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Published by Radar Online MEGA “Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step.” Those lyrics, from Don McLean’s seminal hit “American Pie,” perfectly sum up the singer’s stance in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. In light of the tragic events, McLean has pulled out of “NRA’s Grand Ole Night Of Freedom Concert,” set for Saturday night as part of the organization’s May 27-29 national convention in Houston. “In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA,” McLean told People Magazine. “I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans. I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation.” MEGA The move follows a similar decision by Larry Gatlin, who explained in a statement: “I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention. While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde — in my beloved, weeping Texas.” MEGA The Saturday evening concert event will be MC-ed by SiriusXM “Y2K” host Danielle Peck and features Lee Greenwood, Larry Stewart, Jacob Bryant and T. Graham Brown. Meanwhile, Friday’s first day of convention activities will include one major protest linked to the Uvalde massacre. Former President Donald Trump is also set to address the crowd, as Radar previously reported. According to the Houston Chronicle, the May 27 protest is being coordinated by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter and Discovery Green Conservancy. MEGA “We’re not there to incite anything, we’re just there to make the NRA uncomfortable andr un them out of Houston,” said local BLM member Ashton Woods. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner previously stated it’s too late to cancel the NRA convention, Nevertheless, a protest planned for Thursday will demand just that, in front of City Hall. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Justin Timberlake has sold his song catalogue in a deal reportedly worth $100 million. The ‘SexyBack’ hitmaker is “excited to be partnering with” Hipgnosis Song Management – who offer investors the chance to earn royalties from the work of a diverse range artists such as Barry Manilow and Beyonce – and a $1 billion fund supported by the private equity firm Blackstone in a deal believed to be valued at $100 million, according to The Guardian newspaper. The 41-year-old entertainer – who has sons Phineas, two, and Silas, seven, with his wife Jessica Biel, 40 said: “I am excited to be partnering with Merck and Hipgnosis – he values artists and their creative work and has always been a strong supporter of songwriters and storytelling.” The deal between the former NSYNC star and the management company gives them 100 per cent control and ownership over his stake in more than 200 songs he has been involved in writing. The founder and CEO of Hipgnosis, Merck Mercuriadis said: “Justin Timberlake is not only one of the most influential artists of the last 20 years but he’s also one of the greatest songwriters of all time. His hit songs including ‘Cry Me a River’, ‘Rock Your Body’, ‘SexyBack’, ‘My Love’, ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’, ‘Suit Tie’, ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ are amongst the most iconic of the period.” This arrangement with Justin is the third one finalised by and Hipgnosis Song Capital in 2022 as this year this snapped up the late singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s share of catalogue and 80 per cent of the royalties of country star Kenny Chesney. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA It’s “reckoning” time for slimeball actor Kevin Spacey. That’s the reaction from Spacey’s estranged brother Randy Fowler when he learned his Oscar winning actor was slapped with four counts of sexual assault for allegedly attacking three men between 2005 and 2013 in London and Gloucestershire. “It not surprising to me that eventually they would’ve gathered enough evidence to pursue the four charges against him — I think the reckoning is going to happen,” Fowler exclusively told Radar hours after Spacey was charged. The charges filed by the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division determined there was enough evidence to accuse the embattled Baby Driver actor of “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.” The charges come just one week after Radar online exclusively reported the 62-year-old Usual Suspect was quietly slithering his way back onto the big screen – starring in three films—despite cries by critics who can’t believe Hollywood is ready to forget the handsy-creep accused of abusing roughly 30 victims. “The charges could possible derail his comeback,” Fowler said. “We live in a very small planet right now, people that spending all this money on his comeback could realize that they are on a sinking ship, and they should pull the plug on the projects and eat their losses.” MEGA The American Beauty star is set to star in the mystery thriller Peter Five Eight, which was shopped around at the high-profile Cannes Film Festival. Gabe Hoffman — the producer of the ground-breaking documentary An Open Secret, which exposed the rampant sexual abuse of child actors and led