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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

Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to punish his perceived enemies will be tested in South Carolina on Tuesday as Republican U.S. Representatives Tom Rice and Nancy Mace try to fend off Trump-backed primary election challengers. In Nevada, Trump-endorsed Republican Adam Laxalt is seeking his party’s nomination for a crucial U.S. Senate race in this year’s midterm elections. Republican Jim Marchant, who falsely claims the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, is vying for a chance to become the state’s top election official. Voters also go to the polls in Maine and North Dakota to choose party nominees to compete in the November general election. With Democratic President Joe Biden slumping in the polls and soaring inflation souring voters’ moods, Republicans are expected to win control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. That would bring Biden’s legislative agenda to a halt and give Republicans the power to launch investigations that could be politically damaging. Rice, a five-term South Carolina incumbent who was one of 10 Republicans to vote for Trump’s impeachment after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, is seeking reelection against a crowded field of contenders that includes Trump-backed challenger Russell Fry, a state legislator. Mace, a first-term incumbent, drew Trump’s ire by refusing to back Republican efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results and then breaking party ranks to hold his former adviser, Steve Bannon, in contempt of Congress. She is defending her seat against Trump-endorsed Katie Arrington, a former state lawmaker. Arrington won the same district’s 2018 Republican primary only to lose in the general election to Democrat Joe Cunningham, who in turn lost to Mace in 2020. Rice and Mace each need to more than 50% of Tuesday’s vote to avoid a June 28 run-off. Whoever ultimately wins the two Republican contests will likely be elected to Congress in November. The results will be watched as a measure of Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party as he hints at another run for the White House in 2024. His endorsees so far have had mixed success in battleground states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina. KEY NEVADA CONTESTS Republicans in Nevada are looking to pick up the Senate seat held by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the 2022 midterm campaign. Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general, leads a crowded field of Republican primary contenders. He holds a 15-point advantage over his nearest rival, political newcomer Sam Brown, according to a May poll by the Nevada Independent. Laxalt is the son of former New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici and the grandson of former Nevada governor and U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt. In Nevada’s secretary of state contest, Marchant, a former state legislator, is vying for the party nomination to oversee the 2024 presidential election against six other Republican candidates. He has received endorsements from high-profile conservatives, including former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and pro-Trump businessman Mike Lindell. Among 2020 election deniers running for election posts across the country, Marchant has distinguished himself by claiming that elections have been rigged for decades and by arguing that electronic voting machines should be replaced by paper ballots. He blamed his own 2020 U.S. House loss to Democratic Representative Steven Horsford on election fraud. Republicans also will select nominees to run against three vulnerable House Democrats from Nevada – Horsford, Dina Titus and Susie Lee. Titus, who entered Congress in 2009, faces a challenge for her party nomination from progressive Democrat Amy Vilela, who is endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders. The Republican field in Titus’ district includes former Nevada Trump campaign aide Carolina Serrano, retired Army Colonel Mark Robertson and pro-Israel activist David Brog. Brog is endorsed by Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In Maine, Paul LePage, whose turbulent eight years as the state’s governor foreshadowed Trump’s rise, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Governor Janet Mills in November. LePage, who once described himself as “Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular,” was widely criticized as governor for his inflammatory remarks on a host of topics from immigration, the environment and LGBTQ issues to abortion and voting rights. He left office with an approval rating below 40%. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by AFP Police in the US state of Idaho say they have been getting death threats since arresting 31 alleged white nationalists at the weekend Los Angeles (AFP) – Police in the US state of Idaho have received death threats after arresting 31 members of a white supremacist group who were preparing to riot at a weekend Pride event, an officer said Monday. The arrests were made Saturday after someone called 911 to warn about masked men who “looked like a little army” climbing into a truck and seemingly headed to the LGBTQ event at a park in the northwestern state. The men — who police believe are linked to US far-right cell Patriot Front — were intercepted before they could reach Coeur d’Alene City Park. They were armed with “shields, shin guards and other riot gear… including at least one smoke grenade,” and were arrested for conspiracy to riot, said Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White. At a Monday press conference, White said half of around 150 calls received by his department since the arrests were from anonymous people wanting to “scream and yell at us” and “offer death threats against myself and other members of the police department, merely for doing our jobs.” White attributed the abusive calls to “hate groups from outside” Coeur d’Alene, with one person phoning from Norway to “give us their opinions.” The police chief said he and his department had been surprised by “the level of preparation that we saw” and by the “equipment that was carried and worn by those individuals.” “It was very clear to us immediately that this was a riotous group” with “some ill intent,” he added. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a justice and rights body which tracks extremist organizations, has labeled Patriot Front a white nationalist hate group. White said the arrested men came from at least 11 different US states, and that he had not previously encountered the Patriot Front in the area. The remote hills of northern Idaho were long associated with Aryan Nations, a neo-Nazi group which hoped to establish a separate white-only region, and was tied to numerous violent crimes across the United States. But Mayor Jim Hammond said the area was “not going back to the days of the Aryan Nations” and was “able to completely rid ourselves of that group and the kind of awful culture that they were trying to present to our community.” An FBI spokeswoman told AFP that federal officers were assisting local authorities. “If, in the course of the investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate,” said Sandra Barker via email. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Walt Disney Co has been unable to obtain permission to show its new Pixar movie “Lightyear” in 14 Middle Eastern and Asian countries, a source said on Monday, and the animated film appeared unlikely to open in China, the world’s largest movie market. A “Lightyear” producer told Reuters that authorities in China had asked for cuts to the movie, which Disney declined to make, and she assumed the movie would not open there either. The animated film depicts a same-sex couple who share a brief kiss, which prompted the United Arab Emirates to ban the film. The United Arab Emirates said the couple’s relationship violated the country’s media content standards. Homosexuality is considered criminal in many Middle Eastern countries. Representatives of other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Lebanon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why they would not allow the film to be exhibited. “Lightyear” is a prequel to Pixar’s acclaimed “Toy Story” franchise. Chris Evans voices the lead character, Buzz Lightyear, a legendary space ranger. In the film, Buzz’s close friend is a female space ranger who marries another woman. A scene showing milestones in the couple’s relationship includes a brief kiss. Disney has not received an answer from Chinese authorities on whether they would allow the film in cinemas, “Lightyear” producer Galyn Susman said. But she said filmmakers would not make changes to the movie. China has rejected other on-screen depictions of homosexuality in the past. “We’re not going to cut out anything, especially something as important as the loving and inspirational relationship that shows Buzz what he’s missing by the choices that he’s making, so that’s not getting cut,” Susman told Reuters at the movie’s red-carpet premiere in London. China is not a “make or break” market for Pixar, one theater industry source said. It contributed a mere 3% to the global box office for “Toy Story 4,” which grossed more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales in 2019, according to Comscore. Any objections to “Lightyear” over LGBTQ issues were “frustrating,” Evans said. “It’s great that we are a part of something that’s making steps forward in the social inclusion capacity, but it’s frustrating that there are still places that aren’t where they should be,” Evans said. “Lightyear” is set to debut in theaters in the United States and Canada on Friday. In May, Disney refused requests to cut same-sex references in Marvel movie “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries did not show the film. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski; Additional reporting by Kristian Brunse in London; Editing by Richard Chang) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Hiddleston has declared the Marvel universe “has to reflect the world we live in” and says Loki coming out as bisexual is a “small step” forward. The actor has played the anti-hero in a number of Marvel films and a recent TV spin-off in which Loki reveals he’s had love affairs with both men and women – and Tom says he felt “honoured” to have been able to bring that aspect of the character to the screen. He told Variety: “Back from my early days of researching the character in the ancient myths, the identity of Loki was fluid in every aspect and in gender, in sexuality. “It’s a very ancient part of the character and I think I thought about it … It hadn’t emerged in the stories we’ve told. And I was really pleased and privileged, actually, that it’s came up in the series.” Tom went to add: “It’s a small step. There’s so much more to do. But the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to reflect the world we live in. So it was an honour to bring that up. It was really important to me. It was really important to (director) Kate Herron and (showrunner) Michael Waldron, and I’m pleased that we could bring it into our story.” The character’s sexuality was mentioned in the third episode of Disney+ series Loki in a conversation with a female version of himself played by Sophia Di Martino. Loki’s romantic past with both princes and princesses was brought up in a single line of dialogue which sparked criticism from some who claimed it should have been explored further. Among the critics was ‘Doctor Who’ boss Russell T. Davies, who slammed the move as “pathetic” during a recent panel discussion. He told the audience: “I think that’s a very great worry. ‘Loki’ makes one reference to being bisexual once, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, it’s like a pansexual show.’ It’s like one word. He said the word ‘prince,’ and we’re meant to go, ‘Thank you, Disney! Aren’t you marvelous?’ “It’s pathetic. It’s a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told.” Director Kate Herron later responded to Davies’ criticism, telling Variety: “I don’t disagree that there should be bigger stories being told, but – and I think he has a right to his opinion – I’m very proud of what we did in the show. Russell is a hero of mine, but like I’ve said, I hope that we did at least open the door and that more stories will come.” View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Thirty-one members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front were expected to appear in an Idaho court on Monday for an arraignment following their weekend arrest on suspicion of plotting to violently disrupt an LGBTQ pride event. The men, arrested on Saturday after the U-Haul rental truck they were riding in was pulled over, face misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot and possibly additional offenses, according to Lee White, the police chief in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. A local resident called authorities after spotting the group of men, all dressed alike with white gaiter-style masks and carrying shields, loading themselves into the truck “like a little army,” White told reporters following the arrests. He said the truck was stopped by police about 10 minutes after the call a short distance from the “Pride in the Park” event in Coeur d’Alene, an Idaho Panhandle city about 380 miles north of the capital, Boise, and about 36 miles east of Spokane, Washington. Video taken at the scene of the arrest and posted online showed a group of men in police custody, kneeling next to the truck with their hands bound, wearing similar khaki pants, blue shirts, white masks and baseball caps. Police officers seized at least one smoke grenade, a collection of shields and shin guards and documents that included an “operations plan” from the truck, all of which made their intentions clear, White said. “They came to riot downtown,” he said. The men had come from at least 11 states across the country, White said, including Texas, Colorado and Virginia. The Patriot Front formed in the aftermath of the 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, breaking off from another extremist group, Vanguard America, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. Saturday’s pride event, described by organizers as the largest ever seen in North Idaho, drew a crowd of several hundred people for festivities that included a talent show and drag queen dance hour, local media reported. KREM-TV in Spokane reported several smaller groups turned out to protest the gathering, with dozens of individuals seen carrying guns on the fringe of the park in what organizers said was an attempt to intimidate those attending the LGBTQ event. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Chris Reese) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Richwine (Reuters) – “A Strange Loop,” the story of a Black gay man and his mental struggles as a playwright, won the Tony award on Sunday for best new musical as Broadway honored its first season since the long pandemic shutdown. “The Lehman Trilogy,” about the rise and fall of investment firm Lehman Brothers, took the best new play honor at a live ceremony held at Radio City Music Hall in New York. “Strange Loop” triumphed over “MJ,” a crowd-pleasing musical about Michael Jackson. Star Myles Frost won best actor in a musical for playing the King of Pop. Being on stage to accept the Tony felt like a “miracle,” said Ben Power, the writer of “Lehman Trilogy”, after COVID-19 halted preview shows of the play for 577 days. “In New York, even after everything, even after today, anything is possible,” Power said, adding that the play had been written as “a hymn to the city of New York.” “Strange Loop” writer Michael R. Jackson based the musical on his own internal doubts as well as external obstacles as he tried to pen a Broadway show. “I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a Black gay man,” he said. Best actor winner Frost addressed his mother in the audience as he accepted his award for “MJ.” “Mom, I made it,” he said, and thanked her for bringing him up to be a “strong Black man.” For best revival of a musical, voters honored “Company,” the final project backed by composer and theater legend Stephen Sondheim, who died in November. The new “Company” reverses the gender roles of the original, which centered on a single man considering his life choices as he turned 35. Producer Chris Harper thanked Sondheim “for letting us re-imagine the classic musical.” “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda introduced a tribute to Sondheim, saluting his “immortal” songs and lyrics and his mentorship of younger artists, including Miranda himself. The three-hour telecast of the awards event featured a slew of performances from nominated shows, to help entice audiences back to theaters. Hugh Jackman sang “76 Trombones” from “The Music Man” while Mare Winningham performed Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” featured in the musical “Girl from the North Country.” Michael Jackson’s children, Prince and Paris, introduced a rendition of “Smooth Criminal” by the “MJ” cast. Patti LuPone won her third Tony award, for a supporting role in “Company.” She thanked “all of the COVID safety people” for making Broadway’s return possible. In the audience were 150 COVID-19 safety managers who had kept shows running. Simon Russell Beale, the star of “Lehman Trilogy”, won the Tony for lead actor in a play. Joaquina Kalukango took best actress in a musical for playing a 19th-century tavern