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Published by BANG Showbiz English Beanie Feldstein has bid farewell to the cast of ‘Funny Girl’ after stepping down from her role in the Broadway show almost two months early. The ‘American Crime Story: Impeachment’ star had been due to continue playing Fanny Brice on the New York stage until September 25 but she decided to leave on July 31 – and she said goodbye to her co-stars by posting pictures of them on her Instagram page. She captioned the snaps with a lyric from ‘Both Sides Now’ by Joni Mitchell, writing: “But now it’s just another show, and you leave ’em laughing when you go.” The 29-year-old actress will be replaced by understudy Julie Benko who will continue the role until ‘Glee’ star Lea Michele can take over in September. Beanie previously insisted it was an “extremely difficult decision'” to walk away from the show. In a statement, she explained: “Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honour. “Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated.” Beanie went on: “I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson (theatre) for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew. “ It later emerged Beanie had been due to continue in ‘Funny Girl’ for another six months beyond September, but show bosses trimmed her contract and the actress made the decision to leave at the end of July. A representative for the show told PEOPLE: “The producers decided to take the show in a different direction and end Beanie’s contract on September 25th, six months earlier than anticipated. A month after that decision, Beanie decided it was best for her to leave on July 31st. The producers were aware of and in support of her decision. The producers and Beanie worked on this together professionally, respectfully, and graciously.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kevin Bacon feels grateful that fans are still devoted to his hit 1984 film ‘Footloose’ almost 40 years after its release. The actor was propelled to fame after landing the lead role of a dance-crazy teenager in the musical drama movie and he’s revealed he still feels proud of the film and enjoys hearing from devotees who have passed on their love of ‘Footloose’ to their kids. Speaking on America’s ‘Today’ show, 64-year-old Kevin said of the film: “I love it. I think it’s great. It’s like all of those things that you think ‘Oh, my gosh, is it ever going to go away?’ At a certain point, you have to embrace the beast … It was a great gift to be part of that movie. I certainly took it very seriously when I was doing it and I love that people will still come up and say that they just showed it to their kids.” Kevin went on to explain he thinks the reason ‘Footloose’ has endured is because of the stage show version which premiered in 1998. The musical has played on stages around the world including on Broadway and in London’s West End and smaller tours and school productions remain popular to this day. He added: “After the Broadway show (ended) its run, it then becomes available to be done in every single high school. And there’s not that many plays, certainly musicals, where you can have a musical and a bunch of high school kids in it.” ‘Footloose’ the movie won two Oscar nominations for Best Song for Kenny Loggins’ title track and ‘Let’s Hear It for the Boy’ by Deniece Williams, while the Broadway stage show received four Tony Awards nominations. View the full article

Published by DPA A Long Covid patient is testing her sense of smell at Berlin's Emergency Hospital. Joerg Carstensen/dpa Emerging evidence suggests that catching the coronavirus a second time can heighten long-term health risks, a worrisome development as the circulation of increasingly contagious omicron subvariants leads to greater numbers of people being reinfected. Earlier in the pandemic, it was assumed that getting infected afforded some degree of lasting protection, for perhaps a few months. As the coronavirus mutates, though, that’s no longer a given. And each individual infection carries the risk not only for acute illness but the potential to develop long Covid. “The additive risk is really not trivial, not insignificant. It’s really substantial,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs Saint Louis Healthcare System. According to a preprint study examining US veterans, of which Al-Aly was the lead author, getting infected twice or more “contributes to additional risks of all-cause mortality, hospitalization and adverse health outcomes” in various organ systems, and can additionally worsen risk for diabetes, fatigue and mental health disorders. “Reinfection absolutely adds risk,” Al-Aly said. The study suggested that, compared with those infected only once, individuals who caught the coronavirus a second time were at two and a half times greater risk of developing heart or lung disease and blood clotting issues. Subsequent infections also were associated with a higher risk of potentially serious health problems, as well as death from Covid-19. It’s possible that a repeat coronavirus infection will leave someone just fine, which is what happens to most people, Al-Aly said. “But you might be one of the unlucky ones and … get some really serious health problem with an infection.” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer recently cited Al-Aly’s pre-print study as rationale for wearing masks in indoor public settings to avoid reinfection. “They also saw that those with repeat infections had a higher risk of gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders, as well as diabetes,” Ferrer said of the study. “Moreover, the risk of developing a long-term health problem increased further with each reinfection. The risk of having long-term health conditions was three times higher for those infected compared to those who were uninfected.” Older viruses, such as those that cause measles and chickenpox, are quite stable – meaning that the vaccinations are highly effective and surviving either illness typically confers lifelong immunity. Not so with the coronavirus, which has mutated wildly since the pandemic began. Someone who got infected with the variant that dominated in many parts of the world in late 2020, for instance, was vulnerable to catching the delta variant the following summer. And those who survived delta faced the risk of catching the later omicron variant. But the reinfection landscape has been upended even further due to a family of increasingly transmissible omicron subvariants. The most recent of those, BA.5, has shown particular proficiency for reinfection – with the ability to target even those who survived an earlier omicron case mere weeks before. “This concept of building immunity, it really only works if you’re encountering the same beast again and again and again,” Al-Aly said. But in the world of Covid-19, BA.5 is actually a “very different beast” than earlier