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Published by BANG Showbiz English Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King are to star in a romantic comedy for Netflix. Richard LaGravenese will direct the movie for the streamer and is also writing the script after polishing the latest draft of the screenplay from Carrie Solomon – the rising scriptwriter who is working on the Margot Robbie ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ prequel set up at Warner Bros. Plot details for the movie are vague, but the project sees a surprising romance cause comic consequences for a young woman, her mother and her movie star boss as they face the complications of love, sex and identity. Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Alyssa Altman are producing via their Roth/Kirschenbaum Films banner. The company are behind Adam Sandler’s latest Netflix movie ‘Hustle’ and are also working on the big-budget flick ‘The Gray Man’ for the streaming service. Film chiefs are hoping to begin production in Atlanta later on this summer. Nicole has pledged to star in more movies from female filmmakers after a conversation with Meryl Streep made her realise the lack of opportunities for women in the industry. The 54-year-old star said: “Directors, writers, crew-members – the figures were astounding. “There was a lot of talk about how things were changing. But then I was like, ‘We’ve actually got to do something.’ “It was my way of going, ‘Hold me accountable.’ “My commitment to this industry is that I will give a platform for new voices to come forward and they can piggyback on me… That’s part of the ‘paying it forward’.” The ‘Big Little Lies’ actress continued: “I could rest. Or I could actually do what I’d promised I’d do. Sure, I’m tired. But at the same time, I feel this strong sense that I need to stop talking about it, and actually… do it.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Harry Styles thinks a One Direction reunion would be “really nice”. The 28-year-old singer has become a hugely successful solo artist since his former band went on indefinite hiatus at the end of 2015, months after the departure of Zayn Malik, but he thinks it would be “great” if they all got back on stage again “in the right way”. Speaking on the ‘Spout’ podcast, Harry – who was also joined in the band by Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne – said about the possibility of a reunion: “I don’t know. I mean, I think the thought of it is really nice. “I think we all went through something really special together and there’s a lot of love there. So yeah, I think if there’s a moment for us to do it in the right way, I think it’d be great.” Niall recently admitted he’s in regular contact with the rest of the band but they don’t discuss the possibility of getting back together, but he knows that if they did, they would all have to be in agreement. He said: “I don’t know … no-one really talks about it. Still talk to them all the time. There’s a couple of little babies from them lads. Everyone’s having their own success on their own. I’m enjoying what I’m doing. “Of course, if everyone wanted to do it, I’d be down for it … you kind of need to all get in the same room and have the chat, but I don’t know when that would be.” On what conditions he would have, he added: “Having the same opinion is going to be always hard. Unless everyone was completely in, I wouldn’t want to do it. I wouldn’t want to half-force someone into doing it.” The band were formed when they took part in ‘The X Factor’ in 2010 and show boss Simon Cowell claimed last year he could “persuade” them to get back together. He said: “I think it will happen. If they got together, whether it is making records again or touring, it would be the most amazing thing. I’d love it to happen. “If I could get into a room with them all and just say to them, ‘You know what, whether it’s six months or something, I think you would have such a great time and enjoy each others’ company again’ “Maybe I could persuade them. But I think they should do it, definitely. The fans, of course, would love it.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Natalie Grover and Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) -The World Health Organisation is looking into reports that the monkeypox virus is present in the semen of patients, exploring the possibility that the disease could be sexually transmitted, a WHO official said on Wednesday. Many cases in the current monkeypox outbreak, largely centred on Europe, are among sexual partners who have had close contact, and the agency reiterated that virus is mainly transmitted via close interpersonal contact. In recent days, scientists say they have detected viral DNA in the semen of a handful of monkeypox patients in Italy and Germany, including a lab-tested sample that suggested the virus found in the semen of a single patient was capable of infecting another person and replicating. Catherine Smallwood, monkeypox incident manager at WHO/Europe, said it was not known whether recent reports meant the monkeypox virus could be sexually transmitted. “This may have been something that we were unaware of in this disease before,” she told a press briefing. “We really need to focus on the most frequent mode of transmission and we clearly see that to be associated with skin to skin contact.” More than 1,300 cases of the viral disease have been reported by about 30 countries since early May. Most cases have been reported in men who have sex with men. The outbreak has triggered concern since the virus is rarely seen outside of Africa, where it is endemic, and the majority of the European cases are not related to travel to the continent. As the outbreak spreads, the WHO has recommended targeted vaccination of close contacts, including healthcare workers, but has warned it is already seeing a rush to stockpile vaccines. “Once again, a ‘me first’ approach could lead to damaging consequences down the road,” said Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe. “I beseech governments to tackle monkeypox without repeating the mistakes of the pandemic – and keeping equity at the heart of all we do.” (Reporting by Natalie Grover and Jennifer Rigby in London; Editing by Angus MacSwan and John Stonestreet) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Liliana Salgado (Reuters) – Arizona fire captain Kevin Goodman says his company, Escape Armour, exists for one reason: to prevent the loss of even a single child in a school shooting. Goodman, who has four children, designed a bulletproof vest that easily fits into school backpacks, so kids can have it with them at all times. It’s not the first such product, but he says his armour uses better materials. “So to be able to make something that possibly could protect a child in this kind of horrible situation some time, I mean, that’s why I do it,” he told Reuters. Goodman, who has worked as a firefighter, fire captain and fire investigator, as well as an engineer, in Arizona since 1998, took Reuters outside Phoenix city limits to demonstrate how the vest works. Using a mannequin to simulate a child, he fired several shots using a 9mm rifle, 9mm handgun and .45-caliber handgun. As he removed an armour plate from the vest – which did not let any bullets through – he commented on where each shot hit. “These two hits here would have pierced right through my heart. These on the on the right side would have gone through my right lung. And these lower ones over here, there’s two hits here, these would have easily gone through my left side lung,” Goodman said. Escape Armour offers two different products: a foldable vest that comes in three sizes and a standalone shield that makes any backpack bulletproof. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, in the deadliest U.S. school shooting in a decade. It ended when officers who had waited nearly an hour to storm the classroom shot the gunman dead. There have been at least 239 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit research group. (Editing by Gerry Doyle; Editing by Robert Birsel) View the full article

