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Published by BANG Showbiz English Wanda Sykes is still “traumatised” by Will Smith’s Oscars slap. The 58-year-old comedian has revealed she is struggling to process the actor’s decision to slap Chris Rock at the Academy Awards ceremony in March after the comic had joked about his wife Jada’s hair. Speaking during a comedy gig in Orlando, Wanda said: “I’m still traumatised. I can’t talk about it. I get emotional.” The star was also angered that Will, who claimed the Best Actor gong for his performance in ‘King Richard’, was allowed to remain at the ceremony following the controversial incident. Wanda said: “I couldn’t believe he was still sitting there, like an a******. Shouldn’t you be sitting there with a lawyer or LAPD, motherf*****? “I hope he gets his s*** together. Until then, f*** him.” Sykes previously revealed that she “physically felt ill” after witnessing Smith’s slap and was furious that he wasn’t asked to leave. She said of the actor, who has now been banned from the Oscars for 10 years: “And for them to let [Will] stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this?’ This sends the wrong message.” Wanda explained how Chris apologised to her following the incident as he knew it would overshadow the entire ceremony. She recalled: “I saw Chris at [Guy Oseary’s afterparty] and as soon as I walked up to him, the first thing he said is, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I was like, ‘Why are you apologising?’ “He was like, ‘It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy (Schumer) and Regina (Hall) were doing such a great job. I’m so sorry this is now gonna be about this.'” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daphne Psaledakis and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday that police officers must deliver both effective crime deterrence and equal justice in a message that balanced two fraught political priorities as his law-enforcement reforms have stalled. Speaking at a memorial service at the U.S. Capitol for 563 officers who died in the line of duty over the prior year, Biden offered no new indications over how he would resolve a delay in police reform aimed at holding officers to a higher standard after high-profile killings of unarmed Black people. Instead, he answered swirling concerns about rising street violence in an election year by saying there was no tension between reforming law enforcement and deterring crime. “Folks, the answer is not to abandon the streets; it’s not to choose between safety and equal justice,” Biden said. “And we should agree it’s not to defund the police – it’s to fund the police. Fund them with the resources, the training they need to protect our communities and themselves and restore trust.” The remarks came as authorities investigated the shooting of 10 people in a Black neighborhood grocery store in Buffalo, New York, as a hate crime. “We must all work together to address the hate that remains a stain on the soul of America,” Biden said. It is also just two years shy of the anniversary of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, 2020, which inspired mass protests around the country. Biden promised Floyd’s family – and voters – that he would take action but bipartisan congressional talks on a bill stalled last year. A Democrat-backed bill named for Floyd that passed the House of Representatives in 2020 would have limited officers’ use of chokeholds and held them to higher legal standards for rights violations. “We haven’t gotten there yet,” Biden said. “We must get there to strengthen public trust and public safety. He said police groups have played a “constructive” role in reform discussions and said he is “committed to being your partner, as I always have.” The remarks showed the balancing act faced by Biden as the country heads in to November’s election for control of Congress. His party needs strong support from communities outraged by police violence and those frightened by crime. Biden aides are drafting a narrower executive order on policing that the president hopes to sign soon, officials have said, after months of internal negotiations. Biden has been a loyal ally to law enforcement, dating back to his days in the Senate when he crafted a 1994 crime bill with their help. But his support for broad reforms following the 2020 murder of Floyd by an officer created some tension with police unions opposed to some of the reforms promoted by Democrats. Those groups include the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), which sponsored Sunday’s event. The National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service began in 1982 as a small gathering of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. It has since turned into a series of events, attracting thousands of officers and the families of victims to the nation’s capital each year. The number of officers dying at work has increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, data from police groups shows. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken and Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, the leading Democratic candidate in the race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, said on Sunday he had suffered a stroke but was on his “way to a full recovery.” Fetterman, who will face U.S. Representative Conor Lamb and two other candidates in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat on Tuesday, said in a statement issued from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital that he suffered the stroke on Friday. Fetterman, 52, who eschews suits for hoodies, has surged in opinion polls ahead of the May 17 primary, shocking political observers who had predicted a close contest with Lamb. The state party establishment views Lamb, a former federal prosecutor and former Marine, as a safer choice to take on whoever Republicans choose to run in November’s general election. Lamb received major endorsements from party stalwarts, while Fetterman received almost none. Lamb said on Twitter that he found out about Fetterman’s stroke on live television. “Hayley and I are keeping John and his family in our prayers and wishing him a full and speedy recovery,” he tweeted. The winner of the Democratic primary could face celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in the general election. If it is Fetterman, it would be a race of two anti-establishment candidates. Polls show the Trump-endorsed Oz with a slight lead over his Republican rivals. Fetterman said he had not been feeling well but ignored his symptoms until his wife insisted he go to a hospital. “I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long,” he said. “The amazing doctors here were able to quickly and completely remove the clot, reversing the stroke, they got my heart under control as well. It’s a good reminder to listen to your body and be aware of the signs.” Fetterman said in his statement that he was “feeling much better” and suffered no cognitive damage. “I’m well on my way to a full recovery,” he said. “They’re keeping me here for now for observation, but I should be out of here sometime soon.” (Reporting by Diane Bartz in WashingtonEditing by Tim Ahmann, Matthew Lewis and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Queen Elizabeth was honoured with a standing ovation as her Platinum Jubilee celebrations began. The 96-year-old monarch delighted the audience as she attended a star-studded equestrian event at a venue close to Windsor Castle. Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Dame Helen Mirren – who has played The Queen on screen – led the glitzy cast for the first major celebration of the monarch’s 70 years on the throne. The Queen had a walking stick but was able to get to her seat in the show despite ongoing mobility problems. She was joined by her youngest son Prince Edward for the ‘A Gallop Through History’ event that reflects her life-long passion for horses. The extravaganza was staged by the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which welcomed the monarch on Friday (13.05.22) as she toured the show grounds. The Queen has attended every event since the show launched 79 years ago as she has a keen interest in horse racing and breeding. The monarch missed the State Opening of Parliament for just the third time in her reign last week and was replaced by Prince Charles for the event due to “episodic mobility issues”. It followed the Queen not attending events at Easter – such as the Maundy Thursday service – and the announcement that she would not be attending garden parties at her royal residences across the country. Meanwhile, it was previously revealed that Her Majesty had taken delivery of a state-of-the-art golf buggy to help her move around in comfort. The 43 mph four-seater electric cart was built by Danish firm Garia as part of a tie-up with Mercedes-Benz and is described as putting “many passenger cars to shame”. It has a range of 50 miles before its battery needs recharging and while she’s relaxing on one of the four brown leather seats, the Queen can tuck into treats from its fridge, or check for weather updates and mapping on the tablet-style 10in screen next to the steering wheel. