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Published by Miami Herald MIAMI — Continuing to target what he calls “woke” corporations, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to prohibit state investments that use “environmental, social and governance” ratings, which can include taking into account impacts of climate change. DeSantis plans to have the State Board of Administration, which oversees investments, direct pension-fund managers against “using political factors when investing the state’s money.” So-called ESG policies have drawn criticism from Republicans across the country. “We want them (fund managers) to invest the state’s money for the best interests of the benefici… Read More View the full article

Published by Miami Herald MIAMI — Miami’s city government is studying the possibility of taking people experiencing homelessness off the streets and moving them to a city-sponsored encampment on Virginia Key. Commissioners on Thursday will discuss a list of five locations where the city could build a “transition zone” that would include temporary shelters and access to social services for people living on the street. Commissioners have for years debated how to address homelessness in Miami. In recent years, the city has taken steps to make it harder for people to live in public spaces, outside of a shelter. The latest … Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel A Ph.D. candidate at a Florida university discovered an ancient shark in a coral reef in the Caribbean. Devanshi Kasana, studying at Florida International University (FIU), made the discovery while working with local Belizean fisherman, according to a Monday press release from FIU. Kasana initially believed it was a six-gill shark. “I knew it was something unusual, and so did the fishers,” she said. “(They) hadn’t ever seen anything quite like it in all their combined years of fishing.” The shark turned out to be a Greenland shark, a half-blind animal thought to live mainly in the freezing Arc… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States has made “a substantial offer” to Russia to release U.S. citizens detained there, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, adding that he would be pressing his Russian counterpart to respond in a conversation planned for the coming days. Washington offered Moscow a deal to bring home WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan weeks ago, Blinken said at a State Department news conference, and hoped to advance the process when he speaks to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “There was a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release. Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal. And I’ll use the conversation to follow up personally and I hope move us toward a resolution,” Blinken said. He declined to say what the United States was offering in return. CNN reported that Washington was willing to exchange Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25 year-prison sentence in the United States, as part of a deal to secure the release of the two Americans. A Russian lawyer for Whelan has previously said he believed Moscow wanted Bout to be part of a prisoner swap for Whelan. Blinken declined to characterize how Moscow has so far reacted to the proposal, which he said had U.S. President Joe Biden’s sign off. PRESSURE ON BIDEN Families of hostages and detainees have been increasing pressure on Biden, most recently in the case of two-time Olympic medalist Griner, who has been held since February. Griner, who was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage, was in the courtroom on Wednesday in the latest hearing of her ongoing trial on drug charges. The next hearing is set for Aug. 2. “From a legal point of view, an exchange is only possible after a court verdict,” Griner’s lawyer in Russia, Maria Blagovolina, said in a statement to Reuters. Whelan was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison in Russia, accused of spying. He denied spying and said he was set up in a sting operation. The plight of American detainees has gained visibility after Griner’s arrest and the release in April of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed at a time when U.S. relations with Moscow are at their worst in decades over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Reed was detained for three years. In a prisoner exchange, the United States commuted the prison sentence of Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was convicted of cocaine smuggling. Blinken said his planned call with Lavrov, the first such conversation between the two diplomats since before the start of Russian invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 24, will not be a negotiation about Ukraine. The White House also declined to go into the details of the U.S. proposal but said that Biden directed his national security team to pursue every avenue to bring Griner and Whelan home safely to their loved ones. “We believe that this is a serious proposal and we want the Russians to take it seriously as well,” said White House spokesperson John Kirby. Kirby declined to say if Washington was offering a prisoner swap but said the administration was balancing the “need to get these Americans home” with U.S. national security and “that we’re not encouraging hostage taking in the future.” Whelan’s family welcomed news of the U.S. offer. “We hope the Russian government responds to the U.S. government and accepts this or some other concession that enables Paul to come home to his family,” David Whelan, Paul’s brother, said in a statement. “The sooner the better,” he added. (Reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Grant McCool and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by AFP Felix Rubio and Kimberly Rubio hold a photograph of their late daughter Alexandria Rubio, who was killed during the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting, as they attend a House Oversight Committee hearing with gun manufacturers Washington (AFP) – US gun makers earned $1 billion in the past decade from sales of AR-15-style semiautomatic weapons, a House committee said Wednesday as lawmakers grilled firearms manufacturers after a series of grim mass shootings. “The gun industry has flooded our neighborhoods, our schools and even our churches and synagogues