Published by AFP US President Joe Biden has regularly lambasted the oil industry for what he says is a failure to tap into already approved wells and increase output Washington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden on Wednesday chastised the oil industry over soaring fuel prices at the heart of 40-year high inflation, warning of unspecified emergency measures. The letter, sent to seven major oil corporations, was Biden’s most direct salvo yet in a campaign to blame the industry for stoking price increases. Average fuel prices are now $5 a gallon for drivers in the United States, up from $3 a year ago, and the spike is reverberating through the entire economy, helping to sink Biden’s approval ratings to below 40 percent. “Refinery profit margins well above normal being passed directly onto American families are not acceptable,” Biden wrote in the letter to executives from Shell, Marathon Petroleum Corp, Valero Energy Corp, ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, Chevron and BP. Biden said the economy is in “a time of war,” referring to the global fallout from President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against energy exporter Russia. “My administration is prepared to use all reasonable and appropriate federal government tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term, and to ensure that every region of this country is appropriately supplied,” Biden said, without detailing what kind of actions he could take. Biden has regularly lambasted the oil industry for what he says is a failure to tap into already approved wells and increase output. However, the letter, accompanied by a graph depicting rising producer profits, marked an escalation in the war of words. In the letter he asked for “explanation of any reduction in your refining capacity since 2020 and any concrete ideas that would address the immediate inventory, price, and refining capacity issues in the coming months — including transportation measures to get refined product to market.” “The crunch that families are facing deserves immediate action. Your companies need to work with my Administration to bring forward concrete, near-term solutions that address the crisis,” he wrote. Biden’s Democratic Party risks a heavy defeat, losing control of Congress, in November elections and polls show that fears over the economy dominate. In a fiery speech Tuesday, Biden blamed Republican obstruction in Congress and Russia’s war in Ukraine for price increases that he said are “sapping the strength of a lot of families.” The Federal Reserve was due Wednesday to raise interest rates again in an aggressive effort to tamp down inflation, amid fears that the unintended result will be recession. View the full article

Published by Al-Araby Saudi officials are seizing rainbow-coloured toys and articles of clothing from shops in the capital as part of a crackdown on homosexuality, state media reported. Targeted items include rainbow-coloured bows, skirts, hats and pencil cases, most of them apparently manufactured for young children, according to a report broadcast Tuesday evening by the state-run Al-Ekhbariya news channel. “We are giving a tour of the items that contradict the Islamic faith and public morals and promote homosexual colours targeting the younger generation,” says an official from the commerce ministry, which is inv… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Hanks wouldn’t accept his starring role in ‘Philadelphia’ in the present day because he thinks it should be played by a gay actor. The Hollywood veteran won an Oscar for his portrayal of lawyer Andrew Beckett who takes action against his employers when he’s sacked after being struck down with AIDS – and Tom is adamant he would no longer be right for the part. He told The New York Times: “Let’s address ‘could a straight man do what I did in ‘Philadelphia’ now?’ No, and rightly so.” Tom continued: “The whole point of Philadelphia was don’t be afraid. One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.” He added: “It’s not a crime, it’s not boohoo that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity.” As well as winning a Best Actor Oscar for Tom, the film also scored an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Bruce Springsteen’s track ‘Streets of Philadelphia’. Tom is not the only actor who has weighed in on the issue of straight stars playing gay roles in Hollywood – Neil Patrick Harris has insisted he doesn’t have a problem with it and actually finds it “sexy”. He told The Times: “I think there’s something sexy about casting a straight actor to play a gay role – if they’re willing to invest a lot into it. In our world that we live in you can’t really as a director demand that (an actor be a given sexual orientation). Who’s to determine how gay someone is?” The openly gay actor played a straight part in sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and insists his sexuality shouldn’t determine which roles he’s offered. Neil added: “I played a character for nine years who was nothing like me. I would definitely want to hire the best actor.” View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune The Hulu romantic comedy “Fire Island” takes Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and puts a modern gay spin on it, both fizzy and incisive about classism and racism. Margaret Cho co-stars in a role that is part den mother, part provider of vacation housing. The character was originally envisioned as a guy until she expressed interest in being part of the project. “I really wanted to be in the film as soon as I found out it was happening,” she said. She’s a longtime friend of screenwriter and star Joel Kim Booster, as well as co-star Bowen Yang. “And I’ve been going to Fire Island since 2008, s… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Travis Gettys Two of the white nationalists arrested after traveling to Idaho in a U-Haul truck have ties to a right-wing former state legislator from Washington. Mishael and Josiah Buster, two brothers from Spokane, were among 31 members of Patriot Front who traveled from various states to Coeur d’Alene, where police said they intended to provoke a violent clash during a LGBTQ+ pride event — which also