RadioRob

Published by New York Daily News The ball appears to be in Verizon’s court. Far-right media outlet One America News Network has only days to work out a new deal with the communications giant, which is the only major cable provider still doing business with the doggedly Trumpian channel. If a deal is not reached, OANN, which Emmy Award winner John Oliver described to the Daily News as 100-proof Fox News, will all but disappear from the televisions of most cable news viewers. Watchdog group Media Matters, which monitors outlets like OANN and Fox News, reports that Verizon Fios subscribers have recently seen a message on their s… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega President Donald Trump and his former Vice-President returned to Washington D.C. on Tuesday in a sign both are running the numbers to see if they could secure the GOP nomination for 2024. Publicly, both were very considerate in their criticism of each other. But behind-the-scenes, Trump is trashing the man who helped him win office, Radar has exclusively learned. Mega According to a source within Trump’s orbit, the former president has railed on Mike Pence to his supporters and claimed: “Mike is unelectable. He doesn’t have the gays’ support. The gays love me. They hate Mike.” Pence, 63, is an evangelical Christian who has fiercely campaigned against LGBTQ rights and had a determination to overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump has mocked Pence’s religious beliefs in the past and once reportedly joked that Pence wanted to “hang” gay people. A Republican source told RadarOnline.com: “Could Mike Pence win enough votes without the support of the LGBTQ community? He is staunchly anti-everything LGBTQ and inclusion. It seems unlikely in today’s world.” Mega Pence, a former Indiana governor, also hosted a Bible study group at the White House during his term. He reportedly also abides by the so-called Billy Graham rule, refusing to dine alone with another woman or attend an event where alcohol is served unless his wife is with him. As RadarOnline.com reported on Tuesday, ex-President Trump is not the only one slamming Pence and deeming him “unelectable” should the former vice president run for office in 2024. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, while speaking at a student conference for the right-wing group Turning Point USA on Sunday, also railed on Pence and suggested that although he is a “nice guy,” Pence is “not a leader.” “Let me just say what everyone here knows,” the 40-year-old embattled congressman told the room of teenagers. “Mike Pence will never be president. Nice guy…not a leader.” Mega Taylor Budowich, Trump’s spokesperson, also railed against Pence in May after the ex-veep first suggested he may run in the 2024 Republican presidential primary against his old boss. “Mike Pence was set to lose a governor’s race in 2016 before he was plucked up and his political career was salvaged,” Budowich said at the time. He continued, “Now, desperate to chase his lost relevance, Pence is parachuting into races, hoping someone is paying attention. The reality is, President Trump is already 82-3 with his endorsements, and there’s nothing stopping him from saving America in 2022 and beyond.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Moira Warburton and Rose Horowitch WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Executives from major gun manufacturers are set to testify on Wednesday before a U.S. House of Representatives panel investigating recent mass shootings in Texas and New York. The hearing, held by the House Oversight committee, will “examine the responsibility that the firearm industry bears in contributing to the gun violence epidemic in the United States and the steps Congress can take to hold manufacturers accountable,” Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said in a statement. Confirmed witnesses include Christopher Killoy, president and chief executive of Sturm, Ruger & Co Inc and Marty Daniel, CEO of Daniel Defense LLC. Mark P. Smith, president and CEO of Smith & Wesson Brands Inc, is listed as invited. The committee sought responses from each of the executives following mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. The shootings, which took place just 10 days apart in May, killed 31 people and rattled a country notorious for its high rate of gun violence. (Reporting by Moira Warburton and Rose Horowitch in Washington; editing by Richard Pullin) View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Drama involving Britney Spears kicked off after the singer posted alarming screenshots of text messages she sent her mom, friend, and lawyer after allegedly being forced into a mental health facility in 2019, Radar has discovered. “It’s a little different with proof,” Britney shared, then deleted on Monday, telling fans how she felt abandoned. mega “He was saying he wants to UP the seraquil [sic] and I’m like whoaaaaaaa horsey go f–k yourslwf [sic],” the message to Lynne read, not specifying whether she was referring to her doctor or estranged father, Jamie, who was her conservator at the time. Seroquel is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. “I feel like he’s trying to kill me,” she continued in the disturbing thread. “I swear to god I do.” Britney claimed that she got no response from her mom, Lynne, at the time, sharing another