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Published by OK Magazine Mega Is Rosie O’Donnell off the market? It sure seems like it after the former cohost of The View, 60, shared a sweet snap to Instagram on Sunday, May 22, of her hand lovingly resting on another person’s leg as the two held hands. @rosie/Instagram “how’s ur weekend? #spokane,” O’Donnell wrote alongside the picture of the intimate embrace between herself and the mystery person. ROSIE O’DONNELL SYMPATHIZES WITH ELLEN DEGENERES FOLLOWING TOXIC WORKPLACE CLAIMS, SAYS THE SPOTLIGHT CAN BE ‘TOUGH’ Fans were quick to congratulate the former The Rosie O’Donnell Show host on the new flame in her life via her comment section. “Not nearly as well as yours appears to be going.,” one follower quipped in reference to O’Donnell’s caption about her weekend. “Omg I’m happy for you ,” another supportive fan penned. “Bliss. [hope] you’ve had a great weekend with you know who,” one of the star’s pals Wendy Perkins teased below the photo. @rosie/Instagram The Broadway producer was previously engaged to Boston police officer Elizabeth Rooney, but the couple split in 2019 after two years together. O’Donnell was previously married to Kelli Carpenter for one year in 2004. The former couple shares children Parker, 26, Chelsea, 24, Blake, 22, and Vivienne, 19. TAKE THAT, TRUMP! ROSIE O’DONNELL MAY GET KENNEDY CENTER HONOR UNDER BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY The outspoken star was also engaged to Michelle Rounds, with whom she shares daughter Dakota, 9, from 2012 to 2015. Sadly, Rounds committed suicide in 2017. Although O’Donnell has been laying low as of late, the media mogul opened up last year about how she felt about working with Whoopi Goldberg on the hit ABC panel show. “Whoopi really didn’t like me,” the actress told Howard Stern of the on-air tension between herself and the actress. @rosie/Instagram “I didn’t know that she saw the countdown…I saw that, and there was a pause, and I said ‘well, we’ll be right back after this.’ And that was the first day, and it was trouble from then on,” she explained about being the one to cut to a commercial when the producers were signaling Goldberg to call the break. “She was mean to me on live TV,” O’Donnell additionally told the shock jock. “When people say, ‘Well, what happened,’ I say, ‘Go back and watch [the episodes].’ It’s not like a mystery, watch the way it went down. So I was like, ‘I gotta get out of here, I can’t do this.'” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Bad Bunny refuses to give clothes a gender. The 28-year-old rap star – whose real name is Benito Ocasio – is unsure what defines “masculine” or “feminine” and cannot discriminate clothing choices based on gender. He said: “Everybody has to feel comfortable with what they are, and how they feel. Like, what defines a man, what defines being masculine, what defines being feminine? I really can’t give clothes gender. To me, a dress is a dress. If I wear a dress, would it stop being a woman’s dress? Or vice versa? Like, no. It’s a dress, and that’s it. It’s not a man’s, it’s not a woman’s. It’s a dress.” The Latino singer – who had a job packing groceries at a supermarket in Puerto Rico before shooting to fame and becoming Spotify’s most streamed artist of 2021 with a reported 9.1 billion plays worldwide – went on to claim that becoming a celebrity was never his intention and explained that his native audience would typically “undervalue” Latino musicians who sang in their own language. In a new cover story for GQ’s June issue, he said:”I was never on a mission to be like, Oh, this is what I’m going to do. It happened organically. Like, I’ve never made a song saying, ‘This is going to go worldwide.’ I never made a song thinking, ‘Man, this is for the world. This is to capture the gringo audience’. Never. On the contrary, I make songs as if only Puerto Ricans were going to listen to them. I still think I’m there making music, and it’s for Puerto Ricans. I forget the entire world listens to me. “The Latino audience would always undervalue their artist. Sometimes, Latinos would want to record with an American, and because they’re American, they’d think, I have to do it. No, man. He’s not at the level I am, you know? Just because they’re American. But that perspective has changed. You can see it now. People have become aware. They suddenly see, Wow, Bad Bunny has been the most listened to on Spotify for 70 days. It wasn’t the American. It’s this guy, who’s Latino.” Read the full cover story, ‘Bad Bunny’s Giant Leap’ n GQ’s June issue and on GQ.com View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Congressionally mandated commission announced on Tuesday its recommendations for changes to the names of nine U.S. Army bases that currently honor the Confederacy and Confederate leaders. The recommended changes, if implemented, would name bases in honor of Black, Hispanic and female American heroes, including Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to win the Medal of Honor for her service as a surgeon during the Civil War. They are: * Fort Benning, Georgia – rename Fort Moore after Lieutenant General Hal and Julia Moore. * Fort Bragg, North Carolina – rename Fort Liberty after the value of liberty. * Fort Gordon, Georgia – rename Fort Eisenhower after