them, we’re very concerned of the method that was used in raiding Mar-a-Lago,” Representative Michael Turner, the committee’s top Republican, told reporters. If the affidavit remains sealed, “it will still leave many unanswered questions,” Turner added. In February, Archivist of the United States David Ferriero told House lawmakers that his agency had been in communication with Trump throughout 2021 about the return of 15 boxes of records. He eventually returned them in January 2022. At the time, the National Archives was still conducting an inventory, but noted some of the boxes contained items “marked as classified national security information.” Trump previously confirmed that he had agreed to return certain records to the Archives, calling it “an ordinary and routine process.” He also claimed the Archives “did not ‘find’ anything.” Since Monday’s search, the Justice Department has faced fierce criticism and online threats, which Garland have condemned. Trump supporters and some of his fellow Republicans in Washington have accused Democrats of weaponizing the federal bureaucracy to target him even as he mulls another run for the presidency in 2024. In another matter, Trump on Wednesday declined to answer questions during an appearance before New York state’s attorney general in a civil investigation into his family’s business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination. Earlier on Friday, Trump denied a Washington Post report that the FBI search of his home was for possible classified materials related to nuclear weapons, writing on his social media account that the “nuclear weapons issue is a hoax.” Reuters could not immediately confirm the Washington Post report. Garland has declined to publicly detail the nature of the investigation. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; additional reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York, Jacqueline Thomsen and David Morgan in Washington and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham, Ross Colvin, Jonathan Oatis and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by AFP Salman Rushdie is loaded onto a medical evacuation helicopter near the Chautauqua Institution after being stabbed in the neck while speaking on stage in New York state New York (AFP) – British author Salman Rushdie, whose writings have made him the target of Iranian death threats, underwent emergency surgery Friday after being repeatedly stabbed in the neck at a literary event in New York state. Rushdie was rushed by helicopter to hospital and taken into surgery, his agent Andrew Wylie said in a statement, pledging to provide an update on his condition as soon as possible. Social media footage showed people administering emergency medical care onstage immediately after the attack. The interviewer also suffered a head injury. A suspect was taken into custody by police, who gave no immediate details about his identity or probable motive. The attack occurred at the Chautauqua Institution, which hosts arts programs in a tranquil lakeside community 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Buffalo city. Carl LeVan, an American University politics professor attending the event, told AFP that the morning session was about to begin when the suspect ran onto the stage where Rushdie was seated and “stabbed him repeatedly and viciously.” LeVan, a Chautauqua regular, said the suspect “was trying to stab him as many times as possible before he was subdued,” adding that he believed the man “was trying to kill” Rushdie.” “There were gasps of horror and panic from the crowd,” the professor said. LeVan said witnessing the event had left him “shaken,” adding he considered Chautauqua a safe place of creative freedom. “To know that this happened here, and to see it — it was horrific,” he said. “What I saw today was the essence of intolerance.” Another witness, John Stein, told ABC that the assailant “started stabbing on the right side of the head, of the neck. And there was blood… erupting. “People in the audience had gotten up on the stage when they saw this and then grabbed the attacker who still had a knife.” A decade in hiding Rushdie, 75, was propelled into the spotlight with his second novel “Midnight’s Children” in 1981, which won international praise and Britain’s prestigious Booker Prize for its portrayal of post-independence India. But his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses” brought attention beyond his imagination when it sparked a fatwa, or religious decree, calling for his death by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The novel was considered by some Muslims as disrespectful of the Prophet Mohammed. Rushdie, who was born in India to non-practicing Muslims and today identifies as an atheist, was forced to go underground as a bounty was put on his head — which remains today. He was granted police protection by the government in Britain, where he was at school and where he made his home, following the murder or attempted murder of his translators and publishers. He spent nearly a decade in hiding, moving houses repeatedly and being unable to tell his children where he lived. Rushdie only began to emerge from his life on the run in the late 1990s after Iran in 1998 said it would not support his assassination. Now living in New York, he is an advocate of freedom of speech, notably launching a strong defense of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo after its staff were gunned down by Islamists in Paris in 2015. The magazine had published drawings of Mohammed that drew furious reactions from Muslims worldwide. An ‘essential voice’ Threats and boycotts continue against literary events that Rushdie attends, and his knighthood in 2007 sparked protests in Iran and Pakistan, where a government minister said the honor justified suicide bombings. The fatwa failed to stifle Rushdie’s writing and inspired his memoir “Joseph Anton,” named after his alias while in hiding and written in the third person. “Midnight’s Children” — which runs to more than 600 pages — has been adapted for the stage and silver screen, and his books have been translated into more than 40 languages. Suzanne Nossel, head of the PEN America organization, said the free speech advocacy group was “reeling from shock and horror.” “Just hours before the attack, on Friday morning, Salman had emailed me to help with placements for Ukrainian writers in need of safe refuge from the grave perils they face,” Nossel said in a statement. “Our thoughts and passions now lie with our dauntless Salman, wishing him a full and speedy recovery. We hope and believe fervently that his essential voice cannot and will not be silenced.