drew an alternative “prayer walk” organized by former state Rep. Matt Shea, reported The Spokesman-Review. Shea, who was expelled from the House Republican caucus after he was found to have… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Natalie Grover and Emilio Parodi LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) – Fragments of the monkeypox virus have been detected in semen in a handful of patients in Italy, raising questions over whether sexual transmission of the disease is a possibility, scientists said on Monday. The monkeypox virus is understood to spread through close contact with an infected person, who may shed the virus via its hallmark skin lesions or large respiratory droplets. Many of the monkeypox cases confirmed in the current outbreak are among sexual partners who have had such close contact. However sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, chlamydia, and syphilis are understood to be caused by pathogens that pass from one person to the next specifically in semen, vaginal secretions or other bodily fluids. Researchers at the Spallanzani Institute, a Rome-based hospital and infectious disease research facility first highlighted evidence of the monkeypox virus in semen in four patients in Italy in a report on June 2. They have since identified six out of seven patients at the facility with semen containing the virus’ genetic material. In particular, a sample tested in the lab from a single patient suggested that the virus found in his semen was capable of infecting another person and replicating. This data, which is being submitted for publication, is not enough evidence to prove that the virus’ biological traits have changed, such that its mode of transmission has evolved, Francesco Vaia, the institute’s general director, told Reuters. “However … having an infectious virus in semen is a factor that tips the balance strongly in favour of the hypothesis that sexual transmission is one of the ways in which this virus is transmitted,” he said. Vaia said the World Health Organization has been notified of the latest findings. The U.N. agency was not immediately available for comment. The data comes as more than 1,300 cases of the viral disease have been reported by about 30 countries, mostly in Europe, since early May. Most cases have been reported in men who have sex with men. The outbreak has triggered concern since the virus is rarely seen outside of Africa, where it is endemic, and the majority of cases are not related to travel to the continent. Scientists are scrambling to understand what is driving the current outbreak, its origins and whether anything about the virus has changed. In a separate report published online https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1725831/v1/05f6e057-2c45-4be5-b6e1-238183ca7bac.pdf?c=1654543629 on June 6 and yet to be peer reviewed, German scientists also detected viral DNA in the semen of two patients in the country. The detection of viral DNA does not necessarily imply presence of infectious virus, said Carlos Maluquer de Motes, who runs a research group studying poxvirus biology at the University of Surrey. An analysis by UK researchers found that viral DNA from a range of different viruses, including the Zika virus, has been found in semen, but it is unclear whether the presence of genetic material increases the risk of sexual transmission. Overall, it is still not known for sure whether monkeypox is infectious through semen, added Enrico Bucci, a biologist from Temple University in Philadelphia. “It is suspected and it is very likely that it is. But there is a lack of formal evidence that will be available with further experiments in the laboratory.” (Reporting by Natalie Grover in London and Emilio Parodi in Milan; Editing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by AFP Murder, she wrote: novelist Nancy Crampton Brophy, who penned 'How to kill your husband' has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her spouse Los Angeles (AFP) – A US writer who penned a tract entitled “How to Murder Your Husband” was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for fatally shooting her spouse. Nancy Crampton Brophy, 71, will be eligible to apply for parole in 25 years, a judge in the northwestern state of Oregon told her. Crampton Brophy’s month-long murder trial heard how the author had used a gun barrel bought on eBay to kill her husband in the hope of collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in life insurance. The weapon, which she claimed had been acquired as research for a new novel, has never been found. Chef Daniel Brophy was found on the floor of a classroom in a now-defunct culinary institute where he worked, in June 2018. He had been shot twice. CCTV footage showed his wife driving in the area at the time. The author, whose “Wrong Never Felt So Right” series of novels include “The Wrong Husband” and “The Wrong Lover,” claimed she had no memory of being there, but surmised that she would have been in the neighborhood trying to get inspiration for a new work of fiction. Crampton Brophy, whose lawyers said last month they would appeal the verdict, denied the murder, insisting that years of financial struggle were behind the couple and that she had no reason to kill her husband. “Where is the motivation? I would ask you,” Crampton Brophy said as she sparred with the prosecutor during her trial. “An editor would laugh and say, ‘I think you need to work harder on this story, you have a big hole in it.'” Her blog post “How to kill your husband,” which is still readily available online, discusses methods and motivations for dispatching an unwanted spouse. These include financial gain and the use of a firearm, although it notes guns are “loud, messy, require some skill.” “But the thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough,” the essay says. View the full article

Published by AFP Alopecia, which is driven by the immune system attacking hair follicles, has recently come to the fore through high profile cases including Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith, pictured here with her husband Will Smith Washington (AFP) – The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a drug called baricitinib as the first oral tablet for treating severe alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder affecting more than 300,000 people in the United States every year. Alopecia causes either temporary or permanent patchy hair loss that can affect any hair-bearing site of the body, leading to emotional distress. The condition has come to the fore recently through high-profile cases including Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith and congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia,” said FDA official Kendall Marcus in a statement. “Today’s approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.” Baricitinib, which is made by US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and known by the trade name Olumiant, belongs to a class of drugs called Janus kinase inhibitors. It works by interfering with the cellular pathway that leads to inflammation. Its approval for use against alopecia was based