variants. It’s possible that the acute phase of a second bout of Covid-19 could be milder than the first. But a subsequent attack can still leave more extensive cumulative damage to the body than if there had been only one infection. Think of coronavirus infections like earthquake sequences: It’s possible an aftershock could be less severe than the first temblor but cumulatively could add more damage. And just because your home is still standing after one quake doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore ways to make it seismically safer. “Part of the reason why things, for many people, feel like they’re not so bad right now is because we are being very aggressive in countering the virus with vaccines, with treatments,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said during a healthcare summit hosted by the Hill. “If we took our foot off the pedal, we’re going to see this virus come back in a way that’s much more dangerous. So we’ve got to stay on that front footing and continue fighting this thing.” As it relates specifically to long Covid – a condition in which symptoms can persist months or even years after an initial infection – getting vaccinated and boosted likely reduces risk, but studies differ as to the degree of protection. “I think having some preexisting immunity – whether it’s natural or from a vaccine – appears to reduce your risk of long Covid, but it’s still there. It’s not zero,” said Dr. Steven Deeks, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco and principal investigator of the Long-term Impact of Infection With Novel Coronavirus, or LIINC, study. Another report, observing triple-vaccinated Italian healthcare workers who weren’t hospitalized for Covid-19, found that two or three doses of vaccine were associated with a lower prevalence of long Covid. A separate report suggested that even adults who had received a booster dose still have to consider the risk of long Covid. A British report said that, during the initial omicron wave, about 1 in every 25 triple-vaccinated adults self-reported having long Covid three to four months after their first infection. Still, some clinicians say that long Covid sufferers tend to be either unvaccinated or missing their boosters. “The number of patients I’m seeing who were vaccinated and boosted who are coming in with long Covid is very low,” said Dr. Nisha Viswanathan, director of the UCLA Health Long Covid Program. Long Covid also doesn’t prevent you from becoming infected with the coronavirus again. Viswanathan said she’s had patients who have seen their long Covid symptoms improve, then get sickened with another bout of Covid-19, and then see long Covid signs return. The best way to prevent long Covid is to not get Covid-19. Many officials and experts cite non-pharmaceutical interventions such as masking as key tools, since vaccinations reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the risk. “Masking is not a terrible thing to ask of people, especially in probably the places that are the most crowded, and the places that maybe are the highest risk of transmission,” Viswanathan said. Taking activities outside is also safer than being unmasked indoors. Some of Viswanathan’s patients have downplayed the risk of Covid-19, commenting how it’s become a mild illness, and adding they don’t see the point of taking precautions. But, she said, better knowledge about long Covid and its disabling effects would help people understand the importance of masking and getting vaccinated and boosted. A UCLA study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, of which Viswanathan was a co-author, found that of 1,038 patients with symptomatic Covid-19 between April 2020 and February 2021, nearly 30% developed long Covid. The most common symptoms were fatigue and shortness of breath among hospitalized patients. While many are weary of Covid-19 preventive measures after nearly two and a half years, they remain important, said Dr. Anne Foster, vice president and chief clinical strategy officer for the University of California Health system. The burden of long Covid following this wave is unknown. The official case tallies are likely vast undercounts, given that so many at-home tests are being used, and that could suggest that the burden of long COVID in subsequent months will be hard to predict, Foster said. “I know everyone has moved on and people are going back to the way things were, and I sort of get it,” Deeks said. “But people do need to be aware that there is this additional risk that’’s not going away and they might adjust their lives accordingly. “But everyone’s going to figure this out on their own.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jack Queen (Reuters) – Parents of a child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre are expected to testify on Monday that U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones fueled a campaign of harassment against them by claiming the shooting was a hoax. Jones, founder of the Infowars radio show and webcast, is on trial in Texas to determine how much he must pay for spreading falsehoods about the killing of 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, are seeking as much as $150 million from Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems LLC. Jones has already been found liable for defamation by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin, Texas, who issued a rare default judgment against him in 2021. The defamation suit in Texas, where Infowars is based, is one of several brought by families of victims who say they were harassed by Jones’ followers as a result of his false claims. Free Speech Systems filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection on Friday evening. While this would normally result in the trial being halted, a bankruptcy judge on Monday allowed it to continue. Nevertheless, Jones and his company could later attempt to use the bankruptcy proceedings, commenced in another Texas court, to avoid paying the full jury award in the defamation case. During opening statements in Texas last week, lawyers for Heslin and Lewis said Jones led a “vile campaign of defamation” and must pay the price for his falsehoods. A lawyer for Jones said he has already paid a price after being deplatformed in 2018 and losing millions of viewers. Jones, who has been intermittently present in the courtroom and occasionally broadcast his show as his lawyers defended him, is set to face trial in September in a similar suit in Connecticut state court, where he has also been found liable for defamation in a default judgment. The Sandy Hook gunman, Adam Lanza, 20, used a Remington Bushmaster rifle to carry out the massacre. It ended when Lanza killed himself with the approaching sound of police sirens. (Reporting by Jack Queen; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday “as could be anticipated,” his physician said in a memo released by the