General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower. * Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia – rename Fort Walker after Dr. Mary Walker * Fort Hood, Texas – rename Fort Cavazos after General Richard Cavazos * Fort Lee, Virginia – rename Fort Gregg-Adams after Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams * Fort Pickett, Virginia – rename Fort Barfoot after Technical Sergeant Van T. Barfoot * Fort Polk, Louisiana – rename Fort Johnson after Sergeant William Henry Johnson * Fort Rucker, Alabama – rename Fort Novosel after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel, Sr. The commission, which has no power to change the names on its own, said it will complete a written report for Congress by Oct. 1. Under previous legislation passed by Congress, the Pentagon will be required to implement changes by 2024, it said. The United States has been re-examining its history and removing segregationist symbols across the country following the May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. That re-examination has extended to the U.S. military, which quickly issued a de facto ban on displaying the Confederate flag at U.S. military installations. Congress then passed legislation requiring changes to base names, despite fierce opposition from then-President Donald Trump. Confederate flags and base names can be offensive to many Americans, who see them as reminders of the enslavement of Black Americans and a symbol of white supremacy. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order on Wednesday directing federal agencies to revise use-of-force policies as the United States marks the two-year anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd, the Washington Post and other U.S. media reported. The order, which the Washington Post said Biden would sign on Wednesday, will create a national registry of officers fired for misconduct and use grants to encourage state and local police to tighten restrictions on chokeholds and no-knock warrants, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Floyd, a Black man suspected of passing a counterfeit bill, was killed when Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, kneeled on his neck as three other officers looked on. The incident triggered a wave of protests over racial injustice. Chauvin was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison last year after his conviction on murder charges. One of the three officers pleaded guilty last week to aiding and abetting manslaughter in the May 25, 2020, incident. The White House has scheduled a signing ceremony at 4 p.m. on Wednesday (2000 GMT) at which Biden will be joined by members of Floyd’s family, civil rights advocates and law enforcement officials, the Washington Post reported, citing two people briefed on the announcement. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Rami Ayyub in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Brendan O’Brien (Reuters) -A man suspected in the fatal weekend shooting of a New York City subway rider, less than two months after a mass shooting on the transit system, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, authorities said. Andrew Abdullah, 25, was arrested at his lawyer’s offices for the slaying of Brooklyn resident Daniel Enriquez, 48, who was fatally shot in his chest while he rode in a subway car on Sunday morning, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference. Abdullah was described as a gang member and repeat offender with a criminal history dating back to 2016, including arrests for felony assault, robbery, attempted murder and a gun charge that remains open. He was given a 30-month sentence in May 2017 for the attempted murder charge, and was out of prison in June 2019 and released from parole in June 2021, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said. New York Mayor Eric Adams called Abdullah the “poster child” for perpetrators of violence in the city and suggested that the state’s criminal justice system played a role in the killing. “We got a killer off our streets, but far too many killers are back on our streets through the revolving door of the criminal justice system,” Adams said. Abdullah was photographed by Reuters walking into the NYPD’s 5th Precinct station in handcuffs with a police detective escort. Law enforcement was able to locate the suspect with the help of police canvassing, community engagement and social media outreach, Sewell said. A 9-millimeter shell casing discharged from a Ruger firearm was recovered at the scene, Essig said. The gun, which was stolen in Hampton, Virginia in 2019, was later handed at random to a homeless male, who authorities brought in for questioning, he said. Enriquez, who worked for investment bank Goldman Sachs, was riding a train crossing a bridge from Brooklyn into lower Manhattan when he was shot without provocation, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. Adams said his heart is with the family of Enriquez, an innocent person who should be alive today. Sunday’s attack adds further pressure on Adams, a former police captain and Brooklyn borough president who made crime and public safety a focus of his campaign for mayor last year. In February, Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul promised to increase police patrols and mental health outreach in response to a spate of attacks in the subway system, which is run by the state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority. On April 12, the subway system saw one of the most violent attacks in its history, when a man set off a smoke bomb and opened fire in a subway car, leaving 23 people injured in the chaos, including 10 hit by gunfire. Frank James, 62, was arrested a day later. He was indicted earlier this month on terrorism and other federal charges. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ellen DeGeneres’ “career pause” will begin with a luxury African vacation. The final episode of ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ will air later this week, and Ellen and her wife Portia de Rossi are now planning to head overseas with some of their close friends, as she embarks on the next chapter of her career. A source told The Sun newspaper: “Right after the show finale airs she, Portia and her closest friends, including her brother, Vance DeGeneres and his wife, are heading to Rwanda for the opening of her gorilla campus.” Ellen – who began hosting the talk show in 2003 – is set to open the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund. Gorilla conservation is passion project for the TV star, and for the time being, she doesn’t have any “definite” career plans in place. The insider added: “She’s going to take some much-needed time off and just take a pause.” In April, Ellen took to Twitter to confirm she’d already filmed her last-ever episode of her long-running talk show. The host – who married Portia in 2008 – wrote on the micro-blogging platform at the time: “Today we taped the final episode of The Ellen Show which airs on May 26th. “When we started this show in 2003, the iPhone didn’t exist. Social Media didn’t exist. Gay marriage wasn’t legal. We watched the world change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. “But whatever was happening, my goal was always for the show to be a place where we could all come together and laugh for an hour. Being invited into your lives has been the greatest privilege of my life and has brought me incredible joy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (sic)” View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) -A gunman opened fire at an elementary school in South Texas on Tuesday, killing 14 students and one teacher, Governor Greg Abbott told reporters. Abbott said the suspect, who he identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was himself killed, apparently by police officers responding to the scene. Official details on the circumstances of the midday shooting remained sketchy in the immediate aftermath of the violence, which unfolded at Robb Elementary School in the town of Uvalde, Texas, about 80 miles west of San Antonio. “He shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher. Mr. Ramos, the shooter, he himself is deceased and its believed that responding officers killed him,” Abbott told a news briefing. The gunman drove up to the school and entered with a rifle and a handgun, CNN reported. University Hospital in San Antonio said on Twitter it had received two patients from the shooting in Uvalde, one child and one adult. Both patients, a 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl, were listed in critical condition. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los AngelesEditing by Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Sarah K. Burris Esquire columnist Charlie Pierce is reminding voters that former Vice President Mike Pence is no savior for the mainstream GOP, even if he’s going up against Trump in Georgia with a battle of endorsements. Pence, he explained “is such a political maladroit that he makes Willard Romney look like Pericles.” Pence tens to “yammer” about Jesus a lot, wrote Pierce, but other than that he’s generally doing the worst possible things at the worst possible time. Pierce remembered the time Pence signed the anti-LGBTQ bill on the same weekend as the Final Four basketball tournament. Th… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Dolce & Gabbana “hosted” Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker‘s top-of-the-line wedding over the weekend, so it’s safe to say the famous family put their awkward history with the fashion label behind them. Fans of the reality TV moguls watched as Kourtney’s loved ones showed up and showed out in expensive Dolce & Gabbana outfits leading up to the ceremony on Sunday. MEGA The worldwide coverage is set to give “millions of pounds worth of free publicity” to D&G, Daily Mail reported as Travis and Kourtney celebrated their next chapter together. “As part of the deal, guests will be ferried from their hotels to Portofino harbor in a fleet of four classic wooden Riva speedboats, furnished with Dolce & Gabbana accessories,” the outlet added. Perhaps the Kar-Jenners have chosen to squash any lingering tension with the fashion house years after its co-founder, Stefano Gabbana, once labeled them the “most cheap people in the world.” Instagram account Diet Prada spotted the shade at the time. MEGA The designers also sparked fury in 2015 when they spoke out against gay fathers having children through surrogate mothers — with many fans pointing out that Kim has welcomed two of her children via surrogate. “The only family is the traditional one,” Domenico Dolce and Stefano