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Published by Reuters By Andrea Shalal, Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose MADRID (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Thursday threw his support behind calls for the U.S. Senate to push aside the legislative filibuster to protect abortion rights, as pressure built on his administration following the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Biden said at a news conference on the sidelines of a NATO conference in Madrid that “we have to” pass laws making abortion a right in all 50 U.S. states. “If the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting rights, it should … require an exception to the filibuster for this action,” said Biden, a Democrat. There is no immediate evidence Democrats have gathered enough votes in Congress to suspend the filibuster, making Biden’s statement more of a symbolic gesture than a policy plan. White House officials did not immediately offer any more details on what the president’s strategy would be. The new stance, and Biden’s announcement of a Friday meeting with state governors on abortion rights came after sharp criticism from his own party over the White House’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling last week, which overturned American women’s right to obtain abortions on privacy grounds. “There has been pressure building up to act and show that we are doing more,” said an administration source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The president has always believed something must be done.” The hot-button issue is seen as a potent political force ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, where Democrats are seeking to retain control of the House of Representatives and Senate. Protecting abortion rights is a top issue for Democratic women, Reuters polling shows. In recent days, both White House aides and congressional leaders have said they lacked the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster to pass most legislation, including a broad abortion rights bill. Proposals to eliminate the filibuster for certain bills have run into opposition from key senators, including Democrats Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, both of whom have rejected the idea. A spokesman for Manchin said on Thursday that the senator’s position has not changed. As recently as May, all 50 Republicans and Manchin voted against advancing legislation making abortion legal throughout the United States. In January, a voting rights bill failed in the Senate eight days after Biden tried to propel it to passage by supporting a filibuster carve-out. Biden had previously endorsed bypassing the filibuster in only limited cases, such as voting rights and avoiding a debt default, but not for abortion rights. On Thursday, he said the filibuster carve-out should apply not just to abortion but to other rights based on privacy, a likely reference to contraception and gay rights. Biden has grown more open to bypassing the filibuster in recent months to protect fundamental rights, according to people familiar with the matter, but debated the merits of making any statement on the issue until after the midterms, when Democrats could theoretically gain seats in the Senate. The White House plans a range of executive actions in the coming days, and has also promised to protect women who cross state lines for abortions and support for medical abortion. The White House felt increasing pressure to make a grand gesture after media reports, including from Reuters, that it was unlikely to take up Democrats’ bolder suggestions angered some in the president’s own party. Biden and administration officials have been concerned that more radical moves would be politically polarizing, undermine public trust in institutions like the Supreme Court or lack strong legal footing, sources inside and outside the White House said. The Senate last December circumvented the filibuster – without altering the rule – when Democratic and Republican senators brokered a onetime deal to raise the federal government’s borrowing authority with simple majority votes. Abortion rights lack the same bipartisan support. (Additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis and Heather Timmons) View the full article

VaccineMonkeypox Vaccine Supply, Prioritization Expanding The Biden administration provided further details on its strategy to address the increasing number of monkeypox cases within the U.S. and further clarified why much of the immediate response remains focused on men who are sexually active with other men. During a call with LGBTQ press Wednesday, White House pandemic office head Dr. Raj Panjabi outlined a strategy focused on “testing, vaccines and outreach” in an effort to stem the growth of Monkeypox cases, which sits at 351 across 27 states and Washington, D.C. as of Wednesday according to CDC statistics. The administration stated Tuesday that it plans to increase the number of doses of Jynneos, a newer monkeypox vaccine with fewer side effects administered in two shots four weeks apart, in the federal stockpile by 240,000 in the coming weeks, with another 750,000 expected over the summer. The Department of Health and Human Services provided 56,000 doses immediately, but clinics in hard-hit areas are already experiencing shortages. The single-dose smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 is more widely available and effective in vaccinating against moneypox, but it is typically associated with harsher side effects than Jynneos. Part of the outreach strategy is also focused on healthcare workers as its symptoms can be confused with herpes, syphilis and other sexually-transmitted infections. The World Health Organization is currently studying the virus to determine if it is able to infect individuals through sexual transmission after portions of the virus were found in semen samples earlier this month. “Be Careful” “You don’t want to panic people, but you want to get people to appreciate, particularly with the Pride activities that are going on now, to be aware and to just be careful,” said Dr. Fauci. “Being careful can be very practical; making sure that you’re aware of things like skin lesions or lesions around areas of the body, particularly when you’re having a sexual encounter … We do believe that, from a theoretical and practical standpoint, the risk is probably increased when you have activities associated with the prior Pride activities, because people tend to get involved in sexual networking there.” Dr. Fauci reiterated the need for awareness when asked if Pride attendees should be concerned or afraid after hugging or being in close proximity to others during those celebrations. “You don’t want to be paralyzed by this. You just need to exert some care in the choice of people in which you have skin-to-skin personal contact,” he said. “You don’t want to all of a sudden shut yourself off from interaction, but just know that there is a virus there … have an exertion of a little bit more care.” Monkeypox: Previously on Towleroad Biden Administration Outlines Monkeypox Strategy, Including Increased Testing, Vaccination And Community Education Brian Bell June 29, 2022 Read More WHO warns ‘sustained transmission’ of monkeypox risks vulnerable groups Towleroad June 29, 2022 Read More U.S. steps up fight against monkeypox, allocates more vaccines to states Towleroad June 29, 2022 Read More Monkeypox State-by-State Case Count (CDC and State Health Orgs) & CDC Health Guidelines Towleroad June 24, 2022 Read More Monkeypox is Real: Most Cases Are Gay/Bi Men (1000+). This Version Seems More Contagious, But Less Lethal. Symptoms, Spread, Origin, Vaccine Towleroad June 24, 2022 Read More U.S. CDC confirms evidence of local monkeypox transmission; WHO Considers Declaring Monkeypox a Global Health Emergency Towleroad June 24, 