White House, adding that the president continued to feel well and would continue his isolation measures. After having tested negative on Tuesday and Wednesday, Biden tested positive for COVID again on Saturday in what Dr. Kevin O’Connor described as a “rebound” case seen in a small percentage of patients who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid. (Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Doina Chiacu) View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Matthew Chapman On Monday, NBC 5 News Chicago reported that a bakery in northwest Illinois that planned to host a kid-friendly drag show is being ordered by local village officials under zoning laws to stop hosting entertainment events — and the owner is alleging discrimination. “Corrina Sac, of UpRising Bakery and Cafe, said in a Facebook video posted Saturday that village officials sent a letter a day earlier threatening large fines and the revocation of its business and liquor licenses if any more events are organized,” said the report. “Sac said the letter came after a ‘very threatening… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Laura Prepon is “similar” to her character from ‘That 70s Show’. The ‘That 90s Show’ star believes she and Donna Pinociotti are “alike” in their “personalities” but differ in other aspects. The 42-year-old actress told US Weekly’s ‘25 Things You Don’t Know About Me’ featurette: “I’m very similar to Donna in that our personalities are alike. I’m different in that I left home when I was 15. Thank goodness she stayed in Point Place a little longer.” Laura says the “best gift” she has ever gotten from her husband Ben Foster is their kids; four-year-old daughter Ella and a two-year-old son. She said: “The best gift my husband has given me is our children.” The former ‘Orange is the New Black’ star admitted the “proudest moment” of her professional life was when Alex Vause became a symbol of LGBT+ resistance. Laura said: “The proudest moment of my career was when I saw Alex Vause on the side of a building in Warsaw, Poland, during Pride Month.” The Screen Actor Guild Award winner divulged her typical weekend plans to the magazine, which has a big emphasis on food. She said: “On a Saturday night, you’ll find me eating a homemade meal and watching a stand-up special with my fella.” Laura added: “On a Sunday afternoon, you’ll find me meal-prepping for the week. I tend to go plant-based during the warmer months, so in my fridge there are currently a lot of washed veggies and Vitalite dairy-free cheese.” This love of food has led Laura to declaring her kitchen the best place in her house to spend time, saying: “My favourite room in my house is the kitchen. To me, it’s the heartbeat of the home.” She also shared “the best advice” snippet she had been blessed with, declaring “there is only one you, so embrace your individuality”. View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel Central Florida LGBTQ advocates blasted a proposed ban on gender-affirming medical procedures for patients younger than 18 during a rally Sunday, saying the prohibition would increase the risk of suicide for transgender children and teens. Speakers denounced the proposal that would prohibit medical interventions like gender confirmation surgery, puberty blockers and hormone treatments for young Floridians who do not feel their gender identity aligns with their physical body. The Board of Medicine, which oversees licensing for the state’s doctors, is slated to discuss the rule during a meeting … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Sarah K. Burris Former President Donald Trump’s ex-wife, Ivana, died suddenly at her home in New York. The family gathered at a church to mourn, but it was later revealed that Mrs. Trump was buried at her ex-husband’s Bedminster golf resort on the first hole of the golf course. The move drew mockery from some online who compared Ivana to a family pet being buried in the backyard. But one professor noted that the Trump family has figured out a way to profit off of Ivana’s death. Tweeting on Sunday, Dartmouth Professor of Sociology, Brooke Harrington, posted some tax credits that she discover… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Mega All products featured on OK! Magazine are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, OK! Magazine may earn an affiliate commission. If there were ever two words to describe drag superstar Willam Belli and adult actress Sophie Anderson, they would be F king Smart*, a sentiment the pair proved with the premiere of their new OUTtv series earlier this summer. The self-proclaimed “sexiest queer quiz show on TV,” F cking Smart* pits the celebs against each other as team captains, tasked with leading their guests to victory as they answer burning questions about [LGBTQAI+](https://okmagazine.com/t/lgbtq/) history, pride and more. But beyond the litany of fun facts gleaned from the show’s stellar six episode run — did you know that goat eyelids were used as adult toys in ancient China? — one facet of the series particularly stood out: The team captains’ impeccable style and unshakeable confidence. Even with her bubbly and sexy on-screen persona, Anderson actually describes herself as being “very insecure,” a revelation that would likely come as a shock to fans who have come to know and love her for her hilarious and bold social media posts. While the openly pansexual star says her partner, fellow performer Damian Oliver, and the acceptance of the LGBTQAI+ community helps her muster “that confidence to be exactly who I want to be,” simply projecting self-assurance goes a long way. LGBTQ+ FOUNDED & OWNED BRANDS THAT GIVE BACK IN MORE WAYS THAN JUST DONATING — SHOP NOW “A lot of my life is faking it until you make it,” the star exclusively shares with OK!. Having the right beauty tools, she says, doesn’t hurt either. “Honestly, I go out and I’m like, ‘Right, I got my wig. I got my make-up on,’ and I can be whoever I want to be.” Willam has a similar mantra when it comes to confidence: “Fake it so you make it. And if you can’t make it, just bake it,” he quips, referencing the drag makeup technique of baking. Aside from setting powder, Willam says a fierce overdrawn lip is his secret to looking and feeling his best, a trick he picked up while learning how to apply makeup in the 1990s. Mega CitingPlayboy magazines, Baywatch and even old-school porn stars as some of his formative beauty inspirations, the drag icon exclusively shares the decade’s signature “winged little flip” has remained one of his go-to beauty techniques throughout his career. After removing foundation and other base products from around the lip line, Willam then dives in with a lip pencil, noting that thinking big is critical when drawing on the perfect pout. Contrary to popular belief, “putting lip liner on top of foundation or powder is not a recipe for success,” he notes, as it actually causes