screenshot in which she asked her childhood friend Jansen Fitzgerald to help her find new counsel. “I need John Bell‘s number please, when u can,” she wrote to her friend from home. “Also what about the lithium in your opinion and it being monitored for so long … of course they can MAKE UP any excuse to keep doing it but is it really healthy and ok to give blood for THAT LONG,” Britney’s message to Fitzgerald continued. “I have a feeling you will say I will be ok but it still doesn’t make any sense.” Although Britney said she never heard back from her pal either, Jansen insisted that she responded at the time, claiming that she always felt “some of my messages were deleted.” Lynne and Britney in 2010.mega “My heart is a little broken this morning so I would like to clarify some things … I love my friends more than life itself and would go to the ends of the earth for them,” she wrote Monday via her Instagram Stories. Fitzgerald said this message along with “thousands” of others were sent to the court investigator in 2019, alleging that she and Britney would be “cautious” of what they would write out of concern they were being monitored. She added, “When she left the facility, my phone number was blocked from her and we have never spoken again!” Britney’s pal claimed to have made numerous attempts to get in touch with the Gimme More singer to no avail. “I miss my friend terribly and want nothing but the best for her,” she continued. mega Afterward, Lynne stirred the pot by sharing Fitzgerald’s message on her Instagram page, writing, “Britney, I have all the ‘whole conversations‘ as well! I hurt for you that you feel the people who love you the most betrayed you! Let me come to you! I love you!” While calling out her estranged family on social media, Britney also slammed sister Jamie Lynn for allegedly shutting her down when she needed her help, going against the Zoey 101 star’s past claims that she always tried her best to show support. View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — In a blue dress and wig, drag queen Muffy Fishbasket — Miss Muffy when performing for kids — opened the children’s book “My Lucky Day,” as a child yelled, “I read it!” “No way, don’t tell anyone the ending,” Miss Muffy replied. “It’s a secret.” Miss Muffy narrated the story at Andersonville’s Midsommarfest in June, eliciting laughs and giggles from the crowd of children and adults, according to a video on social media. Kid-friendly drag performances and story hours have been held in Chicago and some suburbs for years, particularly during Pride Week in June. The events, replete with c… Read More View the full article

Published by California Healthline On July 23, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. It was a contentious decision, with the WHO’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, making the final call and overruling the WHO’s emergency committee. The advisory committee’s disagreements mirrored debates that have been unfolding among public officials, on social media, and in opinion pages over the past several weeks. Is monkeypox a public health emergency when it’s spreading “just” among gay and bisexual men and trans women? To what degree do other populations need … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Victoria Beckham will reunite with the Spice Girls for a new documentary series. The 48-year-old fashion designer declined to rejoin Emma Bunton, Mel B, Mel C, and Geri Horner for their reunion concerts in 2019 but she’s agreed to join them in a new series documenting their rise to stardom and the group’s wider impact on pop culture, The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column reports. The programme will be made by the same team behind Netflix’s Michael Jordan docuseries ‘The Last Dance’. Speaking about the basketball programme, Mel B said in an interview in Australia: “The director and the whole concept of how that was shot and filmed is really, really, really good. So we’ll be doing our own version with them.” The quintet will share some of their favourite stories and previously-unheard anecdotes from their time together. During her interview, Mel shared one such tale. She said: “The rap in the ‘Wannabe’ video, I actually wrote on the toilet while the other girls were doing the vocals. “My kids go, ‘Mummy, your music has come full circle’, and I’m thinking, ‘Ooh they’re going to compliment me’. Then I get told, ‘It’s come full circle because now you’re just vintage’. Old but good.” It seems Victoria has been getting in the mood for the docuseries because a few days ago, her husband David revealed she had been singing the group’s hit ‘Stop’ on karaoke. Alongside a video clip of the performance, David wrote on Instagram: “Karaoke night with the one a only Posh Spice”(sic) The ‘Not Such an Innocent Girl’ singer later reposted the clip to her own Instagram story and captioned it “Only for you @davidbeckham.” Melanie C was quick to comment on the post and joked that she was pleased to see that her former bandmate was “getting a head start on rehearsals.” She wrote: “nice to see you getting a head start on rehearsals! [kiss emoji] [cry laugh emoji]” View the full article