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dua Lipa considered quitting music because of abuse from online trolls. The ‘One Kiss’ hitmaker has become one of the biggest stars in the world of pop but revealed she had doubts about succeeding in the industry because of the nasty messages she received online. Dua is quoted by The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column as saying: “There were moments of self-doubt, even though it was kind of unfair because a lot of the people that had sent those messages or were saying things online actually hadn’t been to any of my shows. “Social media is kind of run on this toxic currency of who can make people laugh at the expense of others.” Dua explained that she has learned to cast the trolls aside and that she longer cares about what people say or think about her. The 26-year-old singer said: “Now, if anybody says anything, it doesn’t even bother me.” Dua recently revealed that she decided to quit smoking to protect her voice for her current ‘Future Nostalgia’ tour, which had been postponed several times due the coronavirus pandemic. The pop star revealed: “I had laryngitis in December and that kind of kickstarted me quitting smoking a month earlier than I was supposed to. But I did it and I have stuck to it.” Dua has been travelling across the globe for her tour and revealed that the gigs have been demanding on her body. The ‘New Rules’ hitmaker said: “It is a really, really demanding and relentless show. When you’re in rehearsals and I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this dance routine here, and let’s do this and let’s do that.’ Nothing ever quite prepares you for the real thing, especially when the adrenaline hits and you’re on stage and you feel the energy from the crowd. That definitely helps you get in the zone and you don’t really think about the toll it can take on your body because the adrenaline is so high.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Tim Reid and Kanishka Singh (Reuters) – An 18-year-old white man suspected of fatally shooting 10 people in a Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, appears to be the latest in a line of “copycat” gunmen carrying out deadlier mass shootings inspired by previous attackers, experts warned on Sunday. Payton Gendron, who surrendered to police on Saturday after the attack, apparently publicized a racist manifesto on the internet and broadcast the attack in real time on social media platform Twitch, a live video service owned by Amazon.com. Authorities called the mass killing an act of “racially motivated violent extremism.” Experts say the trend of mostly young white men being inspired by previous racist gun massacres is on the rise, citing recent mass shootings, including the 2015 attack at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, a 2018 shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and a 2019 attack at a Walmart in an Hispanic neighborhood of El Paso. Adam Lankford, a criminology professor at the University of Alabama, has studied trends in mass shootings over time. His 2020 study analyzing victim data showed that the “deadliest” shootings – where more than eight people are killed – had doubled in number since 2010, compared to the previous 40 years. “It’s clearly not just random. They are not people dreaming this up on their own. They are learning it from each other,” Lankford said. He added: “They want to be like the previous attacker, who is a role model.” Lankford’s study found that the “deadliest” shootings comprised 25% of mass public shootings from 1966 to 2009, but from 2010 to 2019 had increased to 50% of mass public shootings, in which there was “direct evidence that perpetrator was influenced by another specific attacker or attackers.” Lankford said the rise in these copycat mass killings have a specific trend: the gunmen find their inspiration from the personal life details of previous mass shooters. “It’s not repeating the incident that inspires them. It’s the intimate details of their lives that promotes the influence,” he said. Lankford said one way to try and combat the rise in such hate crimes is for the media to avoid publishing details of the shooters personal lives. RED FLAGS Hate-motivated mass shootings and fame-seeking perpetrators have rapidly increased since 2015, according to an analysis by The Violence Project, which tracks mass shootings in the United States. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which tracks hate and extremist groups, told Reuters on Sunday the Buffalo gunman “had a substantial online history in niche, toxic online communities.” “From what he wrote online, by his own account he was radicalized through participation in these forums,” Susan Corke, director of SPLC’s Intelligence Project, said in an emailed statement. The SPLC said that even though it had not seen any evidence yet of the gunman’s affiliation to a specific far right or racist group, there were red flags. “He discussed building up a weapons cache and asked detailed questions about body armor on a Discord channel dedicated to gun culture. He also posted about allegedly killing a cat and dismembering it. He appears to have posted detailed plans for an attack as early as two weeks ago and posted frequently after that about his planning,” Corke added. The SPLC said it had obtained a transcript of the suspect’s Discord chat log, adding they have “high confidence” when asked about its authenticity. Reuters could not independently authenticate the postings. Social media and streaming platforms like Twitch, which said it removed the stream of Saturday’s shooting after less than two minutes, have grappled with controlling violent and extremist content for years. The live-nature of the broadcasts make it particularly difficult to moderate as streaming platforms do not have time-delays like television broadcasts. Facebook has sought to address the livestream violence issue in 2019 after allowing 17 minutes of a livestream of a mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, before taking it down. It now has a one-strike policy which temporarily restricts users after breaking a rule. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday the stream should have been taken down faster and that she would take the matter up with social media platforms. Democratic U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also urged social media companies to address and track down extremism on their platforms. (Reporting by Tim Reid in Los Angeles and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Radar Online gilbertflores@broadimage / MEGA The Billboard Music Awards honors some of the hottest names in music, and many of them are celebrating by making fashion statements on the red carpet. With the star-studded affair taking place in Las Vegas tonight, the celebs knew that meant one thing: no ensemble is too daring. From the skin-baring outfits to the perfectly tailored suits, the attendees are paving the way for new trends to take over. Several of the biggest names in music have flown into Sin City and are gathering at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to find out which heavy-hitting performers won top honors this year. “This will be unlike any awards show – I’m bringing the love and setting the frequency at an all-time high,” host Diddy said in a statement prior to the ceremony. “The Billboard Music Awards truly represent the artists and where music is today, so I’m excited to curate the biggest live performances and surprises. The world has to tune in to see.” Scroll through the gallery below to see the 2022 red carpet looks: Erin Lim The E! personality stunned while making a statement on the red carpet in a black and pink floral gown. gilbertflores@broadimage / MEGA Janette Ok The TikTok star brought a splash of pink in her bright dress paired with matching gloves. gilbertflores@broadimage / MEGA Rocsi Diaz Ethereal beauty! The TV host wowed in an off-the-shoulder number worn with gold accessories. gilbertflores@broadimage / MEGA Emily Orozco The producer was all smiles as she dazzled in her sheer black dress. gilbertflores@broadimage / MEGA View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jenna Zucker BUFFALO, N.Y. (Reuters) – The Tops Friendly Market chosen by the white gunman to launch his deadly racist attack on Saturday served as an anchor of sorts for the Black community along Buffalo’s Jefferson Avenue, one of the few places where residents could buy groceries. Now even that modest sanctuary no longer feels safe to many Black people in Buffalo, which takes pride in its nickname “the City of Good Neighbors.” Not after 18-year-old Payton Gendron, dressed in camouflage and body armor and wielding a rifle with a high-capacity magazine, drove into the supermarket parking lot in broad daylight and opened fire, killing 10 and wounding three others. Eleven of the 13 victims were Black. “Somebody knew enough to know the one store our community has,” said Denise Glenn, an activist from VOICE Buffalo, speaking to the clutch of about 100 people who gathered on Sunday morning outside Tops, which had been cordoned off by police tape and adorned with flowers and makeshift memorials. Glenn was alluding to the chilling news that the gunman had driven for hours from his home to target the store, having selected it because of the neighborhood’s high concentration of Black residents, according to authorities. “That was an evil, racist, white supremacist,” Reverend Darius Pridgen said from the pulpit at True Bethel Baptist Church on Sunday. “He literally looked for a zip code that had the highest concentration of African Americans.” The worshipers at the predominantly Black church, about a five-minute drive from Tops, included family of the victims and some of