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Penny Marshall’s 1992 “A League of Their Own” movie introduced the world to a group of women who fought their way onto a baseball field, but it only featured women who were straight, white, presentable. The new series, which premiered Friday on Prime Video, does much more. “Our intention here is to tell the stories that the film overlooked and did not focus on and really open up the lens to a generation of women who played baseball and who played it so f—ing well,” co-creator Abbi Jacobson, the 38-year-old actress who also stars as Rockford Peaches catcher Carson Shaw, told the Daily News. “Th…Read More D’Arcy Carden promises the ‘League of Their Own’ series really is ‘so gay’ — One Original Player Just Came Out at 95 A few Weeks Ago Published by New York Daily News At the end of the season, the ballplayers of the original “A League of Their Own” movie happily went home to their husbands. In the new show, there’s no need to pretend. The Prime Video series, which premiered Friday, is under no illusion that the women making up the Rockford Peaches and the rest of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League are all straight. In the decades since the league, created as a fill-in during World War II, folded in 1954, several of its real-life stars have come out as gay, including 95-year-old Maybelle Blair earlier this year. Penny Marshall’s 1992 film da…Read More The cast of the new ‘A League of Their Own’ doesn’t care if you don’t think women should play baseball Published by New York Daily News It’s fine not to like the new “A League of Their Own” series, says the cast. But only if it’s for the right reasons. The cast of the Prime Video show, which premiered Friday, knows how many people already have nasty ideas about the women baseball players who made up the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II. It comes with the territory: women in a role typically held by men. The actors just want you to actually watch their series first. “Probably the only people who are going to stay mad are the people who would write online about an all-female ‘Ghostbusters’ and … Read More The New “A League of Their Own” Is Nothing Like the Original — Which Is Why It’s the Rare Reboot Worth Watching Published by InsideHook By Bonnie Stiernberg For just about as long as it has existed, America has claimed to love underdogs. That, presumably, largely has to do with the scrappy band of revolutionaries who sailed across an ocean and then took on an empire in order to found this country. We’re conditioned to root for the Davids over the Goliaths; that Jay Gatsby-style rags-to-riches trajectory is so inherent to our national identity that we’ve dubbed it the American Dream. But for all that posturing, America has never really concerned itself with the true underdogs — the ones who for many years couldn’t vote or open …Read More How does the new ‘A League of Their Own’ show stack up against the movie? Published by The Seattle Times I, like many women of my generation, absolutely LOVED the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” Because of that, I got goose bumps the first time I saw the trailer for the new “A League of Their Own” TV series, which premieres Friday on Amazon’s Prime Video. The previews of the eight-episode reboot have fans like me excited to get another glimpse of the world of women’s baseball in the ’40s. But that doesn’t mean we’re not apprehensive, nervous about what we’ll see and how it compares to the nostalgia felt about that film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator and star Abbi Jac… Read More With Amazon’s ‘A League of Their Own’ reboot looming, meet a woman who long ago played on one of the girls teams Published by The Seattle Times SEATTLE — When Jeneane Lesko was drafted as a pitcher by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League’s Grand Rapids Chicks before the 1953 season, she had never played in a single baseball game. Now 87 and a resident of Snohomish, Lesko (who played under her maiden name, DesCombes) was a fixture at the baseball field while growing up in rural Lakeview, Ohio. She would watch the boys play and practice with them whenever she could. So when the local baseball coach saw a newspaper ad for AAGPBL tryouts, he encouraged her to go. Lesko’s response: “What would I play?” Even though the league… Read More Amazon’s new ‘League of Their Own’ tells more female baseball stories Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch scratched the surface. Underneath, there were stories about the players’ personal lives and the challenges they faced in a less-than-friendly sports world. Working off that 1940s history, creators Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham found material that could fill multiple seasons of television. One scene in Penny Marshall’s 1992 film, for example, prompted a secondary plot in their new Amazon Studios series. A foul ball is picked up by a Black player and tossed back to Geena Davis. “That’s supposed … Read More Rockford Peaches — 30 years after ‘A League of Their Own’ — live on in a new series: ‘We didn’t know we were part of something bigger’ Published by Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — For many of the women and girls playing baseball this summer, the Rockford Peaches — a team that hasn’t played in more than 60 years — remain a source of inspiration. One of the original four teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), the Peaches won the most championships in league history. Even though the team dissolved in 1954, the organization lives again through the efforts of baseball historian Kat Williams and the International Women’s Baseball Center along with the City of Rockford — and of course the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” The film ha…Read More View the full article