on the results of two randomized, controlled clinical trials involving a total 1,200 adults with severe alopecia. Each trial split participants into three groups: a placebo group, a group that received a two-milligram dose every day, and a group that received a four-milligram dose every day. After 36 weeks, almost 40 percent of those on the higher dose grew back 80 percent of their scalp hair, compared to around 23 percent of the lower dose group, and five percent of the placebo group. Around 45 percent of people in the higher dose group also saw significant eyebrow and eyelash regrowth. The most common side effects included upper respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, high cholesterol, and increase of an enzyme called creatine phosphokinase. Prior treatments for alopecia included topical or oral drugs, but these have been considered experimental and none was approved. Baricitinib was previously approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and during the Covid pandemic its license was extended to the treatment of hospitalized Covid patients. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti announced he is ready to plead guilty to criminal charges and face a judge for his sentencing, According to court records obtained by Radar Online, Avenatti asked a federal judge in California for a hearing to change his plea and request sentencing. The documents state that he plans to plead guilty to multiple charges, though it does not specify which ones. Without knowing which charges he plans to admit to, its unclear how long Avenatti faces spending in prison. MEGA Avenatti plans to plead “open,” which means he plans to plea without the promises of a set punishment. While Avenatti had a court hearing scheduled for later this week, he has requested a telephone hearing to change his pleas. Avenatti and his rep say they have tried to make a deal with federal prosecutors, including ramped up efforts in the last 30 days, they have yet to reach an agreement, the documents state. MEGA “Mr. Avenatti wishes to plea in order to be accountable accept responsibility; avoid his former clients being further burdened; save the Court and the government significant resources; and save his family further embarrassment,” court paperwork read. Prosecutors claimed that between 2015 and 2019, Avenatti stole more than $10 million from clients. Recently, Avenatti has learned his prison sentence in other case. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for threats made against Nike. He was also sentenced to four years in prison for taking money from Stormy Daniels. MEGA Daniels, a former porn star and mistress to ex-President Donald Trump, and Avenatti gained national attention early in the Trump campaign for detailing their escapades. But the friendship between Daniels and Avenatti soured, and he diverted $300,000 worth of payments to himself. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had claimed she received $130,000 from Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for keeping quiet about sexual encounters she had with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denied those claims. According to Reuters, Avenatti freed Daniels from her nondisclosure agreement with Trump. View the full article

Published by AFP Thousands of gun control advocates join the Washington (AFP) – Two horrific massacres in recent weeks have succeeded in bringing Democrats and Republicans close to the most significant federal legislation addressing US gun violence in three decades. Twenty senators — 10 from each party — reached a deal Sunday to put through legislation that would tighten some rules on gun sales and put more resources toward mental health treatment. The 10 Republicans are just enough to ensure that the legislation could overcome Senate rules that have allowed the party since the 1990s to block almost every single measure aimed at controlling the flood of personal firearms on the US market. Their agreement comes less than a month after two shocking mass shootings: first, when 10 African Americans were killed on May 14 at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and then less than two weeks later when 19 children and two teachers were shot and killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Those tragedies also brought into focus smaller, but more frequent instances of gun violence across the United States. Chris Coons, a Senate Democrat who led the chamber’s bipartisan effort, said the legislation could be introduced within days and possibly passed in early July. “In the wake of the horrifying recent shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and across the country, Americans have demanded that the Senate take meaningful steps forward on this issue,” said Coons. “This framework will save lives. If it becomes law, it will lower the risks of mass shootings, of lethal domestic violence incidents, of violence we see too frequently on our streets.” Modest measures The senators’ agreed measures are modest, and far short of what US President Joe Biden called for following last month’s tragic killings. They include: Enhanced background checks for people under 21 buying a gun, allowing a review of juvenile crime and mental health records Funding and incentives for states to pass “red flag” laws to keep guns out of the hands of people deemed a danger to themselves or society, and perpetrators of domestic abuse Tougher penalties for “straw purchasers” of guns for others that feed illegal firearms trafficking Closing loopholes on gun dealer regulations Federal support for state investments in school security and mental health programs But they did not approach demands from gun control advocates, including an outright ban on assault rifles, as was in place from 1994 to 2004, a ban on gun sales to people under 21, mandatory waiting periods in all gun purchases, and bans on high-capacity magazines. Both the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were by 18-year-olds using high-powered AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles. Moreover, whatever gains that come with the legislation could be dealt a setback by a Supreme Court ruling due this month that could overturn state restrictions on carrying guns in public. ‘Breaking the logjam’ – Even so, gun control advocates cheered the measures, recognizing the potential for a significant shift towards breaking the gun industry’s stranglehold. “We applaud this historic step forward for gun violence prevention — one born out of the recognition that this nation needs change and action to save American lives from preventable gun violence,” said Kris Brown, president of the Brady: United Against Gun Violence group. “We’re breaking the logjam in Congress and proving that gun safety isn’t just good policy -– it’s good politics,” said Shannon Watts, founder of the group Moms Demand Action. Narrow political margin Yet supporters were not fully confident the measures will pass, knowing that the legislation could be blocked if fewer than 10 of the Senate’s 50 Republicans support it. Working in their favor is that none of the 10 Republicans who agreed to the deal Sunday are standing for reelection in November. Four are retiring, and five won’t face reelection until 2026; one other faces reelection in 2024. The 20 senators “are committed to each other and to this project,” said Coons. But the National Rifle Association, which has wielded powerful influence over Republicans for decades, made clear their fundamental opposition. “NRA will continue to oppose any effort to insert gun control policies, initiatives that override constitutional due process protections and efforts to deprive law-abiding citizens of their fundamental right to protect themselves into this or any legislation,” the group said. David Hogg, leader of anti-gun violence group March For Our Lives and himself a school shooting survivor, called for action to counter the NRA’s political pressure. “We’re going to need a lot of gun owners to speak out and let these Republican senators know that they are supported, that the NRA speaks only for the NRA and not the majority of responsible, voting gun owners,” he said. View the full article