to the downfall of Spacey pal director Bryan Singer — believes the money hungry movie makers who used Spacey in recent films are now eating crow. “The studios only care about making money, a big part of that bet rode on that there is nothing more left to come out about Spacey,” he said. “So, with the new charges this bet just blew up in their face – BIG TIME– in the worst way possible.” MEGA As RadarOnline.com noted these new charges against Spacey come as the actor prepares to face trial in October over accusations, he sexually assaulted Anthony Rapp in 1986 when the younger actor was only 14 years old. Rapp claims a then 26-year-old Spacey invited him over to his apartment and grabbed him by his backside without permission. Spacey then allegedly proceeded to lie him on a bed before climbing on top of him without consent. MEGA Spacey denies the Rapp charges and the CPS “reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr. Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.” Fowler thinks his rich and powerful brother may not be capable of buying his way out of the new charges — all occurring when he served as artistic director at the UK’s Old Vic Theater. “His troubles, in my opinion, are just beginning,” Fowler explained. “I don’t believe can go through life hurting other people without karma coming back and making you pay the piper. All these cases cannot be mistaken identity. They all can’t be made-up; they all can’t be people looking for money… They (CPS) wouldn’t had filed charges unless they had evidence!” “It took them five years to file charges – so they I guess they did they’re homework.” View the full article

Published by AFP The two-time Oscar winner was artistic director of the Old Vic London (AFP) – Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is facing sexual assault charges in the UK, police and prosecutors said on Thursday, after a review of allegations against him. The two-time Oscar winner for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty” was artistic director of The Old Vic theatre in London between 2004 and 2015. Allegations against him first emerged in the wake of the #MeToo movement that saw numerous claims of sexual assault and harassment in the movie industry. That prompted an investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police, and a review by The Old Vic of the 62-year-old Spacey’s time in charge there. The Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement that it had “authorised criminal charges” against the actor “for four counts of sexual assault against three men”. “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent,” said Rosemary Ainslie, from the service. “The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation,” added Ainslie, who heads the special crime division. The Met said separately that the first two counts of sexual assault date from March 2005 in London, and concern the same man, who is now in his 40s. The third is alleged to have happened in London in August 2008 against a man who is now in his 30s. The same man is alleged to be the victim of the separate charge. The fourth sexual assault charge is alleged to have occurred in Gloucestershire, western England, in April 2013 against a third man, who is now in his 30s. None of the alleged victims can be identified under English law. The CPS, which brings prosecutions in England and Wales, and the police both referred to Spacey by his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler. British legal restrictions are in place limiting what the media can report until the case comes before a jury to avoid prejudicing any trial. The CPS said that when considering whether to approve charges, it makes “fair, independent and objective” assessments about whether a case should go to court. Claims against Spacey in 2017 led to the end of his involvement in the filming of the final season of the political drama “House of Cards”. He was also dropped from a Gore Vidal biopic on Netflix and as the industrialist John Paul Getty in “All the Money in the World”. Christopher Plummer was brought in as a last-minute replacement. Spacey, considered one of the finest actors of his generation, has previously denied similar charges in the United States. A criminal case against him for sexual assault there was dropped in 2019. The actor is currently in New York and facing a civil case arising from the abandoned criminal action, US court documents show. British media said it was understood he had not been formally charged in the UK because he was not in the country, and there was no immediate word if he would have to be extradited. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Donald Trump must testify under oath in the New York Attorney General’s civil investigation into his business practices, an intermediate state appeals court ruled on Thursday. A four-judge panel unanimously upheld a trial court decision from February enforcing subpoenas for Trump and his two eldest children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, to provide deposition testimony in Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation. “Once again, the courts have ruled that Donald Trump must comply with our lawful investigation into his financial dealings,” James said in a statement. “We will continue to follow the facts of this case and ensure that no one can evade the law.” Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, James said her nearly three-year investigation into the Trump Organization had uncovered significant evidence of possible fraud https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ny-attorney-general-details-possible-fraud-donald-trumps-family-business-2022-01-19. She described what she called misleading statements about the values of the Trump brand and six properties, saying the company may have inflated real estate values to obtain bank loans and reduced them to lower tax bills. Trump issued a statement earlier this year calling the accusations false and accusing James of a political agenda in targeting him and his family. Trump and his children have said testifying would violate their constitutional rights because their words could be used in a related criminal probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which James joined last May. Trump, a Republican, has also accused James of selectively prosecuting him because he is a political enemy. James and Bragg are Democrats. The appeals court rejected those arguments, saying James reviewed “significant volumes of evidence” before issuing the subpoenas. “Appellants have not identified any similarly implicated corporation that was not investigated or any executives of such a corporation who were not deposed,” the court said of the Trumps. “Therefore, appellants have failed to demonstrate that they were treated differently from any similarly situated persons.” (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Diane Craft and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher has died aged 60. The keyboardist and founding member – who was born in Nottingham and moved to Basildon in the 70s – of the 80s band has passed away In a joint statement posted to Twitter, his bandmates Dave Gahan and Martin Gore said: “We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher. The ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ hitmakers said Andy – who was known as Fletch -“had a true heart of gold” and was “always” a great friend. The statement continued: “Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint. The ‘Enjoy the Silence’ musicians offered their “hearts” to the touring DJ’s family – which includes his wife Grainne Mullan and their two children, Meghan and Joe – and asked fans to “keep them in their thoughts” while giving them space to grieve. They said: “Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.” In a 2017 interview with The Skinny, Fletch mused it was the “electricity” between him and the rest of the band that made their work great. He said: “Martin and Dave live in the US and I live here, but it doesn’t really affect our relationships. Me and Martin are very close. Dave is more like a brother to me – if that makes sense. But what makes bands better than solo artists is the electricity that’s generated. Sometimes a band can’t stand each other but that electricity makes for great music. It’s the same with Depeche Mode; we have moments where we don’t like each other, and moments when we love each other. It’s the electricity that’s generated between us all that produces the good music.” View the full article

Published by AFP Crosses sit outside Robb Elementary School on May 26, 2022, in remembrance of those killed in Uvalde, Texas Washington (AFP) – Firearms have surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death among American youngsters, with official data showing a strong rise in gun-related homicides such as the killing of 19 children in a Texas school rampage. Overall, 4,368 children and adolescents up to the age of 19 died from firearms in 2020, a rate of 5.4 per 100,000 a dashboard by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed. Homicides made up nearly two-thirds of the gun deaths. By comparison, there were 4,036 deaths linked to motor vehicles, the previous leading cause of death among this age group. The gap has been narrowing as road safety measures have improved over the decades, while gun related deaths have risen. The trend lines crossed in 2020, the latest year for which data is available — a finding identified in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) last week. The letter’s authors noted the new data was consistent with other evidence that gun violence rose during the Covid-19 pandemic, for reasons that aren’t fully clear, but “it cannot be assumed that (it) will later revert to pre-pandemic levels.” The newly updated CDC dashboard shows that nearly 30 percent of the deaths were suicides, just over three percent were unintentional, and two percent were of undetermined intent. ‘Deadly consequences’ A small number were categorized as “legal intervention” referring to killings by law enforcement. The deaths disproportionately impacted Black children and adolescents, who were more than four times as likely to die as white children — for whom motor vehicles still posed a greater threat. The second most impacted group by guns were American Indians, followed by white Hispanics. Males meanwhile