said at the time. “No chemical offsprings and rented uterus: life has a natural flow, there are things that should not be changed.” Some have also labeled the brand as racist over a series of controversial ads they shared featuring a Chinese model, who later said “it nearly killed my career.” Despite the backlash the brand has faced over the years, Kourtney proudly wore a one-of-a-kind Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda lace and satin corset mini dress for her star-studded wedding in Italy this weekend. MEGA “Designing my dresses with Domenico and Stefano has been a dream come true in every way,” the blushing bride gushed to Vogue. Travis was also donning a black double breasted suit from the fashion label. Kourtney and her Blink-182 rocker beau tied the knot three times in recent weeks, first getting hitched in Las Vegas without a marriage license before making it official at a Santa Barbara courthouse. Their lavish nuptials in Portofino served as the grand finale. View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune The TV landscape tends to feel pretty dismal when “Saturday Night Live” is the only sketch comedy game in town. And often that’s the case. Over its four-plus decade run, it certainly has outlasted so many others — from “SCTV” to “In Living Color” to “MADtv” to “Key & Peele” and more — but that doesn’t make it the funniest or most creative. Just the longest standing. Which brings us to the return of “The Kids in the Hall” on Amazon, and it’s as if the clouds of gloom have parted to make way once again for their particularly sunny sense of the absurd. Even with “SNL” head honcho Lorne Michaels a… Read More View the full article

Published by NJ.com Let’s start this post off with a small bit of objective truth: There is no such thing as the widespread use of sexual education curriculum to groom young children. None. It doesn’t exist. It’s not happening, nor has it ever happened. It’s a right-wing fever dream used as a vehicle for the airing of grievances and imposing the will of the few on the many. It’s how the right has decided they can influence the conversation. Purposely misinterpret vague curriculum guidelines and use the ensuing manufactured rage to gain a seat at the table in the name of parental choice. It’s nonsense and it’s tim… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tan France gets parenting tips from Gigi Hadid. The 39-year-old star and his husband Rob France welcomed their son Ismail into the world via surrogate last July and he’s been turning to his ‘Next in Fashion’ co-host – who has 20-month-old daughter Khai with Zayn Malik – for baby-related advice. Tan told Us Weekly magazine: “Love! She’s one of my closest friends. I love her so much. “It makes the show really, really fun. It’s probably the best time I’ve ever had in a show. “She’s an amazing mom. I’ve gotten so many tips from her.” And the 27-year-old model sent Tan and Rob a “care package” to welcome Ismail into the world. He added: “She was a mom before I was a parent, like, seven months before [my son was born]. And so, she was the first person that sent me a care package of all the things that my baby might need. It was so sweet. “If you’re not a parent, you won’t know this, but [there’s a product] called a Baby Brezza, which is a machine that helps you make your formula really quickly. She included a sound machine, bibs, pacifiers, like, everything I could possibly need.” The ‘Queer Eye’ star previously spoke about his devastation at missing the birth of his son, who was born seven weeks early. He wrote on his Real Reality Bulletin page: “HOLY S***!! I’m writing this 2 days after the birth of our son, Ismail France (You can call him Ishmail). “This came out of nowhere, on the night of July 10th, 2021. I woke up to my alarm, at 7am, on July 11th (UK time), to a bunch of missed calls from Rob. Rob never calls at night, and texts if he needs me to call him. But, I was completely out of it and called him asking what was going on, not thinking it was probably baby related. Remember, I was super jetlagged, after traveling to the UK, from our babymoon. “He told me that about half an hour prior, our son was born. He came 7 weeks early. I couldn’t believe it. I cried so hard, at the thought of not being there for our son’s first moments. I cried because I knew Rob was alone and that he needed my emotional support. I cried because I was so jealous that he was there with Ismail, and I wasn’t. (sic)” The fashion designer also praised the pair’s surrogate. He wrote: “Our surrogate is such a warrior. She gave birth to him in a matter of minutes, and after a night’s stay, she said she was feeling totally fine and went back to normal life. She gave us the greatest gift, and the most immense joy, one could ever give another person. We are so grateful. She’s formidable. (sic)” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo and Naomi Ackie have joined the cast of Bong Joon-ho’s new film. The trio will join Robert Pattinson in the Oscar-winning director’s follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Parasite’. The untitled movie is based on the novel ‘Mickey7’ by Edward Ashton and Bong will write, direct and produce for his production company Offscreen. While the film will be inspired by the novel, insiders say that Bong’s past experience with adaptations