it to apply “chunkier.” ‘… & THE REST IS DRAG’: HOW DRAG QUEENS PERFECTED YOUR FAVORITE BEAUTY TRENDS — SHOP NOW “The lip line is a suggestion,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race alum says. “If you are lining your lips on your lip line, I don’t know who told you that you’re not allowed to have any fun and draw them a little bit bigger, but draw them bigger,” he advises, noting that a pop highlighter on the center of the lip can also help further the illusion of luscious lips. While Willam lists Makeup Forever, Morphe and Huda Beauty as some of his favorite beauty brands, he says he regularly picks up products from his own cosmetics company, Suck Less Face & Body, to help him perfect not only his lips, but also add extra flair to his makeup looks. “We do all the good, fun stuff,” he says of the brand, which is available at Forever 21. “We don’t do foundation. We don’t do concealer. We do lashes, lips and glitter.” Forever 21 SHOP NOW Suck Less Face & Body’s Red Lip Varnish retails for $16 at forever21.com. Forever 21 SHOP NOW Suck Less Face & Body’s Blueballs Glitter Gelly retails for $12 at forever21.com. Part of what distinguishes Suck Less Face & Body from most other celebrity beauty brands is its versatility, looking good on everyone regardless of gender, a feature Willam says is particularly evident through the brand’s false eyelashes. “If someone who’s more masculine wears them, facially bone structure-wise, the lash doesn’t hit the brow bone,” Willam explains, referencing a problem that many masculine makeup enthusiasts face. BOB THE DRAG QUEEN SAYS WINNING ‘RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE’ ‘WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I HAVE EVER HAD TO DO’ Forever 21 SHOP NOW Suck Less Face & Body’s Day Lashes retail for $15 at forever21.com. But it’s not just beauty. Confidence is more than skin deep, also stemming from being informed on all things sex and love. EnterF *king Smart. Even with its breadth of jokes and fun, lighthearted segments, F*cking Smart* fills a crucial hole (no pun intended) in general sex education offering important information about queer sex, history and love, topics that are frequently overlooked in traditional educational settings. Although most teenagers receive “formal sex education” before turning 18 — 96 percent of teenage girls and 97 percent of teenage boys to be exact, per the CDC’s 2010 National Survey of Family Growth — not all sex education is created equal, especially when it comes to members of the LGBTQAI+ community. Just 8.2 percent of students said they received reported “LGBTQ-inclusive sex education,” according to GLSEN’s 2019 National School Climate Survey, with 17.0 percent of respondees saying they were “taught negative content about LGBTQ topics,” an oversight that can have tangible, real-world consequences. “Research shows that when young people fail to receive high-quality, inclusive sex education, they are more likely to experience negative sexual health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, and sexual violence,” Jennifer Driver, an exec at SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, told Forbes in October 2020. Covering relevant topics in the classroom, she says, can actually serve many benefits, helping young people feel seen and accepted for who they are. “On the flip side, when LGBTQ+ youth see themselves reflected in the lessons they learn at school, that type of affirmation can be life changing and, in some cases, life saving.” And it seems Willam is well aware of F cking Smart*’s importance as an information source — both in terms of public health and continuing forward with political progress. “We’re presenting educational stuff in a fun way because these are things we need to know so we don’t repeat the mistakes of history and get our civil liberties taken away again,” the performer explains, noting that “some people are “blithely unaware” of the community’s history. “Once you have them, getting them taken away is even worse,” he continues, referencing advances like the legalization of gay marriage and same-sex adoption rights. As such, Willam says the heart of the show is to empower viewers “to be as smart as they can.” “When kids don’t eat their vegetables, you need to find a way to slip them in,” he shares. “I think this is a way of slipping in info without everybody knowing, because it’s fun and entertaining and we do porn and drag.” And it seems there’s always more to learn — just ask Anderson. Even with her extensive experience in the adult entertainment world and gay icon status, Anderson says she picked up a thing or two during her “amazing time on the show.” Mega While the actress says she knew “a lot” about topics such as “sex positivity and sexual stuff” going into filming, she says “there was a lot” she didn’t know. “It was absolutely great,” she recalls of the “educational” experience. ‘MY HUMAN IS MY HUMAN’: JOJO SIWA REVEALS SHE’S PANSEXUAL AFTER PREVIOUSLY COMING OUT AS PART OF LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY But it seems Anderson gleaned more than just a few tidbits of LGBTQAI+ trivia from her time on the show. After years of “feeling alone” due to her sexuality, the star admits to OK! that serving as one of F cking Smart’*s team captains “meant the world” to her. “I cannot explain what the communities mean, becauseto be accepted for who you are is such an amazing thing,” she shares. “It’s very important not to be judged, and to really appreciate who you are.” F cking Smart is streaming now on OUTtv.* View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) In 2021, fashion photographer and activist, Emmie America, was detained and fined by Russian authorities, after organising a politically charged photo shoot in Moscow, where 25 participants dressed in police uniforms surrounded the word ‘Freedom’ written in the snow. The Russian-born photographer, who has worked with brands such as Vogue, Urban Outfitters, Guess and Calvin Klein, was charged by police for “organising a protest”. Coming from Russia, it’s been an important part of my journey to figure out how to use the talent and the voice I have to talk about things that really matter and that… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega On December 29, 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of multiple federal sex trafficking charges stemming from her personal ties with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Following her guilty conviction, Maxwell was incarcerated for six more months at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York as she awaited sentencing. A judge ruled on Tuesday, June 28, that the disgraced socialite would serve 20 years behind bars, and a month later, Maxwell was transferred to Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee in Florida. mega GHISLAINE MAXWELL’S VICTIMS REPORTEDLY OUTRAGED CONVICTED SEX