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Published by Reuters By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A police officer who suffered a brain injury at the hands of rioters during last year’s U.S. Capitol attack described the scenes of violence and chaos – including fellow officers bloodied and on the ground – in testimony on Thursday before the congressional panel investigating the assault. U.S. Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards was one of two witnesses appearing in person during the first hearing of the House of Representatives select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault. She described how she got hurt and what she found when she finally got to safety behind a Washington Metropolitan Police line. “What I saw was just a war scene. It was something like I’d seen out of the movies. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were officers on the ground. You know, they were bleeding. They were throwing up. … I was slipping in people’s blood,” she testified. The committee showed a video clip of Edwards getting injured while she was trying to hold back the mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters with two of the metal bike racks police were using as barricades. “I felt the bike rack come on top of my head and I was pushed backwards and my foot caught the stair behind me. And my chin hit the handrail – at that point I had blacked out. … The back of my head clipped the concrete stairs behind me.” Edwards said she returned to duty after she regained consciousness. More than 100 police officers were injured that day and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide. Edwards told the committee she has been proud to put on a uniform and serve her country. But on that day, she was called by rioters House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s dog, incompetent and a villain. “They dared to question my honor,” Edwards said. “They dared to question my loyalty and they dared to question my duty.” (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Chelsea Handler has admitted she “wasn’t respectful” to Joan Rivers and didn’t give the late comic the “the kudos she deserved”. The pair fell out prior to Joan’s death in 2014 with Chelsea revealing their feud started because she had “kinda blown her off” when she was “young and arrogant”. Opening up about the bad blood between the pair, Chelsea explained herself during a chat with Joan’s daughter Melissa on the ‘Melissa Rivers’ Group Text Podcast’. Chelsea said: “Your mom approached me a couple times when we were on E! I just felt like a s*** because I had just kinda blown her off. I wasn’t respectful in the way I realise I needed to be now.” The ‘Chelsea Lately’ star was among those who paid tribute to Joan in Netflix special ‘The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up’ and Melissa was furious when she found out about the tribute from Chelsea. Melissa told the TV host she “went f****** bananas” when she was told Chelsea would be honouring Joan, prompting the comedian to explain why she did it. Chelsea said: “(I was) so excited about the opportunity to do it, to go and say those things in front of everybody. To be like, you have to remember that every opportunity that anyone has in this world as a female comedian, you have to thank the people who came before you.” She added: “When I was on E!, I was so young and arrogant and just thought, ‘I did it. I got myself to where I was.’ I didn’t give her the kudos she deserved and so I was eager to like put that in writing.” The comedy special debuted in May and during the show Chelsea admitted Joan actually had a huge impact on her career. She said: “The first time I meet Joan Rivers, we were both on E! – and not the fun kind. It was the basic cable network with the exclamation point, which in hindsight was still a good time. “But, at the time though, I did not realise the enormous impact Joan had on my career.” Chelsea went on to say: “I was too wrapped up in my own world. I was too young, too confident, and too arrogant to believe anyone had a hand in my success but myself. Now, I know that for every success I’ve had it was because someone came before me who was bolder and braver and good luck finding someone else who was as bold and as brave as Joan Rivers.” Joan died on September 4 2014 at the age of 81 after suffering complications during surgery on her throat. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Lauren Boebert was accused of “covering up” an ATV accident involving herself, her son and her sister-in-law just days before an important primary election, Radar has learned. The incident, which reportedly took place in May 2020, allegedly happened in Moab, Utah and involved an out-of-control Jeep ATV that ultimately crashed into the face of a large rock moments after the then 33-year-old Colorado GOP rep “bailed” from the vehicle. Mega That is the shocking revelation from a Daily Mail report that also claimed Boebert left her son, her then sister-in-law and her dog inside the vehicle before the crash despite the danger the entire incident entailed. “It was pretty crazy. [Boebert] got out of the driver’s seat and left Tori screaming and freaking out, and her son and dog in the back seat,” an anonymous source told the outlet, referencing Boebert’s former sister-in-law Tori Hooper. “Tori couldn’t get out of her seatbelt, so she grabbed the steering wheel,” the inside source continued. “She’s steering into a cliff. They hit a rock wall; it struck her whole face. It was bad.” “Lauren begged Tori not to say anything. She tried to use her money,” the anonymous source added. “She said: ‘I’ll pay for it all,’ but Tori had insurance, so she didn’t have to pay for anything.” Mega Making the claim even more shocking is the fact that the alleged ATV incident took place just two weeks before a key Colorado primary, suggesting Boebert potentially covered up the crash in an effort to save her own skin. Hooper, who was married to Boebert’s brother Benjamin Bentz at the time, reportedly sustained severe injuries to her face and chest as a result of the crash. It is not known whether or not Boebert’s son and dog also sustained any injuries from the alleged crash despite being in the back seat at the time of the off-roading accident. “[Tori] got stuck inside of a crevice in the Jeep while Lauren sort of, kind of, took off her belt and slipped out,” Hooper’s mother told the outlet. “You won’t find any reports of a 911 call, but she was really injured for sure,” Hooper’s mother added. Mega Surprisingly, this alleged incident was not the first time Boebert was involved in a car accident. In 2016, the GOP rep was charged with careless driving and operating an unsafe vehicle after driving her truck into a ditch in Garfield County, Colorado. Then, in 2017, Boebert was arrested and temporarily placed behind bars after failing to appear in court in connection to the accident. News of Boebert’s alleged cover up also comes just days before another key primary for the 35-year-old Republican representative, and Boebert’s detractors are suggesting she apologize and come clean about the alleged incident before the primary set to take place later this month. “Our coalition of Republicans, Democrats and Unaffiliated Coloradans are urging all voters and citizens to ask Boebert why she covered up the accident that endangered the life of her son, sister-in-law and dog,” David Wheeler, the president of American Muckrakers PAC Inc, recently said. “Utah officials must investigate this matter immediately, release their findings, and take appropriate actions against Boebert and anyone else that covered-up this matter,” Wheeler added. “We hope voters will fire Boebert in the June 28, 2022, primary election.” View the full article