owner in race relations story “Paradise Square.” “I give thanks to all of the nameless ancestors who have suffered. This show gives power to them,” Kalukango said. Sunday’s Tonys were the 75th edition and the ceremony honored some of Broadway’s biggest hits over the decades. Host Ariana DeBose opened it with a medley honoring shows from “Cabaret” to “Wicked,” “The Wiz” and “Hamilton.” She and others at the ceremony welcomed the industry’s efforts to diversify the stories and casts on stage. “I’m so proud that the theater is becoming more reflective of the community that adores it,” said DeBose, the Oscar-winning Afro-Latina star of “West Side Story.” Best play revival went to “Take Me Out,” the story of a gay baseball player. Deirde O’Connell, who won the Tony for lead actress in a play for “Dana H,” urged aspiring writers to “make the weird art.” (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) View the full article

Published by AFP Ariana DeBose, the master of ceremonies for the 75th Tony Awards, at Radio City Music Hall in New York on June 12, 2022 New York (AFP) – A musical about a Black and queer author won a top prize at the Broadway awards in New York on Sunday, while a play about Lehman Brothers and a Michael Jackson biopic also triumphed at the Oscars of the theater. The 75th Tony Awards concluded a season of renewal for the theaters of the American cultural capital, which reopened in the fall of 2021 after 18 months of closure because of Covid-19. Wall Street finance story “The Lehman Trilogy” emerged victorious with five awards, including best play, best actor (Simon Russell Beale) and best director (Sam Mendes). The play by Italian Stefano Massini follows the long life of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers, founded in the 19th century by three German immigrant brothers, whose collapse in 2008 triggered a global financial crisis. “MJ the Musical,” a successful biopic on Michael Jackson, which received the assent of his heirs and a mixed reception from critics because it virtually ignores the accusations of child abuse against the “King of Pop,” won four awards, including that of best actor in a musical for Myles Frost. Two of the children of the star who died in 2009 at age 50, Paris and Prince Jackson, made an appearance on stage. “A Strange Loop,” a favorite with 11 nominations, ultimately won two Tonys, including the most prestigious best musical and best libretto for its author, Michael R. Jackson — no relation to the “King of Pop.” ‘Life raft’ The musical tells the story of the torments of a theater usher, an aspiring artist, Black and queer like Michael R. Jackson, who wants to become a Broadway writer. “I felt unseen. I felt unheard. I felt misunderstood. And I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a black gay man,” the artist, wrapped in a large fuchsia cape, recounted to a standing ovation. Upon his arrival on the stage of Radio City Music Hall, the mistress of ceremony Ariana DeBose, Oscar winner for her role as Anita in the remake of “West Side Story,” said she was “proud” of Broadway’s efforts to be more open to diversity. After the pandemic and the death of George Floyd, an African-American killed by police in June 2020, provoking a broad movement against racism in the United States, Broadway reopened in the fall of 2021 with seven plays or musicals written by black authors, the first time this has ever happened. “There have been incremental changes, but the work continues,” said the singer and actor Darius de Haas, one of the founders of Black Theatre United, which advocates for a more diverse representation in American theaters. “Producers and theater owners have opened their eyes and seen that they can not only have stories that reflect more diversity on Broadway, but also that it can work economically.” Located around the bustling Times Square, the 41 Broadway theaters are not only the stuff of New York City legend, but also one of its cultural, economic and tourist lungs. Before the pandemic, revenues easily exceeded $30 million per week, and $50 million for the week of Christmas. This 2021-2022 season has been disrupted again, but Broadway is back in the black, with 230,000 patrons last week, compared to about 300,000 the equivalent week in 2019. View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Sarah K. Burris A San Francisco library’s drag queen story time was attacked by men purporting to be affiliated with the Proud Boys militia. SFGate reported over the weekend that as LGBTQ+ pride takes place around the country, one of those events turned into a homophobic and transphobic attack. Police told the site that Panda Dulce, a local drag performer, was reading at the San Lorenzo Library when “a group of 8-10 Proud Boys” came into the room shouting and threatening those there. They wrote that the group was forced to leave, and that Panda Dulce was forced to hide in a back office with… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Ron, be gone! That was the message Sunday from dozens of LGBTQ rights activists and local elected officials outraged over Chelsea Piers’ decision to host a conservative conference featuring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Amid chants of “Shame!” and calls for a boycott they voiced their fury over Chelsea Piers’ refusal to cancel the event and denounced DeSantis for his support of the so-called “don’t say gay” bill in his home state. “It is unacceptable that Chelsea Piers has not canceled a speech by the most anti-LGBTQ public official in America,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Dem who … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kim Cattrall will star as a make-up mogul in a new Netflix series. The 65-year-old actress – who is best known for playing Samantha Jones in ‘Sex and the City’ – will play a starring role in ‘Glamorous’, which is due to begin shooting in Toronto in July. Kim