could mean that his version may be slightly different from the novel’s. The story follows Mickey7 – a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonise the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there is a mission that is too dangerous – even suicidal – the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it. Meanwhile, Mark is also set to star in the movie ‘Poor Things’. The 54-year-old actor will feature alongside Emma Stone in the film from ‘The Favourite’ director Yorgos Lanthimos. The project is a reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic horror novel ‘Frankenstein’ and is based on a novel by Scottish author Alasdair Gray. According to Collider, the story has been described as both a “hilarious political allegory” and a “send-up of Victorian literature” as well as “a thought-provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women”. Emma will play the role of Bella Baxter, who is described as “a volatile, oversexed, emancipated woman and a female Frankenstein”. When she drowns herself to escape her abusive husband (played by Ruffalo), Bella’s brain is replaced by that of her unborn child. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Vladimir Putin reportedly “staged” a number of public appearances on Russian TV last week after he was unable to carry out his regular duties because of worsening health problems, Radar has learned. In a shocking development that comes amid mounting rumors and reports claiming the 69-year-old Russian leader is suffering from everything from blood, thyroid and abdominal cancer to Parkinson’s disease and dementia, the Kremlin is accused of utilizing old footage of Putin but airing it as if the footage is new. Mega Making the accusations even more startling is the fact that General SVR – the opposition source making the bombshell claims about Putin “staging” public appearances – also reported that the Russian president’s close ally and former FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev is in control of the Kremlin while Putin is incapacitated. “Let’s see how long this lasts, but the situation is getting tense,” General SVR said after claiming Putin has been absent from his duties since Tuesday. “The fact is that the elites are not ready to perceive Patrushev as a person who guarantees the current status quo,” the outlet continued while claiming to have obtained insider Kremlin information. “Everyone is well aware that if Vladimir Putin retires suddenly or gradually, then the situation will change radically.” General SVR’s report also suggested that two meetings said to have taken place on Wednesday and Thursday – the first with Rostech head Sergei Chemezov and the second with Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev – were actually filmed prior but aired “live” in an effort to make it appear Putin is still active and in charge. Nikolai PatrushevMega As RadarOnline.com reported, Putin’s deteriorating health has been a major subject of concern following a series of appearances in which the Russian leader looked bloated, shaky and seemingly not in control of his own movements. Last month, while being filmed meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, the ailing Russian leader was seen slouching in his chair, aggressively gripping a table and tapping his feet uncontrollably. Additionally, a top Russian oligarch referred to only as “Yuri” was recently caught on a secret recording claiming that Putin is “very ill with blood cancer,” a claim that has since been corroborated by General SVR’s newest report. “[Putin] is sick and has diseases that are incurable, such as oncology, which is at a stage that, today, cannot be cured, Parkinson’s disease and a schizoaffective disorder,” the outlet revealed. Mega “There is a general feeling, including among the attending physicians, that all this will not last very long,” they continued. “But, again, we have already said that many people think that now Putin will die and something will change radically.” View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. health officials are in the process of releasing some Jynneos vaccine doses for use in monkeypox cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday, adding there are more than 1,000 doses in the national stockpile. CDC officials said they expect that level to ramp up very quickly in the coming weeks. (Reporting by Michael Erman and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chris Reese) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dame Angela Lansbury is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement gong at the Tony Awards. The 96-year-old actress – who has won five Tonys during her career – will be honoured at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 12. Charlotte St. Martin, the president of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, the president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said: “Angela Lansbury’s contributions to the stage are insurmountable. “From her groundbreaking role in ‘Mame’, to her iconic performances in ‘Deuce’ and ‘Sweeney Todd,’ and most recently, in the revival of ‘A Little Night Music,’ Ms. Lansbury has given us a lifetime of unforgettable performances, and it is a great honour to present her with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award.” The London-born