Published by AFP Buzz Aldrin wore a white jacket that sold at auction July 26, 2022 while flying to and from the Moon in July 1969 New York (AFP) – The jacket worn by US astronaut Buzz Aldrin during his 1969 flight to the Moon aboard Apollo 11 was sold at auction for $2.7 million in New York Tuesday, Sotheby’s announced. The white jacket, adorned with an American flag, NASA’s initials, a patch for the Apollo 11 mission and the name “E. ALDRIN,” is part of a personal collection of items the 92-year-old astronaut decided to put up for sale. “The exceptionally rare garment was chased by multiple bidders for almost ten minutes before selling to a bidder on the phone,” Sotheby’s said in a statement. “After deep consideration, the time felt right to share these items with the world, which for many are symbols of a historical moment, but for me have always remained personal mementos of a life dedicated to science and exploration,” Aldrin, the last living member of Apollo 11’s three-member flight crew, said in a statement last week. He explained the jacket was separate from the spacesuit he wore while walking on the moon with fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong, but that he wore it while flying to and from the Moon. “I wore this Inflight Coverall Jacket… in the Command Module Columbia, on our historic journey to the Moon and back home again during the Apollo 11 mission,” Aldrin said. The suits worn on the Moon by Aldrin and Armstrong are part of the National Air and Space Museum’s collections in Washington. In total, the New York auction garnered $8.2 million for 68 items sold out of the 69 offered, including $819,000 for a flight plan. View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA — Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz said Tuesday he supports the right to same-sex marriage, making the statement as the Senate considers a vote that could codify that right into law. Several GOP lawmakers have stated support for “The Respect for Marriage Act” would codify at the federal level same-sex marriage and interracial marriage, both of which were legalized through Supreme Court decisions in 2005 and 1967, respectively, that remain the law of the land. “Dr. Mehmet Oz believes that same-sex couples should have the same freedom to get married as straight couples,” campai… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP New York City public health commissioner Ashwin Vasan, seen July 17, 2022, wrote a letter to WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus New York (AFP) – New York City asked the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday to rename the monkeypox virus to avoid stigmatizing patients who might then hold off on seeking care. New York has seen more cases of the disease, which the WHO declared a global health emergency over the weekend, than any other city in the United States, with 1,092 infections detected so far. “We have a growing concern for the potentially devastating and stigmatizing effects that the messaging around the ‘monkeypox’ virus can have on… already vulnerable communities,” New York City public health commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a letter to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus dated Tuesday. The WHO had floated the idea of changing the name of the virus, which is related to the eradicated smallpox virus, during a press conference last month, a proposal Vasan mentioned in his letter. Vasan referenced the “painful and racist history within which terminology like (monkeypox) is rooted for communities of color.” He pointed to the fact that monkeypox did not actually originate in primates, as the name might suggest, and recalled the negative effects of misinformation during the early days of the HIV epidemic and the racism faced by Asian communities that was exacerbated by former president Donald Trump calling Covid-19 the “China virus.” “Continuing to use the term ‘monkeypox’ to describe the current outbreak may reignite these traumatic feelings of racism and stigma — particularly for Black people and other people of color, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, and it is possible that they may avoid engaging in vital health care services because of it,” Vasan said. Anyone is susceptible to contracting monkeypox, which has long been endemic in Central and Western Africa, but so far its spread in Europe and the United States has been mostly concentrated among men who have sex with other men. The first symptoms can include a fever and fatigue, followed a few days later by a rash that can turn into painful, fluid-filled skin lesions, which may last for a few weeks before turning into scabs that then fall off. No deaths have been reported so far in Europe or the United States. More than 16,000 confirmed cases have been recorded in 75 countries so far this year, the WHO said on Monday. A limited number of doses of a smallpox vaccine found to protect against monkeypox, called Jynneos, have been administered in New York, mostly to gay and bisexual men. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega JoJo Siwa is coming under fire after being declared a “gay icon” by fans. While addressing what an honor it is to be given such a title, the Dance Moms alum, 19, discussed different connotations that she believes come with how one identifies themself. Siwa explained in a recent interview that she loves dressing in colorful clothes and her signature bows, adding that “you can be queer and be girly.” She controversially added, “I think that’s a thing, is a lot of times lesbians are taken to be masculine. ‘If you’re a lesbian, do you wanna be a boy?’ That’s not the case. There are plenty of very feminine lesbians.” Despite her title as a “gay icon,” Siwa — who came out as gay in 2021 — admitted she hates the word lesbian, preferring to describe herself as gay. “I don’t like the word itself,” she joked of the word. “It’s just like a lot. But I mean, at the end of the day, that’s what I am. … It’s like the word moist. It’s just like … ugh!” mega Nevertheless, Siwa gushed it was a privilege to be “the face of the LGBTQ young demographic,” emphasizing, “It’s something that I’ve been appointed by, not myself, by just the world calling me a gay icon, calling me this generation’s icon. That is an honor that I do not take lightly.” Following her interview, social media users flocked to Twitter, calling out the young star for seemingly adding to the stigma surrounding the word. “um in light of a recent jojo siwa interview, here’s a quick reminder that lesbian isn’t a bad or dirty word,” pointed out one online user. “im so tired of influential wlw calling the word lesbian ‘dirty’. girl in red said lesbian is her ‘least favorite word’ and now all this with jojo siwa? this is actually so harmful and im so sick of it,” added another upset user referencing artist girl in red’s 2020 interview with South China Morning Post, in which she discussed how pop culture lacks LGBT representation. “first girl in red now jojo siwa i swear no straight person is going to give u a cookie bc u said u hate the word lesbian lmaooo,” a third quipped, followed by a fourth who chimed in, “if jojo siwa doesn’t like the word lesbian she fully could have said she’d rather be referred to as queer, but to say she is basically disgusted by the word is a different kind of problem.” mega OK! reported Siwa announced in January 2021 that she was part of the LGBTQ+ community, clarifying in April of that year that she identifies as pansexual. “I always just say gay because it just kind of covers it or queer because I think the keyword is cool,” she said in an interview at the time. “I like queer. Technically I would say that I am pansexual because that’s how I have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human.” Siwa is currently dating on-and-off girlfriend Kylie Prew, confirming the two were back together in May, only six months after first calling it quits. View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Brad Reed Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) earlier this week came under fire for attending his gay son’s wedding just days after he voted against a bill in the House of Representatives that codified marriage equality as the law of the land. Now BuzzFeed News has obtained a leaked audio recording of Thompson’s speech at his son’s wedding where he does not bring up his own vote against a law that would have ensured his own son’s right to marry regardless of future Supreme Court rulings. Rather, Thompson praised his son for finding a man with whom he could spend the rest of his life, while also prai… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Reese Witherspoon feels ‘The Morning Show’ exposes the brutal truth of what women face in the workplace. The 46-year-old actress plays field reporter Bradley Jackson in the AppleTV+ series, which she also produces, and claims its #MeToo themes are “really resonating” with audiences and are particularly relevant to females in media. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on Monday (25.07.22), she said: “It’s a lot of hard work. “It’s one of those shows that really touches people, because I think it’s really speaking to the truth about what it is to be a woman in the workplace, in particular a woman in media. “I think it’s really resonating with audiences around the world.” The series has had three Emmy nods – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Reese, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Billy Crudup, and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Marcia Gay Harden. Reese added: “I was actually on an airplane and then I landed and then I got the news about the Emmy nomination. “I was so thrilled, just thrilled, to see how many nominations we got for Morning Show. It’s really a labour of love for all of us and we’re a family. We were all very excited that our show is being acknowledged.” The first episode of season two of ‘The Morning Show’ opened with Jennifer Aniston’s character Alex and Bradley’s public exposure of their boss’s knowledge of sexual misconduct at their news network UBA. Critics say it rode the coattails of the #MeToo, while Apple touts it as an exploration of “the cutthroat world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning”. It adds about the show, which was renewed for a third series in January 2022: “Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the minefield of high-octane jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, ‘The Morning Show’ is an unapologetically candid drama that looks at the power dynamics between women and men, and women and women, in the workplace.