TRAFFICKER GETTING FREE TRAUMA THERAPY The minimum security facility is a mixed-gender prison that first opened its doors in 1938. It is considered to be a fairly relaxed location offering a broad array of extracurricular activities including yoga, educational classes, and arts and crafts. The facility also allows inmates the option to participate on an intramural softball team. The Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that the embattled convicted sex trafficker was transferred due to several reasons, including the prison’s security levels and in consideration of any other programming or medical related needs Maxwell may have throughout her 20 year sentence. The low security facility is also home to Jaelyn Delshaun Young, who was sentenced to serve 12 years behind bars in 2016 after pleading guilty to terrorism-related charges connected with her attempts to join the terrorist military group ISIS. Young is currently scheduled to be released on October 28, 2024. mega As OK! previously reported, Maxwell will have access to an assortment of name brand hygiene and skincare products including Pantene shampoo, Secret deodorant and Dove bar soap. She will also be able to buy other personal items such as Band-Aids, chapstick, lotion, and baby powder from the commissary. Recreational items available for purchase include headphones, a Timex watch and an MP3 player. Although the commissary has assorted snacks for sale, the embattled sex trafficker is said to have meager options when it comes to prison meal times as Maxwell keeps a vegan diet. The first night of her incarceration at FCI Tallahassee, a report revealed she was given the options of eating chicken cheese steak or a three bean salad. mega GHISLAINE MAXWELL ‘HATED’ PRINCESS DIANA, WOULD MAKE LATE ROYAL ‘CRY’ & LAUGH ABOUT IT, SPILLS SOURCE Following her prison sentence, Maxwell will not be allowed to go near minor children unless she gets formal approval from the U.S. Probation Office. “It is hard for me to address the court after hearing the pain and anguish based on statements we have heard today. I want to acknowledge their suffering,” the 60-year-old said at her sentencing hearing. “It is the greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein. I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life and fooled all of those in his orbit.” Maxwell will be around 80-years-old at the time of her scheduled release. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Margot Robbie will be “eternally grateful” to ‘Neighbours’ for launching her Hollywood acting career. The 32-year-old, who began her TV work playing Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011 on the Australian soap, also appeared in the show’s finale, which aired Friday. (29.07.22) She filmed scenes in LA but sent 37 bottles of champagne to the Melbourne set, and said she felt the finale was “the end of an era”. Now Hollywood’s highest-paid actress, the double Oscar-nominee told today’s (31.07.22) The Sun on Sunday: “I owe so much to Neighbours. There are so many of us that owe them for giving us a big break. “It wasn’t just about giving me a break either – it gave me a real chance to work on my craft. It was the perfect training for Hollywood, and I will always be eternally grateful. Friday’s finale after 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes saw Margot’s comeback accompanied by returns by actors including Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia. Anne Charleston, who played Ramsay Street veteran Madge Bishop, also made an appearance with her late character popping up as a ghost. Margot said she only realised how popular the soap was globally when she moved to London. The ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ actress added: “It really is an end of an era for fans. “When I lived in London, I understood at its peak how big it was. People would come up to me and tell me how they watched it every day after school.” Margot has now swapped living in the city to put down roots in Hollywood with film producer husband Tom Ackerley, 32, but said the decision to move was difficult. She added: “It was such a hard decision to leave but I just couldn’t keep living out of a suitcase.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Will Dunham (Reuters) -Nichelle Nichols, whose portrayal of starship communications officer Lieutenant Uhura in the 1960s sci-fi TV series “Star Trek” and subsequent movies broke color barriers and helped redefine roles for Black actors, has died at age 89, her family said. Nichols, whose fans included Martin Luther King Jr. and a young Barack Obama, “succumbed to natural causes and passed away” on Saturday night, her son, Kyle Johnson, wrote on Facebook. “Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from and draw inspiration,” Johnson wrote. The series, which became a pop culture phenomenon, shattered stereotypes common on U.S. television at the time by casting Black and minority actors in high-profile roles on the show. In 1968 she and “Star Trek” star William Shatner broke a cultural barrier when they engaged in U.S. television’s first interracial kiss. She had planned to quit “Star Trek” after one season, but King, the 1960s civil rights leader, convinced her to stay because it was so revolutionary to have a Black woman playing an important senior crew member at a time when Black people were fighting for equality in American society. Nichols also helped break color barriers at NASA, whose leaders were “Star Trek” fans. After she criticized the space agency for failing to pick qualified women and minorities as astronauts, it hired Nichols in the 1970s to help in recruiting. Her efforts helped attract, among others, the first woman U.S. astronaut, Sally Ride; the first Black woman astronaut, Mae Jemison; and the first Black NASA chief, Charlie Bolden. Nichols “symbolized to so many what was possible” and “inspired generations to reach for the stars,” NASA said on Twitter. Nichols’ portrayal of the competent, level-headed Uhura also helped inspire future Black actors, including Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg. Nichols recalled Goldberg telling her of watching “Star Trek” as a 9-year-old, seeing her playing Uhura, and yelling out to her mother: “Come quick! There’s a Black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!'” The original “Star Trek” series, tracking the adventures of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise in the 23rd century, ran for only three seasons on the NBC network from 1966 to 1969. But it became hugely popular in syndication in the 1970s, inspiring first an animated series that reunited the cast from 1973 to 1975 and then a succession of feature films and shows. Nichols appeared in six “Star Trek” films ending with “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” in 1991. Uhura deftly handled the starship Enterprise’s communications with allied