those who were at the store when the rampage unfolded. Rev. Pridgen invited members of the congregation who were touched by the shooting to come to the front of the church and share their experiences. One by one, they came forward. Charles Everhart Sr., 65, told his fellow worshipers that his grandson Zaire Goodman, a 20-year-old Tops employee, was shot in the neck but somehow survived. “He was pushing the carts back to the store and he was one of the first to get hit,” Everhart said. At the vigil outside the supermarket, anger and stunned disbelief mixed with feelings of helplessness and grief. The crowd sang “Amazing Grace.” Many broke down into tears. ‘SO MUCH TRAUMA’ Employees of the store huddled together, trying to comfort one another. Volunteers grilled food and handed out water. Dozens of police officers milled around, and the surrounding blocks remained sealed off, reinforcing a sense of dread and disruption. Tyrell Ford, 36, lead community organizer of Voices Buffalo, a non-profit group that organized the vigil, said he was still trying to work through what had happened. “There’s so much trauma in the Black community and this is the time to start the process of grieving,” he said. “This causes mental health problems and trust issues in our community. You can see how vibrant our community is.” The calculated nature of the attack, as described by law enforcement, may well have amplified the siege mentality being felt by some local residents. A document circulating online that appeared to have been written by the killer sketched out a to-do list for the attack, including purchasing tactical equipment and testing his upload speeds for the livestream. In addition, a 180-page manifesto outlining ‘The Great Replacement Theory’ – the racist conspiracy theory that white people are being replaced by minorities in the United States and other countries – also circulated online, reportedly authored by Gendron. Julie Harwell, 33, was one of those who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time on Saturday afternoon: shopping for birthday party supplies at Tops with her daughter and the girl’s father. Then the gunshots started. “I thought it was just a normal, neighborhood shooting, so we ducked,” Harwell said. “Once it didn’t stop, something told me to get up and start running because I heard footsteps. He was shooting people twice to make sure they were dead.” “I saw a lot of stuff I’d never seen,” she said, “and that I thought my daughter would never see.” (Reporting by Jenna Zucker in Buffalo; Additional reporting by Steve Gorman; Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jenna Zucker and Gabriella Borter BUFFALO, N.Y. (Reuters) -A white teenager who killed 10 people in a racist attack at a western New York grocery store in a Black neighborhood had been taken into custody last year and given a mental health evaluation after making a threat at his high school, authorities said. New details, including the previous threat, emerged on Sunday that provided a fuller portrait of the suspect, Payton Gendron, 18, and his assault on a Buffalo supermarket that authorities described as an act of “racially motivated violent extremism.” “The evidence that we have uncovered so far makes no mistake this is an absolute racist hate crime that will be prosecuted as a hate crime,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told reporters on Sunday. Gendron surrendered to police after Saturday’s shooting of 13 people, 11 of whom were Black. He has been charged with first-degree murder – which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole in New York – and has pleaded not guilty. Authorities said on Sunday that Gendron had driven to Buffalo from his home several hours away a day before the attack to do “reconnaissance” on the area. On Saturday afternoon he drove to the Tops Friendly Market, where he commenced an assault that he broadcast in real time on the social media platform Twitch, a live video service owned by Amazon.com. Dressed in tactical gear, Gendron opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle that he had purchased legally, but then modified illegally. Authorities found two other guns – a rifle and a shotgun – in his car. Gramaglia told reporters that Gendron had appeared on the radar of local law enforcement last June, when police detained him after he made a “generalized” threat at his high school. Gendron was given a mental health evaluation at the time, but was released after a day and a half. New York Governor Kathy Hochul told ABC News on Sunday that an investigation would focus on what could have been done to stop the teenager, who appeared to have advertised a slew of violent, racist views online. “I want to know what people knew and when they knew it,” she said. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit Buffalo on Tuesday, the White House said in a statement. “Our hearts are heavy once again but our resolve must not waver; we must work together to address the hate that remains a stain on the soul of this nation,” Biden said in a Twitter post. A 180-page manifesto that circulated online, believed to have been authored by Gendron, outlined “The Great Replacement Theory” – a racist conspiracy theory that white people are being replaced by minorities in the United States and other countries. Another document online that appeared to have been written by Gendron sketched out a to-do list for the attack, including cleaning the gun and testing the livestream. A spokesperson for the Erie County district attorney’s office declined to comment on the documents. ‘I’M TERRIFIED’ On Sunday, several dozen community members held an emotional vigil for the victims outside the store, where Sharon Doyle, a 55-year-old security guard with Erie County Public Library, led a chant of “Black Lives Matter, my life matters.” “We all go in this Tops. I was scared to even go to Walmart last night,” Doyle said. “I have to go to work tomorrow and I’m terrified.” Nearby, at the True Bethel Baptist Church, a reverend led a mournful service for a crowd of worshipers, including some family of the victims and some who had been at the store at the time of the shooting. One was Charles Everhart Sr., 65, whose grandson Zaire Goodman, 20, worked at the store. Goodman was shot in the neck but survived. “He was pushing the carts back to the store and he was one of the first to get hit,” Everhart said. The Buffalo shooting follows other racially motivated mass murders in recent years, including a Pittsburgh synagogue attack that left 11 dead in October 2018, and the Atlanta spa shootings in March 2021 in which a white man killed eight people, targeting Asians. Stephen Belongia, the FBI special agent in charge of the bureau’s Buffalo field office, said the attack would be investigated both as a hate crime and as an act of “racially motivated violent extremism” under federal law. Hochul, meanwhile, said she was dismayed that the suspect managed to live-stream his attack on social media, which she blamed for hosting a “feeding frenzy” of violent extremist ideology. “These outlets must be more vigilant in monitoring social media content,” she said. Social media and streaming platforms like Twitch, which said it removed the stream after less than two minutes, have grappled with controlling violent and extremist content for years. “The user has been indefinitely suspended from our service, and we are taking all appropriate action, including monitoring for any accounts rebroadcasting this content,” a Twitch spokesperson said. (Reporting by Jenna Zucker in Buffalo, New York; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh, Doina Chiacu, Sarah N. Lynch, Gabriella Borter, Ken Li and Tyler Clifford; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Lisa Shumaker and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by AFP Rebecca Gomperts, the founder of abortion-rights groups Women on Waves and Aid Access, is seen in Amsterdam in September 2020 Washington (AFP) – Rebecca Gomperts, a 55-year-old Dutch physician, has spent years fighting for women’s access to abortion around the world. Made famous by her “abortion boat,” as recounted in the 2014 documentary “Vessel,” she and her Women on Waves group have anchored the ship in international waters off the coasts of Poland, Spain, Mexico and other countries, offering medical abortions to women otherwise unable to obtain them. But it is in the United States that interest has been surging in her other organization, Aid Access, which since 2018 has provided abortion pills over the internet. Behind the fast-rising demand is what appears — based on a rare leak from the US Supreme Court — to be the imminent end of federal protection for abortion rights. Once the court makes its decision official, probably next month, some 20 states are poised to ban or severely restrict abortions. “We’re already seeing a huge increase in requests,” Gomperts told AFP, saying some people were “panicking.” “It’s not only when this takes place; it has already made people aware how vulnerable they are.” Aid Access, based in Austria, has been working with physicians to fill requests in the 20 US states where abortion pills can be legally prescribed by telemedicine. For requests from the other states, Gompert’s group has exploited a legal loophole to send the pills from abroad. Demand was strong even before word of the high court’s intentions leaked out. In a little more than a year (from October 2020 to December 2021), Aid Access says it received more than 