were six times likelier to die by a gun than females. By region, the gun-related death rate was highest in the capital Washington, followed by the state of Louisiana, then Alaska. The figures served to underscore that while mass shootings such as the one in Uvalde provoke horror, they make up only a small fraction of overall childhood gun deaths. “Since the 1960s, continuous efforts have been directed toward preventing deaths from motor vehicle crashes,” wrote the authors of another recent letter to the NEJM, contrasting the situation with that of firearms, where regulations have been loosened. While vehicle safety has been spearheaded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there is no equivalent agency to regulate gun safety, and historically very little government research funding was assigned to the area because of Republican opposition. Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of leading journal Science published an editorial Thursday calling for more research into the public health impacts of gun ownership to advance policy change. “Scientists should not sit on the sidelines and watch others fight this out,” he wrote. “More research into the public health impacts of gun ownership will provide further evidence of its deadly consequences,” he continued, arguing that severe mental illness, often blamed for mass shootings, was prevalent at similar levels in other countries that do not have regular mass shootings. View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board dismissed a request from Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, asking them to update their ratings system so parents could shield their kids from LGBTQ characters. In a letter responding to Marshall and four other senators, Charles Rivkin, the chairman of the board, argued that parents were satisfied with the current accuracy of television ratings. He pointed to a 2020 national survey that found 95% of parents said they were satisfied with their accuracy and 80% said they had a favorable opinion of the ratings system. He also said shows with… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Seven thousand pairs of shoes, representing the children killed by gun violence between the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and 2017, are spread out on the lawn on the east side of the US Capitol in Washington in March 2018 Washington (AFP) – Only five months into 2022, more than 17,000 people, including 650 children, have been shot and killed in the United States. The toll of gun violence in America is staggering, according to figures compiled by organizations pushing for stricter regulation of firearms sales. 111 deaths per day – Nearly 41,000 people are killed by gun violence every year in the United States on average, according to the organization Everytown for Gun Safety, translating to 111 victims every day. In Texas, where the sale of personal firearms is only marginally regulated, an average of more than 3,600 people are killed by guns every year, according to Everytown. Since the beginning of 2022, at least 17,199 people have been killed by guns, according to a count by the Gun Violence Archive. About 7,600 of them were victims of homicide, either purposeful or accidental, and more than 9,500 died by suicide. In 2021, more than 45,000 gun deaths were recorded, including 20,920 murders — the highest since 2017, when around 58,000 people were killed, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Shootings also leave other casualties: In the last six months, some 14,000 people have been wounded by a gun. The youngest victims – Children are not spared when it comes to the cost of US gun violence. Even when they are not the direct targets of violence, such as in Tuesday’s massacre at a school in Uvalde, Texas, they can become the collateral victims of stray bullets or accidental discharges. So far in 2022, some 640 minors have been shot and killed, and more than double that number — 1,594 — have been injured. Of that number, 140 of the children killed — and nearly 300 of those injured — have been age 11 or younger. Last year, 1,560 kids were killed and more than 4,000 wounded. More than one mass shooting per day There have been 213 known mass shootings in the United States in the first 145 days of 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which categorizes such incidents as ones in which there are four or more people killed or wounded, not including the shooter. “There have been more mass shootings than days in the year,” Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said in Congress Tuesday. He represents the district where Sandy Hook elementary school, where 26 kids and teachers were killed in 2012, is located. It was the nation’s worst ever school shooting. There were 692 mass shootings in 2021, the most since 2014, when the Gun Violence Archive began keeping records. Record homicides In a country where firearms are easily bought and sold and laws vary by state, 2020 saw 19,350 shooting murders, a historic high — 35 percent more than in 2019 — and 24,245 suicides — 1.5 percent more than 2019 — according to statistics compiled by US health authorities. The homicide rate reached 6.1 per 100,000 residents in 2020, a 25-year record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a report published this month, though the toll was still not as high as the peak of the 1980s. Officials speculated that the struggles of poverty and the Covid-19 pandemic could have contributed to the spike. 