Published by Fort Worth Star-Telegram FORT WORTH, Texas — The pastor of a North Texas church evicted in February from its building for trying to incite violence against the LGBT community is facing protests again after calling for gay people to be executed. “What does God say is the answer, is the solution for the homosexual in 2022, here in the New Testament, here in the book of Romans? That they are worthy of death,” preacher Dillon Awes of Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga said in a Sunday sermon. “These people should be put to death,” Awes continued. “Every single homosexual in our country should be charged with a crime, the … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump told a congressional panel investigating the U.S. Capitol attack that even she does not believe the former president’s false claims that his 2020 election defeat resulted from widespread voting fraud. Ivanka Trump, one of her father’s most trusted allies during his four years in the White House, appeared in a video deposition shown during the first in a series of congressional hearings by a House of Representatives select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack. “I respect Attorney General (William) Barr. So I accepted what he was saying,” Ivanka Trump told congressional investigators. And what Barr was saying, Ivanka testified, was that his Justice Department had discovered no significant fraud to support President Trump’s claim – one the former president is still making – that massive voter fraud in several key states caused the 2020 election to be “stolen” from him. The committee showed a video of Barr’s appearance before panel investigators. In that video, Barr called his former boss’ fraud claims “bullshit” The former president has been more successful in persuading Republican voters of this view. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Wednesday found that 58% of Republicans viewed the outcome of the 2020 election to be the result of fraud. Also shown testifying was Ivanka husband, Jared Kushner, another of the former president’s top aides. In the video, the president’s son-in-law mentioned “whining,” referring to top Trump aides threatening to resign because of the Jan. 6 attack. The Jan. 6, 2021, riot followed shortly after Trump gave an incendiary speech to thousands of supporters outside the White House, repeating his false claims of a stolen 2020 election and urging them to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell.” (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham) View the full article

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Published by New York Daily News “Queer as Folk” is supposed to be a wild, fun, exhilarating peek into a tight-knit queer community in New Orleans. Then there’s a shooting at a gay nightclub. The Peacock series, which premiered Thursday and is labeled as a “reimagining” of Russell T. Davies’ original British show, draws almost immediately from the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 49 people dead. For showrunner Stephen Dunn, showing the reality of this world was the only way to keep the authenticity he strove for. “This isn’t a show about a shooting. This isn’t a show about a shooter,” Dunn t… Read More View the full article

Performances to include ‘Six,’ ‘Company,’ ‘Music Man’ performers coming to Awards Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — The Tony Awards are rolling out the red carpet for Broadway’s biggest shows. Sunday night’s award show has booked performances from its nominated musicals, including “A Strange Loop,” “Company,” “Girl from the North Country,” “MJ,” “Mr. Saturday Night,” “Music Man,” “Paradise Square” and “Six,” CBS announced Thursday. Among the nominated musicals not listed is “Caroline, or Change,” which is up for best revival but closed in January. Former winners Bernadette Peters (”Annie Get Your Gun,” “Song and Dance” and “On The Town”) and Billy Porter (”Kinky Boots”) will also perform, as will… Read More Jennifer Hudson could become an EGOT on Sunday thanks to ‘A Strange Loop’ producer Barbara Whitman Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — Jennifer Hudson may become an EGOT on Sunday. The actress and singer, who is already an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar winner, could add a Tony Award to her achievements for her role as a producer of the hit Broadway musical “A Strange Loop.” Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy was nominated for 11 Tony Awards this year, including the grand prize of best musical. Hudson, the “American Idol” castoff turned “Dreamgirls” star is among several celebrities who have thrown their support behind Michael R. Jackson’s show about a Black gay writer who works as an usher at a Broadway mu… Read More ‘A Strange Loop’ creator Michael R. Jackson on The Tony Awards, his love for Liz Phair and his issue with Tyler Perry NEW YORK — Tyler Perry and Liz Phair are two names you’d never expect to hear mentioned in a Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway show marketed as a “big, Black, queer-ass American musical.” But the Hollywood titan and the ‘90s alternative rock queen feature prominently in “A Strange Loop,” which is up for 11 Tonys on Sunday. The brainchild of Michael R. Jackson, “A Strange Loop” centers around the emotional trials and tribulations of an overweight, Black gay writer who works as a Broadway usher. Newcomer Jaquel Spivey makes his Great White Way debut as a mid-twenties character — named Usher — who … Read More View the full article

Published by PopCrush It’s officially Pride Month and many have taken to social media to celebrate the occasion. One such person is actress Rebel Wilson, introduced her girlfriend to the world Thursday (June 9). Taking to Instagram, theSenior Year actress posted a picture of her with her girlfriend, Ramona Agruma. In the caption, alongside a rainbow emoji she wrote she “thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess #loveislove.” See her post and see her new girlfriend below: Until now, Wilson has remained mum about who she was dating. In an interview… Read More View the full article