2022 Read More Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Chris Prattshocked the world when he came out and denied going to Hillsong church or being religious altogether after catching flak for going to an anti-LGBTQ establishment — but now, after spending years preaching about his faith, his words are coming back to bite him. TheJurassic World actor, 43, claimed he’s “not a religious person” and called religion “oppressive as f—” in his latest interview with Men’s Health, despite hijacking several interviews and social media conversations throughout the years to talk about his church and faith. Pratt famously defended his church in 2019 after the organization was accused of being “infamously anti-LGBTQ.” Over the years, he was quoted several times saying he went to Zoe Church in Los Angeles, a facility with strong Hillsong ties. Mega “I never went to Hillsong,” Pratt told Men’s Health, failing to mention Zoe’s connection to Hillsong. “I’ve never actually been to Hillsong. I don’t know anyone from that church,” he insisted. FYI — Zoe Church’s pastor Chad Veach told The New York Times that he “modeled his church after Hillsong.” Hillsong’s ex-senior global pastor Brian Houston, the one who was charged with hiding his father’s sex crimes, said, “we are not a church that affirms a gay lifestyle.” Here are some other comments made by Pratt about his faith that’s left fans scratching their heads after his confusing “not religious” interview. In February of this year, the Guardians of the Galaxy actor posted a photo of a cross and added a caption that sure sounds religious. “Pray, rest, renew the spirit, cast down darkness, choose positivity and trust in the knowledge that you are so loved just the way you are. Not because you’re great. Not because I’m great. Because He is great. Like if you believe,” Pratt wrote just 18 weeks ago. Mega In February 2019 while appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Pratt dished about a 21-day fast that he did “through his church.” In a separate sit-down, the star got deep about praying. “Nothing fills my soul more than to think that maybe some kid watching that would say, ‘Hey! I’ve been thinking about that. I’ve been thinking about praying. Let me try that out,” he told the cameras. When Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page, spoke up about Pratt’s church affiliation and its “anti-LGBTQ” stance, the Avengers actor didn’t hesitate to fiercely defend his house of worship. Mega “It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which ‘hates a certain group of people’ and is ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ.’ Nothing could be further from the truth,” Pratt wrote in 2019. “I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone. Despite what the Bible says about divorce, my church community was there for me every stop of the way, never judging, just gracefully accompanying me on my walk,” he insisted. “They helped me tremendously offering love and support. It is what I have seen them do for others on countless occasions regardless of sexual orientation, race or gender.” Fans can’t help but slam Pratt on the hypocrisy of his latest interview. “Chris Pratt: ‘I’m not religious, pffft, as if.’ Also, Chris Pratt: ‘So any way, this reminds me of when I was golfing with my pastor,'” one person tweeted. “I don’t know if this is going to make sense to everyone, but it is so weird watching Chris Pratt go through the same process I went through from back in 2003 when I was balls deep in a Christian cult telling everyone “I’m not religious”. Its like a textbook response to criticism,” shared another. “I think you meant “Chris Pratt’s PR firm is seeking to change perceptions about his religious views because it’s detrimental to his career,” posted a third. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Baz Luhrmann is turning ‘Australia’ into a six-part series. The 59-year-old filmmaker has officially revealed his 2008 epic adventure film – which starred Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman – will be transformed into a limited Hulu series titled ‘Faraway Downs’ only using footage he’d already shot for the movie, albeit with a new soundtrack and different ending. He said in a statement: “I originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping, ‘Gone With the Wind’-style epic and turn it on its head — a way of using romance and epic drama to shine a light on the roles of First Nations people and the painful scar in Australian history of the ‘Stolen Generations’. “While ‘Australia’ the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore. “Drawn from the same material, ‘Faraway Downs’ is a new variation on ‘Australia’ for audiences to discover.” ‘Faraway Downs’ will follow English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) as she inherits a large cattle ranch in Australia following the death of her husband. Cattle barons look to take her land, and so she joins forces with a cattle drover (Jackman) to protect the ranch. The series will be told through young Nullah (Brandon Walters), who is a bi-racial Indigenous Australian who is caught up in the ‘Stolden Generations’. Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwich added: “Baz is one of the world’s great auteur storytellers, so revisiting Faraway Downs and experiencing his incredible film ‘Australia’ in this unique, new episodic format has been a revelatory and unique adventure. “We look forward to taking viewers into the ranch and experiencing all of the stories that are both held within and continue to unfold there.” View the full article

Published by Reuters LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said “sustained transmission” of monkeypox worldwide could see the virus begin to move into high-risk groups, like pregnant women, immunocompromised people and children. WHO said on Wednesday it is investigating reports of infected children, including two cases in the United Kingdom, as well as following up reports in Spain and France. None of the cases in children have been severe. The virus has now been identified in more than 50 new countries outside the countries in Africa where it is endemic. Cases are also rising in those countries, said WHO, calling for testing to be ramped up. “I’m concerned about sustained transmission because it would suggest that the virus [is] establishing itself and it could move into high risk groups including children, the immunocompromised and pregnant women,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby and Mrinalika Roy; Editing by Catherine Evans) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday widened the power of states over Native American tribes and undercut its own 2020 ruling that had expanded Native American tribal authority in Oklahoma, handing a victory to Republican officials in that state. In a 5-4 decision authored by conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the court ruled in favor of Oklahoma in its bid to prosecute Victor Castro-Huerta, a non-Native American convicted of child neglect in a crime committed against a Native American child – his 5-year-old stepdaughter – on the Cherokee Nation reservation. The change of course only two years after the previous ruling in a case called McGirt v. Oklahoma was made possible by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s 2000 appointment by Republican former President Donald Trump to replace the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, as he did in 2020, joined the court’s liberal bloc in favor of Native American interests, but its expanded conservative majority meant that this time he was in the minority. “To be clear, the court today holds that Indian country within a state’s territory is part of a state, not separate from a state,” Kavanaugh wrote. Kavanaugh added that “under the Constitution and this court’s precedents, the default is that