with these deadly weapons and has gotten rich doing it,” Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney said. “They are choosing their bottom line over the lives of their fellow Americans,” the New York lawmaker told a tense day-long hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. “This is beyond irresponsible.” Maloney and other Democrats accused the gun manufacturers of using “dangerous” marketing tactics to sell firearms to young people and of failing to “acknowledge their role in the violence plaguing our nation.” “We know the power of marketing, especially the power of marketing to young people, whether it’s cereal or cigarettes, or in this case, guns,” said Bradley Schneider, a Democratic congressman who lives in Highland Park, where a young man shot dead seven people during a July 4 parade. At a hearing attended by several relatives of victims of recent mass shootings, Democrats called for a lifting of the immunity from lawsuits enjoyed by gun makers so they can be held accountable. Under a 2005 law, gun manufacturers are not liable in the United States for the use of their firearms in the commission of a crime. Marty Daniel, chief executive officer of Daniel Defense — maker of the gun used by a young man to kill 19 school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas — defended his company’s business practices. “The stated implied purpose of this hearing is to vilify, blame and try to ban over 24 million sporting rifles already in circulation that are lawfully possessed and commonly used by millions of Americans to protect their homes and loved ones,” Daniel said. “I believe our nation’s response needs to focus not on the type of gun but on the types of persons who are likely to commit mass shootings,” he said. Christopher Killoy, president and CEO of Sturm, Ruger & Co., said it would be “wrong to deprive citizens of their constitutional right to purchase a lawful firearm they desire because of the criminal acts of wicked people.” Bill to ban assault weapons Republican lawmakers also pushed back against their Democratic colleagues. “Gun manufacturers do not cause violent crime,” said Representative James Comer of Kentucky. “Criminals cause violent crime.” “We’ll continue to protect the rights of all law-abiding gun owners who safely use, store and carry firearms including the AR-15,” Comer said. According to a report by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, five major gun manufacturers reaped more than $1 billion from the sale of assault rifles over the last decade. Daniel Defense’s revenue from AR-15-style rifles tripled from $40 million in 2019 to more than $120 million in 2021, the report said. Ruger’s earnings from AR-15-style rifles rose from $39 million to $103 million during the period while Smith & Wesson’s revenue from long guns, including AR-15-style rifles, doubled, from $108 million to $253 million. The Democratic-controlled House is moving forward for the first time in nearly 20 years with a bill that would ban the sale, import, manufacture or transfer of certain types of semi-automatic weapons. The “Assault Weapons Ban of 2021” would likely be doomed to fail in the Senate, however. Democrats have 50 seats in the 100-member Senate and 10 Republican votes would be needed to bring the measure to the floor. Congress passed a 10-year ban on assault rifles and certain high-capacity magazines in 1994. But lawmakers let it expire in 2004, and sales of those weapons have soared since then. After the Uvalde massacre, President Joe Biden appealed to lawmakers to again ban assault rifles or at least raise the minimum age for buying them from 18 to 21. But Republican lawmakers, who see such a restriction as going against the constitutional right to bear arms, have refused to go along with Biden’s proposal. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kevin Bacon says the cast of ‘They/Them’ gives him “hope” for positive change in the campaign for queer rights. The 64-year-old star features in the new LGBTQ+ horror movie and explained that he has been left feeling optimistic that the US Supreme Court will have a tough time reversing queer rights. Kevin told ET Canada at the film’s premiere: “It’s tough to find hope sometimes these days, but we have to hope still. “The one thing that we can be hopeful about is that there are young people like the people in this movie who are the future.” The ‘Footloose’ actor’s comments come after the United States House of Representatives passed legislation that requires states to recognise same-sex marriages that have taken place elsewhere in the country and Bacon hopes that the film can help others recognise the traumas that conversion camps put LGBTQ+ people through as he only discovered the extent of the issue during his research for the part. He explained: “I just kind of thought, ‘Well, is that really going on?’ And, it is for 50,000 kids a year, in 20 states where it’s 100 per cent legal. “That’s just not cool and the idea that somebody would want to tell Theo, that Theo can’t be who Theo is, is just kind of sickening to me.” Kevin revealed that he felt emotional when he started working with his co-stars on the film. He said: “The first day that I walked out for the very first scene in the movie and I looked out across everybody, all these beautiful faces standing there, I just felt it was very moving for me. I was very, very proud and very moved. “John Logan (the director) did a very exhaustive search to find the best possible people to play these very specific roles and they can now be represented in this movie with a lot of authenticity and a lot of honesty.” View the full article

Published by AlterNet By David Badash Cassidy Hutchinson, seen as one of the most credible witnesses the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack put before the public to testify, is now cooperating with the Dept. of Justice in its Jan. 6 investigation, according to ABC News. Hutchinson is the former top aide and advisor to then-Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. “The Justice Department reached out to her following her testimony a month ago before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack,” ABC News reports in its breaking news story. READ MORE: Fox News could be subject to … Read More View the full article

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