Sonny KissWrestling Is Gay “Out In The Ring,” the new documentary chronicling the history of LGBTQ identities in pro wrestling, walked away with its own championship belt last week, winning Best Canadian Feature at Canada’s largest LGBTQ film festival, Inside Out Toronto. The film premiered on June 3 after a four-plus yearlong production cycle that felt the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and pro wrestling’s own #MeToo movement, #SpeakingOut. The film’s director, Ry Levey, retired prominent out wrestler Susan “Tex” Green and others featured in the film were in attendance for a panel discussion about the film’s subjects, including pro wrestling’s history of homophobia and the modern advancement of queer people in the medium, following the screening. Susan “Tex” Green and director Ry Levey“Inside Out was the first film festival I attended after coming out 25 years ago,” Levey said. “To have it come full circle and win this prize with my first feature film is a true privilege.” Other major winners at the festival were Amelia Eloisa’s “We Will Never Belong” (Best Narrative Feature), Joseph Sackett’s “Homebody” (Best First Feature) and Jacquie Lawrence’s “Gateways Grind” (Best Documentary Feature). The full list of Inside Out Toronto 2022 winners is available here. Out In The Ring: Previously on Towleroad LGBTQ Pro Wrestling Documentary ‘Out In The Ring’ Wins Best Canadian Feature at Inside Out Toronto Film Festival Brian Bell June 9, 2022 Read More Viola Davis was called by director’s maid’s name Towleroad May 20, 2022 Read More The Week in Pictures: May 13 – May 20 Towleroad May 20, 2022 Read More Nicole Kidman Snubbed! Actress Fails To Be Included In Tom Cruise Tribute Montage At Cannes Film Festival Towleroad May 19, 2022 Read More LGBT Horror Fans Loving Newly Revealed Slasher Title ‘They/Them’ Towleroad May 17, 2022 Read More Paradise restored: How Ko Phi Phi bounced back during the pandemic Towleroad May 13, 2022 Read More Photo courtesy of Out In The Ring View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tim Burton quit the ‘Batman’ franchise over a nipple costume. The 63-year-old director was at the helm of the 1989 movie ‘Batman’ – which starred Jack Nicholson as the titular DC Comics superhero – and its 1992 sequel ‘Batman Returns’ but explained that he was constantly being told his ideas were “too weird” even though costume designers had created a nipple costume for the movie. He said: “Back then] they went the other way. That’s the funny thing about it. But then I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Okay. Hold on a second here. You complain about me, I’m too weird, I’m too dark, and then you put nipples on the costume? Go f*** yourself.’ Seriously!” The acclaimed director – who is known for directing kooky gothic movies such as ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Edward Scissorhands – added that the nipple costume drama was the reason he didn’t return to the franchise to direct a third film. He told Empire: “So yeah, I think that’s why I didn’t end up [doing a third film].” Tim’s comments come shortly after the costume designer Jose Fernandez – who worked on both of the films and designed the nipples aspect of the outfit worn by Val Kilmer – explained that the nipples were not a “fetish” addition to the costume and were more inspired by Roman armour. He said: “With Val Kilmer’s suit in ‘Batman Forever’, the nipples were one of those things that I added. It wasn’t fetish to me, it was more informed by Roman armor, like Centurions. And in the comic books, the characters always looked like they were naked with spray paint on them — it was all about anatomy, and I like to push anatomy. I don’t know exactly where my head was back in the day, but that’s what I remember. And so I added the nipples. I had no idea there was going to end up being all this buzz about it.” View the full article

Published by AFP US Olympian Simone Biles is among gymnasts who have filed a claim against the FBI for alleged mishandling of the investigation into sexual abuse by former team doctor Larry Nassar Washington (AFP) – Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and other star US gymnasts filed a $1 billion claim against the FBI on Wednesday for mishandling of the investigation into sexual abuse by predatory former team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar, 58, is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty in late 2017 and early 2018 to sexually assaulting athletes while working as a sports medicine doctor at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. Hundreds of women — including Olympic gold medalists Biles, Raisman and McKayla Maroney — have accused Nassar of sexually abusing them during his more than two-decade career. Biles, Raisman and Maroney are among the more than 90 women who have filed the federal tort claim against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the law firms handling the case said in a joint statement. “The majority of claimants consists of over 90 young women and girls who were abused after 2015 due to the FBI’s failure to take required steps to protect them,” they said. The claim against the FBI comes just days after the Department of Justice announced it was not bringing any charges against two now retired FBI special agents who mishandled the Nassar investigation. “My fellow survivors and I were betrayed by every institution that was supposed to protect us — the US Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, the FBI and now the Department of Justice,” Maroney said in a statement. “I had some hope that they would keep their word and hold the FBI accountable,” she said. “It is clear that the only path to justice and healing is through the legal process.” ‘Grossly derelict’ The law firms said the FBI received credible complaints in July 2015 of Nassar’s sexual assaults and was “then able to immediately end Nassar’s predation.” “However, the FBI was grossly derelict in their duties by declining to interview gymnasts who were willing to talk about the abuse,” they said. “As a result, Nassar continued his predatory behavior, sexually assaulting approximately 90 young women and children between July 28, 2015, and September 12, 2016,” they added. An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment on the legal claim but pointed reporters to testimony before a Senate committee in September 2021 by FBI director Christopher Wray. Addressing Nassar’s victims, Wray said: “I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in in 2015 and failed.” “That’s inexcusable,” the FBI director said. “It never should have happened. And we’re doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.” Nassar’s victims reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics last year, one of the largest ever recorded for victims of sex abuse. USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after a tidal wave of allegations against Nassar swamped the organization. Michigan State University reached a $500 million settlement with hundreds of Nassar’s victims in 2018. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jarrett Renshaw Los Angeles (Reuters) – U.S President Joe Biden on Wednesday blamed the lack of any progress on gun safety on intimidation by the gun lobby, and he called on voters to make it a deciding issue come November during his first in-person appearance on a late-night talk show. Biden told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that the National Rifle Association has bullied Republicans into thinking that “if they vote for rational gun policy, they’re going to be primaried.” Biden, a Democrat, said he is considering additional executive orders, but doesn’t want to emulate his predecessor’s use of the non-legislative strategy, calling it an “abuse of the constitution.” The appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC with a late-night host who has discussed weighty issues like U.S. health care and the mass shooting crisis gives Biden an opportunity to humanize himself with voters and get his message across to millions. Biden has been frustrated by his poor poll ratings amid concerns about high gas and energy prices, baby formula shortages, and lack of progress on several legislative fronts like voting rights and abortion rights, as well as gun safety. His advisers are hoping to retool their messaging in the upcoming weeks, hoping to focus on the positive elements of the economy, such as job and wage growth. “Inflation is the bane of our existence,” Biden said. He criticized U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil for making fat profits but not drilling new wells or refining more gasoline and instead buying back its own stock. “I mean, it’s just ass – excuse me – it’s backwards,” Biden said. Kimmel lightly chided Biden for his continued optimism amid limited progress on his legislative agenda issues, and said how can you play “Monopoly” by the rules with his rival Republicans who don’t. Biden smiled and joked: “We’ve got to send them to jail,” a reference to a punishment in the board game. While former President Donald Trump was absent on late-night television as president, Barack Obama was a regular presence on the shows during his time in office. This Wednesday, however, will mark Biden’s first in-studio late-night spot following pandemic-era Zoom interviews with Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. Kimmel started his career as a raunchy host of Comedy Central’s “The Man Show” before becoming host of his own late-night show. Kimmel has not been shy about using his platform to address social issues with a personal bent. Kimmel passionately spoke about the health-care debate following the birth of his son, who was born with a serious heart issue. Kimmel also broke down in tears after the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, his hometown, which ultimately killed 60 people. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has been working for almost a year, interviewing witnesses and amassing documents ahead of public hearings set to start on Thursday. Here are some facts about the investigation. MULTIPLE DEATHS Thousands of supporters of Donald Trump attacked the Capitol, the home of Congress, in a bid to stop formal certification by U.S. lawmakers of the Republican then-president’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, causing millions of dollars in damage. Four people died on the day of the attack, and one Capitol Police officer who fought against the rioters died the next day. Four officers have since taken their own lives and 140 others were injured. THE COMMITTEE Nine House members sit on the committee, which Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created on July 1, 2021, after Republicans prevented creation of a bicameral commission. Its seven Democrats include Representative Bennie Thompson, the panel’s chairperson, as well as Representatives Zoe Lofgren, Elaine Luria, Adam Schiff, Pete Aguilar, Stephanie Murphy and Jamie Raskin. The panel’s two Republicans, Representatives Liz Cheney – the vice chairperson – and Adam Kinzinger, were censured by the Republican National Committee for their participation. The RNC had never before censured any sitting congressional Republican. THE INVESTIGATION The committee and its dozens of investigators have conducted more than 1,000 depositions and interviews. Most people who are interviewed have not been identified, but those known to have appeared include Trump’s daughter and close adviser Ivanka Trump, her husband, Jared Kushner, and attorney Rudy Giuliani. To compel testimony and obtain documents, the committee has announced it has issued 99 subpoenas and is known to have issued more that have not been made public. Some of the most notable known subpoenas have been sent to Mark Meadows, a former congressman who served as a Trump White House chief of staff; Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser; Roger Stone, a long-time Republican operative; Trump’s son Eric; major social media firms; and leaders of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups that have backed Trump. The committee has amassed a trove of more than 140,000 documents and has followed up on 472 tips from its tip line. CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS The House has voted, largely along party lines, to recommend contempt of Congress charges for four Trump associates for refusing to cooperate. Trump has urged former aides to disregard committee subpoenas. The House recommendation referred the four cases – Bannon, Meadows and former top Trump administration aides Peter Navarro and Daniel Scavino – to the Justice Department to decide on whether to bring criminal charges, which bear a penalty of up to a year’s imprisonment and a fine up to $100,000. The Justice Department has pursued charges against Bannon in a case set to go to trial in July, as well as against Navarro. It has not charged Meadows or Scavino. The committee also recommended charges for a fifth person, Jeffrey Clark, who was a senior Justice Department official during the Trump administration. The full House never voted on the charges after Clark agreed to a deposition. CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS Nearly 850 people have been arrested for crimes related to the attack on the Capitol, including more than 250 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Over those, about 90 have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. More than 300 people have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges, 59 of those to felonies. Sixteen people who were members of or affiliated with the right-wing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy, which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Six individuals have been found guilty at trials. (Compiled by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Scott Malone, Nick Zieminski and Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nichola Groom (Reuters) – U.S. renewable energy developers have delayed or scrapped several big battery projects meant to store electrical power on the grid in recent months, scuttling plans to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar energy. At least a dozen storage projects meant to support growing renewable energy supplies have been postponed, canceled or renegotiated as labor and transport bottlenecks, soaring minerals prices, and competition from the electric vehicle industry crimp supply. One previously unreported dispute over a delayed California storage project has even wound up in court. The slowdown in utility-scale battery installations threatens the pace of the U.S. transition away from fossil fuels as the Biden administration seeks to decarbonize the grid by 2035. The delays could pose a threat to power reliability in states that already depend heavily on renewable energy like California. Storing power is considered vital to the expansion of solar and wind energy because it allows electricity generated when the sun is shining or wind is blowing to be used at the end of the day when consumers need it most. The delays span states including California, Hawaii and Georgia, with battery providers including Tesla and Fluence warning of disruptions to supply, according to a review of regulatory documents, corporate statements and interviews with project developers and power providers. The delays, some of which have not been previously reported, range from several months to a year, according to the Reuters reporting. “I have not seen a nascent industry challenged on so many fronts,” said Jamal Burki, president of IHI Terrasun Solutions, the U.S. energy storage arm of Japanese heavy equipment maker IHI Corp. European energy storage projects are also facing delays, but that region lags the United States in the development of grid-scale storage, making the issue less pronounced. Ben Guest, fund manager at Gresham House Energy Storage Fund, which invests in battery projects in Britain, said he has seen two- to three-month delays in projects primarily due to component shortages and shipping challenges. Energy storage makes up about 3% of U.S. operating clean energy capacity and has been growing rapidly. Installations soared 170% in the first quarter to 758 megawatts, according to the American Clean Power Association, roughly enough capacity to power 144,000 homes. But the pace is dipping below forecasts. Energy research firm Wood Mackenzie told Reuters it may revise down its current outlook for U.S. storage installations of 5.9 GW this year because of the rising evidence of market disruptions, after 2021 installations came in at about two-thirds of what it initially expected. Prices for lithium-ion batteries, three-quarters of which are produced in China, have soared as much as 20% since last year as lithium and nickel costs rise, COVID-19 lockdowns disrupt manufacturing, and transport constraints slow shipments. Robust demand from EV producers for batteries has also been a headwind, industry players told Reuters. Battery manufacturers are favoring the EV market because their orders are more predictable compared to the lumpy, project-based orders from power storage developers. “When the pullback happens, it’s felt worse by the storage industry than it is by the electric vehicle industry,” said Andy Tang, vice president of energy storage and optimization at storage developer Wartsila. “We’re a difficult customer.” Recent turmoil in the solar industry, caused by uncertainty over potential tariffs on Asian imports, has also impacted storage development. Constructing storage alongside solar allows facilities to claim a federal tax credit that does not exist for standalone batteries. The Biden administration this week announced it would waive tariffs for two years on panels from countries impacted by a Commerce Department investigation, an attempt to revitalize solar installations. SUMMER CRUNCH These obstacles have raised questions about the fate of some 14.7 gigawatts of U.S. battery storage in development, some of which state authorities had hoped would be in place to prevent blackouts as early as this summer. Among recent delays is 535-MW of storage Ameresco Inc is developing for Southern California Edison, one of the state’s biggest utilities. It expects just a portion of the project — about 300 MW — to be online by its August target. Ameresco did not respond to a request for comment. Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE), which purchases power on behalf of 430,000 customers in five California counties, is also facing delays of six clean energy projects, including 122 MW of storage, needed to meet state-mandated clean energy requirements, according to spokesperson Catherine Stedman. The developers of the projects, originally meant to come online this year and next, have warned of delays between six and 12 months, Stedman said. CCCE and Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority, its partner in several projects, meanwhile, have sued developer EDF Renewables over its termination of contracts for the Big Beau solar and storage project that started generating power last year. EDF in March had asked to increase the price for the project’s still unfinished energy storage component by $76.8 million — a 233% increase, according to the complaint filed May 9 in California state court in Santa Clara County. EDF did not respond to a request for comment. The disruptions have concerned state officials, already dealing with perennial power shortages during peak summer demand. Governor Gavin Newsom said in April that the state had been counting on new battery storage projects, many of which were procured following rolling blackouts in August 2020, to shore up summer reliability. “Delays in the online dates of these projects are a very real concern,” California Public Utilities Commission spokesperson Terrie Prosper said in a statement. OPEN-ENDED PROBLEM Energy research firm Rystad said that given the large appetite for batteries from a surging EV market, global supplies for utility storage projects are not expected to be able to meet demand in the medium-term. That’s a problem, the International Energy Agency says. Battery storage needs to reach 585 GW by 2030 to decarbonize the global power sector, a 35-fold increase from 2020. “If you can’t get the batteries manufactured and reliably delivered at a price point that is coming down… you’re going to slow the ability of batteries to accelerate the transition,” said Jim Kapsis, founder of climate technology advisory firm the Ad Hoc Group. In Hawaii, utility Hawaiian Electric is seeing delays in solar and storage projects it contracted to help replace the state’s only coal-fired power plant, set to retire in September. The developer of four projects, Canada’s Innergex Renewable Energy, revealed on a conference call last month that it was seeking to renegotiate the terms of the deals – including price and timing – after receiving force majeure notices from its battery supplier, Tesla. Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Sharon Higa said the utility expected just 39 MW of the 378.5 MW of solar and storage it procured to be in service prior to the AES coal plant retiring. Innergex and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk acknowledged earlier this year in a conference call that the company had prioritized EV battery supplies over stationary storage. Fluence, meanwhile, said in a conference call last month that it has issued force majeure notices on three contracts because its battery suppliers in China were not able to fulfill their obligations. It said it had also raised prices on new contracts by 15% to 25% and would price future contracts based on raw material indices to guard against volatility. (Reporting by Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Susanna Twidale in London; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by AFP Pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol following a rally by the then-president on January 6, 2021 Washington (AFP) – The investigation into last year’s assault on the US Capitol by a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters is entering a public phase, with two weeks of blockbuster televised hearings slated to start Thursday. The seven Democrats and two Republicans who make up the House of Representatives committee probing the insurrection will set out exactly what happened on January 6, 2021 and who they believe aided the ringleaders. A final hearing in September is expected to reveal the committee’s finished report, outlining its findings and recommendations to prevent such attacks in the future. Republicans including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy say the committee is partisan and “not conducting a legitimate investigation” — an argument that has been rejected by a Trump-appointed federal judge. What has the committee been doing? The panel has issued around 100 subpoenas and has conducted around 1,000 interviews, with star witnesses including two of Trump’s children — Ivanka and Don Jr. — as well as his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner. Investigators have collected more than 100,000 documents, including emails, texts and official White House photographs allowing the committee to dig into the goings-on in and around the Oval Office. What have we learned? Revelations around who knew what and when have largely dripped out via court filings in civil cases involving potential committee witnesses and separate criminal cases against the insurrectionists. Among the most explosive was a trove of text messages between Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows and lawmakers, media allies and the Trump family urging the then-president to call on his supporters to end the riot. Other texts among more than 2,000 handed over by Meadows show Ginni Thomas, the wife of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, agitating for the election results to be overturned. What will the hearings reveal? The committee will seek to distill a sprawling, multi-faceted year-long probe into a compelling narrative that will “paint a picture as clear as possible as to what occurred,” chairman Bennie Thompson told reporters. Investigators hope to set out through public testimony the role the Trump White House played in the campaign to overturn his 2020 election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden. Those efforts allegedly include an illegal scheme to send fake “electors” — the people appointed to vote for president in the state-by-state “Electoral College” — to Congress. They also take in an authoritarian plan to seize voting machines and the alleged plot to delay the certification of Biden’s win through the violence at the Capitol. Investigators want to get to the bottom of a 187-minute delay before law enforcement was beefed up to protect the Capitol and learn why there is a gap of almost eight hours in White House logs of Trump calls as the violence played out. Will anyone face charges? A federal judge ruled in March that Trump more likely than not committed a crime in the run-up to January 6, 2021. While the Justice Department is prosecuting more than 800 suspects for alleged lawbreaking at the Capitol, the committee itself has no powers to issue indictments. The panel is expected to turn over evidence to federal prosecutors but has not announced whether it will recommend charges, a largely symbolic gesture. How will the hearings work? The committee will hold prime-time hearings at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT) on June 9 and 23, bookending 10:00 am hearings on June 13, 15, 16 and 21. Testimony is expected to be accompanied by visual illustrations such as text messages, photographs and videos. Thursday’s hearing is set to feature testimony from US Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards, the first to be injured by rioters, and filmmaker Nick Quested, who recorded the first moments of violence. J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge who advised Trump’s vice president Mike Pence, is expected to testify. Other witnesses could include Marc Short, a chief of staff to Pence, Justice Department official Richard Donoghue and Jeffrey Rosen, Trump’s last attorney general. All four were party to much of the relevant discussion between Trump’s election defeat and the insurrection two months later, investigators say. Will they change any minds? Supporters see the committee’s work as vital in ensuring one of the darkest episodes in the history of US democracy is never repeated. Yet Democrats worry the hearings could be seen as another “partisan” attack on Trump, imperiling bipartisan efforts at reform and obscuring the broader story of a slow-moving coup attempt aided by a violent insurrection. “The top issues for most US voters have nothing to do with the January 6 insurrection, unfortunately,” Democratic analyst Mike Hernandez told AFP as his party faces tricky midterm elections later this year. “Inflation, gas prices, school shootings, school safety and reproductive rights are all issues that more Americans care about.” View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday that talks aimed at reaching agreement on bipartisan gun legislation are making good progress and pledged quick Senate action if a deal is reached. (Reporting by David Morgan) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Samantha Jones will feature in the story for ‘And Just Like That…’ season two. The ‘Sex and the City’ revival is returning for a second series and showrunner Michael Patrick King has revealed Kim Cattrall’s character – who was referenced via text message exchanges with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) – will play a part in the upcoming episodes. Asked if the characters will still be in contact in season two, he told Variety: “Yes!” Carrie and Samantha met off-screen during the finale after Carrie scattered Mr. Big’s ashes, and King admitted each writer on the show “has a different version of what happened” during their reunion. He said: “It’s very funny, because every single one of the writers has a different version of what happened during that conversation. “So, I think there was some Champagne. I think there was a grownup back and forth, and a love affair that they realised that something’s more important than being afraid to heal. “I’m sure they had a great night. To me, they had a great night and things became resolved. Once Carrie let go of an old, old love, one of her current loves came back in.” Kim isn’t expected to reprise her role on screen, but she recently insisted Samantha will “live forever”. 