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Candace Cameron Bure is turning to her faith after JoJo Siwa dragged her name through the mud, dubbing the Full House alum the “rudest celebrity” the dancer has ever met. On Monday, July 25, the 46-year-old posted a quote on her Instagram Story that read, “Trust The Lord always,” and the Bible verse Isaiah 26:4, which stated: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” It’s unclear if Bure’s post was directly addressing Siwa’s shocking comment, but it did come shortly after the 19-year-old dancer slammed the Fuller House star in a TikTok video while doing superlatives. JOJO SIWA CONFIRMS SHE’S BACK WITH KYLIE PREW — SEE THE ADORABLE SNAPSHOTS! The Dance Moms alum did not go into detail about what occurred during her alleged unpleasant experience with Bure, but the stars may have crossed paths on set of Dancing With the Stars at some point, as Siwa competed on Season 30 and Bure on Season 18. MEGA (Siwa came in second place and became the first contestant to have a same-sex partner, taking to the dance floor with Jenna Johnson. Bure finished in third place during her season.) The seemingly feuding celebs also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show together back in 2019. Following Siwa’s shocking TikTok posted Sunday, July 24, social media users shared their reactions, with some believing Bure’s faith may have played a role in her alleged behavior towards Siwa, who came out as gay in January 2021. “JoJo Siwa is queer, Candace Cameron Bure is deeply conservative. Not hard to believe,” noted one person on Twitter. AWARDS SHOW DRAMA: JOJO SIWA SUBTLY SHADES 2022 KIDS’ CHOICE AWARDS AFTER NOT GETTING AN INVITE Another quipped: “Imagine how mean Candace Cameron Bure must be because Jojo Siwa literally grew up knowing Abby Lee Miller and still said Candace is worse,” referring to the pop star’s intense former dance teacher who starred alongside Siwa on Dance Moms. MEGA However, others weren’t buying Siwa’s claims, with one critic tweeting, “I can’t stand JoJo. Sure, you danced for Abby Miller and defended her even tho she was downright abusive to everyone, but Candace Cameron who has been called many things but never rude, was the rudest celebrity you ever met. Sure……” View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Mia Brett Last week the House passed bills to protect federal recognition of interracial and same-sex marriage as well as birth control. If you didn’t read the 200-page opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, you might be confused about why the House is passing bills to protect rights that are already settled law. Well, the reason is it’s not settled law. The rightwing supermajority of the Supreme Court has given us a road map for how interracial marriage, birth control, private sexual behavior, same-sex marriage and abortion are linked. Sure, Justice Alito gave some assurances that despite connecting… Read More View the full article

View the full article

Published by Radar Online @theview/youtube;mega Whoopi Goldberg didn’t mince words while reacting to Matt Gaetz‘s outrageous remarks on abortion activists and the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Radar has learned. On Monday’s episode of The View, she could barely wait to tear into his shocking rhetoric at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida. @theview/youtube At one point on the talk show, a clip was shown from his speech as the congressman weighed in on the battle for reproductive rights. “Have you watched these pro-abortion, pro-murder rallies?” Gaetz asked the crowd. “The people are just disgusting. Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions?” “Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb,” he declared as some audience members gasped. Gaetz quipped that some women have “ankles weaker than the legal reasoning behind Roe v. Wade.” “They’re like 5’2″, 350 pounds, and they’re like, ‘Give me my abortions or I’ll get up and march and protest,'” he continued. “A few of them need to get up and march — they need to get up and march for like an hour a day. Swing those arms, get the blood pumpin’, maybe mix in a salad.” mega After watching the clip again, Goldberg blasted Gaetz with a short and simple response. “So says the man who supposedly pays for sex,” she fired back on The View. Gaetz is currently being investigated for alleged sex trafficking and statutory rape of a 17-year-old girl. RadarOnline.com should note that he has not been charged with any crime and has denied the claims. Host Sara Haines entered the conversation after Goldberg, and said she was shocked he was still being booked for speaking gigs at this time, pointing out his comments left no room for “any intellectual conversation.” Haines echoed how many pro-choice supporters feel the way they do because they want other people who “don’t have a voice” to have the right to decide what to do with their bodies. mega Meanwhile, Ana Navarro said she didn’t even want to chat about him too much because it gave him “relevancy.” The host concluded her point by bringing up a viral story about a young girl who had to cross state lines after Roe v. Wade was overturned. She stated, “Let me just say this: a 10-year-old girl does not look like a thumb.” View the full article