390 million guns The right to bear arms is guaranteed in the second amendment of the US Constitution, and the number of pistols, revolvers and other gun types has increased in recent years. More than 23 million guns were sold in 2020, a record, and almost 20 million in 2021, according to numbers published by the site Small Arms Analytics. According to another project called the Small Arms Survey, 393.3 million firearms were in circulation throughout the United States in 2020 — or about 120 guns for every 100 people. And an unknown number of “ghost guns” — sold piece by piece and without serial numbers — must be added to that count. In June 2021, 30 percent of American adults said they owned at least one firearm, according to a survey by Pew Research Center. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Apple has unveiled new Pride bands and a watch face for the Apple Watch to mark Pride Month. The tech giant is releasing a Pride Edition Sport Loop and the Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop for June’s Pride Month. The former has the word “pride” woven into it and has all the colours of the pride flags; light blue, pink, and white in honour of transgender and non-binary people, and brown and black to represent the Black and Latinx communities. The latter symbolises “the full spectrum of the rainbow” along with a Nike Bounce face. The bands are priced at $49/£49 and go on sale at Apple Stores on May 26, and The Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop will also be available via Nike.com shortly. Lastly, the Pride watch face is available now for Apple Watch Series 4 models or later. As per Apple, it “combines colours to represent the strength and mutual support of the LGBTQ+ movement.” View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) – Lithuania’s parliament on Thursday voted to accept a draft bill legalizing same-sex civil partnerships for further debate, after voting down a similar bill in May 2021. Seventy lawmakers voted in favour and 52 against accepting the measure for discussion, with several opponents raising questions about whether legalizing same-sex partnerships would go against Catholic teachings. Proponents were mildly encouraged but acknowledged that challenges lay ahead to passage of the bill in the strongly Catholic country. “My feelings are mixed after the vote,” Elzbieta… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Karl Lauterbach, German Minister of Health, attends a press conference on monkeypox, on the sidelines of the German Doctors Day (Aerztetag). Melissa Erichsen/dpa German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has warned against the stigmatization of gay men in relation to an ongoing outbreak of monkeypox. It must be prevented “that people who are homosexual and have sex with men are stigmatized,” Lauterbach told public broadcaster ZDF. “It is important to say that it can affect anyone.” According to Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for disease control, monkeypox is transmitted through close physical contact. There has been a notable amount of infections among men who had sexual contact with other men. The comments come after Holger Wicht, a spokesman for the German AIDS charity, said on a podcast that the term “risk group” was often understood to mean that gay men pose a particular risk, while it is actually meant to indicate a risk of becoming infected. However, Wicht also told the news portal T-Online: “Mr Lauterbach is making a recognisable effort not to stigmatise.” Sven Lehmann, the German government’s first-ever commissioner for queer affairs, told the newspapers of the Funke media group that it was a fallacy “that gay or bisexual men are intrinsically more at risk – the virus knows no sexual orientation.” “Scaremongering and stigmatization” must be avoided at all costs, he said. Lauterbach also pointed this out on Tuesday: “The main risk group at the moment are men who have had sex with other men. And that must be able to be addressed in order to protect this group.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Todd Chrisley’s ex-lover and employee testified earlier this week that he allegedly helped the reality TV star commit fraud by creating fake documents and impersonating Todd, Radar has learned. In a bombshell testimony that also revealed the 53-year-old Chrisley Knows Best star was having a gay affair, Mark Braddock told a court on Tuesday that he helped Todd and his wife Julie commit tax fraud during their affair in the early 2000s. Mega Then, when Todd and Braddock’s affair ended in 2012, Todd reportedly threw his ex-lover and employee out of his Chrisley Asset Management office and even went so far as to threaten to call the police on Braddock. Following the contentious end to their affair, Braddock turned both Todd and Julie into the FBI for committing tax fraud. Making Braddock’s testimony on Tuesday even more shocking were