Published by AFP The House panel probing the US Capitol riot holds its second public hearing in Washington on June 13, 2022 Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump deluged aides with wild voter fraud conspiracy theories after losing the 2020 US election, his top law-enforcement official said in testimony revealed Monday by a congressional probe which the ex-president branded a “mockery of justice.” Appearing in a pre-recorded deposition at a congressional hearing into the 2021 assault on the US Capitol, former attorney general Bill Barr described his then-boss as having no interest in the facts that debunked his groundless narrative. “I was demoralized because I thought, boy… he’s become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff,” Barr told the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection by supporters of Trump. “When I went into this and would tell him how crazy some of these allegations were, there was never an indication of interest in the actual facts,” said Barr, who likened addressing Trump’s avalanche of false allegations with playing the game “whack-a-mole.” The panel is holding six hearings throughout June to outline its case that the riot at the seat of US democracy in Washington was the culmination of a seven-step conspiracy by Trump and his inner circle to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden. Trump ignored repeated warnings from top aides against falsely claiming the November 2020 election was stolen, according to testimony unveiled by the panel. “We will tell the story of how Donald Trump lost the election — and knew he lost the election — and as a result of his loss, decided to wage an attack on our democracy,” the committee’s Democratic chairman Bennie Thompson said in his opening remarks. Trump released his first extended reaction to the probe Monday evening, with a rambling 12-page statement in which he called the panel a “mockery of justice” and a “Kangaroo Court hoping to distract the American people from the great pain they are experiencing.” The second of six planned hearings was shown videotaped accounts from the former president’s advisors, including Barr and campaign manager Bill Stepien, saying they repeatedly counseled him not to declare victory on election night because he hadn’t won — but that Trump went ahead anyway. “He thought I was wrong, he told me so, and that they were going to go in a different direction,” Stepien said. ‘Far flung conspiracies’ Thompson’s deputy on the panel, Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, said Trump chose to listen to the advice of “apparently inebriated” former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani “to just claim he won, and insist that the vote counting stop — to falsely claim everything was fraudulent.” Trump started pushing what came to be known as his “Big Lie” around 2:30 am on November 4, 2020, prematurely declaring victory on the night of an election he ultimately lost to Biden by seven million votes. Barr said in his testimony that Trump claimed major fraud “right out of the box on election night… before there was actually any potential of looking at evidence.” Giuliani and associates including the lawyer Sidney Powell would go on to push debunked theories of massive voter fraud that put them at odds with the White House lawyers Stepien referred to as “Team Normal.” Cheney highlighted “far-flung conspiracies” — dismissed as “nonsense” by Barr — of fraud involving voting machines “with a deceased Venezuelan Communist allegedly pulling the strings.” Trump repeated a number of unfounded claims in his statement late Monday. “Democrats created the narrative of January 6th to detract from the much larger and more important truth that the 2020 Election was Rigged and Stolen,” he said. ‘Big rip-off’ The committee says the initial claim of fraud grew quickly into a conspiracy to cling to power by Trump and his inner circle — and a fundraising campaign that raised $250 million between election night and the Capitol insurrection. The committee’s senior investigative counsel Amanda Wick said much of the cash was funneled into a political action committee that made donations to pro-Trump organizations. “As early as April 2020, Mr Trump claimed that the only way he could lose an election would be as a result of fraud,” Democratic panel member Zoe Lofgren said. “The big lie was also a big rip-off,” she said, promising to show how the Trump campaign raised hundreds of millions of dollars from supporters who were falsely led to believe their donations would be used for the legal fight over fraud claims. All but one of the 62 lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign were dismissed — the vast majority by Republican-appointed judges — while the one that was upheld didn’t affect the outcome. Powell filed four federal lawsuits in staunchly Democratic cities that were all rejected as frivolous and, in Detroit, a judge ordered that she face sanctions for a “historic and profound abuse of the judicial process.” The panel ended the hearing by returning to the Capitol riot, showing footage of mob participants explaining how Trump’s voter fraud claims had motivated their actions. “I know exactly what’s going on right now. Fake election,” one said. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lizzo has removed “a harmful word” from her new single ‘GRRRLS’. The 34-year-old star has responded to backlash after fans accused her of using an ableist slur in her latest track – which will feature on upcoming album ‘Special’, due to be released on July 15 – and unveiled a new version of the song following its initial release on Friday (10.06.22), while insisting she didn’t mean to hurt anyone. She said in a statement: “It’s been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song ‘GRRRLS.’ “Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. “As a fat Black woman in America, I’ve had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally). “I’m proud to say there’s a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action. “As an influential artist I’m dedicated to being part of the change I’ve been waiting to see in the world.” One critic of the original lyric – “Hold my bag, b****, hold my bag / Do you see this s***? I’m a s**z” – was writer and disability advocate Hannah Diviney. She had written: “Hey @lizzo my disability Cerebral Palsy is literally classified as Spastic Diplegia (where spasticity refers to unending painful tightness in my legs) your new song makes me pretty angry + sad. “‘S**z’ doesn’t mean freaked out or crazy. It’s an ableist slur. It’s 2022. Do better. (sic)” Following Lizzo’s statement and lyric change, she added: “I’m going to cry. “Thank you so much for hearing us Lizzo and for understanding that this was only ever meant gently and being open to learning, it honestly means the world. “You’re a real true ally.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lady Gaga is in early talks to star in the ‘Joker’ sequel, which is set to be a musical. The ‘House of Gucci’ actress is said to be in discussions about taking on the role of Harley Quinn – who was played by Margot Robbie in 2016 and 2021 movies ‘Suicide Squad’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ – in Todd Phillips’ follow-up film. Joaquin Phoenix played the titular character in 2019’s ‘Joker’, but sources have told The Hollywood Reporter that Warner Bros. are yet to close a deal for him to star in the sequel. If Gaga signs up for the movie then she is expected to play Quinn, who has an on/off abusive relationship with Joker. Sources have also told the publication that the motion picture will be a musical movie. Phillips – who directed the original psychological thriller – has been working on the script for the sequel with Scott Silver, who he co-wrote the first movie alongside. Last week, he appeared to confirm the sequel will be titled ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’. The French phrase translates as “shared madness” and is used to describe a delusion shared by two people in close proximity. It wouldn’t be the first time Gaga and Phillips have worked together after he produced 2018 musical movie ‘A Star is Born’, which featured Gaga and Bradley Cooper – who co-produced ‘Joker’ alongside Phillips and Emma Tillinger Koskoff – in the lead roles. The first ‘Joker’ movie was a huge box office success, grossing more than $1 billion on a budget of $55 million. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and Phoenix won Best Actor for his portrayal of mentally disturbed Arthur Fleck, who evolves into the iconic Batman villain by the end of the story, and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir won the Best Original Score gong. Phillips received huge acclaim for the movie, but the director previously claimed audiences overlooked one of the film’s central themes. He explained: “If I had to drill down on one overarching theme for me, it’s about the power of kindness and a lot of people miss that. “I think if you don’t see that you either don’t have a soul or you’re being reductive to make up for your own struggles in that area. “But, really, to me, that’s where it started from and there are other things in the movie like lack of love, the lack of empathy in society, and childhood trauma, but the power of kindness really runs through this film.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tyler Perry admits being friends with both Will Smith and Chris Rock has been “very difficult” since the Oscars. The 52-year-old actor has opened up on this year’s Academy Awards with ‘King Richard’ star Will smacked comedian Chris across the face after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, and he explained that being on good terms with them both was tricky as he has tried to diffuse the situation on the night. He said: “There’s a difference between comforting and deescalating, that’s number one. And I left early to get to Chris to make sure he was okay. Being friends with both of them has been very difficult.” The ‘Madea Homecoming’ star left early the awards ceremony early to check on Chris after realising that Will – who just 40 minutes after the smack picked up the Best Actor award for his role in ‘King Richard’ – was shocked to realise what he had just done. Speaking at the Tribeca Film Festival Q and A, he added: “I was there, close up. I left early to go check on Chris because it was wrong in no uncertain terms, and I made sure I said that to Will. “And I’ll tell you, when we walked over to him, he was devastated. He couldn’t believe what happened. He couldn’t believe he did it. And I’m looking at this man in his eyes going, ‘What are you doing? This is your night!’ “And to get all the way to this moment, winning an Oscar, that was one of the crowning moments of his career that he wanted so desperately. And to have something like that happen, I think he is very much in reflection of trying to figure out what happened.” Following the incident, Will – who has been married to Jada since 1997 and has children Jaden, 23, and Willow, 21, with her – previously described his behaviour at the Oscars as “shocking, painful, and inexcusable”. As a result of his actions, the ‘Men in Black’ actor resigned from the Academy after issuing an apology. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced the actor would be banned from attending any of their events, both virtually and in-person, for 10 years. View the full article

Published by DPA European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides holds a press conference on the European Health Data Space, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Abdesslam Mirdass/European Commission/dpa The European Union is set to buy 110,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine, with a deal for the purchase set to be signed on Tuesday, according to EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. The first doses should be available by the end of the month. So far, there have been 900 recorded cases of the disease in EU territory, said Kyriakides, adding that about 1,400 have been logged worldwide. Although the disease has circulated in Africa for years, it has caused an international stir with its recent outbreak in multiple countries where it has never been seen before. The disease is spread through physical contact and medical officials say the outbreak seems to be concentrated among men who have had sexual contact with multiple other men. Germany, for example, is considering preventive vaccinations for anyone considered to be at a high risk of coming into contact with the disease, including technicians in specialized laboratories. Although the disease can be deadly, it is treatable and usually survived, albeit with a phase of bothersome skin outbreaks. Still, health authorities are trying to arrest its spread. View the full article