states may exercise criminal jurisdiction within their territory.” In the McGirt decision, the Supreme Court had recognized about half of Oklahoma – much of the eastern part of the state – as Native American reservation land beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities. That ruling, criticized by Governor Kevin Stitt and other Republicans, meant that many crimes on the land in question involving Native Americans would need to be prosecuted in tribal or federal courts. Wednesday’s ruling affects Oklahoma and could be extended to other states. About 20 states where tribal reservations are located could seek new authority to exert criminal jurisdiction over crimes committed by non-Native Americans against native Americans on Native American land. That includes western states with large Native American populations including Arizona and New Mexico. Until now, states generally lacked jurisdiction over such crimes, which were prosecuted by the federal government. ‘GRIM RESULT’ Writing in dissent, Gorsuch called Wednesday’s ruling a “grim result for different tribes in different states,” but said its impact could still be limited by individual treaties and laws passed by Congress. “One can only hope the political branches and future courts will do their duty to honor this nation’s promises even as we have failed today to do our own,” Gorsuch added. Chuck Hoskin, principal chief of Cherokee Nation, said in a statement that the justices had ignored court precedent and “basic principles” of law. “While we are disappointed in this ruling, it does not diminish our commitment to meeting our public safety responsibilities and to protecting Oklahomans on our reservations and across the state,” Hoskin added. Thirty-five states are home to federally recognized tribes, according to the National Congress of American Indians. Before the Supreme Court ruling, 16 had already been given authority by Congress to assert jurisdiction over at least some tribal land for crimes involving Native Americans. As a result of the McGirt ruling, about 3,600 cases every year in Oklahoma were set to fall under federal instead of state jurisdiction. Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, a Republican, said in a statement that as a result of the McGirt ruling many crimes were not being prosecuted by the federal government. “Now the state prosecutors can take up the slack and get back to what we have been doing for 113 years,” O’Connor added. The state already prosecutes crimes committed in the affected land in which no Native Americans are involved. Tribal courts handle crimes committed by and against Native Americans. Tribes had welcomed the McGirt ruling as a recognition of their sovereignty. The Supreme Court in January rejected Oklahoma’s request to outright overturn it. Castro-Huerta was convicted in state court of neglecting his stepdaughter, who has cerebral palsy and is legally blind, and sentenced to 35 years in prison. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals last year threw out that conviction because of the 2020 precedent. Castro-Huerta by then was already indicted for the same underlying offense by federal authorities, transferred to federal custody and pleaded guilty to child neglect. He has not yet been sentenced. There are 574 federally recognized tribes in total although some states have very little tribal land. The population of Native Americans and Alaska Natives combined in the United States is 3.7 million, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A lawyer for Virginia “Ginni” Thomas has dimmed prospects for a quick appearance before congressional investigators probing the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, asking what they want from his client, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Ginni Thomas on June 16 expressed eagerness to speak with the House of Representatives panel investigating the 2021 assault, telling the Daily Caller she “can’t wait to clear up misconceptions.” The committee sent an invitation that day. In a letter on Tuesday, lawyer Mark R. Paoletta curbed that enthusiasm, telling the committee: “I do not understand the need to speak with Mrs. Thomas.” “Before I can recommend that she meet with you, I am asking the Committee to provide a better justification for why Mrs. Thomas’s testimony is relevant to the Committee’s legislative purpose.” The justice’s wife is active in conservative political circles and said she attended a rally by then-President Donald Trump outside the White House before his supporters marched on the Capitol to try to block certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s defeat of Trump, a Republican, in the 2020 election. At the rally, Trump made a fiery speech repeating his false claims his election defeat was due to widespread fraud. The Washington Post had reported earlier that the committee obtained emails between Ginni Thomas and attorney John Eastman, who advised Trump that then-Vice President Mike Pence could thwart formal congressional certification of Trump’s loss. Her political activity has raised questions about whether her husband should recuse himself from cases involving Trump and the Capitol riot. In January, Clarence Thomas was the lone dissenting voice when the court rejected Trump’s request to block release of White House records sought by the committee. Paoletta said Ginni Thomas had no role in the Jan. 6 attack and never discussed election litigation strategy with Eastman. He also dismissed the committee’s interest in text messages following the election between her and Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows. “These texts are simply much ado about nothing,” he wrote in the letter to the committee seen by Reuters. The committee did not answer a query on its response to the letter on Wednesday. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by AFP People take pictures at Bruce's Beach in April 2021 in Manhattan Beach, California Los Angeles (AFP) – Los Angeles county officials have approved a plan to return California beachfront property to the descendants of a Black family who had the land seized from them a century ago, in a move hailed as a step towards atoning for racial injustice. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to transfer ownership of a piece of land in the city of Manhattan Beach to the great-grandsons of Charles and Willa Bruce, who had operated a resort for Black residents there until it was taken away from them in the 1920s in what the board called “an act of racism.” “We can’t change the past and we will never be able to make up for the injustice that was done to Willa and Charles Bruce a century ago, but this is a start,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who led the effort to return the 7,000 square foot (650 square meters) property to the family. Hahn added that the move will allow the descendants “to start rebuilding the generational wealth that was denied to them.” Willa and Charles Bruce purchased the land in 1912 and after adding a few other adjacent plots created a beach resort, which came to be known as Bruce’s Beach, catering to Black residents, who had few options at the time for enjoying the California coast. Complete with a bath house, dance hall and cafe, the resort attracted other Black families who purchased land nearby. But the resort quickly became a target of vandalism and racial attacks from local residents. In 1924, it was seized by the city under the pretext of needing to build a city park and the Bruces as well as other Black families ultimately lost their businesses. The city park, built on a portion of the seized land, took decades to materialize. “The experience of Willa and Charles Bruce is an example of how racism against Black people has reached crisis proportions,” the board said in a statement, “and has resulted in large disparities in family stability, health and mental wellness, education, employment, economic development, public safety, criminal justice, and housing.” The Bruces plan to lease the land to the city for $413,000 a year and will have the option to sell it back to the county for a price not to exceed $20 million. The United States is in the midst of a historic reckoning on racism, with Confederate symbols from the Civil War removed across the country, and mass protests calling for racial justice following the high-profile killings of a number of unarmed Black people by police and other manifestations of racial disparities. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Julie Steenhuysen and Jeff Mason CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government is ramping up efforts to staunch the spread of monkeypox by sending hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses to states in the coming months, expanding access for those most at risk and increasing supply to areas with high case numbers. The plan, announced on Tuesday, involves rapidly expanding access to doses of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine – which has so far been limited – to prevent monkeypox in areas with the highest transmission and need. State and local health departments can also order supplies of Emergent BioSolutions’ ACAM2000 vaccine, which is in much greater supply but which has more side effects and cannot be used by everyone, including those who are immunocompromised. The Biden administration will allocate 296,000 doses of Jynneos from a national stockpile to states and territories in the coming weeks, with 56,000 allocated immediately and 1.6 million doses made available over the coming months, officials said. The United States has 306 cases of monkeypox, a viral infection related to smallpox that causes painful skin lesions. Although the virus is endemic in parts of Africa, the current outbreak has hit countries where the virus does not usually spread, sparking concern that it could become more widespread. “As additional supply becomes available, we will further expand our efforts, making vaccines available to a wider population,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters. Those at highest risk have been men who have sex with men. Demand for the vaccine has been growing. Last week, a New York clinic started offering the vaccine and quickly ran out of available shots. Previously, health officials have been focused on offering the vaccine to individuals with direct contact with a person who has had a confirmed case of monkeypox. The new strategy will expand that definition to include presumed exposures, said Jennifer McQuiston, Deputy Director of CDC’s Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology. These would include those who had close contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox, those who know their sexual partner was diagnosed with monkeypox, and men who have sex with men who have recently had multiple sex partners in a venue where there was known to be monkeypox or in an area where monkeypox is spreading. The goal of the initial phase of the strategy is to slow the spread of the disease, administration officials said. (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen and Jeff Mason; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Richard Pullin) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal have been cast in ‘Strange Way of Life’. The ‘Black Phone’ and ‘Mandalorian’ actors will star in the Western short film – known as ‘Extraña Forma de Vida’ in Spanish – from writer and director Pedro Almodóvar, with filming set to get underway in late August. As reported by Variety, the movie will be shot in English and follows gunslingers Silva and Chieff Jake, who worked together as hired gunmen 25 years earlier. The film will begin with Silva riding a horse across the desert to Bitter Creek, where he has come to meet Jake with the pretext of a reunion, but there is more than meets the eye. In a statement, Almodóvar teased: “I won’t say any more because I don’t want to reveal all the script’s surprises.” The movie will also star Jason Fernández, José Condessa, George Steane, Manu Ríos, Pedro Casablanc and Sara Salámo. The movie will be shot in the Tabernas desert in Almeria in southern Spain, as well as the settlement built 50 years ago by Sergio Leone for his ‘Dollars’ spaghetti Western trilogy. Meanwhile, production company El Deseo is working on building a ranch near Madrid which will also be used for filming. Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello will be in charge of costume design on the project as well as serving as an associate producer. Producer Agustín Almodóvar described the film as “another exercise of freedom in the line of ‘The Human Voice'”, and praised Almodóvar for the way he “reinterprets genres, questioning their codes”. He added: “We’ll look to self-finance and recuperate later. “This is shot with the freedom we had when we made Super 8 movies in the ‘70s, but with 40 years experience in the sector.” View the full article

Published by DPA Airbnb is trying to make its platform more sustainable for local communities by ending the "party house" phenomenon with a permanent ban on large gatherings in rented stays. Jens Kalaene/dpa Two years after introducing a temporary ban on parties in rented homes during the pandemic, Airbnb is making made the ban permanent for all accommodation worldwide. The ban, which Airbnb made officially permanent in a Tuesday announcement, was first introduced amid fears that parties would shift to rented flats when bars and clubs were closed during pandemic lockdowns. Airbnb says the ban has since proven effective in combatting disruptive gatherings and “party house” events with open invitations advertised on social media. Since the ban was introduced in August 2020, reports of parties have decreased by 44% year-over-year, according to the company. With the move, Airbnb is also trying to make their business model more compatible with local communities by ending the “party house” phenomenon that has become a dreaded arrival to apartment buildings, where a constant turnover of noisy guests can burden nearby tenants. “Over time, the party ban became much more than a public health measure,” Airbnb said. “It developed into a bedrock community policy to support our hosts and their neighbours.” At the same time, the company is also lifting its cap on 16 people per home, after introducing the limit over social distancing concerns during the pandemic. Guests who ignore the party ban are threatened with having their account suspended and even being completely kicked from the platform, and Airbnb says that in 2021 alone, more than 6,600 guests around the world were banned from Airbnb for violating the party ban. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lev Parnas, a onetime associate of Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, will be sentenced on Wednesday for violating U.S. campaign finance laws during the 2018 elections. Parnas, 50, was convicted in October of seeking funds from Russian businessman Andrey Muraviev to donate to candidates Parnas believed could help secure licenses to operate cannabis businesses. U.S. law bars foreign individuals from contributing to campaigns. The Manhattan federal court jury also found that Parnas had concealed that he and former associate Igor Fruman were the true source of a donation to a group supporting Trump. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken is scheduled to sentence Parnas at a hearing starting at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT). Prosecutors last week said Parnas deserved to serve between six and eight years in prison, arguing the Ukraine-born American businessman “put himself above this country” and lacked true remorse. A lawyer for Parnas had urged Oetken not to send Parnas to prison, arguing he deserved credit for his post-arrest cooperation with the U.S. House of Representatives’ investigation leading to Trump’s 2019 impeachment. Parnas and Belarus-born U.S. citizen Igor Fruman are best known for helping Giuliani investigate Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. While Trump was impeached for abusing his powers to investigate political rivals, he was later acquitted by the Senate. Both Fruman, who pleaded guilty, and Andrey Kukushkin, a Muraviev associate who was convicted on some counts alongside Parnas, received one-year sentences. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, has not been accused of wrongdoing. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by uPolitics.com In a packed White House room, President Joe Biden, several officials from his administration and leaders of the LGBTQ community gathered to celebrate the signing of an executive order guaranteeing federal protection of LGBTQ rights. The President, Vice President Kamala Harris and other cabinet members, including Pete Buttigieg, joined a crowd of cheering activists and representatives of the LGBTQ community. “My message to all the young people: Just be you, you are loved,” Biden said. “I want you to know that as your president, all of us on this stage have your back. We have your back.” The exe… Read More View the full article

Published by Al-Araby A potato crisps brand in Lebanon has pulled a long-standing logo on packets of chips depicting the seven colours of a prism after coming under fire by people falsely accusing the makers of promoting homosexuality. Master Chips released a statement after “rumours” about the motive for including a small rainbow on the cover of its long-running ‘Snackers’ products. Some Lebanese homophobic campaigners from across the religious spectrum had falsely claimed the prism was included to promote homosexuality leading to the company buckling under the criticism The makers said: “The company wants to clar… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com The writer and star of the upcoming gay romantic comedy Bros, Billy Eichner, made his high school dream come true when he hosted a screening of his film in New York City hosted by none other than Mariah Carey. Eichner celebrated the occasion on Twitter, writing in all caps “I WILL NEVER RECOVER!!!!!” The day after the event. Eichner and Carey posed for photos on the red carpet, with Carey even pinching the Bros star’s butt for one of the shots. Eichner added in another excited tweet, “I LITERALLY HAD MY FIRST KISS WHILE LISTENING TO THE @MariahCarey EMOTIONS ALBUM IN JUNIOR HIGH AND NOW THIS I… Read More View the full article

North Idaho Pride Alliance “Pride In The Park”FBI Monitored Multiple Hate Groups In Idaho The arrest of 31 Patriot Front members, including the white-nationalist group’s leader Thomas Rousseau, for allegedly conspiring to assault an Idaho LGBTQ event was a big leap in the evolution of alt-right hate groups escalating planned mass violent actions against LGBTQ populations and gatherings. A new report in Rolling Stone shows that the arrests in Coeur d’Alene, ID on June 11 were a product of the FBI’s monitoring of Patriot Front, and that the agency has been monitoring multiple similar xenophobic hate groups over the last year. Coeur d’Alene Plot Unraveled According to the report, the FBI monitored and shared details of Patriot Front activities with Idaho law enforcement as far back as August of last year. Those included data on increasing acts of vandalism in Coeur d’Alene specifically. Complaints about Patriot Front posters and stickers promoting the white-nationalist organization rolled in from residents of the city at that time. The FBI and local police updated each other as the propaganda campaign continued, trying to identify individuals that posted the material. “We need to catch these people. Disgusting,” said Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer in an email exchange with law enforcement obtained by nonprofit organization Property of the People. According to NIPA organizers, the Coeur d’Alene event “was a great success, According to NIPA organizers, the Coeur d’Alene event “was a great success,” with roughly 2,000 people in attendance, many of which weren’t even aware of the Patriot Front arrests until seeing news reports. “The energy that was felt throughout the venue was overwhelmingly positive and full of love and connection,” Jessica Mahuron, NIPA outreach director, told The Spokesman-Review last week. “It was safe, even given some of the challenges on the fringes of our event and sometimes interfering in our event.” Though the Pride event didn’t experience violence or major disruption, Mahuron noted that the tactics and hateful rhetoric of the various hate groups that organized and motivated others to participate in such actions deserve serious attention. “It’s something that a lot of different agencies in the community need to have a conversation about: Where things go from here,” Mahuron said. “I personally would like for us to see the hope that is in our story, about a small community organization that faced enormous challenges that are not normal for even a Pride organization to experience.” Idaho LGBTQ: Previously on Towleroad New Documents On Foiled Patriot Front Attack Of Idaho LGBTQ Pride Event Show FBI Monitored Multiple Hate Groups A Year Prior Brian Bell June 29, 2022 Read More More ‘Don’t Say Gay Bills’ Are Being Prioritized In Multiple States As The Anti-Gay Bill in Florida Passes to Governor Brian Bell March 17, 2022 Read More Idaho, Alabama, Wisconsin Advance Anti-Trans Youth Bills, Including Life In Prison Punishment For Providing Puberty Blockers Brian Bell March 10, 2022 Read More At 18, Gay Sex Got Him 7 Years in Prison. Montana Made him Register as a Sexual Offender Until This Week — though Sodomy Laws Were Tossed 17 Years Ago Brian Bell May 13, 2021 Read More Nation’s Only Anne Frank Memorial Vandalized with Swastikas and Signs Reading ‘We Are Everywhere’ Andy Towle December 10, 2020 Read More Idaho Official Ends Zoom Call with Health Board Because COVID Deniers are Outside Her House, Terrorizing Her Family: WATCH Andy Towle December 9, 2020 Read More Image via North Idaho Pride Alliance View the full article

Published by Reuters By Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The sixth day of congressional hearings into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol featured Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to then-President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows. Hutchinson’s testimony focused on what Meadows and Trump knew about the attack in the days before and on Jan. 6, informed by her close working proximity to both men. Here are some takeaways from the hearing: TRUMP RALLY ATTENDEES WERE ARMED Many Republicans – including Trump and Republican Representative Louie Gohmert – have said the rioters were not armed, but Hutchinson’s testimony contradicted this claim. She testified that both Meadows and Trump knew many in the crowd were armed with AR-15s, handguns, brass knuckles and batons and equipped with body armor. Trump was irate that many rally attendees were having to go through metal detectors, a standard security procedure for people near the president, because it gave the appearance of fewer people attending the rally. “They’re not here to hurt me,” Hutchinson recalled Trump as saying. “Let them in, let my people in. They can march to the Capitol after the rally’s over.” WHITE HOUSE LAWYERS HAD LEGAL CONCERNS ABOUT JAN. 6 Hutchinson testified that White House lawyer Pat Cipollone told her on Jan. 3, 2021, that it would be “legally a terrible idea” for Trump to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6. “He said to me, ‘We need to make sure that this doesn’t happen,” Hutchinson testified. “‘We have serious legal