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Published by BANG Showbiz English Anne Heche has died days after being involved in a fiery car crash. The ‘Donnie Brasco’ actress, 53, had been in a coma following last week’s wreck in Los Angeles when she crashed her Mini Cooper into a home, leaving her with major injuries, which included an anoxic brain injury. Heche’s close friend Nancy Davis, announced her death on Friday (12.08.22) with the Instagram tribute: “Heaven has a new Angel. My loving, kind, fun, endearing and beautiful friend @anneheche went to heaven. “I will miss her terribly and cherish all the beautiful memories we have shared. Anne was always the kindest, most thoughtful person who always brought out the best in me. “She was so supportive with anything she could do to help @racetoerasems and would always say yes when she knew she could contribute something with her time, talent and creative genius to help find a cure for MS. “My heart is broken #heavenhasanewangel #heavenhasanotherangel.” She added broken heart emojis and an angel symbol to the post. Heche’s ex, talk show legend Ellen DeGeneres, also broke her silence on Friday, tweeting: “This is a sad day. I’m sending Anne’s children, family and friends all of my love.” A representative for the actress told TMZ on Monday that Heche had slipped into a coma following the August 5 crash. They said: “Shortly after the accident, Anne Heche became unconscious, slipping into a coma and is in critical condition. “She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.” Dramatic photos of the wreckage show her mangled vehicle being towed after Heche was dragged out of the flaming car by firefighters. The mum-of-two was seen squirming in agony on a stretcher before she was rushed to the hospital after the smash at around 11am. She was reportedly driving at speeds of up to 90mph before the crash, which took place in the Mar Vista area of LA. Before her death, reports surfaced that those closest to Heche were fighting with the decision to take her off life support. Her relationship with DeGeneres became the subject of widespread media interest in 1997 as they were one of Hollywood’s first openly gay couples until their amicable split in 2000. Heche is survived by her sons, Homer and Atlas, as well as her sister Abigail. View the full article

Published by AlterNet By David Badash Christina Pushaw, the divisive far right press secretary to Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has submitted her letter of resignation as she moves to head rapid response on his re-election campaign. The Florida Standard, first to break the news, published her resignation letter. “You gave me latitude to respond to media narratives in direct and often unconventional ways, allowing me to redefine this role for a leader whose actions speak for themselves,” she wrote. Among those unconventional ways was to popularize against LGBTQ people the dangerous label of “groomer,” during … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matthew Chapman On Thursday, The Guardian reported that a private religious school in Louisiana expelled a five-year-old kindergartner — because her parents are a same-sex couple. “Emily and Jennie Parker said they were informed by school officials at the Bible Baptist Academy in DeQuincy, Louisiana, during a meeting with the school’s director and a pastor that their same-sex relationship did not follow the teachings of the school and that they would need to find a new school for their daughter, Zoey,” reported Gloria Oladipo. ‘We got called into the principal’s office for a meeting, they i… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan on Friday blamed “political considerations” for the cancellation of WorldPride 2025 Taiwan after it said the organisers had insisted the word “Taiwan” be removed. Taiwan participates in global organisations like the Olympics as “Chinese Taipei”, to avoid political problems with China which views the democratically-governed island as its own territory and bristles at anything that suggests it is a separate country. Taiwan’s southern city of Kaohsiung had been due to host WorldPride 2025 Taiwan, after winning the right from global LGBTQ rights group InterPride. Last year, after an outcry in Taiwan, it dropped a reference to the island as a “region”, wording that suggests it is not a country. But the Kaohsiung organisers said InterPride had recently “suddenly” asked them to change the name of the event to “Kaohsiung”, removing the word “Taiwan”. “After careful evaluation, it is believed that if the event continues, it may harm the interests of Taiwan and the Taiwan gay community. Therefore, it is decided to terminate the project before signing the contract,” said the Kaohsiung organisers. InterPride did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said the event would have been the first WorldPride event to be held in East Asia. “Taiwan deeply regrets that InterPride, due to political considerations, has unilaterally rejected the mutually agreed upon consensus and broken a relationship of cooperation and trust, leading to this outcome,” it said. “Not only does the decision disrespect Taiwan’s rights and diligent efforts, it also harms Asia’s vast LGBTIQ+ community and runs counter to the progressive principles espoused by InterPride.” Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019, in a first for Asia, and is proud of its reputation as a bastion of LGBTQ rights and liberalism. While same sex relations are not illegal in China, same sex marriage is, and the government has been cracking down depictions of LGBTQ people in the media and of the community’s use of social media. (Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Madonna was warned her career was “over” when she accidentally flashed her butt on stage. The 63-year-old singer was one of the performers at the very first MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in 1984 when she caused a sensation when her dress flipped up and she flashed her backside while singing ‘Like a Virgin’, and though the wardrobe malfunction was accidental, her management team were convinced the brief flashing of flesh would spark enough outrage to ensure she’d never work again. Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on ‘The Tonight Show’, she said: “I did that show and I walked down the very steep stairs of the wedding cake and I got to the bottom and I started dancing around in my white stiletto pumps fell off. “And I was trying to do this smooth move like, dive for the shoe and look like it was choreography. And my dress flipped up and my butt was showing. Can you imagine? “Those were the days when you shouldn’t show your butt to have a career. Now it’s the opposite. “It happened by accident and when I didn’t even know my butt was showing. It wasn’t even like the whole butt it was just like a butt cheek, like half a butt cheek. “Yeah, when I went backstage, my manager told me my career is over with.” The ‘Beautiful Stranger’ singer also recalled how much it “blew [her] mind” when she saw people dancing to her music for the first time at a club called Danceteria. She said: “I want to tell you when I finally got this guy, Mark Kamins, to play my cassette, it’s a song called ‘Everybody’. “It’s on his record and I swear to god, I had to promise everything to him to get it played. And when he played it, everybody got up and started dancing to it and it blew my mind I mean, seriously, like that was everything to me.