45,000 requests from the United States. Reasons for the requests vary: the high cost of other abortion services, the cost and difficulty of traveling to distant abortion clinics, or the impossibility of doing so due to job or child-care demands. After filling out a questionnaire, women are instructed on how to take the pills at home. The price is adjusted depending on their ability to pay, and the pills are mailed from a pharmacy in India. Aid Access checks in with the women afterward. The most vulnerable The pills are easy to find elsewhere on the internet, usually for a few hundred dollars. But those websites, also based outside the United States, are purely commercial and provide no medical support. For Gomperts, who in 2020 was listed as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine, the fight for abortion rights is a matter of “social justice.” “The biggest problem is that the women that are not literate, that cannot read and write, that have no access to internet — the most impoverished group — they will not be able to find these solutions,” she said. Many of them would lack the resources to travel to a state where abortion remains legal. “These are the women that might be forced to give birth or that will take drastic measures to end their pregnancy.” The certain result, Gomperts said, will be an increase in maternal mortality and morbidity. A safe method According to a 2017 survey of several thousand women in the United States, 20 percent of those who had attempted an at-home abortion used the pills, 29 percent used other drugs, 38 percent used plant-based infusions and 20 percent tried physical methods (some used more than one method, so the total exceeds 100 percent). During recent demonstrations outside the Supreme Court, women protesters brandished a disturbing object, something that seemed an artifact from a long-ago era: metal clothes-hangers — a symbol of highly risky abortions performed clandestinely. And yet, up to the 10th week of pregnancy, abortion pills are very safe, experts say. Today they represent half of all abortions in the United States (in France, by way of comparison, the figure is 70 percent). And their use outside of any medical setting is a “very acceptable” option, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Two drugs are used: first a dose of mifepristone is taken to block the hormones that support a pregnancy; then, 24 to 48 hours later, misoprostol is taken to induce contractions. Complications that might require medical help — an excessive flow of blood, an infection or an allergic reaction — are rare. So, beyond the medical aspect, the real risk to at-home abortions is legal complications. The NGO If/When/How has counted 60 cases in which women who allegedly self-managed abortions, or people who assisted them, were arrested, charged or sentenced between 2000 and 2020. The group, which says it envisions “a future when all people can self-determine their reproductive lives free from discrimination, coercion or violence,” helps find legal representation for such women. It fears the trend toward criminalizing abortion will be greatly aggravated if the Supreme Court rules as expected. Such a ruling, said Gomperts, “instills fear in people, and especially in health-care providers — and that is the biggest impact.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Olivia Rodrigo and Kanye West won big at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. The annual ceremony returned to Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday night (15.05.22), and this year half of the winners were unveiled on TikTok and the other half during a live broadcast on Peacock and NBC in the US. Teenage pop superstar Olivia, 19, and rap legend Kanye, 44, took home the most prizes. Olivia won seven accolades for Top New Artist, Top 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Billboard Global 200 Artist and Top R B Female Artist, while ‘SOUR’ was crowned Top Billboard 200 Album. As for Kanye, the ‘Jesus Walks’ rapper dominated the gospel and Christian categories, with ‘Donda’ taking home both Top Christian and Top Gospel Album. He also named Top Christian and Gospel Artist, while ‘Hurricane’ from ‘Donda’ was named Top Christian and Gospel Song, giving him a total of six prizes. Doja Cat walked away with three prizes for Top R B Artist, Top Viral Song for ‘Kiss Me More’ with SZA and Top R B Female Artist. The Weeknd was the most-nominated going into the ceremony, with 17 nods, but the ‘Blinding Lights’ hitmaker only walked away with a single prize for Top R B Male Artist. The star-studded bash was hosted by Diddy and featured performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Silk Sonic, Burna Boy, Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran and Machine Gun Kelly. Before the ceremony started, organisers caused controversy by allowing country star Morgan Wallen to make an appearance despite him being banned last year for use of a racial slur. The 29-year-old singer-songwriter performed right after civil rights activist Tamika Mallory gave a speech about social justice and anti-racism, which raised a few eyebrows. Travis Scott also performed, six months after the Astroworld tragedy, which saw 10 people lose their lives in a crowd surge at the rapper’s festival. Before the event, host Diddy addressed the booking of Morgan and Travis. He said: “To have Morgan and Travis be able to come back and touch the stage again with the mindset of getting a second chance at life. “Everybody in the room is getting a second chance at life, you know, because we’re back outside with no masks on. We need love and I’m excited about celebrating that.” An abridged list of the 2022 Billboard Music Awards winners: Top Artist Drake Top New Artist Olivia Rodrigo Top Male Artist Drake Top Female Artist Olivia Rodrigo Top Duo/Group BTS Top Billboard 200 Artist Taylor Swift Top Hot 100 Artist Olivia Rodrigo Top Streaming Songs Artist Olivia Rodrigo Top Song Sales Artist BTS Top Radio Songs Artist Olivia Rodrigo Top Billboard Global 200 Artist Olivia Rodrigo Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist Ed Sheeran Top Tour The Rolling Stones (‘No Filter Tour’) Top R B Artist Doja Cat Top R B Male Artist The Weeknd Top R B Female Artist Doja Cat Top Rap Artist Drake Top Rap Male Artist Drake Top Rap Female Artist Megan Thee Stallion Top Country Artist Taylor Swift Top Country Male Artist Morgan Wallen Top Country Female Artist Taylor Swift Top Country Duo/Group Dan + Shay Top Rock Artist Glass Animals Top Rock Tour The Rolling Stones (‘No Filter Tour’) Top Latin Artist Bad Bunny Top Latin Male Artist Bad Bunny Top Latin Female Artist Kali Uchis Top Dance/Electronic Artist Lady Gaga Top Christian Artist Ye Top Gospel Artist Ye Top Billboard 200 Album Olivia Rodrigo, ‘SOUR’ Top Rap Album Drake, ‘Certified Lover Boy’ Top Country Album Taylor Swift, ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ Top Rock Album twenty one pilots, ‘Scaled and Icy’ Top Latin Album Karol G, ‘KG0516’ Top Dance/Electronic Album Illenium, ‘Fallen Embers’ Top Christian Album Ye, ‘Donda’ Top Gospel Album Ye, ‘Donda’ Top Hot 100 Song The Kid LAROI Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’ Top Streaming Song The Kid LAROI Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’ Top Selling Song BTS, ‘Butter’ Top Radio Song Dua Lipa, ‘Levitating’ Top Collaboration The Kid LAROI Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’ Top Billboard Global 200 Song The Kid LAROI Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’ Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song The Kid LAROI Justin Bieber, ‘Stay’ Top Viral Song Doja Cat ft. SZA, ‘Kiss Me More’ Top R B Song Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), ‘Leave The Door Open’ Top Rap Song Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, ‘Industry Baby’ Top Rock Song Måneskin, ‘Beggin” Top Latin Song Kali Uchis, ‘telepatía’ Top Dance/Electronic Song Sir Elton John Dua Lipa, ‘Cold Heart – PNAU Remix’ Top Christian Song Ye, ‘Hurricane’ – winner Top Gospel Song Ye, ‘Hurricane’ View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Emeli Sandé hopes to start a family with her new girlfriend. The ‘Next To Me’ hitmaker – who was married to university lecturer Adam Gouraguine from 2012 to 2014 – announced last month that she is now dating female classical pianist Yoana Karemova, and she has admitted she would love to have a child with her partner in the future. Speaking to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column, she said: “I’d love to have a child one day. “It’s that balance – you want to get better at what you do, you want to keep pushing at your career, but at the same time you are a woman. “If it happens then fantastic. But if I’m supposed to dedicate myself to my music, then so be it. “Hopefully one day we can start a family.” Last week, Emily admitted she finally felt like she could “breathe” after letting everyone know her sexuality and having such a positive reaction from her supportive fanbase. She said: “Yeah, it’s been amazing. You know, I wasn’t sure especially coming out and talking about my new relationship. I wasn’t sure how people would see that. But it definitely got to a point in my life where I felt I have to be me. You know, I really have to be because it’s killing me not to be my real self. So now the reaction was so lovely. “My fans have just been so supportive and I just feel finally I can be myself and breathe.” The 35-year-old singer feels like she is “floating on a cloud” she’s so smitten with her girlfriend. She gushed: “I think I have such a physical reaction falling in love. You just feel like you’re floating on a cloud. Everything’s good. I remember just you know, a few months after just knowing her, life is really nice. Like everything seems good. I feel optimistic. And I think since I met Yoana, I think your body tells you and life becomes just like a dream.