will appear alongside YouTuber Miss Benny, who is playing the part of Marco Mejia, a gender non-conforming queer person. The ten-episode series is being written and executive produced by Jordon Nardino, according to Variety, which reports that Damon Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow of Two Shakes Entertainment will also executive produce the project. ‘Glamorous’ was originally ordered as a pilot at The CW in 2019, but it’s now been picked up by Netflix. Meanwhile, Michael Patrick King recently confirmed that Samantha Jones will feature in season two of ‘And Just Like That…’, the ‘Sex and the City’ revival series. Kim didn’t appear in season one of the HBO Max show, but her iconic character will play a part in the upcoming episodes. Kim isn’t expected to reprise her role on screen, but she recently insisted Samantha will “live forever”. The actress – who starred in ‘Sex and the City’ alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon – remains proud of the character and is confident that her legacy will live on for years to come. She said: “I think the character of Samantha was awakened 25 years ago and she will live forever. “She’s your best friend, and she’s someone who will tell you the truth. Because she’s been there and done that. “I love her so much. But she lives in a time and a place, and I honour that.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Dozens of members of the white supremacy group Patriot Front were arrested just outside of an Idaho LGBTQ+ “Pride in the Park” event on Saturday, June 11. The group was found hidden inside of the back of a U-Haul with riot gear. All of the members were dressed in matching ensembles made up of khaki pants, dark blue shirts, light brown hats and white balaclavas hiding their faces. They also wore arm patches and logos identifying themselves as members of the neo-fascist group. U-Haul Truck – not truck involved in arrestsmega Coeur d´Alene Police Chief Lee White stopped the moving truck and arrested the people involved before they could reach the event after police received a tip that “it looked like a little army was loading up” into a U-Haul earlier that afternoon. White confirmed the arrests in a news conference, adding the authorities were also able to find “operations plans”, shin guards and shields in the back of the truck. “It is clear to us based on the gear that the individuals had with them, the stuff they had in their possession and in the U-Haul with them, along with paperwork that was seized from them, that they came to riot downtown,” he continued. White also noted the suspects were identified as coming from all over the United States, including: Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia, Arkansas, and one from Idaho, and all had ties to the same white supremacy organization. Patriot Front is widely described as a “white nationalist hate group” that was started after the “Unite the Right” rallies in Charlottesville back in 2017. All 31 people were charged with “conspiracy to riot.” Their arraignment is scheduled for Monday, June 13. mega “Law enforcement really came through today, and I think this is a really important message and also a healing message that’s needed in this country,” Jessica Mahuron, the outreach director at the North Idaho Pride Alliance, said per NPR. “I know that a lot of law enforcement members actually had to delay their vacations and this was stressful on all throughout the city.” View the full article

Published by The Street By Luc Olinga The CEO of Tesla intervenes more and more in all societal debates and does not hesitate to take controversial positions. Elon Musk loves lighting fires. The CEO of Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report thus uses his Twitter account, which has nearly 98 million followers, to express himself both on urgent matters and on hot societal issues. For several months now, the billionaire entrepreneur has taken a stand on almost all the debates dividing the country. Recently, it was on the issue of guns that Musk spoke out after the mass shooting that killed nineteen children and two adults… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joseph Ax (Reuters) – Police in northwest Idaho arrested more than two dozen members of a white nationalist group on Saturday and charged them with planning to stage a riot near a LGBTQ pride event, authorities said. Lee White, police chief in the city of Coeur D’Alene, told reporters 31 members of Patriot Front face misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot and additional charges could come later. A local resident spotted the men, wearing white masks and carrying shields, getting into a U-Haul truck and called police, telling the emergency dispatcher it “looked like a little army,” according to White. Police pulled the truck over about 10 minutes after the call. Video taken at the scene of the arrest and posted online showed about 20 men kneeling next to the truck with their hands bound, wearing similar khaki pants, blue shirts, white masks and baseball caps. Police recovered at least one smoke grenade and documents that included an “operations plan” from the truck, as well as shields and shin guards, all of which made their intentions clear, White said. “They came to riot downtown,” he said. The men come from at least 11 states, White said, including Texas, Colorado and Virginia. Patriot Front formed in the aftermath of the 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when it broke off from another extremist organization, Vanguard America, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by The Street By Luc Olinga The founder of Twitter has long advocated for a democratic internet with users who control their data. Twitter (TWTR) – Get Twitter Inc. Report seems to be behind him. If Jack Dorsey, the founder and former CEO of the microblogging website continues to monitor behind the scenes