concerns if we go up to the Capitol that day.'” TRUMP GRABBED STEERING WHEEL OF PRESIDENTIAL LIMO Trump was so furious that the Secret Service and White House lawyers were planning to return him to the White House rather than allow him to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6 that he tried to grab the steering wheel from the back seat of the presidential limo, Hutchinson said. “‘I’m the effing president, take me to the Capitol now,'” Hutchinson testified Trump said. Trump denied that assertion in a statement posted on Truth Social, his social media app.”Her Fake story that I tried to grab the steering wheel of the White House Limousine in order to steer it to the Capitol Building is ‘sick’ and fraudulent,” he wrote and denied her testimony that he threw food and plates against the wall on several occasions. TRUMP THREW LUNCH AT WALL AFTER BARR INTERVIEW According to video testimony shown on Tuesday by the committee from Kayleigh McEnany, Trump’s White House press secretary at the time, Trump was so enraged by then-Attorney General Bill Barr’s interview with the Associated Press saying there was no evidence of election fraud that Trump threw his lunch at the wall, breaking a porcelain dish and leaving ketchup dripping down the wall. “There were several times throughout my tenure with the chief of staff that I was aware of him either throwing dishes or flipping the tablecloth to let all the contents of the table go onto the floor and likely break or go everywhere,” Hutchinson told the committee. (Reporting by Moira Warburton, Richard Cowan, Rose Horowitch and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Beckett’s Spirits has officially dropped Todd Chrisley. Tinley Beverage Company Inc stated in a press release via Us Weekly on Monday, June 27, that it “has served notice and has terminated” their agreement with the Chrisley Knows Best star, 53, on being their brand ambassador. Meanwhile, the reality star still has Beckett’s Spirits listed in his Instagram bio. mega The According to Chrisley host, and his wife, Julie, 49, were convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud, with Julie also being charged with a count of wire fraud. More To Come… View the full article

Published by OK Magazine @therealmeribrown/instagram;@mariahbrwn/instagram The famous offspring of Meri and Kody Brown is sharing their truth. On Tuesday, June 28, Sister Wives star Leon Brown came out as transgender, opening up about their journey to self discovery in a candid Instagram post. “someone recently told me that i didn’t have to have all of my s**t figured out in order for me to share myself with the world,” they captioned two photos of themself posing in front of intricate oversized doors. @mariahbrwn/instagram “so here’s me,” they announced, “definitely not having almost any of my s**t figured out, to let you know that i am trans. my name is Leon or Leo (i love both) and my pronouns are they/them.” MERI BROWN POSTS CRYPTIC MESSAGE ABOUT REMAINING POSITIVE FOLLOWING KODY SPLIT: ‘NEW DOORS ARE OPENING’ The TLC star, formerly known as Mariah, then reflected on the first time they knew they weren’t a girl. “i was pretty young & unfortunately i grew up in a context that was incredibly gendered & restrictive,” Leon noted, seemingly referring to their nontraditional lifestyle as part of a polygamous family, as Kody is also married to Robyn and Janelle Brown. (Sister wife Christine Brown announced in November 2021 that she was leaving her husband after more than 25 years together.) “so i continued to be socialized as a girl & later a woman,” Leon pointed out, noting that after all that time, they are now ready to “share my favorite self with the world.” “and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic,” the reality star, 26, gushed. “being queer & trans are definitely some of my favorite parts of myself.” @therealmeribrown/instagram ‘SISTER WIVES’ STAR MERI BROWN STRIKES SULTRY POSE ON INSTAGRAM, SAYS SHE’S TRYING TO ‘EMBRACE CHANGE’ AMID MARITAL WOES As they continue on this process of self discovery, Leon explained, “there are so many things that i am learning to love about myself.” Leon concluded: “here’s to me getting to know myself, share myself, and continually evolve to be the person i am, to be my favorite self in all contexts.” Leon is Meri and Kody’s only child, and while their dad has yet to address his child’s announcement, their mom praised them by sharing Leon’s post to her own Instagram Story. Leon’s fiancé, Audrey Kriss, also came out as transgender back in December 2021. The lovebirds got engaged in 2019 after two years of dating. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump tried to grab the steering wheel of his presidential limousine on Jan. 6, 2021, when his security detail declined to take him to the U.S. Capitol where his supporters were rioting, a former aide testified on Tuesday. The then-president dismissed concerns that some supporters gathered for his fiery speech outside the White House that day carried AR-15-style rifles, instead asking security to stop screening attendees with magnetometers so the crowd would look larger, the aide testified. “Take the effing mags away; they’re not here to hurt me,” Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to Trump’s then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, quoted Trump as saying that morning. Trump struggled with Secret Service agents who insisted he return to the White House rather than join supporters storming the Capitol where Congress was meeting to certify his rival Democratic President Joe Biden’s victory, Hutchinson testified. “‘I’m the effing president. Take me up to the Capitol now,'” Hutchinson quoted an enraged Trump as saying. She said Trump tried from the back seat to grab the steering wheel of the heavily armored presidential vehicle. It was one of several of Hutchinson’s disclosures in testimony at the sixth day of House hearings into the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol assault by Trump’s followers, roused by his false claims his 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud. On social media Trump denied having grabbed the wheel. “Her Fake story that I tried to grab the steering wheel of the White House Limousine in order to steer it to the Capitol Building is ‘sick’ and fraudulent,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media app. Dozens of courts, election officials and reviews by Trump’s own administration rejected his fraud claims, including outlandish stories about an Italian security firm and the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tampering with U.S. ballots. Four people died the day of the attack, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. More than 100 police officers were injured, and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide. WITNESS TAMPERING? At the end of about two hours of testimony, Representative Liz Cheney, one of two Republicans on the nine-member House panel, presented possible evidence of witness tampering and obstruction of justice. She showed messages to unidentified witnesses advising them that an unidentified person would be watching their testimony closely and expecting loyalty. Republican Mick Mulvaney, who served as Trump’s chief of staff before Meadows, said on Twitter: “There is an old maxim: it’s never the crime, it’s always the cover-up. Things went very badly for the former President today. My guess is that it will get worse from here.” Hutchinson told the committee that Meadows and Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani had sought pardons from Trump. Giuliani told WSYR radio in Syracuse, New York, on Tuesday that he had not sought a pardon: “The only time a pardon came up between the president and me, there were two witnesses present including the president, and I told them I did not want a pardon because I didn’t need