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dame Olivia Newton-John will receive a state funeral. The ‘Grease’ legend will be laid to rest with a state memorial service in Australia after her family accepted the offer days following her tragic death aged 73 earlier this week. Speaking on ‘A Current Affair’, her niece Tottie Goldsmith confirmed: “We will [accept], on behalf of not just our family, but I think Australia needs it. She was so loved. “I think our country needs it so we’re going to accept it.” A venue and date is yet to be revealed, but discussions will continue between the family, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and his department. He commented: “The family were quite touched at the prospect of Victorians being able to come together and celebrate Olivia’s life. “As tough as this time is… it’s made a little easier by all the outpouring of grief and support, and the very fond memories people are sharing of such an amazing person.” Premier Andrews had previously confirmed his government would approach the late actress’ family about the official farewell. He told news.com.au: “As for celebrating her life… her music and film and all the other amazing contributions that she made, we would, of course, want to speak to the family and be as respectful as we can. “She took her cancer journey and used that to save lives and change lives, and that’s just a deeply impressive thing. “The research that’s done there [at the cancer and wellness centre], the treatment, the care, the love and support that is central to that place is a lasting legacy to the person that she was.” Olivia’s husband of 14 years, John Easterling, shared a statement across the star’s social media channels on Monday, confirming she had passed away. It read: “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time. “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation “Olivia is survived by her husband John Easterling; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona and Brett Goldsmith; Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, and Pierz Newton-John; Jude Newton-Stock, Layla Lee; Kira and Tasha Edelstein; and Brin and Valerie Hall.” View the full article

Published by The San Diego Union-Tribune The American arrived at Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow and was arrested after a luggage search found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil that was prescribed by a U.S. doctor to treat chronic pain. There were various detention facilities, a guilty plea, a hearing in front of Russian judge and an implausibly long prison sentence. We’re not talking about basketball player Brittney Griner. We’re talking about Marc Fogel, a 61-year-old history teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow that was created by the U.S., Canadian and British embassies to teach the children of diplomats stati… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Although Fox News has “largely refrained” from criticizing ex-President Donald Trump publicly, Lachlan Murdoch – the network’s chief executive – has slammed Trump behind closed doors, Radar has learned. The surprising development came days after numerous reports suggested both Lachlan Murdoch and his father, Fox News patriarch Rupert Murdoch, had given Trump “the cold shoulder.” Mega But now, according to disgraced CNN host Brian Stelter, the Murdochs have realized that while they disagree with how Trump acts and “behaves,” the ex-president and potential 2024 candidate hopeful is nonetheless still “good for business.” In fact, according to sources who spoke to Stelter and Oliver Darcy on Reliable Sources, Lachlan Murdoch has gone so far as to claim: “if Trump were to run again, it would be bad for the country.” Mega As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the New York Times published a report last week that claimed Rupert Murdoch “banned” Trump from Fox News airwaves over the former president’s “refusal to accept his [2020] election loss.” Although Fox News host Howard Kurtz quickly claimed Trump was the one ignoring the network and choosing not to appear on the network’s programs, Fox News’ reporting on Trump took center stage this week following the FBI’s raid on his Mar-a-Lago home. Fox News’s reporting on Trump following the raid has “shattered any such illusion” that the Murdochs were “steering” the network in an anti-Trump direction, seemingly proving the theory that although Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch may disagree with Trump privately, they won’t hesitate to cover the controversial politician when it is “good for business.” Furthermore, despite the Murdochs’ personal feelings towards Trump, their recent coverage of the ex-president suggests Fox News would rush to defend Trump when doing so provides an opportunity to cater to their pro-Trump viewers. Mega After Trump took to social media Monday night and confirmed the FBI raided his Palm Beach, Florida home, Fox News hosts rushed to the airwaves to slam the FBI and Dept. of Justice while portraying Trump as a “victim” of “deep state forces” trying to “damage” the ex-president. Such instances create a conundrum for the Murdochs and Fox News because, although they allegedly tear Trump apart behind closed doors, they cannot condemn Trump publicly without losing a large part of their core audience. Instead, the Murdochs have no choice but to air supportive coverage of Trump – meaning that, should he run for president again in 2024, Fox News will likely support him again like the network did in 2020, even if Lachlan Murdoch believes “it would be bad for the country.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Ex-Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes revealed she has secret recordings that she wants to release to the public as her nasty fight with Bravo and Andy Cohen continues in court, Radar has learned. The 54-year-old iconic reality star unleased this morning on Twitter on the network and her former boss. She said, “I am happy I was able to help all the other black women get job opportunities that are working for them. He stopped me from working because I was a threat to his career! Yet he was able to abuse me for years.” NeNe ended, “I want to release these voice recordings so bad.” Mega The reality star then re-tweet the message, “Andy used you until he wanted to kick you to the curb and then slander you so you couldn’t obtain any further work. It’s so disappointing and it is definitely different than how he treats other housewives he disagrees with or has parted ways with.” Another message she supported read, “Andy high key used her popular to benefit off of to build his celebrity up and when he didn’t feel like he needed Nene anymore, she was gone, and he’s started to strategically befriend other popular names instead until their popularity starts to fade away.