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Apple is planning it put a USB-C in the iPhone 15, says an Apple analyst. The tech giant is thought to be swapping out their Lightning -which was first added in 2012 to the iPhone 5 – port out for a USB-C one, which some expecting the next model to be portless and rely on wireless charging. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst who looks at Apple wrote on Twitter: “My latest survey indicates that 2H23 new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone’s transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support.” In a follow-up tweet, the often right analyst added: “It’s expected to see existing USB-C-related suppliers of Apple’s ecosystem (e.g., IC controller, connector) become the market’s focus in the next 1-2 years, thanks to vast orders from iPhones and accessories’ adoption of USB-C ports. According to Mark Gurman, a fellow analyst writing for Bloomberg, the innovative company is indeed working on adding a USB-C to their new model – which is expected out in 2023 – after they already added to their other product line-up such as the iPad and their Macbook models. Last week, Apple discontinued their last iPod product, the iPod Touch after the original – and revolutionary – product made its debut in 2001, more than 21 years ago and 400 million sold worldwide. On their website, they said: “Since its introduction over 20 years ago, iPod has captivated users all over the world who love the ability to take their music with them on the go. Today, the experience of taking one’s music library out into the world has been integrated across Apple’s product line — from iPhone and Apple Watch to iPad and Mac — along with access to more than 90 million songs and over 30,000 playlists available via Apple Music.. “Among the incredible ways to enjoy music across a range of devices, including a wide variety of models from the new iPhone SE to the latest iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone is the best device for streaming Apple Music or storing an entire music library on the go.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dawn Chmielewski LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -A gunman opened fire in a Southern California church during a lunch banquet on Sunday, killing one person and wounding five, before churchgoers detained the suspect and hog-tied his legs with an electrical cord, authorities said. Police responded to the incident that unfolded at about 1:30 p.m. local time (2039 GMT) at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods and arrested an unidentified suspect in his 60s, Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock told a news conference. “That group of churchgoers displayed … exceptional heroism and bravery in intervening to stop the suspect. They undoubtedly prevented additional injuries and fatalities,” he said. One person died at the scene while four other victims were critically wounded. Another person suffered minor injuries, he said. All of the injured were taken to hospitals. About 30 to 40 people were in the church when the shooting occurred, Hallock said. “At this time, we do not know what the suspect’s motive may be or whether he had an intended target, or whether this is even a hate-related incident,” Hallock said, adding that authorities believe the suspect does not live in the area. Two handguns were found at the scene. “No one should have to fear going to their place of worship. Our thoughts are with the victims, community, and all those impacted by this tragic event,” Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said on Twitter. It was at least the second mass shooting of the weekend in the United States, which has been plagued with gun violence in recent years. In Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, a white 18-year-old man opened fire at a supermarket in a mostly Black neighborhood, killing 10 and wounding three in what authorities described as a purely racist attack. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, Kanishka Singh in Washington and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; writing by Kanishka Singh; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English JK Rowling has mocked transgender activists who dressed up as ninjas and tried to stop a group of women’s rights activists. The ‘Harry Potter’ author took to social media to lament the Manchester Trans Rise Up protestors, who came dressed in balaclavas and tried to stop the women from speaking out in front of a statue of the founder of the Suffragette movement, Emmeline Pankhurst, at Manchester’s St Peter’s Square. She tweeted: “There is no conflict between women’s rights and our ideology. “To prove it, we’ve dressed up as ninjas to block public access to a statue of a suffragette. “We’re confident this has done wonders for our cause and definitely isn’t an unintentionally hilarious own goal.” In an other post, Rowling added: “I never expected the right side of history to include so many people in masks intimidating and assaulting women, did you? “But she never have dropped her flag. Emmelline would be proud.” Rowling has been in an opposing ideological battle with the transsexual community since she made her stance on biological sex clear in a social media post made a few years back. Commenting on a headline which read: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.” The writer wrote: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Although Rowling has made her opinion on the importance of biological sex clear, the philanthropist insists she supports the trans community, but she has to defend the rights of women as a feminist. She previously posted: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth. (sic)” Rowling also revealed she’s researched the issue over the “last three years” and rubbished suggestions she doesn’t have any knowledge of the subject. She said: “I’ve spent much of the last three years reading books, blogs and scientific papers by trans people, medics and gender specialists. I know exactly what the distinction is. Never assume that because someone thinks differently, they have no knowledge. (sic)” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nathan Layne and Kia Johnson CUMMING, Ga. (Reuters) – When a Forsyth County, Georgia, man last week challenged the eligibility of 13,000 voters, a power that a new state law gives individual citizens, it set Democrats and voting-rights activists scrambling, calling in a high-powered law firm to protest. County election officials rejected his request, but party organizers expect to be doing more of this kind of quick mobilization as the Nov. 8 midterm elections approach, fearing Republicans will tap provisions in the state’s 2021 election law to try to suppress the vote. “Because of Georgia’s new trash election laws, one man was allowed to challenge the right to vote for 13,000 voters,” Nsé Ufot, chief executive of the New Georgia Project, a voting-rights group based in Atlanta, said in an interview. “That is what is at stake in these November elections: The material rights that we enjoy as Americans.” Forsyth County officials voted unanimously at a Thursday meeting in Cumming, a city about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Atlanta, to dismiss resident Frank Schneider’s challenge ahead of the May 24 primary. Equal to 8% of the county’s registered voters, it was one of the largest challenges yet under the 2021 state Senate Bill 202, which critics say was designed to make it more difficult for people of color to vote and supporters say is intended to prevent fraud. Georgia’s law was one of nearly three dozen in 2021 that curbed ballot access across 19 states, most of them controlled by Republicans. That push carried into this year, with legislators in at least 27 states having introduced, pre-filed, or carried over 250 bills with restrictive provisions, according to the Brennan Center for Justice’s latest tally. Many of the backers of these measures cited former President Donald Trump’s false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread voter fraud, claims that multiple courts, state election officials and members of Trump’s own administration have rejected as false. In addition to giving individual Georgians the power to challenge an unlimited number of voters at once, the state’s law limited the use of dropboxes, narrowed the window for submitting absentee ballots and criminalized a variety of election-related activities, including giving water to voters in line. At a meeting in Atlanta last week, the New Georgia Project’s chief legal officer, Aklima Khondoker, trained lawyers volunteering to help voters navigate the new law. Khondoker told the group the new legislation has added a new level of confusion for already overstretched election officials, adding, “That confusion can lead to disenfranchisement.” The pro-bono lawyers will escalate cases for potential litigation to the Elias Law Group, the Washington-based firm led by prominent Democratic attorney Marc Elias, which authored a