one.” The hastily called hearing marked the first time this month, during six hearings, that a former White House official appeared for live testimony. Speaking in soft but assured tones, Hutchinson painted a picture of panicked White House officials bristling at the possibility of Trump joining what was to become a violent mob pushing its way into the Capitol, hunting for then-Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers who were then certifying the victory of Biden over the Republican Trump. ‘EVERY CRIME IMAGINABLE’ Their worries focused on the potential criminal charges Trump and others could face. “We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable,” Hutchinson said White House counselor Cipollone told her if Trump were to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6. “‘We need to make sure that this doesn’t happen, this would be a really terrible idea for us. We have serious legal concerns if we go up to the Capitol that day,'” Cipollone said, Hutchinson testified. Hutchinson, who sat doors away from Trump’s Oval Office, testified that days before the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Meadows knew of the looming violence that could unfold. “‘Things might get real, real bad on Jan. 6,'” she quoted him as saying inside the White House on Jan. 2 with her boss. She testified that Giuliani had said of Jan. 6: “‘We’re going to the Capitol, it’s going to be great. The president’s going to be there; he’s going to look powerful.'” At that point, she told the House committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans: “It was the first moment that I remembered feeling scared and nervous of what could happen on Jan. 6.” This month’s hearings featured videotaped testimony from figures including Trump’s oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, and his former attorney general, Bill Barr. They and other witnesses testified that they did not believe Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud and tried to dissuade him of them. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Moira Warburton, additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Rose Horowitch and Costas Pitas; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A majority of Americans hold a negative opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court following its decision last week to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a right to abortion, says a Reuters/Ipsos survey completed on Tuesday. The two-day public opinion poll found 57% of Americans had an unfavorable view of the U.S. top court, while 43% viewed it favorably. That puts approval of the court, which is meant to be a nonpartisan entity, on a par with Americans’ views of Congress, which has long been viewed negatively. It also marks a significant shift from a June 6-7 Reuters/Ipsos poll that showed 48% had an unfavorable view and 52% a favorable view. Some 27% of respondents had a very unfavorable view of the court, up from 14% who held that view earlier in the month. The reversal was almost entirely because of increasingly dismal views of the court among Democrats, often more supportive of abortion rights than Republicans are. Sixty percent of Democrats said they had a less favorable view of the Supreme Court than they had six months ago, compared to 23% of Republicans. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling recognizing women’s constitutional right to abortion. The decision, hailed by conservative activists as a great victory, will dramatically change life for millions of women in America. In a concurring opinion on Friday, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, an appointee of Republican President George H.W. Bush, suggested that the same reasoning that led the court to overturn Roe could be used to rethink other rights, such as same-sex marriage and access to birth control. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has condemned the ruling. Democratic lawmakers hope the abortion rights setback will help drive Democrats to the polls in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, when Republicans have good odds of winning control of one or both congressional chambers. Some 55% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a separate Ipsos poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday. Both polls were conducted online in English throughout the United States. Each gathered responses from 1,005 adults and had a credibility interval – a measure of precision – of four percentage points. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Steve-O admits ‘Jackass’ was a “bad influence” on kids. The hit MTV series – which later became a film franchise – saw the 48-year-old star and his fellow cast members, including Bam Margera, Johnny Knoxville, the late Ryan Dunn, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy and Dave England, carry out daring stunts and pranks on each other or the public. It ran for three seasons between 2000 and 2001, and had a number of spin-offs, including ‘Viva La Bam’, ‘Homewrecker’ and ‘Dr. Steve-O’, plus several movies. And Steve-O has confessed that they were “genuinely worth vilifying” for encouraging a generation of viewers to do their own pranks and wind up in hospital. Speaking on the ‘Hotboxin with Mike Tyson’ podcast, he said: “We were genuinely worth vilifying because back then they didn’t have YouTube or video on the Internet and we were legitimately a bad influence. “When ‘Jackass’ came out, little kids were showing up in hospitals all over the country and maybe the world because they saw us doing this crazy s*** and they wanted to do it themselves.” These days, pranks are a big business on the likes of YouTube and TikTok, so Steve-O says they can no longer take the blame. The stand-up comic added: “At that time, you could really point to us as being a bad influence. “But I think over the years because now that there’s so much YouTube, [MTV’s], so much, it’s not our f****** fault anymore.” The latest film in the franchise is ‘Jackass Forever’, which was released earlier this year. The film stars original members Johnny, Steve-O, Dave England, Wee Man, Danger Ehren, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, plus newcomers and celebrity guests. Leftover footage from the film was used in Netflix’s ‘Jackass 4.5’. What’s more, a new series is in the works for Paramount+ following the box office success of the latest film, which grossed more than $80 million worldwide. Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish said last month: “Based off the success of ‘Jackass Forever,’ we’re working with the creators to continue the partnership with a new series, bringing even more ridiculous antics straight to Paramount+.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Luc Cohen and Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) -Ghislaine Maxwell’s sentencing hearing for helping sex offender and globetrotting financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls kicked off on Tuesday. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of at least 30 years for Maxwell, 60, who was convicted in December of recruiting and grooming girls to have sexual encounters with Epstein, then her boyfriend, between 1994 and 2004. [nL1N2YA05K] U.S. Circuit Judge Alison Nathan will sentence the British socialite at the conclusion of the hearing in Manhattan federal court. Two of the victims who testified at her trial, Annie Farmer and a woman known as “Kate,” are expected to make statements at the hearing. Maxwell’s monthlong trial was widely seen as the reckoning that Epstein – who killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 at age 66 while awaiting his own sex trafficking trial – never had. It was one of the highest-profile cases in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak out about sexual abuse, often at the hands of wealthy and powerful people. In often emotional and explicit testimony during the trial, Farmer, Kate, and two other women testified that Maxwell was a central figure in their abuse by Epstein. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Mark Porter and Noeleen Walder) View the full article