Joni Mitchell performs live for the first time in 9 years. [This post contains video, click to play] Published by AFP Joni Mitchell, shown at the MusiCares gala in April 2022, surprised fans with a set at the Newport Folk Festival New York (AFP) – Joni Mitchell delivered her first full set in more than 20 years this weekend, surprising attendees at the Newport Folk Festival alongside country star Brandi Carlile. The show followed Mitchell’s stage cameo earlier this year, when she joined other artists as they performed a moving tribute to her life’s work at the MusiCares pre-Grammy gala. Both moments marked rare public appearances for the trailblazing Mitchell, who in 2015 suffered a brain aneurysm that left her temporarily unable to speak, the aftermath of which has involved extensive physical therapy. Mitchell and Carlile sang duets including the 78-year-old’s “A Case of You” and “Both Sides Now,” while the Canadian-born folk icon delighted the crowd by playing the lengthy solo from “Just Like This Train” on an electric guitar. Mitchell last appeared at Newport, an annual festival in Rhode Island, in 1969. Sunday’s 13-song set also featured her classic environmentalist anthem “Big Yellow Taxi” and “The Circle Game” along with renditions of “Summertime,” “Love Potion No. 9” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” The revolutionary singer-songwriter earlier this year was honored as MusiCares’ Person of the Year at the charity gala that precedes the Grammys, where she gave a brief performance. The next night she accepted the Grammy for Best Historical Album, appearing in a red leather beret, sunglasses and floral pants, her flowing blonde hair in pigtails. Born in a small town in western Canada, Mitchell had her start playing small clubs and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she became a pivotal figure in the 1960s Laurel Canyon music scene and beyond. She is considered one of her generation’s most iconic singer-songwriters, giving rise to the phenomenon of the solitary and thoughtful musician who pours out emotion on stage. Last summer her seminal album “Blue” charted number one on iTunes as it hit its fiftieth anniversary — outperforming even pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour.” Voicing her own astonishment over the milestone on the MusiCares red carpet, Mitchell earlier this year explained her album’s enduring popularity and recent resurgence: “Maybe people want to get a little bit deeper.” View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Marc Short, who was a top staffer to Republican former Vice President Mike Pence, on Monday confirmed he had testified before a federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. “I did receive a subpoena for the federal grand jury and I complied with that subpoena,” Short told CNN. He declined to provide any details on his testimony. ABC News first reported that Short, who served as Pence’s chief of staff, had testified on Friday afternoon. Both ABC’s cameras and Reuters cameras captured footage of Short leaving the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., alongside his attorney Emmet Flood. Short is the most high-profile official known to have appeared before the grand jury, which is also probing the effort by former President Donald Trump’s allies to submit slates of fake electors to overturn the 2020 election. Short’s appearance is a sign the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into the attack on the Capitol and the fake elector plot is heating up. In the interview with CNN, Short said it was unfair to characterize the pro-Trump mob as simply exercising their First Amendment free speech rights. “Certainly there were probably some people who foolishly got caught up in the events that were happening on the sixth, but I think it’s unfair to describe the rioters as patriots who were merely expressing their First Amendment rights,” he said. Short said although the Secret Service wanted to evacuate Pence from the Capitol, where he was preparing to certify the presidential election results, the vice president wanted to stay. “The vice president didn’t want the image of a 15-car motorcade fleeing the hallmark of democracy for the world to see,” he told CNN. In an interview with CNN earlier this year, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco confirmed the Justice Department had received referrals about slates of alternative fake electors that were sent to the National Archives, and said prosecutors were reviewing them. Copies of the phony electoral slates submitted to the National Archives by pro-Trump Republicans in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were made public in March by the non-profit watchdog group American Oversight, which obtained them through a public records request. The Office of the Federal Register, part of the National Archives, coordinates some functions of the Electoral College between the states and Congress, including receiving the certificates from the states that identify their electors and receiving the certificates of votes by the electors. The fake elector plot has featured prominently in multiple hearings of the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives committee probing the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rusty Bowers, the Arizona state House Republican speaker, testified in June that Trump and his close aides, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and adviser John Eastman, urged Bowers to reject the election results. In recent months, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., has started issuing grand jury subpoenas to electors, including some who signed the bogus certificates. According to one subpoena