actress has won a host of accolades during her career, including six Golden Globes and an Olivier Award. But Angela is perhaps best-known for playing Jessica Fletcher in ‘Murder, She Wrote’, which is still the longest-running TV detective drama of all time. The Hollywood star previously admitted to being proud of the show’s success, explaining that her on-screen character was “a woman of [her] age and of [her] intellect”. Speaking about playing the TV detective, Angela shared: “It was a slice of my career that was totally unconnected to anything that I had done before. “Making Jessica Fletcher the character I ended up playing took me several years. She started off a little bit goofy, but I finally made her a woman of my age and of my intellect. I think that is what made her such an appealing character of the world – because she was somebody that people could understand and make part of their lives.” View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Voters in Georgia and Alabama will pick candidates for the U.S. Congress and other offices in Tuesday primaries testing former President Donald Trump’s power over his Republican Party ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Arkansas will also hold nomination contests while Texas will hold run-off elections for races that were unresolved in that state’s March 1 primaries. Here are seven races to watch: HERSCHEL WALKER’S U.S. SENATE BID In Georgia, Trump-backed Herschel Walker, a former professional football player with scant political experience, is expected to come in first in the contest against five other Republican hopefuls. But if he falls short of 50%, he will face the second-place Republican in a June 21 run-off. The eventual winner will likely face Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. The November contest is widely seen as a toss-up. DAVID PERDUE VS BRIAN KEMP Trump-backed former U.S. Senator David Perdue has heavily trailed incumbent Republican Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp in polls. Perdue might not even force a run-off with Kemp, who sparked Trump’s ire by declining help the former president’s effort to overthrow Trump’s loss in the state during the 2020 presidential election. The winner will take on Stacey Abrams, the lone Democrat seeking her party’s nomination, in what is expected to be a close contest. MORE REVENGE: HICE VS RAFFENSPERGER Like the race against Kemp, Trump also backed a challenger to Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on grounds that he did too little to bolster his false allegations that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Trump-endorsed U.S. Representative Jody Hice, who has been close to Raffensperger in recent polls, could be Trump’s best chance at unseating an incumbent in Georgia. DEMOCRATIC DUEL: BOURDEAUX VS MCBATH Georgia’s newly-drawn 7th congressional district pits two Democratic U.S. Representatives – Carolyn Bourdeaux and Lucy McBath – against one another. Bourdeaux was the only Democrat to flip a Republican House seat in the November 2020 elections, while McBath was a gun control advocate before winning a congressional seat in 2018. The 7th congressional district is heavily Democratic. MO BROOKS HOLDS ON U.S. Representative Mo Brooks, a Republican firebrand from Alabama, has shown a recent recovery in the polls ahead of his attempt to return to the U.S. Senate. He was an early supporter of Trump, but the former president in March withdrew his endorsement of Brooks’ then-struggling campaign after Brooks told Alabama voters it was time to move on from Trump’s false claims of a stolen election. Katie Britt, a former chief of staff to retiring U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, is still the favorite, but Brooks has made it a race. MODERATE DEMOCRAT VS PROGRESSIVE CHALLENGER U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, a moderate Democrat, will against face progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros in party nomination contest after neither garnered 50% in their March 1st primary election. The winner will compete in one of Texas’ few competitive House races in November. Cuellar is the House of Representatives’ sole Democrat who opposes abortion rights, which Cisneros has attacked along with his opposition to legislation making it easier for workers to get union representation. WILL PAXTON SURVIVE? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already won one re-election campaign since his indictment in 2015 on state securities fraud charges. This time around, he will face state Land Commissioner George P. Bush in a runoff after neither won 50% in a March 1st primary contest. Bush is the grandson of former President George H. W. Bush. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by AFP Shelves normally meant for baby formula sit nearly empty at a store in downtown Washington, DC, on May 22, 2022 Washington (AFP) – A US military plane bringing several tons of much-needed baby formula from Germany landed Sunday at an airport in Indiana as authorities scramble to address a critical shortage. Scarcity of medical-grade baby formula caused by production problems and supply-chain issues has created grave problems for thousands of parents whose infants rely on it, sending them in frantic searches for the product. The cargo plane took off from the US air base at Ramstein, Germany, carrying more than 70,000 pounds of powdered formula, the White House said. President Joe Biden posted about the flight on Twitter from Japan, where he is on a five-day Asia trip. “Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it,” he said. Biden tweeted an update later Sunday, saying more formula was on its way to the United States via a second shipment. “We have secured a second flight to transport Nestle specialty infant formula to Pennsylvania,” the president posted. “The flight and trucking will take place in the coming days, and I will continue to keep you updated,” he said. The first shipment will cover about 15 percent of the immediate need, presidential economics advisor Brian Deese said on CNN. He added there are “more flights in train that will be coming in early this week” as part of what the administration has dubbed “Operation Fly Formula.” The formula was flown to Indiana because it is a hub for Nestle, a major domestic producer. It will be quality-tested at a nearby lab before being distributed. The formula shortage has been developing for months, aggravated not only by supply-chain issues linked to the Covid-19 pandemic but by the closing of the largest US formula-making plant, a Michigan factory owned by Abbott Laboratories, amid concerns that contamination may have led to the deaths of two infants. “We had a manufacturer that wasn’t following the rules, and that was making formula that had the risk of making babies sick,” Deese said. “So we have to take action.” Another problem, he said, was that US formula production had become concentrated among just three companies. “We’re going to have to work” on ways to increase competition, he said. Abbott’s CEO, Robert Ford, apologized to consumers in a Washington Post op-ed Sunday, saying: “We’re sorry to every family we’ve let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formula shortage.” Deese was asked separately about growing concerns that the US economy — hit by high inflation, supply chain troubles and the war in Ukraine — may be headed toward a recession. “Well, there are always risks,” he said. “But there’s also no doubt that the United States is in a better position than any other major country around the world to address inflation without giving up all the economic gains that we have had.” The US inflation rate hit a 40-year high of 8.5 percent in March, but slowed slightly in April to 8.3 percent. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Courtney Love has apologised for “weaponising snark” and unintentionally “bullying” Amber Heard. The Hole frontwoman appeared in an Instagram Story post over the weekend showing her support for Johnny Depp amid his court battle with his ex-wife – who he is suing for defamation over an op-ed she wrote in 20118 about being a victim of domestic abuse, while she is countersuing him – but she insisted her comments were never meant to be made public and she is uncomfortable with the fact she may have accidentally encouraged people to target the ‘Aquaman’ star as a result. She wrote on her own Instagram account: “My side of the street, needs to stay clean; “I engaged in expressing thoughts online. The platform accidentally posted a story I didn’t want public (I’m sure it was not deliberate) in it I am weaponising snark (what else do we do with snark?)… “While I recover [from addiction], I borrow the values, moral compasses of those I look up to ( dogs, especially ) who do the right thing. “I certainly don’t always do the right thing. “My goal – emulate the human revolution of my mentor @daisakuikeda🪷 “I want to show neutral support for a friend. I dont want to bully. “I’ve been bullied enough. I did not want to express my own bias / internalized mysoginy. (Do give me a break on that one. Look at my JOB! I’m working on it) I want nothing to do with contributing more online bullying to someone enduring being bullied like noone ever has been online. Ever. “In my program of recovery, ‘when we were wrong, we promptly admitted it’ “I was wrong.(sic)” Courtney urged people to “show sincere empathy” towards both Johnny and Amber and not to take pleasure in the case. She added: “The only important takeaway, of what was posted, is that I expressed that we should all stop having ‘fun with schadenfraude’ (look it up: ‘Delight in another’s down fall’) show sincere empathy for both parties. “If I hurt anyone, please accept my amends.(sic)” In the original post, the 57-year-old singer recalled how the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star once saved her life after an overdose and praised the support he’d offered to her daughter Frances in the wake of Kurt Cobain’s suicide. She said: “I don’t really wanna make judgments publicly. I just want to tell you that Johnny gave me CPR in 1995 when I overdosed outside The Viper Room. “Johnny, when I was on crack and Frances was having to suffer through that with all these social workers, wrote her a four-page letter that she’s never showed me. “Then he sent limos to her school where all the social workers were crawling around, again, unasked, for her and all her friends to go to ‘Pirates [of the Caribbean]’. “He did it a bunch of times. He gave her her own seat [at the premieres] with her name on it. “I’ve never seen one of those ‘Pirates’ movies, but [Frances] loved them. You know, she said to me when she was 13, ‘Mama, he saved my life.’ And she said it again.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cybill Shepherd “will always love” Bruce Willis. ‘Die Hard’ legend Bruce, 67, has stepped away from the big screen after finding it increasingly difficult to manage his lines on set after being diagnosed with aphasia, which affects language and speech and can also impact reading and writing, and his former ‘Moonlighting’ co-star has sent her support. She told US TV show ‘Extra’: “I will always love Bruce.” Speaking at the Race to Erase MS benefit gala in Los Angeles, Cybill fondly recalled working with the Hollywood veteran on their 1980s TV show and admitted she was always “very attracted” to him. She added: “I just have to say one thing about Bruce. No one else was ever considered for the part when he walked in the room. “My temperature went up 10 degrees. That meant two things to me: one, I was very attracted to him, two, I would never act on it, ’cause we were both very attracted to each other.” During her interview with Extra, Cybill also explained she was keen to attend the gala to help raise awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) as her daughter Clementine has been diagnosed with the degenerative neurological condition. She said: “I remember the day when I went with my daughter Clementine up to University of California San Francisco, to one of the experts on multiple sclerosis, and it was a positive. She’s done great though. I couldn’t ask for more. My darling Clementine.” Bruce announced his decision to walk away from Hollywood in a statement released by his family earlier this year, which read: “To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities … “As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him … “ View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – The World Health Organization does not have evidence that the monkeypox virus has mutated, a senior executive at the U.N. agency said on Monday, noting the infectious disease that is endemic in west and central Africa has tended not to change. Rosamund Lewis, head of the smallpox secretariat which is part of the WHO Emergencies Programme, told a briefing that mutations are typically lower with this virus, although genome sequencing of cases will help inform understanding of the current outbreak. The more than 100 suspected and confirmed cases in the recent outbreak in Europe and North America have not been severe, the WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonoses lead and technical lead on COVID-19, Maria van Kerkhove, said. “This is a containable situation,” she said. The outbreaks are atypical, according to the WHO, as they are occurring in countries where the virus does not regularly circulate. Scientists are seeking to understand the origin of the cases and whether anything about the virus has changed. (Reporting by Josephine Mason in London; editing by John Stonestreet and Ed Osmond) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Mike Pence recently expressed interest in running for president in 2024, leading former-President Donald Trump to trash his former-vice president and claim that Pence is just “desperate to chase his lost relevance.” When asked by The New York Times on Monday about potentially battling his old boss in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Pence did not rule the possibility out. Mega “We’ll go where we’re called,” the former-VP told the outlet. “That’s the way Karen and I have always approached these things.” Although Pence has expressed satisfaction with “the record” he and Trump had in office together, the 62-year-old politician has also started catering to the Republican voters who might not plan on voting for Trump should he decide to run again in 2024. Mega “I have been very moved traveling around the country how much people have made a point to express appreciation, it has been very humbling to me,” Pence recently said, referencing the appreciation he has received from the voters unhappy with Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election after it was called in Joe Biden’s favor. Additionally, the divide between Trump and Pence since they left office has only grown more substantial, because even Trump himself has started to harden his stance against his former-VP now that they may go head-to-head in the Republican primaries. “Mike Pence was set to lose a governor’s race in 2016 before he was plucked up and his political career was salvaged,” former-President Trump’s spokesman, Taylor Budowich, recently said. “Now, desperate to chase his lost relevance, Pence is parachuting into races, hoping someone is paying attention,” Budowich added. “The reality is, President Trump is already 82-3 with his endorsements, and there’s nothing stopping him from saving America in 2022 and beyond.” Mega Surprisingly, Budowich slamming Pence on behalf of Trump is very different from the respect Trump expressed towards Pence just this month when he even went so far as to call his former-VP a “nice man.” “I haven’t spoken to him in a long time, and he’s a nice man,” Trump admitted on May 4 after being asked about his working relationship – or lack thereof – with Pence. “He disappointed me on one thing because I think he should have sent the votes back to the legislatures.” View the full article