Published by AFP Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson has already featured in videotaped depositions at two of the committee's hearings Washington (AFP) – A former top White House aide with unique access to Donald Trump and inner workings of the West Wing was expected to testify publicly Tuesday before the committee probing the attack on the US Capitol. Cassidy Hutchinson, an executive assistant to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, was a central figure in the White House around the period of the insurrection on January 6 last year. She has already been the source of several blockbuster revelations, appearing in videotaped depositions at two previous hearings and memorably naming a group of House Republicans who sought pardons from Trump following the violence. She was also in contact with officials in the battleground state of Georgia, where Trump infamously pressured officials to “find” enough votes to overcome Joe Biden’s victory margin in a phone call that is the subject of a criminal probe. Hutchinson testified behind closed doors in February, March and May, revealing she saw Meadows incinerate documents in his office after meeting a Republican congressman implicated in the plot to overturn the election. The lawmaker, Scott Perry, was pivotal in Trump’s failed effort to install his own pliant attorney general as part of a plan to co-opt the Justice Department into his scheme to cling to power. It was Hutchinson, according to CNN, who told the select committee that Trump voiced approval for the “hang Mike Pence” chants from rioters at the Capitol — an allegation that was among the many eye-popping claims to come out of the opening hearing on June 9. Hutchinson also testified that she remembered a Secret Service agent informing Meadows of intelligence reports saying there could potentially be violence on January 6. ‘Public spirit’ “I don’t know what Cassidy Hutchinson will say today,” conservative political commentator Bill Kristol, a founder of the advocacy group Defending Democracy Together, posted on Twitter. “But by agreeing to step forward and testify under oath, this young woman is showing far more public spirit, integrity and courage than many of her well-established elders who have chosen a far easier and less honorable path.” Meadows himself has refused to testify before the panel since handing over thousands of text messages and other documents in the early stages of the investigation. The House of Representatives held Meadows in contempt in December but the Justice Department decided not to charge him. The announcement of Tuesday’s hearing with less than 24 hours’ notice raised eyebrows across Washington, since the committee had said it was pushing the rest of its hearings to July and perhaps beyond. The panel revealed the about-face in a brief release which didn’t mention the purpose of the hearing or reveal who would appear, simply saying it would “present recently obtained evidence and receive witness testimony.” The reason for the change of plan remained a mystery hours ahead of Hutchison’s appearance, although US media reported she had become more cooperative since changing lawyers earlier this month. Congressional media outlet Punchbowl reported that there had been “sincere concerns” about Hutchinson’s safety because of what she knows and has already revealed. The committee did not say if there would be more than one witness and Washington insiders speculated that documentary filmmaker Alex Holder’s footage of Trump and his family could also figure. Meanwhile, Trump lawyer John Eastman, the architect of the former president’s scheme to overturn the election, revealed in a court filing Monday that the FBI had seized his cell phone. He said he was confronted by FBI agents as he was leaving a restaurant and called for a judge to have his phone returned. View the full article

Published by DPA The defendant (C) is brought to the Neuruppin Regional Court for sentencing. The 101-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of aiding and abetting the murder of thousands of prisoners at the Sachsenhausen Nazi concentration camp during World War II. For organizational reasons, the trial is being held at the defendant’s place of residence in Brandenburg an der Havel and not in Neuruppin. Fabian Sommer/dpa A 101-year-old man was sentenced by a German court on Tuesday to five years in jail on charges of aiding and abetting the murder of thousands of prisoners at the Sachsenhausen Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Throughout his trial in Brandenburg an der Havel, which lies to the west of Berlin, the accused denied that he had been a guard at the camp during the period in question, 1942 to 1945. The prosecution had produced documents identifying a Nazi SS guard with the accused’s name, date of birth and place of birth, among other evidence. It called for a five-year jail sentence. Lawyers acting for co-plaintiffs also called for a prison term. “The court is convinced that you worked as a guard at the concentration camp for around three years, despite your assertions to the contrary,” the presiding judge, Udo Lechtermann, said in handing down judgement. The defendant had supported the Nazi murder machinery in this way, Lechtermann added. “Through your work, you supported this mass extermination.” The defendant claimed to have been working as a farm labourer in Pasewalk, 100 kilometres to the north-east of Sachsenhausen. The Jewish human rights organization, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, welcomed Tuesday’s conviction and maximum jail sentence. It said in a statement that its Jerusalem office had “assisted the prosecution by finding Holocaust survivors from the camp, as well as first-degree relatives of the victims who can join the prosecution in accordance with German law.” “The center’s chief Nazi hunter, Holocaust historian Efraim Zuroff, praised the verdict as an unequivocal rejection of [the defendant’s] attempts to deny his service in the SS as a guard at Sachsenhausen,” read a statement. “He also praised the continued efforts of German lawyers, such as Thomas Walther, who represented the survivors as well as the relatives of the victims, several of whom were located by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.” More than 200,000 people were imprisoned in the concentration camp, located near Berlin, between the summer of 1936, when it was built, until the end of World War II in 1945. Among them were political opponents of the Nazi regime, as well as members of groups persecuted by the National Socialists such as Jews, Sinti and Roma. Tens of thousands of prisoners died of hunger, disease, forced labour, medical experiments and mistreatment as part of a systematic extermination plan. The elderly man was only fit to stand trial in the courtroom for limited periods, and participated for about two and a half hours each day. The trial was moved to a sports hall in the town where he lives out of consideration for his age. In accordance with Germany’s strict privacy laws, dpa is not naming the individual at this point in the legal process. The defendant (C) is brought to the Neuruppin Regional Court for sentencing. The 101-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of aiding and abetting the murder of thousands of prisoners at the Sachsenhausen Nazi concentration camp during World War II. For organizational reasons, the trial is being held at the defendant’s place of residence in Brandenburg an der Havel and not in Neuruppin. Fabian Sommer/dpa View the full article