spaceships and alien races while interacting with Captain James T. Kirk (Shatner), Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the starship’s helmsman, Sulu (George Takei). Takei wrote on Twitter that he and Nichols “lived long and prospered together,” describing her as trailblazing and incomparable. “(My) heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among.” Nichols’ best-known scene featured the first scripted interracial kiss on U.S. television, although it was not a romantic one. In an episode called “Plato’s Stepchildren,” Uhura and Kirk were compelled telekinetically to smooch by aliens toying with the feeble humans. In real life, Nichols disliked Shatner, who she considered arrogant. “She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world”, Shatner said on Twitter. She felt differently about “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, who cast her after she had acted in a previous show he produced. Nichols had a romance with him in the 1960s and sang a song called “Gene” at his 1991 funeral. VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE Obama, the first Black U.S. president, who was 5 years old when the “Star Trek” series made its debut, also was a fan. Nichols visited him at the White House in 2012 and posed for a photo in the Oval Office, with the president smiling and putting his hand on her shoulder while both made a “Star Trek” Vulcan hand gesture meaning “live long and prosper.” In a 2011 interview with Smithsonian magazine, Nichols recalled meeting King at a civil rights group’s fundraiser. Nichols said she was approached by one of the event’s promoters, who told her, “There’s someone who wants to meet you and he says he’s your biggest fan, so I’m thinking of a young kid. I turn around and standing across the room, walking towards me, was Dr. Martin Luther King with this big smile on his face.” After Nichols told King she planned to quit “Star Trek,” she said he implored her to stay. She said King told her: “This is a God-given opportunity to change the face of television, change the way we think. We are no longer second-class, third-class citizens. He (Roddenberry) had to do it in the 23rd century but it’s the 20th century that’s watching.'” She rescinded her resignation. Like other “Star Trek” cast members, she had a hard time finding work due to typecasting after the original series ended. It was during this time when she played a foul-mouthed madam in the film “Truck Turner” (1974) starring Isaac Hayes. She was a recurring character on the television show “Heroes” in 2007. She was born on Dec. 28, 1932 in Robbins, Illinois, trained as a singer and dancer and toured with jazz greats Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before her acting career took off. Nichols, who was married twice and had one child, suffered a mild stroke in June 2015. (Reporting and writing by Will Dunham; Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Bill Trott, Diane Craft and Christopher Cushing) View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul, noting that New York state is now home to more than 25% of U.S. monkeypox cases, declared a state disaster emergency to secure additional vaccines and slow the spread of the virus. “We need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond,” said Hochul on Friday night as the number of statewide cases hit 1,345. “It’s especially important to recognize the ways in which this outbreak is currently having a disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups.” According to the governor, her executive order will allow the state to amp up its response to the monkeypox c… Read More African nations ‘relegated to a footnote’ in monkeypox vaccine efforts. Monkeypox: Fears of repeat of Covid-19 vaccine inequity Published by Al-Araby Moves by rich countries to buy large quantities of monkeypox vaccine, while declining to share doses with Africa, could leave millions of people unprotected against a more dangerous version of the disease and risk continued spillovers of the virus into humans, public health officials are warning. Critics fear a repeat of the catastrophic inequity problems seen during the coronavirus pandemic. “The mistakes we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic are already being repeated,” said Dr. Boghuma Kabisen Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University. While rich countries have ordered m… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joan Faus MADRID (Reuters) -Spain reported its second monkeypox-related death on Saturday, in what is thought to be Europe’s second death from the disease and only the third outside of Africa in the current outbreak. Spain had reported its first death as recently as Friday, shortly after Brazil reported the first monkeypox-related death outside the African continent in the current wave of the disease. According to a World Health Organization report from July 22, only five deaths had been reported, all in the African region. The WHO last Saturday declared the rapidly spreading outbreak a global health emergency, its highest level of alert. In its latest report on Saturday, the Spanish Health Ministry said 4,298 cases had been confirmed in the country. Of the 3,750 patients on which it had information, 120 or 3.2% had been hospitalised, and two had died, it said without providing further details. The first death occurred in the northeastern Valencia region and the cause was encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain associated with the infection, local media reported, quoting the regional health department. (Reporting by Joan Faus; Editing by Hugh Lawson and David Holmes) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Beyonce dedicated the release of her new album ‘Renaissance’ to her late uncle Johnny. The pop superstar dropped the highly-anticipated new album on Friday (29.07.22) and described her late relative – who was gay – as the inspiration behind the new record. Beyonce, 40, wrote on her website: ” A big thank you to my uncle Johnny. He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album. “Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognised for far too long. This is a celebration for you.” The ‘Break My Soul’ hitmaker’s mother Tina Knowles revealed more about Johnny in an Instagram post and explained that a nod to him is made in the song ‘Heated’. She wrote on the social media platform: “Johnny was the closest human being in the world to me we were inseparable growing up! Later he was nanny/ housekeeper/ designer/ dance partner/ (confidant) and bestie. I laughed constantly with him and trusted him unconditionally! When he died a piece of me went with him. “Solange and Beyonce worshipped him. He helped me raise them. And influenced their sense of style and uniqueness! (sic)” Tina added: “He made Beyonce’s prom dress. Last night she told me to listen closely at the end of the song ‘Heated’ and I