seen by Reuters that is focused on the phony slate of electors in Georgia, investigators are seeking copies of documents from October 2020 related to “any effort, plan or attempt to serve as an elector in favor of Donald J. Trump and/or Mike R. Pence.” They are also seeking copies of communications between would-be electors and any federal government employees, any employees or agents of Trump, as well as communications with a long list of people including Giuliani and Eastman. Arizona’s Republican party chair, Kelli Ward, and her husband, Michael Ward, who both signed their names on one of the slates of alternate electors for Trump, have also received subpoenas. Alexander Kolodin, an attorney for the Wards, told Reuters earlier this month that the DOJ’s investigation is “based on allegations that our clients engaged in core First Amendment-protected activity, namely petitioning Congress for redress of grievances.” (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Tim Ahmann in Washington and Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) -A long overlooked co-defendant of the Central Park Five, a group of Black and Latino teenagers wrongly convicted of raping a white woman jogger in 1989 based on false confessions, was exonerated of a related conviction by a New York judge on Monday. Steven Lopez was 15 when he was first named in the indictment along with other Black and Latino teenagers for the night-time rape and attempted murder of Trisha Meili, an investment banker whose horrific injuries became the subject of sensationalist media coverage. Lopez later pleaded guilty to robbing a male jogger that same night in a deal with prosecutors that saw the charges alleging his involvement in the attack on Meili dropped, and was sentenced to between 1-1/2 and 4-1/2 years in a state prison. On Monday, Judge Ellen Biben of the New York State Supreme Court agreed to a motion by Manhattan’s chief prosecutor and a lawyer representing Lopez to vacate the plea entered by Lopez when he was 17 years old, ruling that it was involuntary, unconstitutional and based in part on false witness statements. “What happened to you was a profound injustice and an American injustice,” Eric Shapiro Lopez, a defense lawyer who was not yet born when his client was indicted, said in remarks to Lopez before the court. “They say justice delayed is justice denied and I’m sorry we’ve had to wait for 30 years.” Lopez, whose long beard is now graying, appeared to have tears in his eyes. Meili was beaten and left for dead. The attack was seized upon by local media as an emblem of soaring crime rates in New York City in the 1980s. News stories frequently referred to the boys arrested by the New York Police Department as animals. Decades before he would become president of the United States, Donald Trump, then a prominent real-estate developer, took out full-page advertisements in city newspapers calling for the boys to be executed. Later, the five boys convicted at trial were exonerated when the true attacker confessed and was linked to the crime by DNA evidence. The case became a watchword for judicial overreach, racial profiling by both law enforcement and news outlets and the malpractice of police officers forcing confessions from innocent people. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise and Yusef Salaam, now known as the Exonerated Five, spent years in prison. They brought a lawsuit against the city, which was settled for $41 million in 2014. Lopez was not part of that lawsuit, and his story has often been overlooked in coverage of the exoneration of his former co-defendants. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told the court that there was no physical evidence linking Lopez to the attacks on either joggers, and that the witness statements naming him had been recanted. That, coupled with Lopez’s youth at the time, made the plea involuntary, Bragg told the court. “Mr. Lopez, we wish you peace and healing,” the judge said after dismissing the indictment. “Thank you,” Lopez replied, his only remarks in court. “It is so ordered,” the judge said, as Lopez rose to shake the chief prosecutor’s hand. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ashton Kutcher admits the existence of ‘That ’90s Show’ is “insane” to him. The 44-year-old actor and his wife Mila Kunis are reprising their respective roles as Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart in the ‘That ’70s Show’ spin-off’, and he can’t quite get his around the fact the sitcom is returning. Speaking to ‘Entertainment Tonight’, Ashton said: “It’s just – it’s insane. The fact that that happened is insane.” “We shot it. It’s funny and it’s weird. It was super nostalgic and really odd. Going back into the basement – just going back into the set was weird. And then being around everyone, it’s just bizarre.” ‘That ’90s Show’ – which will also see the return of original cast members Wilmer Valderrama, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, and Tommy Chong – is due to hit Netflix sometime this year. Meanwhile, the ‘No Strings Attached’ star also gushed about reuniting with ‘The Office’ star B.J. Novak on ‘Vengeance’ after they collaborated in the 00s on the MTV hit reality show, ‘Punk’d’. Ashton said: “I worked with B.J., 20 years ago on ‘Punk’d’, and he reached out about doing this, and I read the screenplay and I thought it was one of the best screenplays I’d read in a really long time, and I was like, ‘Absolutely, I’ll do it,’ and the character was fun, and it seemed interesting and worthwhile.” Ashton – who has seven-year-old daughter Wyatt and five-year-old son Dmitri with Mila – loves that the movie celebrates the possibility for friendship between city and country folk in a time when “the country is becoming increasingly fractured.” He said: “Also, I liked the framing, as the country is becoming increasingly fractured, idealistically, it’s just kind of this beautiful moment where this person takes the time to listen and think. “And I think the movie could be the beginning of people thinking about listening to the other side, and what the other side has to say, and I think that’s an awesome opportunity to heal.