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, earlier this year, NeNe sued Bravo, Andy and the production companies behind Real Housewives of Atlanta accusing them of discrimination. NeNe said she complained about her white co-star Kim Zolciak making alleged racist remarks over the years but nothing was done. Instead, she claimed the execs took action against her and made life hard during filming. She said they also told her to stop speaking about Kim publicly after she called her out on Instagram. Mega In the lawsuit, Nene said Andy and the network went out of their way to “blackball” her in the industry after she spoke out about the incidents on RHOA. She said they refused to let her work on other projects, unlike other cast members. NeNe pointed to a specific deal she was working on with Sirius XM radio. She said Andy “interfered with, and sabotaged, this effort.” “Cohen has admitted that he told Sirius XM that Mrs. Leakes would demand a lot of money for any role on a radio show, an obvious effort to prevent her from getting such a deal,” the suit read. Mega As RadarOnline.com first reported, NeNe and the defendants are currently fighting on where the lawsuit will be fought. Andy and the other corporate defendants have demanded the battle be taken to arbitration which would be outside the public eye. The court has yet to rule. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Herschel Walker’s ex-wife recently accused the professional football player-turned-politician of threatening to kill her during their nearly 20-year-long marriage, Radar has learned. The shocking accusation was made by Cindy DeAngelis Grossman – who was married to Walker from 1983 to 2002 – during a scathing ad slamming the former NFL running back for allegedly threatening to put a gun to Grossman’s head. Mega “He held the gun to my temple and said he was gonna blow my brains out,” Grossman said in the shocking ad, which was put together by a group called the Republican Accountability Project in an effort to hurt Walker’s chances of winning Georgia’s upcoming Senate race. Grossman further claimed Walker’s eyes “would become very evil” when he became angry, and other alleged incidents between the former couple included “guns and knives” as well as “a few choking things.” Mega Although Walker previously acknowledged the shocking allegations against him, and admitted he suffered from mental illness throughout his marriage to Grossman, he maintained the claim he never threatened to kill his then-wife. Walker, who won the GOP primary for Georgia Senate candidate on May 24 after being endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is set to face off against Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) during the senatorial election on Tuesday, November 8. Senator Warnock is currently holding a “modest but steady lead” in the polls against Walker, and the allegation Walker once threatened to kill his ex-wife is just the latest scandal to come to light since the 60-year-old former New York Giants running back announced he was running for Georgia senator. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Walker was also forced to admit he fathered three “secret” children following a bombshell report published in June – just days after he won the Georgia GOP primary race. Mega Although Walker admitted he fathered a 22-year-old son, Christian, he was forced to admit he also fathered three children out of wedlock – a 10-year-old son, a 13-year-old son and another daughter born while the Georgia-native was still in college. “Herschel had a child years ago when he wasn’t married. He’s supported the child and continues to do so. He’s proud of his children,” Scott Paradise, Walker’s campaign manager, said in June regarding one of Walker’s “secret” sons. “To suggest that Herschel is ‘hiding’ the child because he hasn’t used him in his political campaign is offensive and absurd,” Paradise added. View the full article

Published by AFP A new survey says teen have fled Facebook in recent years San Francisco (AFP) – US teens have left Facebook in droves over the past seven years, preferring to spend time at video-sharing venues YouTube and TikTok, according to a Pew Research Center survey data out Wednesday. TikTok has “emerged as a top social media platform for US teens” while Google-run YouTube “stands out as the most common platform used by teens,” the report’s authors wrote. Pew’s data comes as Facebook-owner Meta is in a battle with TikTok for social media primacy, trying to keep the maximum number of users as part of its multi-billion dollar ad-driven business. The report said some 95 percent of the teens surveyed said they use YouTube, compared with 67 percent saying they are TikTok users. Just 32 percent of teens surveyed said they log on to Facebook — a big drop from the 71 percent who reported being users during a similar survey some seven years ago. Once the place to be online, Facebook has become seen as a venue for older folks with young drawn to social networks where people express themselves with pictures and video snippets. About 62 percent of the teens said they use Instagram, owned by Facebook-parent Meta, while 59 percent said they used Snapchat, researchers stated. “A quarter of teens who use Snapchat or TikTok say they use these apps almost constantly, and a fifth of teen YouTube users say the same,” the report said. In a bit of good news for Meta’s business, its photo and video sharing service Instagram was more popular with US teens than it was in the 2014-2015 survey. Meanwhile, less than a quarter of the teens surveyed said they ever use Twitter, the report said. The study also confirmed what casual observers may have suspected, 95 percent of US teens say they have smartphones, while nearly as many of them have desktop or laptop computers. And the share of teens who say they are online almost constantly has nearly doubled to 46 percent when compared to survey results from seven years ago, researchers noted. The report was based on a survey of 1,316 US teens, ranging in age from 13 years old to 17 years old, conducted from mid-April to early May of this year, according to Pew. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to run for president again in 2024, but his family is less than pleased about his decision, which is causing a feud between the brood. “They are a family divided,” a source told Radar, adding that Donald’s wife is adamant about him staying away from the White House, as she believes it will “make all of the family’s legal problems go away.” Meanwhile, Donald Jr. and Eric want their dad to be the leader of the U.S. again. mega As OK! previously reported, Donald’s Mar-a-Lago home was raided earlier this week, as the FBI believes there are classified documents that are being store there. “It’s obvious all of this craziness is happening because some people are scared Donald is going to run again in 2024,” the source stated. “Melania and Ivanka do not get alongabout much, but both are begging him to announce he will not be running. They believe all of this will disappear if he ends all of the speculation.” The insider said that the investigation isn’t “just affecting Donald, it affects the entire family,” the source said. “Melania and Ivanka are sick of the endless investigations and attention. They want to go back to their fabulous lives. They just want this all to end.” mega After the feds broke into his home, Donald spoke out about the incident via social media. “After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate,” he said. “It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections. Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries.” “Sadly, America has now become one of those countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe!” he continued. “What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.” View the full article

Published by AFP Taget of an Iranian plot: former US national security adviser John Bolton Washington (AFP) – The US Justice Department said Wednesday it had uncovered an Iranian plot to kill former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton, and announced charges against a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Justice Department said 45-year-old Shahram Poursafi had offered to pay an individual in the United States $300,000 to kill Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations. The Justice Department said that plan was likely set in retaliation for the US killing of top Guard commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January 2020. The allegation came as Iran weighs a proposed agreement in Vienna talks to revive the 2015 agreement that aims to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. For months Tehran has held up the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), demanding that the United States remove its official designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a sponsor of terrorism. “This is not the first time we have uncovered Iranian plots to exact revenge against individuals on US soil and we will work tirelessly to expose and disrupt every one of these efforts,” said US Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen. FBI informant According to the charges, Poursafi tried to arrange Bolton’s murder beginning in October 2021, when he contacted online an unidentified person in the United States, first saying he wanted to commission photographs of Bolton. That person passed the Iranian onto another contact, who Poursafi then asked to kill Bolton. He offered $250,000, which was then negotiated up to $300,000. “Poursafi added that he had an additional ‘job,’ for which he would pay $1 million,” the Justice Department said. But that second person, court documents say, was an informant for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The informant stalled, waiting for an initial payment, but only in late April did Poursafi send money, paying a total of $100 in cryptocurrency. Poursafi was charged with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, which brings up to 10 years in prison, and with providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot, which carries a 15-year sentence. Foreign policy ‘hawk’ Bolton, one of the leading “hawks” of the US foreign policy establishment and a strong critic of Iran, was national security advisor in the White House of president Donald Trump from April 2018 to September 2019. In the administration of president George Bush, he was ambassador to the United Nations from 2005-2006. He was strongly opposed to the 2015 JCPOA putting limits on Iran’s nuclear program, and supported the Trump administration’s unilateral pullout from the pact in May 2018. The court documents indicated Bolton was aware of the plot and cooperated with investigators, allowing photographs of himself outside his Washington office to be sent to Poursafi. The also reveal that Poursafi was receiving intelligence on Bolton’s movements from other sources inside the United States. In encrypted messages with the informant, Poursafi disclosed that the plot related to Tehran’s desire for revenge for the US killing of Soleimani. Soleimani was head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and personally maintained its network of allies and proxies across the Gulf region. He was targeted by a US drone strike just after he landed at Baghdad’s airport on January 7, 2020. Since that strike Tehran has vowed to extract revenge, a security was ramped up for US official, including for Mike Pompeo, who was secretary of state at the time of the assassination of Soleimani, and before that director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In a statement Bolton blasted Iran’s government as “liars, terrorists and enemies of the United States,” and urged President Joe Biden to not restore the nuclear agreement. The European Union, which is brokering the talks, said Monday a final deal had been submitted to the United States and Iran. In March, the Washington Examiner reported that the department was investigating an Iranian plot against Bolton and that the case was delayed be the nuclear negotiations. The department denied timing the case according to the talks. “Should Iran attack any of our citizens, to include those who continue to serve the United States or those who formerly served, Iran will face severe consequences,” said current White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA Armie Hammer‘s alleged voice memos and messages are being exposed by his alleged victims following allegations of sexual abuse, Radar has learned. Hammer’s exes, Courtney Vucekovich, and Julia Morrison, sat down for one-on-one interviews detailing the actor’s alleged cannibalistic and sexual kinks. Vinnie Levine / MEGA Morrison said she had yet to fully “digest” the gravity of one message in particular. “I have a fantasy about having someone prove their love and devotion and tying them up in a public place at night and making their body free use and seeing if they will f— strangers for me,” it read. Another shocking voice memo from Hammer was even more unsettling. “My bet was going to involve showing up at your place and completely tying you up and incapacitating you and being able to do whatever I wanted to every single hole in your body until I was done with you,” he allegedly stated. Looking back on the past, Vucekovich