heard for the first time her saying ‘Uncle Johnny made my dress’ and I got so teary eyed. You see Johnny loved house music! And introduced my kids to it early on. He is smiling from Heaven at Bey right now! (sic)” View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Bob Brigham Hardline positions on abortion and LGBTQ rights have some moderate Republicans worried the GOP will pay the price at the polls. “Uncompromising positions and loaded rhetoric on key social issues are escalating concerns within GOP circles that the party is moving too far out of sync with popular opinion, projecting new hostility to gay people and potentially alienating women voters in high-stakes races,” The Washington Post reported Saturday. “The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and ending a nationwide right to abortion last month has spawned strict new bans and … Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Alex Henderson Over the years, countless abortion rights activists have warned that overturning Roe v. Wade would create a surge in women dying from illegal and dangerous back-alley abortions, which were common before the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Roe decision in 1973. But back-alley abortions are by no means the only reason why pregnancies, planned or unplanned, could prove dangerous or fatal for American women now that the High Court, after 49 years, has overturned Roe with its widely protested ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Conservative Washington Post o… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com The Trump family gathered together in Manhattan to mourn former President Donald Trump‘s first wife, Ivana Trump, who died earlier this week from a tragic fall. Among the multiple invite-only guests who showed up, Kimberly Guilfoyle, fiancee of Donald Jr., was one of them. Guilfoyle, 53, looked unrecognizable at the funeral. The former FOX News personality looked strikingly different next to Donald Jr. compared to photos of her with her first husband, California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Guilfoyle has been close with the Trump family for many years and served as an adviser to Trump during his preside… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jesy Nelson has reportedly split from her record label Polydor after only 14 months. Insiders said the former Little Mix singer, 31, has decided to walk away from her deal to make a fresh start after music due for the label was apparently delayed. A source told The Sun on Friday night (29.07.22): “Jesy decided it was the right time for her to make a clean break. “She and the label have been going in different directions in recent months. And while there hasn’t been a fall-out, Jesy just felt it was better to start afresh now – while everyone was still friends. “Jesy enjoyed her time with Polydor – but feels, rather than go on together while having such differing musical ideas for the future, she now wants to be able to fully develop her own ideas as an individual artist.” Another industry insider added: “Jesy loves the music she has been working on and is really proud of it. “She has been working hard in Los Angeles and is determined to get it out there and make a success of her solo music.” The Sun said Polydor Records did not respond to its requests to comment. A spokesman for the singer told the publication: “Jesy Nelson feels now is the right for her to move in a new direction. As a result, she has decided to part company with Polydor.” Jesy quit Little Mix in December 2020 as she said she couldn’t cope with the strains of girl band life. She signed a major solo deal with Polydor Records, whose artists include Billie Eilish and Sam Fender, in May 2021. The singer has released only one single, ‘Boyz’, which peaked at No4 in the charts. Its follow up and her first solo album have both been delayed. Jesy, in Little Mix with Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards, has been removed from Polydor’s roster of talent on their website. She has been working on music in Los Angeles for most of this year with a string of songwriters and producers, including Tayla Parx who wrote Little Mix’s hit ‘Sweet Melody’. A source said last month about her delayed music for Polydor: “After releasing Boyz last year, Jesy let the label hear early versions of the songs she had come up with. “The bosses felt sure there was potential there but they wanted her to go back to the drawing board. They felt the tracks would benefit from it — so that is what she has done.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Katie Paul and Paresh Dave (Reuters) – Meta Platforms Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told staffers the world’s biggest social media company had planned for growth too optimistically, mistakenly expecting that a bump in usage and revenue growth during COVID-19 lockdowns would be sustained. Zuckerberg, responding to an employee question at a company-wide meeting on Thursday, said he had hired too aggressively and failed to account for the possibility of an economic downturn, according to a person who heard the remarks. The employee had asked about mistakes Zuckerberg had made, the person said. Meta declined to comment. The comments were more pointed than those Zuckerberg had delivered during an investor call the prior day, after Facebook-owner Meta recorded its first ever quarterly drop in revenue and forecast another fall to come in the third quarter. On the investor call, Zuckerberg said he believed the economy was entering a downturn that would have a “broad impact” on the digital advertising business. “It’s always hard to predict how deep or how long these cycles will be, but I’d say that the situation seems worse than it did a quarter ago,” he said. He told investors the company planned to “steadily reduce headcount growth” over the next year. At the company meeting on Thursday, another employee asked Zuckerberg if senior managers at Meta had been “coasting,” referencing an ongoing debate over the term since an executive this month told managers to “move to exit” any employees who were “coasting” or performing poorly. Zuckerberg responded by discussing Meta’s performance reviews generally, according to the person who heard him speak, as well as another briefed on the response. The employee who raised the question then took to the comments section of an internal discussion board, writing that in his view Zuckerberg had not answered his question. The exchanges come as Zuckerberg is battling intensifying morale issues at Meta, on top of economic woes and business challenges from Apple Inc and ByteDance’s TikTok. At a tense company-wide meeting last month, Zuckerberg told employees he expected them to work with more “intensity,” as he cut hiring targets and cranked up performance standards that were relaxed during the pandemic. Meta staffers, who like many tech employees are