the eventful acquisition of the platform for $44 billion by his friend and fellow billionaire Elon Musk, he’s being quiet about it. Instead, the entrepreneur has decided to finally take action to which is one of his latest fights. Dorsey wants a new and decentralized internet. The emergence of the blockcha… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Natalia Zinets and Max Hunder KYIV (Reuters) – Russian forces have blown up a bridge linking the embattled Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk to another city across the river, cutting off a possible evacuation route for civilians, local officials said on Sunday. Sievierodonetsk has become the epicentre of the battle for control over Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbas. Parts of the city have been pulverised in some of the bloodiest fighting since the Kremlin unleashed its invasion on Feb. 24. Ukrainian and Russian forces were still fighting street-by-street there on Sunday, the governor of Luhansk province, Serhiy Gaidai, said. Russian forces have taken most of the city but Ukrainian troops remain in control of an industrial area and chemical plant where hundreds of civilians are sheltering. But the Russians had destroyed a bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River linking Sievierodonetsk with its twin city of Lysychansk, Gaidai said. That leaves just one of three bridges still standing, and reduces the number of routes that could be used to evacuate civilians or for Ukrainian troops to withdraw to positions on the western side of the river. In Lysychansk itself, Russian shelling killed one woman and destroyed four houses and a shopping centre, Gaidai said. The head of the Sievierodonetsk administration said a little more than a third of the city remained under the control of Ukrainian forces and about two-thirds were in Russian hands. “Our (forces) are holding the defensive line strongly,” Oleksandr Stryuk told national TV. ACROSS THE RIVER After being forced to scale back its initial campaign goals following its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has turned its attention to expanding control in the Donbas, where pro-Russian separatists have held a swathe of territory since 2014. Sievierodonetsk is the last city in Donbas’s Luhansk province still held by Ukraine and its loss would be significant strategic blow. Victory for the Russians would move them a big step closer to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stated goals in what he calls a “special military operation”. Elsewhere, Russian cruise missiles destroyed a large depot containing U.S. and European weapons in western Ukraine’s Ternopil region, Russia’s Interfax agency reported. Ternopil’s governor said rockets fired from the Black Sea at the city of Chortkiv had partly destroyed a military facility and injured 22 people. A local official said there were no weapons stored there. Reuters could not independently confirm the differing accounts. Moscow has repeatedly criticised the United States and other nations for supplying Ukraine with weapons. Putin said earlier this month that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems. Ukrainian leaders have renewed pleas to Western countries in recent days to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons as Russian artillery pounds the east of the country. To the south and southwest of Sievierodonetsk, Russian forces were firing mortars and artillery around a number of settlements, according to Ukraine’s general staff. But it said Ukrainian forces had repulsed Russian attempts to advance towards some communities. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports. Ukrainian forces have proven more resilient than expected, but the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War said that as they use the last of their stocks of Soviet-era weapons and munitions, they will require consistent Western support. Putin says Russia’s actions aim to disarm and “denazify” Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies call it an unprovoked war of aggression to capture territory. Also on Sunday, the leader of the Russian-backed separatist Donetsk region in the Donbas said there was no reason to pardon two British nationals who were sentenced to death last week after being captured while fighting for Ukraine. A court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic on Thursday found Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner – and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun – guilty of “mercenary activities” seeking to overthrow the republic. Britain says Aslin and Pinner were regular soldiers and should be exempt under the Geneva Conventions from prosecution for participation in hostilities. The separatists say they committed grave crimes and have a month to appeal. “I don’t see any grounds, prerequisites, for me to come out with such a decision on a pardon,” Denis Pushilin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. Aslin’s family said he and Pinner “are not, and never were, mercenaries”. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk, Additional reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Kim Coghill and Angus MacSwan; Editing by William Mallard and Frances Kerry) View the full article

Published by Reuters UK WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators announced on Sunday that it has agreed on a framework for potential legislation on gun safety including support for state “red flag” laws, tougher background checks for firearms buyers under 21 and a crackdown on a practice called “straw purchases.” “Our plan saves lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans,” the group, led by Democrat Chris Murphy and Republican John Cornyn, said in a statement. “We look forward to earning broad, bipartisan support and passing our commonsense proposal into law.” The… Read More View the full article