described her relationship with the Social Network star as “perfect,” sharing how smitten she was with Hammer before their dynamic took a dark turn. Vucekovich said he would push her boundaries, a little bit at a time. [This post contains video, click to play] “You are mine! You hear me? I own you now. I’ll own you forever,” more of his alleged messages read. “I decide when you eat, when you sleep. when you —-,” another read. Vucekovich claimed at one point, he said I am “100 percent a cannibal.” She also alleged to have received a note that said, “I am going to bite the f— out of you.” Later in the trailer, Hammer’s aunt Casey Hammer, made an explosive appearance. “I’m about to reveal the dark, twisted secrets of the Hammer family,” she teased. Hammer’s alleged behavior first sent shockwaves in January 2021 after multiple women came forward to accuse him. GIOVANNI/ MEGA “I’m not responding to these bulls—t claims, but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for four months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,” he told TMZ at the time. Hammer later checked into a rehabilitation facility in May 2021 for alleged drug, alcohol, and sex issues before leaving that December. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star and wife Elizabeth Chambers announced their split in July 2020. House of Hammer premieres on Discovery+ on September 2. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Dr. Oz has failed to excite voters in Pennsylvania as he runs for governor and has been forced to pump his campaign with over $13 million from his own fortune. According to Federal Election Commission data, Oz loaned his campaign 70% of the $19 million raised. Political analysts call the numbers a sign of big trouble for Oz. mega Oz hopes to replace retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey. His opponent is Democrat John Fetterman. However, Oz’s campaign finance records revealed he’s failed to bring in many small, one-time donations and has had to rely on his own funds. “In all of the metrics that I look at with how healthy you are based on your fundraising, he’s not doing great,” Republican political strategist Sam Chen told Go Erie. Letterman has raised over $26 million with 1 million individual donations. The average amount raised per donor came to $30. The current polls also show Letterman beating Oz by a large margin. Oz doesn’t have much time to improve his chances with the election scheduled for November 8. As RadarOnline.com first reported, sources tell us high-ranking Republican officials are furious with Oz and accused him of running a lazy campaign. Oz has been vacationing in Florida and Ireland instead of holding rallies in Pennsylvania. “To the G.O.P. establishment — a club that Dr. Mehmet Oz is eager to join — the aspiring senator from Pennsylvania is running a lazy man’s campaign,” one insider dished to the website Puck. mega We’re told former President Donald Trump — prior to the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago — had been watching Oz’s campaign with disgust. “Donald Trump thinks Oz is running a terrible campaign, which doesn’t make sense, because like Trump, he graduated from the school of television,” a source told RadarOnline.com. Oz doesn’t have a television career to fall back on after ending his long-running daytime show in December. Oz’s decision to run for Senate caused Fox stations to pull his program in certain markets due to laws. His daughter Daphne took over his timeslot with a cooking show The Good Dish but that was canceled months later due to poor ratings and a lack of celebrity guests. mega Back in March, before he won the primary, a source close to Oz told RadarOnline.com, “Like any good doctor, he is already looking for alternatives to keep his career alive if he doesn’t win. Fortunately for him, his appearances on Fox News and Newsmax have impressed the bosses. There is no doubt that he is a very gifted communicator on TV. Which is why there has already been talk about him becoming a primetime opinion host.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA People in Brazil, seemingly confused, have started to kill monkeys thinking they are spreading the monkeypox virus, Radar has learned. But it’s just in a name. The reason the monkeypox virus is so named is because it was first identified in a group of monkeys in Denmark. That namesake association is now costing monkeys lives. In Sao Jose do Rio Preto, a Brazilian city in the state of Sao Paulo, police are investigating the poisoning of at least 10 monkeys, seven of whom died. There have been three confirmed cases of monkeypox in Sao Jose do Rito Preto. Elsewhere in the South American country, there have been reports of people throwing stones at monkeys. “What people need to know very clearly is the transmission we are seeing is happening between humans,” said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris during an Aug. 9 press conference in Geneva, according to the Daily Mail. “The concern should be about where it’s transmitting in the human population and what humans can do to protect themselves from getting it and transmitting it. They should certainly not be attacking any animals.” “The monkeypox virus is in a number of different animals,” she added. “It’s much more commonly in various rodents.” Brazilians previously attacked monkeys during an outbreak of yellow fever. Locally, Lt. Fábio Leme of the Brazilian Environmental Police is similarly trying to educate the public about the fact that capuchin monkeys are not the transmitters of monkeypox. The Environmental Police rescued eight monkeys. The animals were taken to a local zoo, but five died. So far, the substance being used to poising the animals has not been identified, according to the Latin Post. According to the latest CDC data, Brazil has recorded 2,131 confirmed cases of monkeypox. That total places it at sixth on the worldwide list, behind the United States, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and France. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he refused to answer questions during an appearance before New York state’s attorney general in a civil investigation into his family’s business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination. Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr. and daughter Ivanka Trump had fought unsuccessfully to avoid appearing for testimony in state Attorney General Letitia James’s probe into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values to obtain favorable loans and understated asset values to get tax breaks. “I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” Trump said in a statement issued roughly an hour after he arrived in a motorcade to the attorney general’s office in lower Manhattan for the deposition behind closed doors. The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination. Trump’s decision not to answer questions still could carry consequences. Should the investigation lead to a trial, jurors could take his silence into account. Politically, it also could give adversaries ammunition about whether Trump has something to hide as he mulls another run for the presidency in 2024. James has said her investigation has uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, gave banks and tax authorities misleading financial information to obtain benefits. Trump did not leave the attorney general’s office until about six hours after he arrived, suggesting he faced questions for much of the day. Trump, a Republican, in his statement again denied wrongdoing and sought to portray the investigation by James, a Democrat, as part of a years-long vendetta against him by her and others including the news media. “I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?'” Trump said in his statement. “Now I know the answer to that question.” Trump added, “When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded, politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice.” In the statement, Trump also made disparaging comments about James and violent crime in New York state. Trump attempted to link the state attorney general’s investigation to Monday’s FBI search of his Florida home Mar-a-Lago, which represented an escalation a federal probe into whether he illegally removed records from the White House as he left office in January 2021. A spokeswoman for James declined to comment on the deposition. A lawyer for Trump did not respond to requests for comment. Trump agreed in June to testify in the three-year investigation, but only after court decisions rejecting his argument that he should not have to do so because the probe was politically motivated. His lawyers also argued that Trump’s words could be unfairly used against him in a related criminal probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in which James also is involved. Two top prosecutors in that case resigned in March, with one saying Bragg was skeptical of bringing charges against Trump. A Bragg spokeswoman on Wednesday said that criminal probe continues. Trump raised his fist as he left Trump Tower on Wednesday morning, wearing a blue suit with a flag pin on his lapel, before heading to the attorney general’s office. New York City police officers and Secret Service personnel stood guard as the motorcade transporting him arrived. ‘THE MOB TAKES THE FIFTH’ Trump has in the past disparaged people for exercising their Fifth Amendment rights. “The mob takes the Fifth,” Trump said during a 2016 campaign rally. “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” In that instance, he was discussing people who had exercised their Fifth Amendment rights in a probe relating to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for official correspondence during her time as secretary of state. Clinton was Trump’s opponent in the presidential election that year. Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump also testified in recent weeks in James’ probe, according to a person familiar with the matter. Reuters could not determine whether they also refused to answer questions. Their brother Eric Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 500 times when he testified in October 2020. Monday’s FBI search related to the National Archives and Records Administration, which safeguards presidential records that belong to the public, and whether classified documents were kept at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump has faced a slew of legal troubles since leaving office. He also continues to claim falsely that the 2020 election that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen through widespread voting fraud. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York; Additional reporting by Jon Stempel and Randi Love in New York and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen Walder) View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — The New York Film Festival will celebrate its 60th anniversary this fall with movies featuring big-name stars and ties to the Big Apple. “Tar” starring Cate Blanchett and the Paul Schrader-directed “Master Gardner” help headline the 2022 festival’s 32-movie main slate, which was unveiled Tuesday by the Film at Lincoln Center organization. Organizers had already announced several of this year’s selections, including “Armageddon Time,” a Queens-set drama depicting a pursuit the American dream that’s directed by New York native James Gray. Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins star in the … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rosie O’Donnell “feels bad” for making fun of Anne Heche. The ‘Volcano’ star is currently in a “critical condition” in a coma in hospital after being involved in a fiery car crash last Friday (05.08.22) and the 60-year-old comic admitted the incident has made her reflect on a past incident when she mocked the actress. Speaking in a TikTok video, Rosie said: “I can’t stop thinking about this Anne Heche accident and how horrifying the whole thing is and feeling bad that I made fun of her when she was talking to Barbara Walters about having a relationship with space aliens.” The ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ star branded the crash a “tragic tale” and seemingly suggested Anne was driving under the influence. She said: “If we have an honest discussion about drunk driving, we find out just how prevalent it is and that’s terrifying, isn’t it? “I think it’s a miracle that she didn’t kill anyone … and I hope she survives. But wow, what a tragic tale. That car was on fire for a long time, they say.” Rosie then urged fans to seek help for alcoholism if they needed to. She said: “Try it before it’s too late. Try it before you’re at your lowest.” Rosie was referring to a 2001 interview in which Anne said she had created a second personality and a “fantasy world” as a form of escapism after being molested by her father, Donald Heche. Anne said at the time: “I had a fantasy world that I escaped to. I called my other personality Celestia. “I believed I was from that world. I believed I was from another planet. I think I was insane.” A year later, the ‘League of their Own’ star branded the interview a “train wreck” and joked about Anne’s past relationship with Ellen DeGeneres. She said: “What the hell kind of train wreck was that? “She couldn’t just say, ‘I was a lesbian for two years, it didn’t work out for me?’” View the full article