paid partly in stock units, saw their compensation effectively slashed this year as the stock price tumbled on news of stalling growth. (Reporting by Katie Paul and Paresh Dave; Editing by Peter Henderson and Chris Reese) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Reese Witherspoon has revealed ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ provided inspiration for the new ‘Legally Blonde 3’ movie. The 46-year-old actress is set to return as Elle Woods in the long-awaited follow-up to 2003’s ‘Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde’, the sequel to the 2001 original. And she loved how they included a throwback from the first ‘Top Gun’ movie in its sequel that was released more than 30 years after the 1986 original. She told USA Today: “I’m still hoping that ‘Legally Blonde 3’ is gonna come together in the right way. “It’s just like ‘Top Gun’: They waited a long time to make another version of that movie, and I loved the nostalgia piece they incorporated in it. So definitely that gave us a lot of inspiration about what we would want to do with Elle Woods and make sure that we had all those same touchstones that mattered to people [back] then.” Reese says the characters are so beloved to her that she wants to make sure the move is perfect. She added: “I feel like these characters are my friends, so I safeguard them. “I would never make the subpar, mediocre version of their story.” Mindy Kaling is penning the script with Dan Goor. Selma Blair recently said she hopes to at least make a cameo in ‘Legally Blonde 3’. The 50-year-old star played Vivian Kensington in the 2001 comedy, and she is hoping to make an appearance in the upcoming flick. She told the ‘Shut Up Evan’ podcast: “I’m hoping, hoping that that legacy can continue, because talk about the good things in life. That movie is one of the good things in life. It’s a highlight. I really feel like, ‘Yeah, my obit’s gonna look okay.’ “ Selma also discussed an alternate ending where Vivian and lead star Reese Witherspoon’s alter ego Elle Woods end up together and said she’d have been so up for that. Quizzed on whether she recalls being told about the ending, she said: “No, I love that idea! What fun. … I don’t remember that, maybe it was. But I don’t think so. I’m friends with Karen [McCullah] and [Kristen “Kiwi” Smith] that wrote it. And it wasn’t, but I would’ve loved that so much. Let’s go with that. I think it’s so much fun.” Jennifer Coolidge, 60, is also set to return as nail technician Paulette Bonafonté Parcelle. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Robbie Williams agrees he can come across as a narcissist. The ‘Let Me Entertain You’ hitmaker completed an online test that claims to establish whether or not someone has a narcissistic personality disorder. And the 48-year-old pop star’s results came back as a “mild indication of narcissistic personality disorder”, but he insists this is because his inflated stage persona can come across egotistical and therefore it’s “unfair” to label him a narcissist because it’s just an “image” he’s projecting as a celebrity. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said of the test result to his wife Ayda Field: “See, if I’d have answered yes to that question about ‘Do people perceive you as arrogant…?’ I’d be a full-on narcissist now. But that would be unfair because that’s just an image that I’m projecting to facilitate our wonderful lifestyle.” Robbie did the test for a second time, but for the first in the company of a journalist, and he maintained: “What I project out there is different. We’re talking Robbie out there and I’m talking Rob. Please don’t do this to me.” The first time the ‘Angels’ hitmaker did the online quiz, it told him he was in fact not a narcissist. The former Take That star argued that all celebrities who are branded “narcissists and egomaniacs” should take the test. He said: “Hey, no, listen, if there is so much levelled about people that are in the industry that I’m in, doing the job I do, where we’re accused of being narcissists and egomaniacs all the time, wouldn’t it be prudent to go, ‘Hey, what if I am – let’s go and check that out?'” While the ‘Rock DJ’ hitmaker can come across as cocky on stage, Robbie is adamant he is quite the opposite in everyday life and is guilty of self-sabotage, while his ego comes from an “avaricious want and need for more of everything.” He had early admitted: “Well, let’s break it down. Loves himself? Well, I don’t. Loves his voice? I don’t. Loves his songs, thinks they’re the best? I don’t. But I do have an avaricious want and need for more of everything. So that’s where my ego is, I suppose. It’s really f****** complex.” He also put forward the argument that: “People would consider ego archetypally to be somebody that’s full of their own self-importance and with an inflated sense of self.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir is reportedly delayed by a paper shortage. According to TMZ, the supply issue is likely to push back the release of the tome, which was being lined up for a January 2023 release, despite it being finished. In February, it was reported that the ‘Stronger’ hitmaker was set to receive more than $15 million for her life story. The pop idol – who was released from her conservatorship, giving her back control of her affairs, after 13 years in November – was said to have reached a landmark deal with the publishing house, Simon and Schuster, for the book following a huge bidding war. A source told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column at the time: “The deal is one of the biggest of all time, behind the Obamas.” The rights for Barack and Michelle Obama’s books were sold in 2017, with the sum reportedly exceeding the $60 million figure previously known as the largest ever for a non-fiction tome. In 2001, former president Bill Clinton was paid $15 million for his autobiography ‘My Life’. The 40-year-old singer was left fuming when her younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, released her own memoir, ‘Things I Should Have Said’, in January. She wrote on Instagram at the time: “Congrats best seller…..The nerve of you to sell a book now and talk s*** but your f****** lying…..I wish you would take a lie detector test so all these masses of people see you’re lying through your teeth about me !!!! “I wish the almighty, Lord would could come down and show this whole world that you’re lying and making money off of me !!!! You are scum, Jamie Lynn.(sic)” And her legal team later issued a cease-and-desist letter to the former ‘Zoey 101’ star urging her to stop talking about Britney, who will “no longer be bullied” by her family. The letter said: “Although Britney has not read and does not intend to read your book, she and millions of her fans were shocked to see how you have exploited her for monetary gain. She will not tolerate it, nor should she.” View the full article