letter protesting the voter challenge in Forsyth that was sent to the county’s election board. “Folks who attempt to go vote this fall are inevitably going to encounter some issues, some by design,” said Michael Jones, one of the firm’s attorneys in Atlanta. “They are going to need help on the ground to navigate those challenges.” CRITICAL STATE Georgia will be critical to Democrats’ hopes of keeping control of the U.S. Senate, with a November match-up expected between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Trump-backed former football star Herschel Walker. Since early voting for the primary began on May 2, over 400,000 ballots have been cast, more than three times the level during the same period in 2018. Of all the new law’s measures, decreased drop box access will likely have the biggest influence on turnout, said Charles Bullock, professor of political science at the University of Georgia, though he reckons the impact will be small. “It doesn’t look to me that it will be that big of a deal,” Bullock said. “The Democrats will make it an issue and run on it and it’s smart to do that.” Democrats in neighboring Florida are also assembling a network of hundreds of lawyers to respond to a new law, while incorporating messaging about its various restrictions on ballot access into their get-out-the-vote campaigns, Ben Tyler, general counsel for the state party, told Reuters. Tyler said he is also bracing for partisan challenges allowed by the new law. In Georgia’s Forsyth County, officials expect more challenges like Schneider’s. Schneider, a resident of the county who could not be reached for comment, created his target list by comparing county voter rolls with a change of address database maintained by the U.S. Postal Service. The county election board decided the data was insufficient and the challenge too close to the primary, but a Republican board appointee, Joel Natt, encouraged Schneider to try again after conducting more research. “It’s a lot of data and a lot of research that has to be done and if you make a mistake somebody may get mad,” Natt told Reuters. “I encouraged him to bring it back another time when we have more time to digest all this.” Anita Tucker, a Democratic member of the board, said she was worried the challenges would breed distrust of voting. “We have been promised more challenges,” Tucker told Reuters. “It is ironic that the justification for the challenges is to create voter confidence.” Democrats and their allies are also pouring resources into boosting turnout. The New Georgia Project has knocked on 417,000 doors in the past 10 weeks, hoping to get new voters to the polls for the primary, knowing that increases the chances they will cast a ballot in November. On a hot and sunny afternoon last Thursday, canvasser TunDe Hector appeared to win over a 27-year-old man in a south Atlanta neighborhood who had no plan to vote in the primary. After their conversation, the man, who only gave his first name of Devontae, said there was an 85% chance he would cast a ballot. “They count on us not being out here,” Hector said. “I’m here to make sure, you know, you don’t want to be scratched off the books because this is important for all of us.” (Reporting by Nathan Layne, Kia Johnson and Nathan Frandino; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Nordia Tompkins was serving a seven-year sentence for a drug charge in June 2020 when the U.S. federal Bureau of Prisons released her to home confinement under the terms of a law passed by Congress to slow the spread of COVID-19. The 37-year-old mother of two began settling back into her life north of New York City, pursuing studies for a new career in cosmetology. That changed a year later when she stopped at a store to fix her broken cell phone, an errand the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) ruled violated the terms of her confinement, though Tompkins said she told officials of her plans. She was ordered back to prison. “I got my daughter out of foster care back into my care. I got a job and I re-enrolled in school,” she wrote to the BOP. “I have worked so hard to settle back into society the right way.” Tompkins is one of three federal inmates asking courts to release them back to home confinement under the terms of the 2020 Cares Act that authorized their release. They contend the New York halfway house run by GEO Group sent them back to prison over minor infractions without any chance to contest the allegations. The outcome of the three cases could open the door for future legal challenges by more than 300 other inmates whose home confinement was revoked over minor infractions, lawyers involved in the cases said. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment beyond the department’s court filings in the case, while a GEO Group spokesperson referred questions to the BOP. Prosecutors fighting to keep Tompkins locked up said she and similarly situated inmates have “no protected liberty interest” and that BOP’s placement decisions are “expressly insulated from judicial review.” But attorneys for Tompkins and two other women who were sent back to prison after testing positive one time each for marijuana said the BOP’s disciplinary approach is at odds with the Biden’s administration’s goal of lowering mass incarceration and reducing sentences for low-level offenders. “These cases could help shed light on the black box of how the BOP goes about deciding who to re-imprison, and a favorable ruling could certainly lead to additional litigation around the country,” said Marisol Orihuela, a Yale University law professor who along with Sarah Russell of Quinnipiac University represents Tompkins and the two other women. ‘THAT’S NOT AMERICA’ More than 10,000 inmates were released to home confinement under terms of the law, according to the BOP. As of May 3, 406 inmates released home under the law were returned to prison, 199 due to alcohol or drug violations and another 132 for various administrative violations, the BOP said. Virginia Lallave and Eva Cardoza, also represented by Orihuela and Russell, both reside in New York, where marijuana is legal under state law. Lallave, who is waiting for a court ruling, was permitted by a judge to stay home while her case is reviewed. Prosecutors said in court filings that she received advanced notice of the disciplinary charges against her. Cardoza, who has a teenage daughter and helps care for her fiance’s four children, has been back behind bars since June 2021. Her fiance, Eric Alvarez, said she had not used marijuana, and that he believes the test was inaccurate, but that she was not given a chance to contest it. “Her due process was violated. She wasn’t even given an opportunity to go to a hearing or to contest what she was being accused of,” Alvarez said in a phone interview. “That’s not America.” (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Donald Trump will have to wait for six hours before reposting his messages from social media platform Truth Social on other platforms, a regulatory filing revealed on Monday. The platform was launched with the mission of standing up to Big Tech, after the former U.S. president was kicked off of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for allegedly inciting and glorifying violence during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots. Billionaire Elon Musk, who has bid to buy Twitter for $44 billion, has said he would reverse Trump’s ban on the platform, calling it “morally wrong and flat-out stupid.” Trump, who averaged 18 tweets a day when he was president, has said he would not return to Twitter even if reinstated. He has revved up his messaging on the new platform to his millions of followers after a slow start. “President Trump is generally obligated to make any social media post on Truth Social and may not make the same post on another social media site for 6 hours,” Digital World Acquisition Corp said in a filing. DWAC, a special purpose acquisition company which will take Truth Social’s parent Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) public, filed the statement with U.S. regulators and said it expects to close the deal in the second half of 2022. It also said Trump is free to sign offers for any new video production, but TMTG holds the right to recreate a similar program for subscription video service TMTG+ and will have to pay him for exclusive content for subscribers. (Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday further undermined campaign finance restrictions and handed a victory to Senator Ted Cruz, striking down as a free speech violation part of a bipartisan 2002 law challenged by the Texas Republican that federal officials had called an anti-corruption provision. The justices, in a 6-3 ruling, found that a $250,000 cap on the amount of money political candidates can be reimbursed after an election for personal loans to their own campaigns ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech by unjustifiably burdening political expression. In the ruling authored by Chief Justice Roberts, the court’s conservative justices were in the majority and liberal justices in dissent. Roberts wrote that the law in question “burdens core political speech without proper justification.” Roberts wrote that the government had failed to show that the measure “furthers a permissible anti-corruption goal, rather than the impermissible objective of simply limiting the amount of money in politics.” In a blistering dissenting opinion, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said the court was effectively aiding and abetting corruption in Washington by allowing donors to contribute to a campaign after an election in a way that benefits the candidate personally. “In striking down the law today, the court greenlights all the sordid bargains Congress thought right to stop,” Kagan wrote. Politicians will know that such payments will go directly to them via the campaign, Kagan added, and the donors will hope for something in return. “The politician is happy; the donors are happy. The only loser is the public. It inevitably suffers from government corruption,” Kagan said. Cruz had sued the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the agency that enforces election laws. Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, acting on behalf of the FEC, had appealed a Washington-based three-judge panel’s 2021 ruling unanimously striking down the provision on free speech grounds. Cruz was backed by some fellow Republicans in the case. The provision at issue was part of a major campaign finance law that already has been chipped away at by the Supreme Court including in a landmark 2010 ruling https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-politics/landmark-supreme-court-ruling-allows-corporate-political-cash-idUSTRE60K3SK20100121 that allowed unlimited independent spending by corporations and unions during elections as constitutionally protected free speech. In finding that the limit was not justified to deter corruption, Roberts said restrictions already exist on how much money individuals can donate during an election cycle, currently capped at $2,900. Roberts added that the status quo likely benefited incumbents over challengers because new candidates often have to loan money to their campaigns and can find it more difficult to attract donations. Cruz, first elected to represent Texas in the Senate in 2012, sued the FEC after his successful 2018 re-election race against Democratic rival Beto O’Rourke. Cruz had lent his campaign organization $260,000 but was limited by the law to a $250,000 reimbursement from his campaign. The Supreme Court has struck down various provisions of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), often called the McCain-Feingold law in recognition of its main Senate sponsors, John McCain and Russ Feingold. Cruz unsuccessfully sought his party’s 2016 presidential nomination, later becoming a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Liz Cheney called on fellow Republicans to reject white supremacism, days after a teenage gunman motivated by the right-wing “great replacement” theory allegedly killed 10 people in a racist shooting in western New York state. “The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism,” Cheney, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump and his allies in the House of Representatives, wrote on Twitter. “History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse. @GOP leaders must renounce and reject these views and those who hold them,” she tweeted. Political fallout from the weekend shooting could become a new hurdle for Republicans, as they try to minimize infighting over party fealty to Trump in the run-up to the Nov. 8 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. A 180-page manifesto that circulated online, believed to have been authored by the 18-year-old white man accused in the killing spree, outlined the “Great Replacement Theory,” a racist conspiracy theory that white people were being replaced by minorities in the United States and elsewhere. Cheney is one of two Republicans on a congressional committee that has subpoenaed House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy and four other party lawmakers to testify about the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by hundreds of Trump supporters. Cheney was joined by Representative Adam Kinzinger, a fellow maverick Republican who is also on the committee, in blaming the party’s leadership for not condemning the racism that fueled the attack in Buffalo, New York, where 11 of the 13 wounded were Black Americans. “Here is my replacement theory: we need to replace @EliseStefanik, @GOPLeader, @RepMTG, @CawthornforNC and a number of others,” Kinzinger said Sunday in a tweet referring to McCarthy, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and hard-line Trump supporters Marjorie Taylor Greene and Madison Cawthorn. “The replacement theory they are pushing/tolerating is getting people killed,” said Kinzinger. Cheney and Kinzinger maintain that House leaders are pandering to Trump allies and supporters who advocate white nationalism as the party tries to take control of the House in November’s midterm elections. Stefanik’s office in a statement rejected that criticism. “Any implication or attempt to blame the heinous shooting in Buffalo on the Congresswoman is a new disgusting low for the left, their Never Trump allies and the sycophant stenographers in the media,” said Alex DeGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik. Stefanik, who represents a New York state congressional district, replaced Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican last year after Cheney condemned Trump for the January 2021 Capitol attack by his supporters. Greene on Twitter said that responsibility for the shooting lay only with the gunman. The offices of McCarthy and Cawthorn did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by AFP McDonald's in March closed all of its restaurants in the country, where it says it employs 62,000 people New York (AFP) – American fast-food giant McDonald said Monday it will exit Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, ending a more than three-decade run begun in the hopeful period near the end of the Cold War. The restaurant chain, which launched in Moscow in January 1990 to great fanfare almost two years before the Soviet Union was dissolved, characterized the withdrawal as difficult but necessary. “The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values,” the company said in a statement. The chain is looking to sell “its entire portfolio of McDonald’s restaurants in Russia to a local buyer.” The burger giant is one of numerous foreign firms that have pulled out of the country or suspended operations following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in late February. Earlier on Monday, French automaker Renault announced it had handed over its Russian assets to the government, marking the first major nationalization since the onset of Western sanctions against Moscow’s military campaign. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into pro-Western Ukraine on February 24, triggering unprecedented sanctions and sparking an exodus of foreign corporations including H&M, Starbucks and Ikea. In March, citing “unspeakable suffering to innocent people,” McDonald’s closed all of its 850 restaurants in the country, where it says it employs 62,000 workers. But on Monday the “Big Mac” maker went a step further, saying the company “is pursuing the sale of its entire portfolio of McDonald’s restaurants in Russia to a local buyer.” After the sale, the restaurants would no longer be able to use the McDonald’s name, logo, branding or menu, though the company will retain its trademark in the country, the company said. Russia currently accounts for nine percent of the company’s revenue and three percent of its operating profit. McDonald’s expects to a one-time charge of $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion to write off the investment. A ‘new era’ The withdrawal offers a stark contrast to the optimism that surrounded the arrival of the quintessentially American brand in Russia in the waning days of the Cold War. The company began discussing the Russian business at the 1976 Olympics in Canada where the McDonald’s let Russian athletes use the “Big Mac Bus” in a sign of good will. That led to 14 years of negotiations, “culminating in the glorious day in January of 1990 when the first McDonald’s opened to so much hope and excitement in Pushkin Square,” recalled McDonald’s Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski in a message to employees. “In the history of McDonald’s, it was one of our proudest and most exciting milestones,” Kempczinski said. “After nearly half a century of Cold War animosity, the image of the Golden Arches shining above Pushkin Square heralded for many, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the beginning of a new era.” In the subsequent decades, McDonald’s operations in Russia expanded far beyond Moscow as the company invested billions of dollars and grew its supply chain. But Kempczinski said the Russia investment was no longer viable in terms of business, or consistent with company values. Still, he closed his message on a hopeful note, saying, “let us not end by saying, ‘goodbye’… (but) ‘Until we meet again.'” The company’s decision to divest “underlines a view that relations with Russia will not soon be normalized,” said Neil Saunders, a retail expert at GlobalData. The conditions of the exit, including the financial challenges facing prospective Russian buyers means “it is unlikely the sale price will be anywhere near the pre-invasion book value of the business,” said Saunders, adding that the departure “will leave a hole” in McDonald’s growth plans “that is not easily filled in the near-term.” Shares of McDonald’s fell 0.4 percent to $243.24 in mid-morning trading. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega The 2022 Billboard Music Awards show is here! Streaming live from the MGM Grand Garden Area in Las Vegas and hosted by music legend Sean “Diddy” Combs, the annual awards event will be honoring some of the biggest names in music and feature performances from Travis Scott, Machine Gun Kelly, Ed Sheeran , Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. Before the show started, these celebs hit the carpet in style! TRAVIS SCOTT RETURNS TO THE STAGE, DIDDY TAKES OVER AS HOST & MORE: EVERYTHING TO EXPECT AT THE 2022 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS Scroll through the gallery below to see some of the hottest celebs hitting the red carpet for the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. DJ Khaled mega DJ Khaled sported a lavender suit and matching purple sneakers as he prepared to present an award at this year’s show. Dove Cameron mega Liv and Maddie star Dove Cameron looked stunning in a floor length, strapless red dress showing off her toned abs. ‘POWERPUFF GIRLS’ STAR DOVE CAMERON REFLECTS ON HER STRUGGLES COPING WITH FAME & DATING AFTER COMING OUT AS BISEXUAL Ty Dolla $ign mega Ty Dolla $ign arrived at the show in a stylish metal Natalia Fender tank top and black jacket, accessorizing the look with a pair of black shades. Florence Welch mega “Drumming Song” singer Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine looked gorgeous in her ruffled purple gown and lacy black gloves. Jack Harlow mega Kentucky born rapper Jack Harlow arrived at the Billboard Awards in a sleek black Musika suit and tie. Lainey Wilson mega Country star Lainey Wilson — who was awarded Top New Country Artist Of 2021 last year — was feeling floral! She rocked a patterned jacket adorned with large cream and blue flowers. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Kris Humphries, who infamously was married to Kim Kardashian for just 72 days, is said to be “furious” that his ex-wife has again questioned his sexuality, Radar has exclusively learned. In the latest episode of the hit Hulu series The Kardashians, the three-times married reality star, 41, joked she hadn’t been to a gay wedding “since my second wedding.” “I love a gay wedding,” Kardashian, a mother of four, quipped to Scott Disick and friend Chris Reda in front of cameras. Humphries, a one-time NBA star who played for the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz, among others during a distinguished career, was left to relive a decade old feud, the insider added. In the wake of their 2011 divorce, Humphries was forced to swat away speculation that the reason for the quick demise of their marriage was because Kardashian began to question her husband’s heterosexuality when, after their Italian honeymoon, his interest in sex began to fade. “At first Kim thought that was ridiculous,” an insider reported, at the time. “But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered. There were signs.” “Kris has moved on,” a source close to him told RadarOnline.com. “He does not understand why Kim continues to think he’s gay. It’s infuriating. Kim needs to move on, just like he has. She really should not drag his name through the mud after all of these years.” On December 1, 2011, Humphries filed to annul the marriage on the grounds of fraud or a decree of legal separation rather than a divorce. Guests at Kardashian’s wedding to Humphries included Hollywood stars like Ryan Seacrest, Lindsay Lohan, Serena Williams, and Eva Longoria. Kim wore three different gowns designed by Vera Wang. She was previously married to rapper Kanye West and Damon Thomas. Kardashian filed for divorce from the “Gold Digger” rapper — they share kids North, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2 — in February 2021 after seven years of marriage. She’s been dating Saturday Night Live comic Pete Davidson since sparking rumors of romance late last year after her SNL hosting debut. View the full article

Published by AFP Demonstrators in New York march during the abortion rights rally in reaction to the leak of the US Supreme Court draft abortion ruling that would reverse a landmark statute guaranteeing federal abortion access New York (AFP) – Thousands of activists chanting, banging drums and wielding placards flooded streets across the United States on Saturday in a national day of action calling for safe and legal access to abortion. The mass demonstrations were a response to a leaked draft opinion showing the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling guaranteeing abortion access nationwide. “Nobody has the right to make a decision on somebody else’s body,” said Hanna Williamson, 20, who drove three hours to join several thousand protesters in Washington. Thousands more people assembled in a central square in Brooklyn, New York, to carry a giant pink banner that read: “Our Bodies. Our Futures. Our Abortions.” The protestors, who included Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other influential Democrats, were of all genders and ages and many wore green, a symbolic color of abortion rights activism. “We’re gonna keep fighting until we win,” Schumer told AFP. “America is on our side.” Allison Easter, 58, called the turnout “encouraging.” “There’s so many young people, so many mothers wheeling their babies, so many people with their husbands or boyfriends, so many men — so many different kinds of people support this cause,” she told AFP. She said that the political push to restrict or ban abortion was “about power and control.” “There are a lot of people who have very traditional values, and are frightened by women who can make choices about their own body,” Easter said, as a crush of demonstrators flooded into lower Manhattan. “I know there are people who think it’s about religion, but if you look at the things they’ve done in the name of religion, it doesn’t bear true.” ‘Contrary to our founding’ Thousands of people also rallied in Texas and Kentucky, with smaller events elsewhere in the country. “These are a group of people in this country who are working to dismantle 60 years of civil rights and civil liberties of the United States of America,” Linda Sarsour, a prominent political activist, told AFP in New York. “We respect everybody’s right to hold whatever religious belief or whatever opinion they have on an issue like abortion,” she continued. “What we want you to know is that you can do you — and allow people to still have access to safe, affordable, women’s reproductive rights.” The leak of the draft opinion ignited fury over the potential rollback of abortion rights ahead of November’s key midterm elections, when control of both congressional chambers is at stake. Democrats have pushed to codify abortion rights into federal law, a bid to pin down Republicans on the divisive issue ahead of the polls. The House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act would assure health care professionals have the right to provide abortions and that patients have the right to receive them. But Republicans and one Democrat in the US Senate tanked the effort to advance the measure earlier this week. Nanette Rosenbaum, 64, told AFP she demonstrated in New York as an adolescent: “I never expected that 50 years later I’d be back on the streets again.” Calling the Supreme Court “too politicized and much too partisan,” Rosenbaum said that “in a country like America, who fought for individual rights,” restricting legal abortion access “seems contrary to our founding.” “I feel as strongly now as I did when I was a teenager, and I hope — I fervently hope — that we’ll make a difference.” ‘Women want choices’ A new Politico/Morning Consult poll has 53 percent of voters saying Roe should not be overturned, up three percentage points since last week, while 58 percent said it was important to vote for a candidate who supports abortion access. Republican-controlled states have taken steps to restrict abortion rights in recent months, and overturning Roe v. Wade would grant them greater latitude to restrict or ban the procedure. The right to access abortion has long triggered activism, but the Supreme Court leak has spurred an uptick in demonstrations, including outside the homes of justices. The largely peaceful protests have drawn Republican criticism over privacy rights of court members, but activists have responded by pointing to years of often violent protests outside abortion clinics and at the homes of doctors providing the medical procedure. In Washington, protesters, many dressed in pink and wielding placards, marched near the Supreme Court on Saturday. “It’s very important to be here to take a stand and really say to the people who are making these decisions that women want choices and they want freedom to have that choice,” said Viesha Floyd, 32. “The reason I’m here is for those women, the future generations.” View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — In a speech in Orlando on Saturday, U.S. Senate hopeful Val Demings touted her pro-choice stance and attacked Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s position on abortion as “radical.” Rubio, who’s seeking a third term, has long supported bans on abortion with no exceptions, most recently saying a failed Senate bill to codify Roe v. Wade would legalize ”the killing of unborn children right up to the day of delivery.” The 1973 Supreme Court ruling is on the cusp of being overturned, according to a draft opinion obtained by Politico. His campaign described his likely opponent in November a… Read More View the full article