Published by Reuters LONDON (Reuters) -British police said on Monday they had charged Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey over historic allegations of sex offences, with the actor due in court on Thursday. Prosecutors last month authorised the charges to be brought against Spacey, 62, on four counts of sexual assault against three men, and a further charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Police said the alleged assaults had taken place between March 2005 and April 2013 – four in the capital London and one in Gloucestershire. They involved one man who is now in his 40s and two men now in their 30s. “He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court at 10am (0900 GMT) on Thursday, 16 June,” London’s Metropolitan Police said, confirming Spacey had been charged on the five counts authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following his arrest. Spacey, who won Academy Awards for the Usual Suspects and American Beauty in the 1990s, has said he is willing to defend himself in Britain and is confident any trial will prove his innocence. Once one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Spacey has largely disappeared from public view since being accused of sexual misconduct five years ago. In November 2017, London’s Old Vic theatre said it had received 20 separate allegations of inappropriate conduct by Spacey from 20 men who came into contact with him at the theatre, or in connection with it, between 1995 and 2013. He was dropped from the TV show “House of Cards” and removed from the movie “All the Money in the World” after the accusations of sexual misconduct came to light. (Reporting by Michael Holden and William James; Writing by Alistair Smout; Editing by Kate Holton and Mark Heinrich) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sarah Michelle Gellar has endured a “tough” battle with COVID-19. The ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ star took to her Instagram Story on Monday (13.06.22) to tell her four million followers that she has not been as active on social media because she has been stricken down with the respiratory illness, with her symptoms made worse by her long history of asthma and lung issues. Sarah, 45, shared a note which read: “I realise I’ve been really quiet on here, after two and a half years COVID finally got me. “Thankfully I’m vaccinated and boosted. “But to those out there that say ‘it’s just a cold’… maybe for some lucky people it is. But for this (relatively) young fit person, who has struggled with asthma and lung issues her entire life, that is not my experience. “Even with therapeutics and all my protocols it’s been tough. I know I’m on the road to recovery, but it’s certainly not been an easy road.” The ‘Cruel Intentions’ actress – who has two children, Charlotte and Rocky, with her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. – vowed to be back working soon and active online. However, Sarah insists she will be taking as many precautions as she can to avoid contracting coronavirus again. She added: “I’ll be back soon (hopefully with super antibodies…even if just for a bit). To quote a friend of mine – ‘I would rather wear a mask in the shower if it means I don’t get this again.” Sarah previously gave an interview to Health magazine in November 2021 in which she talked about how the global COVID-19 pandemic had affected her and her family. The actress – whose two children both have asthma, whilst Freddie, 46, experiences bouts of the illness – said: “These last two years we’ve obviously been faced with a pandemic that is a viral respiratory illness. You realize how much is really at stake for anyone like myself who suffers. “When the pandemic first hit, anyone with asthma knows that breathing is a challenge and it’s something that we have to think about. “If we were to get COVID, my body would have a harder time fighting that, breathing through it. It heightens it for anyone who suffers from asthma.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Martin Quin Pollard and Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) -Authorities in China’s capital warned on Tuesday that a COVID-19 surge in cases linked to a 24-hour bar was critical and the city of 22 million was in a “race against time” to get to grips with its most serious outbreak since the pandemic began. The flare-up means millions of people are facing mandatory testing and thousands are under targeted lockdowns, just days after the city started to lift widespread curbs that had run for more than a month to tackle a broader outbreak since late April. Authorities announced on the weekend a “ferocious” COVID outbreak linked to the Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had only just re-opened after coronavirus curbs were eased last week. The outbreak of at least 287 cases has raised new worries about the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy. China is just recovering from a two-month lockdown in the city of Shanghai that had raised worries about global supply chains. “We should go all out, race against time,” He Lijian, spokesman for the Beijing municipal government, told a news conference, referring to efforts to contain the outbreak. Drinking and dining in most establishments in Beijing only resumed on June 6, after more than a month of measures such as take-out meals only and working from home, along with the closure of malls and stretches of the transport system. Authorities have refrained from restoring the toughest of the earlier restrictions, but about 10,000 close contacts of the customers of the bar have been identified and their residential buildings put under lockdown. Chaoyang, the city’s largest district in which the bar is located, began a three-day mass testing campaign on Monday for its roughly 3.5 million residents. People infected in the latest surge in cases live or work in 14 of the capital’s 16 districts, authorities have said. Police have launched a criminal investigation into the person in charge of the bar on suspected interference with epidemic prevention, Pan Xuhong, deputy director of the city’s Public Security Bureau, told the news conference. ‘PROPAGATOR’ Pan said three other people, two of whom had visited the bar and the other a close contact of bar customers, had been put under criminal investigation after they insisted on going out despite being ordered to isolate at home. The three were later confirmed to have been infected, which resulted in dozens of people being put into quarantine at centralised facilities and more than 2,000 under other COVID measures, Pan said. The bar’s business license has been revoked after officials found it failed to comply with rules including checking customers’ temperature and COVID test results, or making sure customers scan a digital health code, the market regulator in the Chaoyang district said on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the state-backed Beijing Daily said a team of officials would work to investigate and deal with the Heaven Supermarket Bar “quickly, strictly and seriously”. All of the city’s bars, nightclubs, karaoke venues, internet cafes and other places of entertainment were being inspected, the newspaper said, with those in underground spaces being shut as epidemic prevention work is “tightened”. The paper has repeatedly pointed the finger at an individual, dubbed Patient No. 1,991, for triggering the flare-up. Careless behaviour had turned the unidentified person into the “propagator” of the outbreak. Beijing authorities say the person did not take a COVID test between May 26 and June 8, despite visiting a