claims that both he and Todd were blackmailed following their affair by anonymous individuals who threatened to spill their gay relationship unless the pair paid nearly $40,000 for the blackmailers’ silence. “Pay cash and we’ll shut up,” a text message sent to both Todd and Braddock allegedly said. Mega Todd and Braddock ultimately paid the blackmailers $38,000 in cash, according to Braddock’s testimony, which was withdrawn in four $9,500 increments from Braddock’s bank account before being handed off to Todd to pay the blackmailers. In the past, Todd never denied the swirling rumors that he was gay, and even revealed in 2017 that such rumors didn’t “bother” him. “In order for it to disappoint me, it would mean that I don’t agree with someone being gay,” Todd told the Domenick Nati Show at the time. “I don’t believe that’s a choice that you make. I believe that you are the way that God has made you.” “I’m flattered that people think I can get laid on both ends,” he continued. “That doesn’t bother me. And my wife certainly is flattered that as many men want her husband as there are women. With that being said, I’m never going to have a drought. You on the other hand might. But Todd will never have a drought.” Mega Todd and Julie have been married for nearly 26 years and currently share five children: daughter Lindsie, 32, son Kyle, 30, son Chase, 25, daughter Savannah, 24, and son Grayson, 16. The Chrisley are also currently on trial on charges of fraud and for allegedly evading up to $2 million in tax fraud. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ruhi Soni (Reuters) -The Biden administration made a revised proposal on Wednesday to ban the disposal of mining waste in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed, dealing a potential death blow to the contentious Pebble Mine project that has been pursued for over a decade. The project, one of the world’s largest copper and gold deposits, has been through a roller coaster of regulations for the past 15 years as Bristol Bay’s salmon has supported important wildlife and a multibillion-dollar industry. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a statement it is seeking public comments on the revised proposal at hearings in June as well as by written submissions through July 5. (https://bit.ly/3lG2tQs) Pebble Limited Partnership top boss John Shively called the move a giant step backwards for the Biden Administration’s climate change goals. “The Pebble Project remains an important domestic source for the minerals necessary for the Biden Administration to reach its energy goals,” said Shively, chief executive of Pebble, which is owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. “If it blocks Pebble it will have to seek minerals to meet its goals from foreign sources which simply do not have the same environmental standards that we do.” Under former U.S. President Barack Obama, the EPA in 2014 proposed limits on large-scale mining in the watershed, citing environmental concerns. But under former President Donald Trump, the EPA had dismantled scores of environmental rules, including the initial proposal from the Obama administration. The project, however, has faced other regulatory hurdles, after the Army Corps of Engineers, under the Trump administration, denied a key permit for the mine in November 2020 following opposition by Alaska’s Republican senators seeking to protect the $2.2 billion salmon industry that employs 15,000 people. In September last year, the Biden administration had re-launched the process to permanently protect the watershed. (Reporting by Ruhi Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri) View the full article

Published by The Charlotte Observer A bill from North Carolina Senate Republicans that regulates teaching about LGBTQ people is almost surely going to be blocked by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, if it gets that far. But expect to see it live on in the election, which is shaping up to be fought on many familiar culture-war battlegrounds as well as newer ones involving parents’ role in schools. One supporter called it a litmus test for voting this fall. The General Assembly has Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, but not the supermajorities needed to override a veto from the governor unless Democrats vote with them. … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Los Angeles (AFP) – For nearly two decades, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and its openly lesbian host have beamed into homes across America, busting stereotypes and charming daytime TV audiences with a feel-good blend of quirky comedy and celebrity cameos. But after more than 3,000 episodes, a talk show that came to rival even Oprah Winfrey’s in terms of its cultural impact departs Thursday under a cloud, after allegations of a toxic workplace at stark odds with its “be kind” mantra. “When we started this show in 2003, the iPhone didn’t exist. Social media didn’t exist. Gay marriage wasn’t legal,” DeGeneres said last month, after pre-taping the show’s final episode. “We watched the world change — sometimes for the better, sometimes not.” There is no doubt the cultural landscape has been upended since