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sarah Paulson has boarded the horror ‘Dust’. The ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ actress is set to star in Searchlight Pictures’ upcoming Hulu Original flick, Deadline confirmed. The Will Joines and Karrie Crouse-helmed movie follows “a woman who is trapped by increasingly perilous dust storms and is haunted by her past encounters with a threatening presence and takes extraordinary measures to protect her family.” Principal photography will begin in the latter half of August. Searchlight Presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield commented: “Sarah is an extraordinary artist and we are thrilled to be working with her again.” The 47-year-old star’s other upcoming gigs include starring in Bruce Norris’ film adaptation of his multi-award-winning play ‘Clybourne Park’. Meanwhile, Sarah previously admitted she shouldn’t have worn a fat suit for her portrayal of Linda Tripp in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’. The actress played the real-life civil servant who served a major role in exposing Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky in 1998 in the third season of the FX true crime anthology television series. And she later reflected on the criticism she faced and how it’s important not to dismiss “fatphobia”, which is very “real”. Speaking last year, she said: “It’s very hard for me to talk about this without feeling like I’m making excuses. “I think fatphobia is real. I think to pretend otherwise causes further harm. “And it is a very important conversation to be had.” If she was asked to wear one again, she would decline. She continued: “I think the thing I think about the most is that I regret not thinking about it more fully. “And that is an important thing for me to think about and reflect on. I also know it’s a privileged place to be sitting and thinking about it and reflecting on it, having already gotten to do it, and having had an opportunity that someone else didn’t have. You can only learn what you learn when you learn it. “Should I have known? Abso-f*****-lutely. But I do now. And I wouldn’t make the same choice going forward.” However, the Emmy winner insisted it shouldn’t be “the entire responsibility” of the actor. View the full article

Published by Reuters KHIMKI, Russia (Reuters) -The defence team of U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, detained in Russia on drug charges, argued in court on Tuesday that she had used medical cannabis to assuage pain from injuries, like many other elite international athletes. Griner, a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star who has played in Russia during the league’s offseason, was detained at a Moscow airport on Feb. 17 with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. Medical marijuana is illegal in Russia. She faces a possible jail sentence of up to 10 years in a case that has highlighted the fraught relations between Russia and the United States at a time of heightened tension over Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine. A narcology expert summoned by the defence argued that medical cannabis was widely used to treat athletes where it was legal, and often had fewer side effects than other painkillers. “With the prescription in place, Brittney may have used it for medical but not recreational purposes,” said lawyer Maria Blagovolina, partner at Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners law firm. Wearing round-rimmed glasses and a black and grey sweatshirt with “Black Lives For Peace” on the back, Griner listened to the proceedings via a translator. Before taking a seat in the defendant’s cage, she held up a lined sheet of paper with pictures of her two best friends, a teammate and her wife Cherelle wearing her #42 Phoenix Mercury jersey, her WNBA team. The two-time Olympic champion, who has appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to secure her release, has pled guilty but denied she intended to break Russian law. Griner — known as “BG” to basketball fans — will appear in court again on Wednesday, where she could be called upon to testify. A further hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 2, Griner’s defence team said. U.S. officials and prominent athletes argue the 31-year-old has been wrongly detained and have called for her to be released immediately. The Russian authorities dismiss the U.S. criticism, with the Kremlin saying the case has nothing to do with politics. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Mark Trevelyan) View the full article