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.” Kim previously claimed she only found out about ‘And Just Like That…’ when fans did. She insisted: “I was never asked to be part of the reboot. I made my feelings clear after the possible third movie, so I found out about it like everyone else did — on social media.” Kim has been locked in a feud with her former co-star Sarah for several years and she insisted she never considered her castmates to be her friends. She said of their relationship: “I guess it’s how you define friends. I think we were colleagues. My colleagues aren’t my friends. It was professional.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Federal prosecutors claim R Kelly “poses a serious danger to the public”. Prosecutors in the US have recommended that the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer should serve at least 25 years in prison for sexually abusing women after girls after he was found guilty of racketeering and trafficking last year. In a sentencing memo filed this week, prosecutors said he “preyed upon children and young women for his own sexual gratification” for decades by relying “upon his fame, money and popularity”. They added: “He continued his crimes and avoided punishment for them for almost 30 years and must now be held to account.” The 55-year-old singer – whose first name is Robert – plans to appeal the ruling once he has been given his sentence, and his lawyers have argued he should be jailed for a maximum of around 17 years under federal sentencing. However, prosecutors described his offences as “calculated, methodical, and part of a long-standing pattern”. They continued: “The government has little doubt that if afforded an opportunity to offend again, the defendant would do so. “He poses a serious danger to the public. His actions were brazen, manipulative, controlling and coercive. He has shown no remorse or respect for the law.” Kelly had pleaded not guilty to racketeering and violating a federal law making it illegal to transport people across state lines for prostitution, but the five women and seven men of the jury found him guilty on just their second day of deliberations. Kelly is due to be sentenced on June 29. He is still awaiting child pornography and obstruction charges which could lead to further convictions and jail time. The singer has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges against him and has repeatedly claimed he is innocent of any alleged sexual misconduct over the years. In 2008, he was acquitted of child pornography charges. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Thursday its latest investigation into the origins of COVID-19 was inconclusive, largely because data from China is missing, another blow to its years-long effort to determine how the pandemic began. The report from the WHO expert panel said all available data showed the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 probably came from animals, likely bats, a similar conclusion to the U.N. agency’s previous work on the topic in 2021 that followed a trip to China. The missing data, especially from China, where the first cases were reported in December 2019, meant it was not possible to identify exactly how the virus was first transmitted to humans. The findings are likely to add to doubts it will be possible to determine how and where the virus emerged. They will also inject urgency into the effort to overhaul the WHO and its health emergency procedures as the agency strives to reassert itself after years of criticism over its handling of the pandemic. The WHO says the report, the first of several expected from the panel, is also about drawing up a better way to probe the origins of future outbreaks. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote to the Chinese government twice in February this year in pursuit of more information, the report showed, although the authors also said China had provided some data on request. The origins of the pandemic, which has killed at least 15 million people, have become politicised. Scientists say it is important to establish what happened to prevent similar outbreaks. LONGER IT TAKES, HARDER IT GETS But the team on the panel – known as the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) – said it was still impossible to do so because of a lack of data. They also say there are “recognised challenges” in investigating “such a long time after the initial outbreak”, although their work would continue. “The longer it takes, the harder it becomes,” Maria Van Kerkhove, a senior WHO official on the SAGO secretariat, told a briefing, adding the WHO will support all ongoing efforts to better understand how the pandemic began. “We owe it to ourselves, we owe to the millions of people who died and the billions of people who were infected,” she said. The report said no new information had been provided on the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced to humans through a laboratory incident, and “it remains important to consider all reasonable scientific data” to evaluate this possibility. Reflecting the political wrangling that has dogged the drafting of the report, it includes a footnote outlining how members of the panel from Brazil, China and Russia disagreed that further studies were needed on the lab hypothesis and suggested nothing had changed since the previous WHO-China joint report on origins, published in March 2021. The latest report also includes a framework for how to pinpoint the origins of future outbreaks, which WHO has said is the panel’s central aim, rather than drawing conclusions on COVID-19. Jean-Claude Manuguerra, SAGO Co-chair said monkeypox was an “illustration of how much we need this global framework” to find out how future pathogens emerge. When the panel was set up in October, WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said it was the “best chance… it may be our last chance” to understand the origins of the coronavirus. The report also includes a long list of recommendations for further studies that could shed more light on COVID-19’s origins. They include seeking information on the earliest cases in Wuhan, China, as well as further studies around the animal market in Wuhan that was identified early on as a potential location for the virus’s jump to humans. The 2021 report called a lab leak “highly unlikely” and suggested the most plausible theory was a spillover from animals. A later U.S. intelligence report said both theories remained plausible, although it too leaned towards natural origins. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; additional reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Barbara Lewis) View the full article