rising comedian DeGeneres came out in 1997 — simultaneously as her character on sitcom “Ellen,” and in real life with an interview on the cover of Time magazine. DeGeneres was hailed as a gay icon, but her sitcom was cancelled a year later amid a backlash, and she spent five years in the wilderness before reinventing herself as a talk show host. “It was a sensation, it was a landmark — and it became a political football,” said Mary Murphy, associate professor of journalism at University of Southern California. “She led the way. She was probably — and may still be — the most famous LGBTQ person in America.” No ‘gotchas’ While DeGeneres has never shied away from her sexuality, her Rolodex of A-list guests and light touch have been key to the talk show’s success, especially in more conservative parts of America. For 19 seasons, Hollywood A-listers and pop stars have jostled for seats on DeGeneres’ couch, where they are invited to promote their latest projects, and never put through more than a gentle ribbing. Some have appeared more than a dozen times — Jennifer Aniston, the show’s first-ever guest, will return for Thursday’s finale. “She is one with the celebrities, she’s their friend. They know that. And she made it jovial,” said Murphy. “Maybe it was because, having been so burned, as she was, she didn’t want to burn other people. There were no gotchas.” Audience members and the latest viral YouTube stars are also regularly invited on stage to enjoy their 15 minutes of fame, in human interest segments and wacky games. “Ellen is this funny, silly, quirky character that really didn’t take herself too seriously,” said Jeetendr Sehdev, author of “The Kim Kardashian Principle.” “We hadn’t quite seen a daytime talk show host before that looked like her and that behaved like her… She was the cropped haired woman wearing a suit and tie while everyone else was getting blowouts.” ‘Full of contradictions’ But rumors that life was less rosy backstage came to a head with a 2020 Buzzfeed expose alleging a “toxic work culture” including sexual harassment, bullying and racism. Three senior producers were fired, while DeGeneres was accused of failing to mind her shop — and of being less affable with employees in private than her cheery public persona would imply. Last May, DeGeneres announced the show would end after its 19th season, but denied it was due to the workplace claims. “I need something new to challenge me,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. But DeGeneres has courted increasing controversy, including her defense of comedian Kevin Hart after he withdrew as Oscars host in 2018 over a series of homophobic tweets. “Suddenly, she kind of fell from grace,” said Murphy. “She seemed to be… in touch with celebrities, in touch with audiences, out of touch with the people working for her.” According to Sehdev, Ellen has always “been full of contradictions.” “That has been both partly the reason why she has also appealed to people, and has been capable of generating that mass appeal,” he said. “And at the same time, (it) has also been the reason why her integrity and her credibility and authenticity have been questioned.” View the full article

Published by DPA Dyson has issued a call to robotics engineers to join the technology firm as it previews plans to build home assistant robots it wants to have in homes by the end of the decade. Yui Mok/PA Wire/dpa Dyson says it plans to build home assistant robots that will be in homes by the end of the decade, and is issuing a call to robotics engineers to join the technology firm. The UK-founded firm, best known for its hairdryers and vacuum cleaners, announced plans to open a robotics centre at Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire, where work on new types of home robots will be led by Dyson’s chief engineer, Jake Dyson. During the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the company will publish a short film showing “secret robotic prototypes”, including several robotic hands grasping objects around the home, which the firm said offer a hint to its plans to move beyond robotic vacuum cleaners. The company will confirm plans to hire 250 robotics engineers as part of a wider recruitment it says has already seen 2,000 people join this year globally. Dyson said it also plans to hire 700 more people in the robotics field over the next five years as part of a £2.75 billion ($3.4 billion) investment plan in new technologies, products and facilities, with £600 million set to be spent this year. As a result of the recruitment and investment, which will also a see new robotics labs created in London and some new recruits based at the firm’s global headquarters in Singapore, the company says it wants to have new robotic technologies in people’s homes by the end of this decade. “Dyson employed its first roboticist 20 years ago and this year alone we are seeking 250 more experts for our team,” Dyson said. “This is a ‘big bet’ on future robotic technology that will drive research across the whole of Dyson, in areas including mechanical engineering, vision systems, machine learning and energy storage. We need the very best people in the world to come and join us now.” View the full article