number of restaurants, bars and crowded places at that time. The patient developed a fever by the evening of June 8, two days after a visit to Heaven Supermarket Bar. But despite the fever, the person returned to the bar early on June 9, the same day a handful of other bar patrons were found to be infected. (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard, Ryan Woo, Roxanne Liu and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell, Robert Birsel) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell used his first four years as the world’s top central banker to reshape U.S. monetary policy around the idea that low inflation and low unemployment could coexist. It was a move intended to spread the gains of economic growth more widely and keep a focus on jobs during the rebound from the pandemic. But the assumptions on which it rested – a relatively frictionless global economy with a well-greased supply chain; a balanced U.S. labor market with just over one open job for each unemployed person – have been shattered by events that appear to have put the Fed’s two goals of full employment and moderate inflation back in opposition. Graphic: There and back again: Fed views of 2022 – https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-FED/SEPS/gdpzyexqmvw/chart.png Unemployment today at 3.6% is more akin to the 1950s and 1960s, with workers exercising leverage to negotiate higher wages and, given the pandemic, better working conditions. Inflation, however, is soaring at more than 8% annually, leaving Fed officials at a crossroads over how to tame it and facing the possibility that their “narrow path” back to the pre-pandemic world of low unemployment and low inflation may have all but closed. Fed officials are expected to raise interest rates for a third time this year on Wednesday, with a three-quarters-percentage point increase now seen as the likely outcome, with the possibility of signals for more large hikes as long as inflation keeps far overshooting their 2% target. [nL1N2Y02MC] In new projections, they will also provide their sense of what’s at risk, and what price the economy could pay through slowing growth and higher unemployment to get inflation back into line. A HEYDAY FOR JOBS Arguably Powell’s approach did what was intended in the labor market. The employment rebound has been faster than many expected at the pandemic’s outset. Distributionally, it has also helped, consistent with the Fed’s view of maximum employment as something “broad and inclusive.” Wages have risen fastest for lower-paid occupations; more Blacks and Hispanics are employed than before the pandemic, while white employment in May remained 1.6 million below February 2020’s peak. Graphic: Minority employment surges – https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-FED/POWELL/akpezrdkbvr/chart.png Back in March, Fed officials saw inflation receding with no unemployment rate increase, but “we’re going to see some cracks” in that story in the new projections, predicted Nomura senior U.S. economist Robert Dent. The median projected unemployment rate may just rise a couple of tenths of a percentage point in coming years, as Fed officials hang onto their view of an economy that may still revert to pre-pandemic form. But “it is a tightrope…It would not be hard at all to see the economy tip into recession,” with joblessness rising to 5% or higher, he said. Some Fed officials have started opening the door to unemployment rates above 4%, the level policymakers roughly consider full employment. That’s likely to fall hardest on Black and Hispanic workers, whose unemployment rates typically rise faster in downturns. THE SAVINGS STOCKPILE One unexpected outcome of the pandemic was a federal government response so strong that household incomes rose despite a recession. Some now argue the spending, in early 2021 in particular, left the economy with much more consumer demand than it can meet, adding to inflation. But it also offset what would have likely been rising poverty, hunger and homelessness. A lot of it, moreover, remains in household bank accounts. Data last week showed that through the end of March cash and checking deposits continued rising, to $4.4 trillion – more than triple the pre-pandemic level. Graphic: Households cash buffers spike – https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-FED/POWELL/gkvlgzrnapb/chart.png That also provided a buffer: In a recent Fed household survey respondents said they are in the best financial shape ever. But, to some degree, it may have to be spent down to fix inflation – and may make the Fed’s job harder as it gives people room to handle $5-a-gallon gas. The relationship between excess savings, its distribution across the economy, and people’s willingness to use the cash to cover higher prices is a key issue in the Fed’s inflation puzzle. LOW BANKRUPTCY RATES Another pandemic shoe that never dropped: Bankruptcy rates fell as the Paycheck Protection Program and other initiatives kept firms alive. A recession or significant slowdown may well trigger the washout that never happened. According to data from Epiq, Chapter 11 commercial filings in May increased 34% from a year earlier, though overall commercial filings were down slightly. American Bankruptcy Institute Executive Director Amy Quackenboss in a statement said rising interest rates and higher prices had begun “compounding the economic challenges for financially distressed families and businesses.” A RECESSION WITH NO SAFETY NET? As a result of the unprecedented effort to keep businesses and families afloat, the federal debt exploded. While the low-inflation, low-interest-rate environment of the last quarter century or so triggered a broad rethinking about public debt, some of the dynamics that argued for aggressive spending are now moving the other way. When rates on government debt exceed the rate of economic growth, for example, elected officials may not be so willing to roll out an expansive safety net next time. Given how soon that may occur – in a recent Reuters poll 40% of economists said they expect a downturn within two years – the Fed may also be constrained. It can cut rates, which may by then be high enough to provide a substantial economic boost. But it will still be carrying a very large balance sheet, run up to nearly $9 trillion during the pandemic, with policymakers less likely to begin using that second tool to support the economy. (Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Dan Burns) View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Travis Gettys One of the Patriot Front extremists was kicked out of his mother’s house after his arrest with dozens of white nationalists allegedly conspiring to provoke violence at an Idaho LGBTQ+ pride event. Karen Amsden, the mother of Jared Michael Boyce, told The Daily Beast that her son had struggled since his father left their family years ago and came out as gay, and she said she was going public in hopes of damaging her son’s reputation in the group and finally cut ties with white nationalism. “I would love to do whatever I can to out him [as a Patriot Front member] so that he can’… Read More View the full article