Published by Al-Araby This week, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and Republican Senator Mitt Romney issued a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for an investigation into last month’s killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. With this letter, they are joining a bipartisan group of House lawmakers in pushing for a transparent investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, who was on assignment in the West Bank town of Jenin when she was fatally shot in the neck. The evidence, including eyewitness accounts and a recent Palestinian probe, points to the Israeli military as the perpet… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega NBC and Savannah Guthrie came under fire after Guthrie quickly disclosed how her husband worked for Johnny Depp’s legal team right before an interview with Depp’s lawyers, Radar has learned. The startling admission and “quick disclosure” came Wednesday morning as Guthrie was preparing to interview Camille Vasquez and Ben Chew on NBC’s Today program. Mega “A quick disclosure, my husband has done consulting work for the Depp legal team, but not in connection with this interview,” the 50-year-old NBC broadcaster told her audience just before introducing Depp’s powerhouse legal team. “So with that aside, let me ask you, did you speak to your client right after the verdict?” she then asked Vasquez and Chew, charging straight into the interview. But NBC and Guthrie’s clear conflict of interest hardly when unnoticed, because producers from other morning television programs quickly called out the network and the Today host for their “unforced error.” “Just before Savannah Guthrie conducts her interview with Johnny Depp’s lawyers, she discloses that her husband was a consultant for the Depp legal team,” Justin Baragona, formerly of Mediaite, wrote. Mega Surprisingly, other rival producers gave Guthrie credit for the “quick disclosure” and argued that it would have been sketchier if she did not disclose her husband’s consulting work with Depp’s lawyers at all. As RadarOnline.com reported, Guthrie also interviewed Amber Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft last week, but the Today host either forgot or willingly chose not to disclose her husband’s close connection to Depp’s legal team during that interview – something that also didn’t go unnoticed by Jezebel’s Caitlin Cruz. “I know objectivity in journalism is a way to uphold the status quo, but I do think this is a cut-and-dry example of Interviews You Should Give to Your Colleagues,” Cruz wrote immediately after Guthrie’s interview with Vasquez and Chew. “Today has been covering the couple’s ongoing legal battles in the United Kingdom, and Gutherie actually got their engagement exclusive back in 2014.” “In fact, I would argue Guthrie’s husband’s consultancy relationship, which is likely financial, deserves an on-air disclosure to viewers of one of the nation’s largest morning news programs,” Cruz continued, indicating Guthrie should have handed the interview off to a colleague. “There are so many anchors and reporters at Today; Guthrie did not have to be the anchor to take both of these interviews.” Mega Guthrie married her husband, Michael Feldman, in 2014. Besides Feldman’s legal consultation work with high-profile personalities such as Depp, the 53-year-old public relations and communications consultant is also a former political advisor who served as former Al Gore‘s traveling chief of staff during the former vice president’s unsuccessful 2000 presidential run. View the full article

Published by Reuters LONDON (Reuters) – Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny scolded Google and Meta Platforms Inc on Thursday for shutting down advertising, a step he said had undermined the opposition and thus was a gift to President Vladimir Putin. Navalny, by far Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, casts Putin’s Russia as a dystopian state run by thieves and criminals where wrong is cast as right and judges are in fact representatives of a doomed lawless country. In a written address to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Navalny, who is currently in a Russian jail, said technology was being used by the state to arrest dissidents but that it also gave an opportunity to get to the truth. “The Internet gives us the ability to circumvent censorship,” Navalny said in the address, a copy of which was posted on his official blog. “Yet, at the same time, Google and Meta, by shutting down their advertising in Russia, have deprived the opposition of the opportunity to conduct anti-war campaigns, giving a grandiose gift to Putin.” Neither Google nor Meta immediately responded to a request for comment on Navalny’s remarks. Both companies paused advertising targetting users in Russia in March, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Navalny earned admiration from the disparate Russian opposition for voluntarily returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had undergone treatment for what Western laboratory tests showed was an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent in Siberia. The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed Navalny’s claims about Putin, who it says has won numerous elections in Russia since 2000 and remains by far the country’s most popular politician. It has dismissed Navalny’s assertion that Russia poisoned him. Navalny, a former lawyer who rose to prominence more than a decade ago by lampooning Putin’s elite and voicing allegations of corruption on a vast scale, said the titans of Silicon Valley had a lot of questions to answer. They would have to decide, he said, whether or not they were really “neutral platforms” and whether or not users in democracies should operate under the same rules as those in repressive societies. “How should the internet treat government directives, given that Norway and Uganda seem to have slightly different ideas about the role of the internet and democracy?” he asked. “We love technology. We love social networks. We want to live in a free informational society. So let’s figure out how to keep the bad guys from using the information society to drive their nations and all of us into the dark ages.” (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Heinrich) View the full article

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — A new movement is taking center stage on and off Broadway — and just in time for Pride Month. Stage productions with Black and gay narratives are no longer the understudies on the New York theater scene. These include the Tony-nominated hit musical “A Strange Loop” and baseball-themed play “Take Me Out,” the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Fat Ham,” the insightful Off-Broadway dramas “soft” and “what the end will be,” as well as the Theater Row adaptation of “B-Boy Blues.” “A Strange Loop” is nominated for 11 awards, including best musical, original score, book of a musical and orchest… Read More View the full article